TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Receive the fall 2023 commuter parking update
body
DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Andrea Nair, TED Project Manager
BACKGROUND:
At the City Council meeting Sept. 5, 2023, the City Council approved an ordinance that eliminated the quarterly commuter parking permit and allowed for changing the method of payment for daily fee spaces from pay-by-space to pay-by-plate.
Pay-by-space had many limitations. Those limitations included frequent maintenance of the painted space numbers and inconvenience for commuters to remember a different space number whenever they commute. Further, it limits flexibility and does not allow commuters to park in unmarked spaces.
Switching to pay-by-plate allows commuters to use their license plate to pay for a parking space. They are able to pay by entering their license plate at both the pay station kiosks located at the train stations and through the PayByPhone app. Paying by license plate provides flexibility to park in any space without the need to paint or number all 3,689 commuter spaces.
DISCUSSION:
Parking Lot Modifications
Signs to alert commuters to the change to pay-by-plate were installed throughout the lots. Some of these signs were temporary until permanent signs can be fabricated and mounted. The space numbers on the parking lot surface were covered with paint in October.
Enforcement
The Police Department is aware of these changes and worked with commuters during the first few weeks after the change to provide warnings before issuing citations for non-payment. All spaces are still $2, except for the DuPage Children’s Museum, Parkview and 190 E. 5th Avenue lot, which are $5. These rates remain in effect through the end of the year.
Kroehler Parking Lot
The Kroehler lot was primarily a permit lot with a small number of daily fee spaces. Since the pandemic, Kroehler permit holders have been allowed to park in the Burlington lot. The permit spaces in the Burlington lot remain only half full, even with both Kroehler and Burlington permit holders using the spaces. When the City implemented pay-by-plate on October 9, the Kroehler lot changed to a daily fee lot. Throughout the middle of the week, the daily fee spaces at the Naperville Station are nearly at capacity. Opening the Kroehler lot to daily fee adds an additional 282 spaces that commuters will be able to use. The Burlington lot will remain a permit only lot through the end of the year.
Parking Utilization
At both train stations, parking lot utilization is increasing. The occupancy counts on November 14, 2023, shows that 89% of the daily fee spaces at the Naperville Station are full and 67% of the Burlington lot permit spaces are full; overall, the parking was 70% occupied. At the Route 59 station, occupancy was at 39% overall. Route 59 permit holders and daily fee commuters are allowed to park in any open space at the Route 59 Station parking lot.
Table 1. Commuter Parking Utilization
|
|
Naperville Station |
Route 59 Station |
|
Daily Fee |
89% |
39% |
|
Permit |
67% |
- |
Future Changes
The next phase of the commuter parking updates will take place just before January 1, 2024. There are four primary changes:
• Parking permits will no longer be accepted, all spaces will be daily fee.
• The rate for all spaces will be $3.
• Weekly and monthly payment options will be available then at both the pay stations and through the PayByPhone mobile application.
• The preferred parking spaces for seniors and expectant mothers will also be designated starting Jan. 1. There are approximately 24 spaces at each station. These spaces are still subject to the daily fee. Commuters who qualify to use these spaces are expected to use the honor system, leaving the spaces open if they do not meet the criteria to park there.