Are there any plans to improve the parking situation at metra station in Naperville? (Chicago: sales, theater)

[jamaicabound60565]

For years the parking situation at the downtown Naperville station has been horrible. I think currently the wait is something like 7 or 8 years. Is there anything in the works to improve the parking?

[nat03]

We moved to town 11 years ago. They told us the wait for a parking pass was 10 years. It took 9 years. The only thing I have seen them do is raise the price to make it less attractive. I guess it worked if the wait is only 7 - 8 years now.

[pvande55]

The only improvement I have heard of are a few remote parking lots with PACE bus shuttle to station. The problem is the last one going back meets the 6:50 train from CUS. If you have to work any later, you are lost.

[cubfan3]

I don't understand why they don't build a bigger parking garage(s).

[reppin_the_847]

You would think that they would go all out and build a huge parking garage. I'm not sure why they haven't already. Those Naperville stops are probably the busiest stops in the entire Metra system besides the downtown terminals. I've seen the parking garage system work at busy stops in the East Coast such as the Metropark station in central New Jersey that connects NJ Transit commuters to New York City (and Amtrak to many cities along the coast). With Naperville being the top Metra commuter suburb to Chicago, they really oughtta get on the ball and remedy the parking situation with a state of art garage. Perhaps one for each stop.

Originally Posted by cubfan3

I don't understand why they don't build a bigger parking garage(s).

[chet everett]

The two major hurdles to more parking are SPACE and COST. The cost is shockingly expensive in my mind, with typical "slabs of concrete" style garages (similar to what they have for shoppers) running about $35,000 or more PER SPACE -- even if you could get $1,000 per space per year the economics of maintaining such a gargage might not work out. Unlike the shopper parking their nearly no "extra economic activity" boosted by commuters.

The other things is SPACE and no one that appreciates a well developed downtown like Naperville has fostered over decades wants a giant concrete garage that detracts from the setting. If the land to be acquired would reduce sales taxes or property tax revenue the negatives soar.

Underground? The disruption and costs spiral even in well managed projects. The Millenial Park Garages are a well known example of pretty much everything wrong with contracting / public project management in Illinois. And now the revenue from those completed projects flow into some funky investment vehicle that Goldman Sachs created. Hinky? You bet, and way to smelly to pas the sniff test of skeptical suburban voters...

[Lookout Kid]

Sounds like a good use of stimulus dollars.

[jamaicabound60565]

Just seems like terrible management of the city, maybe Naperville should spend less time regulating candy throwing at parades, I'm not kidding eithr, with Naperville having huge budget deficits an other issues like parking they recently spent weeks passing a law about no longer throwing candy at parades.

This parking problem at the train station has been a huge problem for years and it doesnt seem anything is being done to relive this problem.

I know it's probably costly but they just put up one or maybe even two garages that arent really even needed behind Hugos Frog Bar and near the post office. For the most part these garage are empty m-f 9-5 during the work week. Even on weekends these garages do not really fill up unless its ribfest or some other special festival and you still arent allowed to park in them during the daytime in the work week without geting a ticket.

Naperville for the most part is a great city and attracts a lot of people who commute to the city. I no longer work in the city but if I did Naperville would be a less attractive place to live knowing that I eithr need to leave for work at 5:30 in the morning even if I dont start til later just to get a spot or I'm going to face lots of tickets.

[almost3am]

When I do drive to a station (opposed to biking) and do go to the downtown Naperville station, I haven't had a problem getting a spot for the 7:06AM train.

[pvande55]

I am a bit surprised that private interests are not capitalizing on the situation. In Libertyville (Lake County) there was a parking problem at the train station. The close by theater, with a parking lot not used much during the day, started selling commuter parking spaces. That particular station is not as busy now that alternate stations opened nearby. But if there are empty garages nearby, why don't they allow parking?