Commuting from Warrenville to Chicago (Naperville, Winfield: how much, home, depreciation)

[yanathin]

So the Metra parking situation is pretty sticky around here (especially Naperville), and I was thinking about driving to work in Chicago every day. I work off Michigan Ave. To anybody else that has to commute to the city for work - how long does it take to drive every day during typical morning/evening hours? I start work at 8:30am and get off at 5:30pm. I'm basically on the line for taking a job offer or not and I want to know if it'll REALLY be worth driving downtown for, since taking the Metra is pretty much out of the question...

[Steve-o]

Have you tried the Winfield Metra right up the road?

[yanathin]

I haven't, actually, but I also can't find any information about how quickly the daily lots fill up (or even where to park). I imagine it's just as tough to get a spot, though, right? I'll definitely look into it, but I'd still like to know the average driving time. Thanks for the suggestion!

[billiken]

Really depends on the day. My friend drives that route sometimes for work, and in normal rush hour conditions it takes about an hour. However, if there's an accident or it's snowing...have fun.

You should also consider the cost of parking downtown if your employer does not pay for it. It adds up.

[Ophidian14]

How much more money is the new job?

[yanathin]

I just checked parking permits for the Aon Center (where the job will be) and it's pretty pricey... $320/month. Not sure if the employer will pay for parking; I'll have to look into that.

But on the other hand, wouldn't the Metra be just as expensive? $120 monthly for the Metra, daily parking costs, cab ride in the city every day, since the Aon Center is like a half hour walk from the train station... Man, commuting is expensive!

Either way I'll be earning more money, but is it really worth it? This is a really tough decision to make! I've never had to drive this far to work before...

[chet everett]

There are BUSES from the train stations to Aon and surrounding buildings, some of which are provided by employers, others are CTA and can be added to Metra pass at minimal cost.

Similarly there are ways to minimize cost on the "getting from home to the train"end like carpooling, bicycle / scooter to station, private parking arrangement...

You would have to be pretty crazy to like anywhere close to a Metra line and willingly drive downtown daily.

[billiken]

Oh god, definetely don't take a taxi from the train to work! It's probably closer to 20 minutes walking, and if you don't want to do that, take a bus! It will be cheaper to take the train. $320/mo parking + gas + lots of time spent frustrated in your car is awful. At least on the train you can read a book, take a nap, work on your laptop, etc.

Many, many people bike and carpool to the Metra station where I'm from.

[oakparkdude]

Its about a 60 mile round trip commute by car. Add in expense like gasoline, highway tolls, and the all-important auto depreciation and it'll likely be much cheaper (and signficantly less stressful) to take Metra.

[Drover]

Try it for two weeks and you'll gladly go back to dealing with the comparably paltry parking hassles at the nearby Metra stations.

Personally I'd use this as an opportunity to move into town, depending on the family situation.