South Bend Closes Drive-Thru Lane for Utility Payments Amid City Hall Renovations

Photo byGreg Swiercz

SOUTH BEND — The drive-thru lane at the South Bend Municipal Utilities office, located at 125 W. Colfax Ave., is set to close permanently at the end of the day on Friday, September 27. This decision comes as the city prepares for a new customer service area planned for the first floor of the upcoming City Hall.

Denise Linn Reidl, the city’s chief innovation officer, clarified that the recent utility billing statements incorrectly indicated that the last day for drive-thru payments would be Thursday. Residents will have until Friday afternoon to utilize the service.

The city of South Bend is gearing up to relocate its operations from the County-City Building to the former South Bend Community School Corporation headquarters at 215 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., with plans to complete the move by late spring 2025.

“Our surveys indicated that only 4% of customers used the drive-thru lane,” Reidl noted. This conclusion echoes findings from a similar study conducted two years prior, which revealed a consistent lack of usage among residents.

Reidl emphasized that those who frequented the drive-thru appeared to do so out of habit. To assist customers with the transition, the city has provided detailed instructions on alternative payment methods on its website, encouraging residents to explore these options as the drive-thru service comes to a close.