Oak Forest eliminates daily parking fees at Metra commuter lots

OAK FOREST, Ill. — Metra riders in Oak Forest will no longer have to pay to park when taking the train.

The Oak Forest City Council approved Tuesday an ordinance to eliminate daily parking fees at its five Metra parking lots, effective immediately.

“We have seen a downward trend in parking usage at all of our lots since 2012 when data first became available,” said City Administrator Tim Kristin. “The most significant drop occurred in 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which was the impetus for more people working from home.”

According to the city administrator, usage of the lots has dropped over the years and the payboxes are old and expensive to maintain.

The city also says the deteriorating payboxes have been vandalized and burglarized recently, requiring officers to respond and public works staff to repair the boxes. The estimated cost to replace 12 payboxes is $60,000.

“There are limited replacement options for these types of boxes,” Kristin said. “Although we do our best to maintain them, there are too many functional and structural issues to preserve them in the long run.”

Officials say they hope the move attracts more commuters, generating more foot traffic for local businesses.

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