Traffic & Transit
Elmhurst Commuting Still Way Down
The city shows how remote working is affecting its parking income.
ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst residents are commuting to downtown Chicago far less than they did before the pandemic, city figures show.
Income from parking permits and daily fees hit their lowest level in 2021, at 36 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the city said in a budget memo last week.
As residents have begun to return to work, the percentage has jumped to 47 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The city projects the percentage will rise to 50 percent next year.
"(M)any residents still work a portion of their work week at home and the City has seen a shift from annual permits to monthly and daily usage," City Manager Jim Grabowski said in the memo.
Find out what's happening in Elmhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The city has more than 1,500 daily commuter and paid permit spaces. They are used by Metra train passengers who go to Chicago.
Next year, the city plans to review parking rates and forecasts for the parking fund.
Other towns have seen similar trends. Hinsdale, for instance, responded by changing how it handles commuter parking.
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