Village and County Nearing Deal on Park-n-Ride, Expanded Dial-A-Ride

Options are about to increase for area residents looking for a ride to the downtown Aurora train station every weekday morning.

Kendall County Administrator Jeff Wilkins said the county and village are nearing a deal to provide Kendall Area Transit shuttle service from Orchard Road Park-n-Ride to the train station five times in the morning and five times in the afternoon. That's an increase of two rides each way over what's now offered by Pace shuttles. 

The deal would also include KAT para-transit (dial-a-ride) service to all residents. The current KAT dial-a-ride is available only to Oswego residents for medical purposes. A KAT one-way fare is $3 one-way, curb-to-curb. Door-to-door service is $5. Seniors receive a $1 discount.

The deal with Pace costs about $100,000 annually and includes only the shuttle service. The KAT deal would cost the village slightly less, and includes the additional services. The , but it includes a 60-day notice out-clause.

"This is a real savings to the village," said Dwight Baird, interim village administrator. "The important thing is to get people thinking about using public transportation."

Baird said it would be his recommendation to keep the fare for the shuttle service the same at $1.75 for a one-way ride—at least for the first year.

"I think it's important to get ridership back up, and to do that I think you have to keep it the same," he said.

According to village documents, 2011 average daily riders have been as few as 33 and as high as 55. With the additional service, Wilkins estimates ridership could hit as high as 91 riders daily.

Currently, Pace buses leave the Park-n-Ride at 5:35, 6:31 and 7:15 a.m. each week day. The KAT service would add trips at 6:05 and 7:44 a.m. The express trip will take about 17 minutes to arrive in downtown Aurora. 

Afternoon rides currently leave the Aurora train station at 4:59, 5:46 and 6:43 p.m. Additional rides would be scheduled for pickup at 6 and 6:23 p.m.

Baird said if all goes as planned and the Village Board approves the plan, the service could be operational by May 1.