cover
TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Derrick Winston, Director of Public Facilities
DATE: October 13, 2025
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing the adjustment of parking fees for the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers.
PURPOSE:
To adequately fund maintenance and repairs of the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers.
BACKGROUND:
The City maintains the Route 25 Transit Center, located at 233 N Broadway, and the Route 59 Transportation Center, located at 1090 Route 59. Both locations are on the BNSF-Metra rail line from Aurora to Chicago.
Maintenance of the parking lots, facilities, and grounds is primarily funded through the collection of parking fees. Route 25 has three (3) parking lots that collectively provide 799 daily and 479 monthly permit parking spaces. Route 59 has a single lot containing 1,538 daily and 1,028 monthly parking spaces. The current parking rates are $2.00 for a single-day pass and $42.00 for a monthly permit, which were last adjusted in 2015 and are lower than most stops on the BNSF-Metra line (rate table attached).
In 2020, commuting drastically reduced, resulting in a continual annual budget deficit. Expenditures have been minimized and the City continues to maintain the transit centers utilizing transfers from other sources. Currently, the average parking lot usage has returned to little more than half of pre-2020 levels and has seemingly plateaued. Given this shift in commuting habits along with increasing costs, the City cannot properly maintain the transit facilities absent subsidy (Transit Fund revenues & expenses table attached).
DISCUSSION:
To provide additional funding for the operation and maintenance of the transit facilities, eliminate or reduce transfers from outside sources, and move towards restoring transit fund reserves, a parking rate adjustment is recommended. The parking fee for a single day pass would become $3.00 and the fee for a monthly parking permit would become $60.00, effective January 1, 2026.
Transit Center parking fees are recorded as revenue in accounts: 530-4433-374.01-01, 530-4433-374.01-03, 530-4433-374.01-07, 530-4433-374.01-08, 530-4434-374.03-02, and 530-4434-374.03-03.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The adjusted parking fees will provide additional funding to properly maintain the Transit Centers.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I recommend that the City Council adopts a resolution authorizing the adjustment of parking fees for the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the adjustment of parking fees for the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers.
body
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, The City maintains the Route 25 Transit Center, located at 233 N Broadway, and the Route 59 Transportation Center, located at 1090 Route 59. Both locations are on the BNSF-Metra rail line from Aurora to Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Maintenance of the parking lots, facilities, and grounds is primarily funded through the collection of parking fees; and
WHEREAS, The current parking rates are $2.00 for a single-day pass and $42.00 for a monthly permit, which were last adjusted in 2015 and are lower than most stops on the BNSF-Metra line; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, commuting drastically reduced, resulting in a continual annual budget deficit. Expenditures have been minimized and the City continues to maintain the transit centers utilizing transfers from other sources; and
WHEREAS, To provide additional funding for the operation and maintenance of the transit facilities, eliminate or reduce transfers from outside sources, and move towards restoring transit fund reserves, a parking rate adjustment is recommended. The parking fee for a single day pass would become $3.00 and the fee for a monthly parking permit would become $60.00, effective January 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Transit Center parking fees are recorded as Transit Fund revenue in accounts: 530-4433-374.01-01, 530-4433-374.01-03, 530-4434-374.03-02, and 530-4434-374.03-03; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: authorizing the adjustment of parking fees for the Route 25 and Route 59 Transportation Centers.