Plainfield Board Approves Plan for Park-n-Ride

Update(1/1/17 10:05 p.m.): A previous version of this article showed the incorrect location of the planned Park-n-Ride. The current version shows the correct location.

On Monday, the Plainfield Village Board unanimously approved a plan for a Pace Park-n-Ride facility on Van Dyke Road. Pace will need to approve the agreement before it is final.

The 10-acre project would provide 400 parking spots with an option to add 200 more. The land to be used is part of a 58-acre parcel that was purchased by the village to build a rail station, but that project was not pursued.

Map of Van Dyke Road powered by Google. Village documents show the planned Park-n-Ride is to be built in the field west of the intersection of South Van Dyke Road and South Wood Farm Road.

Under the 40-year agreement, Pace will reimburse the village for the construction costs up to $6.8 million.

Village Administrator Brian Murphy said he didn't anticipate any costs for the project before May, and the project would fall under the budget for the next fiscal year.

Village Trustee Ed O'Rourke asked if Pace was planning on expanding service.

"I would hope they're planning more lines to fill this parking lot," O'Rourke said.

Village Administrator Brian Murphy said Pace wants to put a bus garage at the facility for additional buses to serve the area, but no specific plans for additional bus lines.

O'Rourke also asked if residents would need to pay to park in the lot.

"There is no plan at this point that this would be a for-charge lot," Village Administrator Brian Murphy said. He also noted that both Pace and the Plainfield Village Board would need to approve a measure requiring payment for parking.

Allen Persons, Plainfield Director of Public Works, said Baxter and Woodman, an engineering firm, would do the majority of the design work for the project.

Plainfield Village Board discussing the Park-n-ride. Video via YouTube.

Image via Shutterstock