Parking violators in the commuter lot will have to pay a heftier fine after village trustees agreed on Tuesday to raise the cost of a ticket from $10 to $25.
Warren Rendleman, building and zoning administrator, asked the Village Board for a $5 increase in the fine, but trustees argued that sum would not deter violators.
Trustees Tim Balderman and Annette Bowden said it would be cheaper for violators to pay the $10 ticket than a $30 parking fee in downtown Chicago. Bowden suggested raising the rate to match the fine for parking violations on city streets.
“The Metra lot is just as important as off-street parking,” Bowden said.
Enforcement officers make three passes each day in the lot and often find 10 to 15 violators in the 1,100 spaces, Rendleman said. All fines help pay for maintenance of the lot.