New deal continues test track use for car dealers in Naperville

A new agreement ensures 13 car dealerships in Naperville will continue to have access to a a special track for test drives.

The Naperville Test Track, built in 2006, is one of only four such facilities in the country, Public Works Director Dick Dublinski said.

"Every time people go to it, I think they're impressed," he said.

The dealerships will pay roughly $48,000 a year in the agreement that builds a reserve for maintenance, landscaping and signage at the 9-acre site at 1720 W. Jefferson Ave.

The track was built on a former railroad auto storage lot as a way to decrease test drive traffic in the neighborhoods near of car dealers along Ogden and Aurora avenues. It's a looping course with curves and traffic signs for drivers to see how vehicles perform.

"Prior to the time it was built, there was a fairly regular stream of complaints at city council meetings about people test driving through neighborhoods," city council member Kevin Gallaher said. "As dealerships migrated, I think complaints would have increased even more. The test track has been a really big success in that respect."

The track cost about $4 million to build and it's been used by more than 150,000 prospective car customers.

It track also helps support car dealers, which generate about 40 percent of the sales taxes the city receives each year, or roughly $12 million, city officials said.

Participating dealerships include Cadillac of Naperville, Chevrolet of Naperville, Continental Acura of Naperville, Continental Audi of Naperville, Continental Mazda, Dodge of Naperville, Gerald Kia, Gerald Nissan, Lexus of Naperville, Mercedes-Benz of Naperville, Patrick Jaguar/Land Rover, Toyota of Naperville and Woody Buick.