Wheeling commuter lots may get new pay boxes

The Metra lot in Wheeling might get some new pay stations at a cost of a little more than $50,000.

The board talked about replacing the older machines at a meeting Monday. Those pay stations in the east and west parking lots have become costly to maintain since parts are not easily available.

"The machines we have are a bit outdated," Village Manager Mark Rooney said.

The four current pay stations were put in place in 1996 and 1998 and don't accept prepaid cards. The board agreed the best option would be Cale machines that are already being used by Mount Prospect and Des Plaines. The machines accept cash, coins, personal credit cards and debit cards. The stations also have options for smart cards that can be bought and replenished by commuters, if the board is willing to pay a total of $60,000.

Christine Bajor, assistant director of finance, said stations also offer Web access so employees can monitor them for repairs and collections.

She said the police can also monitor the machines from their cars to catch any parking violators. Bajor said the only disadvantage is that there is no coin changer in the machine.

The village staff examined four other options, some at a lower cost, but recommended the Cale machines because they offer the easiest maintenance and most options for payments.

Honor boxes, for example, would cost $21,000 but don't accept credit cards. The Schlumberger stations also cost $21,000, but Bajor said other towns have reported reliability issues.

"It looks like the Cale does give us the balance for all the features," Trustee Pat Horcher said.

The village board opted not to include the smart card option for now, bringing the cost for the stations to $52,430. However, the village has the option to add the smart cards later if commuters want them.

The board will make a formal decision on the pay stations on Monday, Dec. 1.