Naperville prodding commuters to bus in to Metra station

Naperville is hoping to give commuters extra incentive to take the bus to the train station in the new year.

The city's new Guaranteed Ride Home Program starts Jan. 1 as a way to provide additional convenience and flexibility to those taking public transportation.

Registered participants will receive vouchers for taxi rides in case they need to get home from the train station in the middle of the day or late at night when their regular Pace bus service is not available.

"We're hoping providing this extra option when those situations arise when you have to leave work unexpectedly you know you can catch a taxi," said transportation planner Jennifer Ebel. "And it's incentive to take the bus for people who wouldn't necessarily take public transportation."

The program is open to Naperville residents who take Pace buses to get to either the downtown Naperville or Route 59 Metra stations - roughly 758 commuters a day.

Everyone who registers will receive up to 12 taxi vouchers that can be used between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday to take a cab home or to a park-and-ride. However, it is not intended for running personal errands, business-related travel or nonemergency side trips.

Commuters will pay for the taxi out of pocket, then mail the receipt and their program voucher to the city for reimbursement. The amount of reimbursement will be predetermined by the city for each commuter on an individual basis.

There is no cost to register for the program. About 76 residents already have signed up.

Officials hope the program will make public transportation a more viable option for commuters, as traffic has long been an issue plaguing the city. Route 59 and North Aurora Road near the Metra station annually tops the city's most crash-prone intersections and traffic backups are a common complaint near both the Route 59 and downtown Naperville Metra stations. Commuters also spend years on waiting lists just to get a parking permit for the train station lots.

To help mitigate the problem, the city recently opened a 95th Street park-and-ride with express bus service to the Route 59 station and is also installing red light cameras at Route 59 and North Aurora Road, which begin operation the week of Dec. 28.

For more information about the Guaranteed Ride Home Program, call (630) 305-5315 or visit naperville.il.us/guaranteedridehome.aspx. Enrollment forms are also available at both the downtown Naperville and Route 59 Metra stations or the municipal center, 400 S. Eagle St.