Metra Parking at Lombard, Glen Ellyn, and Wheaton (Schaumburg, Glendale Heights: apartment, townhouse) - Chicago Suburbs - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

JuleeM13 · 07-24-2012, 02:21 PM

I'm going to be moving to Glendale Heights with my boyfriend temporarily until we buy a house and I'm trying to decide which Metra station to use to get me into the city for work. Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton College, and Wheaton Downtown are all viable options.

What is the parking situation like for the daily parking lots (not permit) at these stations? Are the daily lots far? Ideally I'd be arriving to park around 7:00-7:40 (depending on the station and time I have to be at work on various days). What time to the lots start filling up? Which would you say is best and worst in terms of walking distance and parking availability?

Thanks for any input you can give me!

chet everett · 07-24-2012, 02:43 PM

I would caution that what looks like a "viable option" from the comfort of a map on your browser may in fact hide the fact that there are WIDE variations in traffic on the various routes between Glendale Heights and the towns mentioned, so much so that I suspect you MIGHT reconsider trying to drive to any of those towns as a "time savings measure" as the combined train ride and drive MIGHT be take more time than simply gutting out the point-to-point drive...

What really matters is what street is your apartent in Glendale Heights closest to -- Schmale Rd or Bloomingdale Rd and you will likely want to stick to Wheaton, Glen Ellyn Rd and GE makes more sense, north of Army Trail and you just might skip the train altogether. Can't think of too many ways that a drive to Lombard makes a whole lot of sense unless you have a deal with a parking... Daily fee lots tend to be very spikey, and if you get to the lot way ahead of when the express train(s) leave you will be much more likely to snag a spot. Give yourself time to have a nice coffee drink and check your email as opposed to having a nervous break down running from the last available spot to a train pulling out...

JuleeM13 · 07-24-2012, 03:21 PM

My boyfriend's townhouse is just south of North Ave and just west of Bloomingdale. For Lombard I was thinking of Bloomingdale to St. Charles Road. It's a bit cheaper zone and it's where I want to move eventually which is why I'm considering it. I guess I'll probably just try them all out to see which works the best. I'm most concerned with lot proximity to the station and availability of parking rather than driving distance. I'm most likely moving in October and I'm not looking forward to lugging myself through the snow very far. I will already have a 20 min walk once I get off the train. It's going to be quite the adjustment because right now I have a five minute walk to the Brown Line from my apartment in Ravenswood and then 5 min to work!

tireddad · 07-24-2012, 03:24 PM

Glen Ellyn definitely has daily parking available at 7am but the daily lot is a pretty far hike from the station. The lot is west of the library, which is already a couple blocks west of the station.

College Ave in Wheaton isn't much further for you to drive. The daily lot is most definitely closer to the station but I have no idea when it fills up.

Both parking lots are 1.50 per day and both are Zone E stations.

ToriaT · 07-25-2012, 07:09 AM

I have a friend that lives in glendale and she drives to the wheaton station. Not college. there is a parking lot there where there are spaces. Its about a long block walk from the station. It has daily pay parking. I suggest scoping the lot out before you use it. The station is nice and has a coffee shop inside, seats and restrooms and you can buy tickets there. also right across the street is a caribou coffee.

djveed · 04-17-2015, 08:20 AM

Hi. Just moved to suburbs. Holy crap the walk from Glen Ellyn daily lot to the train is like .6 miles. A solid ten minute walk plus you have to cross the tracks and cross two village streets. Prices are now $2 and there is a manual machine to deposit coins or bills into, eating up even more time. This line is faster than the Schaumburg/Roselle/Medinah line. From Glen Ellyn it's between 38 and 41 minute express. The Milwaukee West line is between 44 and 49 minutes from Roselle/Medinah. Daily parking from Medinah is a bit closer but it's a small lot, and Roselle's lot is also a bit far. It's okay - in 6 years and 11 months, I can get a permit.

From College Ave the train is 3 minutes farther, so the walk from lot to train has to be less than 5 minutes to justify going there. I've never been there - can anyone comment on how many minutes the walk is?

Glendale Heights has no station and is 4 miles from any of the close stations depending on where you live. And the convenient permit lot in Glen Ellyn or Roselle are ONLY for residents of the respective towns. Glendale Heights gets noooo love.

I would strongly consider moving to Lombard or Glen Ellyn instead of Glendale Heights because of the train situation.

Lookout Kid · 04-17-2015, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djveed

I would strongly consider moving to Lombard or Glen Ellyn instead of Glendale Heights because of the train situation.

Probably made their decision already since the thread is three years old. But your information is still good for future residents.

I considered driving to the train on days with bad weather, but I couldn't get much closer than my house is already. So I walked no matter what when I still took the train. Now I just drive to work every day.

My Kind Of Town · 04-17-2015, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djveed

Hi. Just moved to suburbs. Holy crap the walk from Glen Ellyn daily lot to the train is like .6 miles. A solid ten minute walk plus you have to cross the tracks and cross two village streets. Prices are now $2 and there is a manual machine to deposit coins or bills into, eating up even more time. This line is faster than the Schaumburg/Roselle/Medinah line. From Glen Ellyn it's between 38 and 41 minute express. The Milwaukee West line is between 44 and 49 minutes from Roselle/Medinah. Daily parking from Medinah is a bit closer but it's a small lot, and Roselle's lot is also a bit far. It's okay - in 6 years and 11 months, I can get a permit.

From College Ave the train is 3 minutes farther, so the walk from lot to train has to be less than 5 minutes to justify going there. I've never been there - can anyone comment on how many minutes the walk is?

Glendale Heights has no station and is 4 miles from any of the close stations depending on where you live. And the convenient permit lot in Glen Ellyn or Roselle are ONLY for residents of the respective towns. Glendale Heights gets noooo love.

I would strongly consider moving to Lombard or Glen Ellyn instead of Glendale Heights because of the train situation.

Haven't utilized the Glen Ellyn station personally but that sounds horribly inconvenient.

holl1ngsworth · 04-17-2015, 11:03 AM

If you get to College Avenue early, it's fantastic. Daily parking is adjacent to the platform. 1 minute walk max, $1.50/day.

Lookout Kid · 04-17-2015, 12:31 PM

I assume he's talking about the Library parking lot in Glen Ellyn. Note that there are at least seven other lots that are closer, they just fill up earlier or require a permit. I was offered a permit space about 16 months after moving here, and turned it down--but that's a much shorter wait than you'll get in many suburbs. It would have been in the lot by the fire station, which is much closer than the library lot. Wait times for spots right AT the train station are much longer.

I know a lot of people who just park in Wheaton if they have to drive occasionally. The stations are pretty close.