Hinsdale Hikes Vehicle Sticker Fees

HINSDALE, IL — The Hinsdale Village Board increased vehicle sticker fees last week as the likely first step in a plan related to downtown parking. Residents will now pay $48 for stickers, up from $40.

Some village trustees want to provide three-hour free parking in return for the increased fee, while Village President Tom Cauley and other trustees propose offering that perk to everyone. Village officials asked for the fee increase to help cover expected losses in parking revenue once the village's parking deck under construction opens this summer.

The village had a deadline to enact the fee increase because the annual stickers go on sale starting Monday. Village officials said the board will vote on other parts of the plan later.

The idea behind the changes is to give drivers, particularly merchants and their employees, an incentive to park in the parking deck, alleviating the lack of parking downtown. With three-hour free parking, people cannot move their car every three hours because police would track their license numbers through scanners.

The village proposes to let merchants and their workers get special permits, allowing them to park for free in the parking deck for as long as they want. According to the administration's plan, the village would designate the deck's lower level for free parking for six hours. That limit, officials said, would be long enough for downtown visitors to conduct their business but short enough to prevent commuters from taking advantage.

At the board meeting, Trustee Matt Posthuma said he feared if parking became free for everyone, "we would lose our tools to steer people to this deck that we are building."

"In the end, I think the main thing we want to do is alleviate the parking problem downtown," he said.

Trustee Jerry Hughes, who has expressed reservations about immediately doing away with parking fees, said the issues need to be aired out. "When we want to hash this out, I'll have a lot to say," he said.

According to the village, about 80 percent of parking spots are taken by nonresidents and merchants and their employees. Asked last week about what percentage are taken by merchants and employees, village officials estimated they took up about 40 percent of all parking.

The village board unanimously approved the sticker fee hike. Village officials said the board should make a decision on parking by May 1.