DeKALB – Starting Monday, NIU OneCard holders will be able to ride the Huskie Bus Line 12 to the Elburn Metra Station for free.

The general public’s fare will be reduced to 50 cents per ride.

DeKalb’s Frost Lot, located on East Locust Street between North Sixth Street and North Seventh Street, will also be opening for a park and ride bus service to and from the Elburn Metra Station, to continue gauging interest in the commuter rail study.

Frost Lot will be open starting Monday.

Previously, between 2 a.m and 6 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the lot would be closed for sweeping.

A commuter rail study in DeKalb has been in process since January to evaluate a possibility for a Metra train station in the city. DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas said an ordinance needed to be passed in order to further the study, otherwise the study would receive false data.

“The buses will be gone before 6 a.m., that’s 5:32 (a.m.) for the pickup and, believe it or not, there are people jumping on … and increasing numbers, so we want to encourage that so we can count them toward our study,” Nicklas said.

With a new city ordinance, sweeping will end by 5 a.m., allowing commuters to park and catch the bus from DeKalb for pick up at 5:32 a.m.

“Park your car and leave the driving to us,” DeKalb Assistant Transit Manager Brian Van Hine said in a press release. “And there is no charge for parking in the lot.”