‘Starved for so long’: Pace proposes service revamp, $150 million boost

Pace buses every 20 minutes? Pace buses in every town? Or a hybrid system?

It’s in your hands, officials say. As Pace, Metra and the CTA face a looming $771 million shortfall in 2026, the suburban bus service is seizing on the crisis by proposing a Revision initiative.

“This is really the first time in my career that we’ve put together a plan that is totally revamping our entire system – not just one piece of it, but the entire system,” said Executive Director Melinda Metzger, who has worked at Pace for 40 years.

“We really want people’s input,” she said. “We don’t just want it to be done in a vacuum.”

To that end, Pace is urging residents to fill out a survey on its website or email the agency.

The agency also has a big ask – $150 million more a year officials hope to secure from the General Assembly. The cash infusion would allow Pace to increase service by 50%.

“The fact is, suburban [bus] service has been starved for so long – we really need to get more suburban service out there,” Metzger said.

Key deficiencies include: many suburbanites live far from bus routes; the majority of buses come hourly or even less frequently; and weekend and evening service is low.

Here’s a look at two options being surveyed, assuming a 50% increase in service.

The Plus-50 Ridership concept focuses on improving service in areas where buses are well-used, such as Cook County. Instead of hourly, most buses would run seven days a week, every 15 to 30 minutes.

And “37% of suburban residents would live within a half-mile walk of all-day bus or rail service,” officials said

The trade-off is that service would be limited outside of Cook County, Waukegan, Elgin, Aurora and Joliet.

The second scenario is a Plus-50 Coverage Goal that would expand service across the region but typically not the frequency of buses.

“Most routes would run every 60 minutes, seven days per week,” planners explained, although a few would operate every 15 to 30 minutes. Weekend service would be status quo.

Also, “56% of suburban residents would live within a half-mile walk of all-day bus or rail service,” with more buses outside Cook, Waukegan, Elgin, Aurora and Joliet, according to the Revision survey.

And there’s potential for a hybrid.

“Something in between will probably work and work well,” Metzger said, noting that Pace has a “lot of tools,” such as Vanpool and transportation networks like Uber it contracts with.

At recent Senate Transportation Committee hearings on public transit, “we never heard: ‘We hate your service, don’t do it,’” Metzger said. “We heard: ‘Your service is good, we need more of it.’ ”

Pace will release a draft plan in mid-2025 for public comment. To contact Pace about Revision, email revision@pacebus.com.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20241208/transportation/starved-for-so-long-pace-wants-riders-to-comment-on-service-revamp-150-million-boost/