Pace (transit)

Slogan Connecting Communities
Founded 1983
Headquarters Arlington Heights, Illinois
Locale Northeastern Illinois
Service area Cook, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry and DuPage Counties
Service type Commuter, Paratransit
Routes 213[1]
Fleet 701 buses
610 vans
366 owned vehicles in paratransit service
80 community vehicles[2]
Fuel type Diesel, Diesel-Electric, CNG
Executive Director T.J. Ross
Website www.pacebus.com

Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2013, Pace had 39.925 million riders.[3]

Pace's headquarters are in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Pace is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, 12 of which are current and former suburban mayors, with the other being the Commissioner of the [Chicago] Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, to represent the city's paratransit riders.[4]

The six counties that Pace serves are Cook, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry and DuPage. Some of Pace's buses also go to Chicago and Indiana. In some areas, notably Evanston, River Forest, Oak Park, and Skokie, Pace and Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) both serve the community.

Many of Pace's hubs are located at CTA rail stations (especially terminals) and Metra stations. CTA and Pace have shared a payment system since 2014 called Ventra. Ventra accounts are required to obtain transfers.[5] Metra fares are completely separate, but a phone app is being developed that may allow Metra payment with Ventra.

Pace buses generally have longer headways (often between 20 and 60 minutes) than CTA buses. Due to its broad geographic service area, service is provided by 9 operating divisions, as well as under agreements with several municipalities and private operators (school bus and motor coach companies).

All Pace buses are wheelchair accessible and have racks accommodating two bicycles, available during all hours of operation.

Pace buses provide service from the suburbs to various special events in the city, such as Routes #282 & #779 for Chicago Cubs games, Routes #773, #774 and #775 for Chicago White Sox games, Routes #237, #768, #769 and #776 for Chicago Bears games, Route #222 provides extra service to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont for events scheduled there, Route #284 to Six Flags Great America, Route #387 for events at Toyota Park in Bridgeview,[6] and Route #238 for Northwestern University events at Ryan Field.

Pace is responsible for ADA paratransit service in its service area, and, effective July 1, 2006, for paratransit service in Chicago.[7] Pace also coordinates various Dial-a-Ride projects, usually sponsored by various municipalities and townships.[8] One of the largest is Ride DuPage, sponsored by Du Page County Human Services.[9] Pace states that it is the nation's largest paratransit service provider, providing approximately 17,000 daily trips on paratransit, dial-a-ride and ADvAntage vanpools.[10]

Pace operates a Vanpool Incentive Program, where groups save by commuting together in a van owned and maintain by Pace and driven by one of the participants.[11] There is also a Municipal Vanpool Program, under which Pace provides a van to a municipality, for any public transportation purpose (such as demand response service for senior citizens).[12]

Pace is not an acronym, but a marketing name.[13]

In late 2011, Pace received its first Diesel-Electric Hybrid buses from Orion Bus Industries. These Orion VII 3G buses are the first buses in the Pace fleet to not be powered directly by Diesel.

During weekday rush hours, Pace buses are authorized to use the shoulder on the Stevenson Expressway.[14]

The majority of Pace bus routes run daily, morning through early to late evening. Others run Monday through Saturday, weekdays only, or weekday rush hours only. The Brookfield Zoo Express bus route runs on weekends during summertime. One route, #352, runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Pace paratransit vehicle.

Operating divisions

Municipal operators

Municipally supported shuttles and "trolley" services

Other major facilities

Bus Fleet

Year Make & Model Length Engine Type Numbers Divisions Notes
2000-2004 Orion
VI		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6000-6161
(160 buses)		 Northwest, Southwest, West
  • Currently Being Retired
  • 6000-6154, 6156-6161 have flip-dot head signs
  • 6155 has LED head sign
2002 MCI
D4000N		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6900-6907
(8 buses)		 Heritage
  • Used on routes #755, #850, #851 and #855 as part of peak-hour shoulder operations on I-55.
2003 NABI
40-LFW		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6162-6261
(99 buses)		 North, North Shore, South, West
2003 NABI
35-LFW		 35 ft (10.67 m) Diesel 6600-6684
(84 buses)		 North, River, South, West, Contractors
2005 NABI
40-LFW		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6262-6322
(60 buses)		 North Shore, South, West
2006-2010 ElDorado National
EZ-Rider II		 30 ft (9.14 m) Diesel 2600-2825
(223 buses)		 River, Fox Valley, Southwest, North Shore, Northwest, Heritage, Village of Niles, Highland Park, Downers Grove, Contractors
2012 ElDorado National
EZ-Rider II BRT		 32 ft (9.75 m) Diesel 2826-2829
(4 buses)		 Fox Valley
2012 Orion
VII "3rd Generation"		 30 ft (9.14 m) Diesel-Electric 2830-2831
(2 buses)		 Highland Park
  • Painted in a non-standard Green colored livery.
2012-2014 ElDorado National
Axess 		40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6323-6376, 6392-? North Shore, Northwest, West
  • Delivery In Progress
2013 ElDorado National
Axess Suburban		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6377-6391
(15 buses)		 North Shore, River, South
  • Used mainly on routes #610, #877 and #888.
2014 MCI
D4000CT		 40 ft (12.19 m) Diesel 6950-6962
(13 buses)		 Heritage
  • Used on routes #755, #850, #851 and #855 as part of peak-hour shoulder operations on I-55.
On Order
2015 ElDorado National
Axess		 40 ft (12.19 m) CNG TBD
(91 buses)		 South
  • First CNG powered buses ordered by Pace.

References

  1. ↑ Per 2010 proposed Pace budget, which proposes eliminating a number of them.
  2. ↑ Per 2010 proposed Pace budget, which does not list any ElDorado 30 foot buses above 2741.
  3. ↑ http://www.pacebus.com/sub/about/history_facts.asp
  4. ↑ Pace. "Pace Board of Directors". Retrieved 2008-10-22.
  5. ↑ "Ventra™ is here, Pace riders" (Press release). Pace. 2014-03-19. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
  6. ↑ Pace. "Special Events". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  7. ↑ Illinois General Assembly (2005). "Public Act 0370, 94th General Assembly".
  8. ↑ Pace. "Dial-a-ride Service Directory". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  9. ↑ DuPage County. "Ride DuPage".
  10. ↑ Pace. Moving Forward (newsletter), July 23, 2010.
  11. ↑ Pace. "Vanpool Incentive Program". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  12. ↑ Pace. "Municipal Vanpool Program". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  13. ↑ Pace. "Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  14. ↑ "Pace Buses to Ride on Shoulder of I-55". NBC 5 Chicago. Retrieved 15 June 2015.

External links

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