Pace (transit)

Bus system in northeastern Illinois

Pace Suburban Bus

Parent| Regional Transportation Authority
Founded| 1984; 41 years ago (1984)
Headquarters| Arlington Heights, Illinois
Locale| Northeastern Illinois
Service area| Cook, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, and DuPage Counties
Service type| Transit, Bus, Paratransit
Routes| 134
Fleet| 733 fixed-route buses
401 Vanpools
11 On Demand services
1,230 Paratransit vehicles
37 Dial-a-Ride services[1]
Daily ridership| 81,800 (weekdays, Q1 2025)[2]
Annual ridership| 20,085,800 (2024)[3]
Fuel type| CNG, Battery-electric, Diesel, Diesel-Electric Hybrid
Executive Director| Melinda Metzger
Website| www.pacebus.com

Pace Suburban Bus (Pace) is a transit system serving suburban communities in the Chicago metropolitan area. Pace also is the sole paratransit provider in northeastern Illinois, operating one of the largest paratransit services in the United States for riders with disabilities.[4]

Pace is one of the three service boards financially supported by the Regional Transportation Authority. The three service boards, including Pace, Metra, and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), were created by the 1983 RTA Act. The law, in part, unified disparate suburban bus agencies that existed at the time and established the formula that provides funding to the service boards, which make up the transit network in northeastern Illinois.[4]

Today, Pace’s family of services provides transit options for residents living in 274 municipalities located throughout Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. As one of the largest bus providers in North America, Pace covers 3,677 square miles, an area that is about 15 times the size of the City of Chicago, serving approximately 127,000 daily riders.[4]

Pace is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and the agency is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, 12 of which are current and former suburban mayors who represent their respective communities in the northeastern Illinois region. The remaining director is the Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, who represents the City of Chicago's paratransit riders.[5]

## Pace service area

[edit]

Pace serves the northeastern Illinois region, which includes Cook County (where the City of Chicago is located), as well as the region's collar counties, which include DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. Some of Pace's bus routes also serve parts of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. In some areas, notably Evanston, River Forest, Oak Park, Cicero, and Skokie, both Pace and the CTA provide bus service.

Many of Pace's route terminals are located at CTA rail stations and bus terminals and Metra stations. The CTA and Pace have shared a payment system since 2014 called Ventra. Ventra accounts are required to obtain transfers.[6] In 2015, Metra was added to the Ventra app.[7]

Pace buses generally have longer bus routes than CTA buses. Due to its geographic service area, service is provided by nine operating divisions (see below), as well as under agreements with several municipalities and private operators (school bus and motor coach companies).

## Pace services

[edit]

### Fixed Bus Routes

[edit]

Pace operates fixed bus routes throughout the northeastern Illinois region, covering a vast and diverse area in urban, suburban, and exurban communities. Many Pace bus routes run daily, seven days a week. Other routes run Mondays through Saturdays, only on weekdays, or only during weekday rush hours. For complete information on routes and schedules, visit the Pace website.[8]

### Pulse Rapid Transit

[edit]

Main article: Pace Pulse

To meet riders’ evolving public transportation needs, Pace established a new bus rapid transit service called Pulse, beginning with the launch of the agency’s Pulse Milwaukee Line in 2019.

The Pulse program delivers fast and frequent fixed-route bus service to riders, enhanced on-board amenities, and a streamlined route design in some of the most populated corridors in the region. Pulse continues to grow with new lines being finalized for the southern suburbs of northeastern Illinois.[9]

#### Pulse Milwaukee Line

[edit]

On August 11, 2019, Pace officially launched Pulse, a new rapid transit service that began with the Pulse Milwaukee Line. The line operates between the Jefferson Park Transit Center and Golf Mill Shopping Center in the northwest suburbs. The Pulse line overlaps with a part of Pace Route 270, which saw a reduction in service frequency after Pulse Milwaukee began.[10]

#### Pulse Dempster Line

[edit]

Pace's second Pulse line, Pulse Dempster, launched in 2023, operating along Dempster Street and serving communities like Evanston, Skokie, and Des Plaines in the northwest suburbs. The line promises to take riders from Evanston to its terminal location at O'Hare International Airport in 50 minutes with buses arriving every 15 minutes thanks to the innovative use of Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology.[11]

The Pulse Dempster Line inaugural run was on August 13, 2023, with a full launch on October 29, 2023.[12] The route connects to the Chicago "L" with the CTA Purple Line's Davis station and the CTA Yellow Line's Dempster–Skokie station. It also connects to Metra stations at Evanston Davis Street on the Union Pacific North Line and Des Plaines on the Union Pacific Northwest Line.

#### Priority Corridors for Future Development

[edit]

Pace is currently developing projects for additional Pulse lines in the southern suburbs, including Pulse Cermak, Pulse Halsted, and Pulse 95th Street. The proposed Pulse Cermak Line is undergoing preliminary design work, including station identification and public outreach.

In addition, major regional corridors, including Harlem, Touhy, Western, and North avenues, are included in Pace’s near-term Pulse priority corridor network. Routing, station locations, and other transit access improvements will be developed in the future. These corridors were selected to build upon existing ridership and provide competitive mobility and connectivity for those living and working along existing and future Pulse lines.[9]

### Expressway-based routes

[edit]

Pace operates many routes on expressways throughout northeastern Illinois. These expressway-based routes allow Pace buses to bypass traffic either on the shoulders of the expressways or in designated flex lanes. Pace partners with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Tollway to provide express service, providing Pace riders with special benefits without expensive infrastructure projects.[13]

Pace currently operates three expressway-based routes with work underway to add a fourth express bus service along I-290/I-88 that would connect riders in the western suburbs of the region to the City of Chicago.[14]

#### I-55 Express

[edit]

Due to a change in Illinois law, Pace implemented bus-on-shoulder service in 2011 along the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) as part of a multi-year demonstration project. In 2014, the Illinois General Assembly and the Illinois Governor enacted legislation that permanently allowed bus-on-shoulder service and expanded the transit option to all expressways and tollways within northeastern Illinois.[13]

Since 2011, Pace has expanded its service along the I-55 corridor several times. Most recently, Pace established a pilot program in August 2024 to expand weekday service along many routes that make up the I-55 Express service. The response from riders has allowed Pace to propose making the service expansion permanent.[15] In fact, service along the I-55 corridor saw a 7.7 percent increase in year-over-year ridership from January 2024 to January 2025.[16]

#### I-90 Express

[edit]

Main article: Pace I-90 Express

In December 2016, Pace began offering I-90 Express service along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), providing express service between Rosemont Transportation Center and Elgin. The service uses "flex lanes" located along the lefthand side shoulders of the road when traffic congestion slows speeds. Pace coordinates closely with the Illinois Tollway when deciding to use flex lanes, which also are available for regular emergency purposes.[13]

As part of the Illinois Tollway’s Central Tri-State construction project, flex lanes will be constructed along the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), allowing Pace to expand its use of expressway-based routes to more areas in northeastern Illinois.[13]

#### I-94 Express

[edit]

In April 2018, Pace launched bus-on-shoulder operations on the Edens Expressway (I-94), serving riders in the northwest suburbs and providing commuters from Chicago and North Shore communities with additional access to reach jobs within the Lake Cook Road corridor.[17]

### ADA services

[edit]

Since 2006, Pace has been responsible for providing regional ADA paratransit service throughout northeastern Illinois, including the region's six counties and the City of Chicago.[18]

Paratransit service is required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and is provided for customers whose disability or health condition prevents them from using CTA and/or Pace fixed-route services for some or all of their travel. Trips are only provided at the same times and within the same geographic areas as fixed-route service. Riders with disabilities also have access to other reservation-based services and Pace’s fixed-route service, which includes free fares for ADA certified riders. Pace buses also are completely equipped and accessible to people with disabilities.[19]

In recent years, Pace has introduced an easier trip-planning program for ADA certified riders. The TripCheck mobile app allows riders with disabilities to track rides, and view and cancel reservations without the need to call in advance. It also is available in English, Spanish, and Polish.[20]

Pace also coordinates various dial-a-ride services. Dozens of Pace demand-response programs operate throughout the suburbs of northeastern Illinois, including county-wide services and local dial-a-rides. In most cases, Pace has a financial partnership with a county, city, or township to pay for and operate the service. These demand-response programs have different rules on fares, geographic boundaries, and passenger eligibility.[21]

### Vanpool Incentive Program

[edit]

For more than 30 years, the Pace Vanpool Incentive Program allows a group of commuters to share a van, save money, and travel together to work and reduce the number of vehicles on the road as a result. The program is available to commuters throughout the six counties of northeastern Illinois.[22]

Vanpool riders pay a low monthly fare to Pace based on distance, participant frequency, and group size. Pace offers flexible vanpool fares for hybrid, reduced work weeks, and regular work shifts. Riders can increase their savings by inviting more commuters to join, becoming backup drivers, or applying for a tax-free commuter benefit or employer subsidy.[22]

In 2022, Pace launched a new vanpool alternative, called VanGo, allowing commuters to reserve a van for a day to get to work and travel locations within a defined zone based around train stations in the region. VanGo provides another means for commuters without access to a personal vehicle to travel to and from their jobs from the train station, go out for lunch on breaks, and complete other trips within the defined zone. There are currently four VanGo zones near train stations in Deerfield, Itasca and Rosemont, Lake Forest, and Palatine.[23]

Under the Municipal Vanpool Program, Pace provides a van to a municipality for any public transportation purpose (such as demand response service for senior citizens).[24]

## Pace operational structure

[edit]

Pace owns 12 facilities, including nine bus garages, also called operating divisions, as well as an ADA Paratransit Office in the City of Chicago and its headquarters in Arlington Heights.[25]

In summer 2024, Pace formally opened its South Campus in Markham, Illinois, which includes administrative offices and a state-of-the-art bus acceptance facility for admitting and testing new vehicles to its fleet.[26]

Pace Headquarters in Arlington Heights, Illinois Operating Division  | Garage Location  | Areas Served

|
|

Fox Valley  | North Aurora | Aurora and Naperville areas
Heritage  | Plainfield | Will County, Joliet, and southwest suburbs
North  | Waukegan | Lake County
North Shore  | Evanston | North Cook County and southeast Lake County
Northwest  | Des Plaines | Northwest Cook County
River  | Elgin | Greater Elgin Area and far western suburbs
South  | Markham | South Cook County, South Side of Chicago, and DuPage County
Southwest  | Bridgeview | Southwest Cook County and South Side of Chicago
West  | Melrose Park | West Cook County and DuPage County

## Pace bus fleet

[edit]

In 2011, Pace received its first diesel-electric hybrid buses from the former Orion Bus Industries. These Orion VII buses were the first buses in the Pace fleet to not be powered directly by diesel. In 2015, Pace received its first fleet of compressed natural gas buses from ElDorado National.[citation needed]

In January 2024, Pace entered its first battery-electric bus into service. The Gillig battery-electric bus primarily operates along Pace Route 381 in the south suburbs.[27]

Pace's first battery-electric bus enters service in Bridgeview, Illinois. Pace bus #2741 in Crystal Lake, Illinois Pace bus #20405 at Yorktown Center Year  | Manufacturer & Model  | Length  | Engine Type  | Numbers  | Divisions

|
|
|
|
|

2006-2010  | ENC EZ-Rider II MAX  | 30 ft
(9.1 m)  | Diesel  | 2600-2825
(222 buses) | Fox Valley, Heritage, Highland Park, Northwest, River, Southwest, Village of Niles
2011  | ENC EZ-Rider II BRT  | 32 ft
(9.8 m)  | Diesel  | 2826-2829
(4 buses) | Fox Valley
2011  | Orion VII | 30 ft
(9.1 m)  | Diesel-electric
(Hybrid)  | 2830-2831
(2 buses) | Highland Park
2013-2015,
2017  | MCI D4000CT | 40 ft
(12 m)  | Diesel  | 6950-6979
(30 buses) | Heritage
2012-2018  | ENC Axess BRT | 40 ft
(12 m)  | Diesel  | 6323-6575
6700-6786
(337 buses) | North, North Shore, Northwest, River, Southwest, West
2015-2020  | ENC Axess BRT  | 40 ft
(12 m)  | CNG | 15500-15520
17500-17571
18500-18510
20500-20505
(108 buses) | South
2020  | New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 40 ft
(12 m)  | Diesel  | 20400-20485
(85 buses) | West
2021  | ENC Axess BRT  | 30 ft
(9.1 m)  | Diesel  | 20300-20322
(23 buses) | Fox Valley
2023 | Proterra ZX5 MAX  | 40ft (12 m)  | Electric  | N/A (20 buses)  | North

* Individual units in a series may be retired or out of service (also, a few units in a mostly retired series might still be operating).
* No buses with fleet numbers ending in 13 (20400-20485 consists of 85 buses, and there is no 20413).
* Some routes operated with paratransit or community vehicles.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ About Pace
2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2025" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 15, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
3. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
4. ^ a b c "Official About Pace webpage".
5. ^ Pace. "Pace Board of Directors". Retrieved 2008-10-22.
6. ^ "Ventra™ is here, Pace riders" (Press release). Pace. 2014-03-19. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-03-19.
7. ^ "CTA, Metra and Pace Release New Ventra App to the Public". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
8. ^ "Routes, Schedules and Maps | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
9. ^ a b "Pulse Rapid Transit Service | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
10. ^ "Pulse Milwaukee Line | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2019-08-11. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
11. ^ "Officials Unveil First Pulse Dempster Line Station in Des Plaines Before Sunday 'Sneak Preview' Service Starts | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2023-08-09. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
12. ^ "Pace Celebrates Reduced Trip Times of Up to 15 Minutes for Passengers Traveling Between Evanston and O'Hare with Pulse Dempster Line Ribbon Cutting | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
13. ^ a b c d "Expressway-Based Routes | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
14. ^ "Pace Invites Community Feedback on Proposed I-290/I-88 Express Service | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2025-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
15. ^ "Routes 755, 850, 851 & 855 Public Hearing | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
16. ^ "Pace Achieves Double-Digit Ridership Growth as Service Enhancements Drive Success | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
17. ^ "I-94 Market Expansion | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
18. ^ Illinois General Assembly (2005). "Public Act 0370, 94th General Assembly".
19. ^ "ADA Paratransit Service | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
20. ^ "Paratransit TripCheck | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
21. ^ "Dial-a-Ride Services | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
22. ^ a b "Pace Vanpool vs Driving: Which is better?". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
23. ^ "VanGo | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
24. ^ Pace. "Municipal Vanpool Program". Retrieved 2007-10-01.
25. ^ "Pace Divisions | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
26. ^ "Governor JB Pritzker Joins Pace to Celebrate Agency's Latest Investment in the South Suburbs | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
27. ^ "Pace's Inaugural Electric Bus Enters Service | Pace Suburban Bus". www.pacebus.com. 2024-01-19. Retrieved 2025-07-01.

## External links

[edit]

* Pace Suburban Bus website

* v
* t
* e

Public transit in Illinois

Statewide|

* Amtrak
* Barons Bus Lines
* Burlington Trailways
* Flixbus
* Greyhound Lines
* Peoria Charter Coach Company
* Van Galder Bus Company
* Wisconsin Coach Lines
* List of intercity bus stops in Illinois

Chicagoland|

* Airport Transit System
* Chicago Transit Authority
* "L"
* Metra
* Pace
* Pace Pulse
* South Shore Line

Metro East|

* Metro Transit:
* MetroBus
* MetroLink
* Madison County Transit
* St. Clair County Transit District

North|

* Beloit Transit
* DeKalb Public Transit
* Galesburg Transit
* Go West Transit
* Quad Cities MetroLINK
* River Valley Metro Mass Transit District
* Rockford Mass Transit District

Central|

* Champaign County Area Rural Transit System
* Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District
* Coles County Zipline
* Connect Transit
* Danville Mass Transit
* Decatur Public Transit System
* Greater Peoria Mass Transit District
* Quincy Transit Lines
* Sangamon Mass Transit District
* SHOW Bus

South|

* Jackson County Mass Transit District
* Monroe Randolph Transit District
* Rides Mass Transit District
* Shawnee Mass Transit District
* South Central Illinois Mass Transit District

Transportation in Illinois

Authority control databases: National |

* United States

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template