PACE to ‘shoulder’ more buses between far southwest suburbs and downtown Chicago
BY ROSALIND ROSSI Transportation Reporter March 6, 2013 8:38PM
A sign on I-55 indicates that the shoulder can be used by Pace buses. 2011 File photo. | Matt Marton~Sun-Times Media
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Two popular “bus on shoulder” PACE routes that take southwest suburbanites to Michigan Avenue and Union Station will be expanded as of May 6, officials revealed Wednesday.
Ridership on the No. 755 and 855 routes jumped to capacity following a November 2011 decision to allow the buses to ride on the shoulder of Interstate 55 when traffic gets too slow, PACE officials said.
To accommodate more riders in a more timely fashion, the number of one-way rush-hour No. 755s will double, from two to four each way, and the buses will stagger their stops along their routes.
The No. 755 starts in Plainfield, makes several southwest suburban stops and then takes I-55 into the Illinois Medical District, the University of Illinois-Chicago and Union Station.
The number of 855s will increase from seven one-way trips to 10 during the morning rush and nine at night. It travels from Plainfield to the Loop and Michigan Avenue.
Also Wednesday, PACE officials said they plan to add a third bus-on-shoulder route May 6, called the No. 756, that will offer one evening trip from Union Station to Lockport, Romeoville and Lemont after the Metra Heritage Corridor train ends service from Union Station for the night.
All three routes will be weekday only and will cost $4 a ride for their express service, officials said, following the monthly PACE board meeting.
