[Iabs-talk] Fw: Pace News: South Cook Public Hearings and Express Service to Toyota Park

[Kelly Doty]

    I am forwarding this because I know that we have some readers of this list that the changes in bus service in southern Cook and Will counties might effect. 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Govt Affairs 
To: Govt Affairs 
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2009 4:43 PM
Subject: Pace News: South Cook Public Hearings and Express Service to Toyota Park



     
      The newsletter for stakeholders of America's Most Efficient Suburban Transit Agency
     
      Vol. VI, Number 8
     www.pacebus.com
     April 10, 2009
     
      Pace is the suburban public transit agency for Chicagoland's six-county metropolitan region.  As the 7th largest bus agency in the U.S., Pace operates fixed bus routes, vanpools and paratransit services in nearly 250 municipalities consisting of 5.2 million residents.  Visit the Route Finder for bus route information. 
      Pace announces public hearings for south Cook service changes
     
      Pace will hold five public hearings in the south and southwest suburbs within a six day period to gauge the reaction of riders and members of the community to a proposed plan to restructure bus service to improve efficiency, on-time performance, and more direct routing. The proposal calls for two routes to be eliminated, an additional seventeen to be modified, and the creation of two new routes, and will result in improved access to employment centers and better coordination with CTA and Metra to enhance connections with service to downtown Chicago. A schedule of the public hearings and a preview of the presentation to be given, including details of all route changes comprising the plan, are available here on Pace's website.

      Pace plans to implement the third phase of service changes as a part of its South Cook-Will County Restructuring Initiative, an effort to modify and update existing bus service in response to changes in demand that have occurred over time. Pace Chairman of the Board Richard Kwasneski said that restructuring has proven successful in terms of improving ridership and customer satisfaction where Pace has implemented changes in the past. "Chicago's suburban area is constantly growing and changing, and for transit to remain a feasible alternative to driving, we must keep up. In most cases, Pace studies segments of existing routes to analyze ridership trends. Where ridership has increased over time, Pace looks to enhance service. Conversely, where ridership has declined, the resources from that area are generally reallocated into areas where there is greater demand.
     


      All are welcome to review the proposed service changes and provide comments to be reviewed by the Pace Board of Directors.
     The hearings have been scheduled to take place in different areas and at various times of day in order to maximize accessibility for the public. "It's important for us to engage as many riders as possible at these hearings," said Kwasneski. "The input we receive from riders is essential to this plan being successful because they are the ones who rely on it for their commute." The plan has been presented to the public at forums that took place in 2007 and refined based on comments received at that time. "The service changes people will see at the public hearings is a direct result of their comments that were provided earlier in the process, so we're confident that people will like what they see, though there's flexibility to change the plan if needed based on the input we receive at the public hearings," said Kwasneski. "We're grateful to all of the stakeholders who have served on our advisory committees and everyone that attended our previous public forums regarding this project."
     
      Toyota Park Express kicks off with service to Chicago Fire matches
     
      Route 386 Toyota Park Express provides a convenient, low-cost alternative to driving to professional soccer, concerts, and other special events taking place this spring and summer at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. The first trips of the season operated last weekend to the Chicago Fire's home opening win.
     
      The route operates to the stadium from the CTA Orange Line station at Midway Airport, with service to all Chicago Fire home matches, as well as concerts including Jimmy Buffett. Buses begin operating from Midway two hours before the start of each event, with service approximately every 20 minutes. Return service begins roughly 30 minutes following the end of the event. The regular adult fare is $1.75.

      Sports and music fans looking to avoid the hassles of driving and the cost of parking can all agree that Route 386 Toyota Park Express is the ticket to summer fun at Toyota Park!
     
      "Moving Forward" is a weekly newsletter provided by Pace Suburban Bus to update interested parties on the services Pace provides and the progress it makes to constantly improve.  Forward to others as you wish.  For best results, please print in landscape format.  Please submit feedback or remove yourself from the mailing list by calling 847-228-2421 or e-mail your request to govt.affairs at pacebus.com. 

      © 2009 Pace Suburban Bus
     

 

 
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