[il-talk] Fw: Pace Moving Forward: October 28, 2011

[Robert A Hansen]

------Original Message------
From: Govt Affairs
To: Govt Affairs
Subject: Pace Moving Forward: October 28, 2011
Sent: Oct 28, 2011 4:39 PM

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Pace Moving Forward
Volume 8, Issue 21
October 28, 2011

Bus on Shoulder Project Begins Nov. 14
The Chicago region suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the U.S. Travel times and the cost of driving continue to rise. Commuters heading to Chicago from the southwest suburbs who have always wished they could simply go around the traffic jams plaguing I-55 will finally have their chance on November 14 with the advent of the Bus on Shoulder pilot project, a joint program with participation from Pace, IDOT and RTA.
Amendments to the Illinois Vehicle Code passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Quinn earlier this year set the guidelines for the project that include the following:
-Only Pace buses can use the shoulder, and are limited to designated sections of I-55 between the hours of 5am-9am for inbound trips, and 3pm-7pm for outbound trips.
-Buses can only use the shoulder for travel when traffic in the regular lanes is flowing at 35mph or less. 
-When on the shoulder, buses can travel at a max speed of 35mph or 15mph more than the flow of traffic- whichever is less.
-Each bus is well-marked with signage clearly indicating it is authorized to use the shoulder.
The program guidelines are closely modeled after those used in Minneapolis, where a Bus on Shoulder program has existed for more than a decade. Similar operations also exist in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio and Miami, Florida. The Illinois State Police will vigilantly enforce traffic laws and will ticket other cars that attempt to illegally follow buses onto the shoulder.
A webinar has been scheduled to present the concept and guidelines to anyone interested and unable to attend a public forum held earlier this week. The webinar will be held Thursday, November 3 at 12 noon and will be posted afterward to the PaceSuburbanBus YouTube channel. Webinar registration is available at www.pacebus.com.
The program impacts Pace Express Routes 755 and 855, connecting free Park-n-Rides in Plainfield, Romeoville, Bolingbrook and Burr Ridge with the Illinois Medical District (755), and downtown Chicago (855). Visit pacebus.com for more information.

ASSOCIATED PHOTO CAPTION: The coach buses that will be used on routes 755 and 855 for the Bus on Shoulder program feature high-backed reclining seats, free Wi-Fi and a special livery that includes messaging that the bus is authorized to use the shoulder.

Hybrids Come to Schaumburg's DART
The first Pace-owned hybrid vehicles in the agency's fleet are in operation on the Village of Schaumburg's DART service, a local program offering dial-a-ride service anywhere within Schaumburg and to Harper College in Palatine. The vehicles were purchased for Pace by IDOT using federal TIGGER (Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction) funds. Pace received ten of the hybrid vehicles from IDOT- the five now in use in Schaumburg and the others operating Dial-a-Ride and paratransit service in the Elgin Area.
Pace is carefully monitoring the performance of the hybrid vehicles as the agency plans for future vehicle purchases and investment in green technology. "Before making a large scale investment of taxpayer dollars, we want to do our due diligence to review the various forms of green technology available," said Pace Chairman of the Board Richard Kwasneski. "We want to do what's going to be the most cost-effective and reliable in both the short and long term." Pace is also reviewing data on the advantages of CNG-powered vehicles.
For more information on Schaumburg's DART program, visit www.ci.schaumburg.il.us.

The newsletter for stakeholders of America's most efficient suburban transit agency www.pacebus.com Customer Relations: (847) 364-7223 Copyright 2011, Pace Suburban Bus



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