Chicago's Pace Wants to Put More Buses on the Highway

In a city where bus ridership has been declining for years, Pace has found success on the expressway.

1 minute read

January 18, 2019, 1:00 PM PST

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


Highway Signs

Chicago's suburban public transit service, Pace, has seen growing ridership on its bus on shoulder expressway routes. | Ken Lund / Flickr

Pace’s bus ridership is down 3% year over year, but its service on expressways continues to grow. "The good news is that some routes are doing great — specifically, the long-haul, express service on interstates 55 and 90," Mary Wisniewski reports for the Chicago Tribune. These routes have seen the speeds of their buses improve with infrastructure improvements on the toll ways and with more frequency. "The service on I-55 started in 2011 with 400 people daily, and is now at 3,000," Wisniewski reports.

Pace officials would like to continue to grow the service but say they need capital to continue the momentum. "To grow its express routes and make other improvements, Donahue said Pace need Springfield to pass a capital bill, which it hasn’t done in 10 years," Wisniewski writes. Illinois' previous governor, Bruce Rauner, was not willing to pass a capital bill. Transit advocates hope the new governor, J. B. Pritzker, will be more amenable to the idea.

Monday, January 14, 2019 in Chicago Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

July 1 - Times of San Diego

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.