To make public transportation a more viable solution for suburban commuters, Pace has begun work on a new plan for its bus system that officials say will streamline routes and make public transit easier for all travelers. The forward-thinking plan is called Vision 2020.
“Every suburb will be connected to other suburbs,” Pace spokesman Blaine Krage said. “We’ll have a system that better serves today’s commuters.”
Pace has not yet been in contact with Evanston about Vision 2020, said Mark Franz, assistant to the city manager. But he said Evanston city officials have been aware in the past of the need to reassess the city’s transportation needs.
“We identified the need to look at all our bus routes, to see what areas are not being serviced,” Franz said. He said the majority of citizens’ complaints have been that large buses are loud and disruptive and residential streets cannot handle them.
Changing commuting patterns and growing suburban populations created the need for a plan that “goes wherever you’re going,” Krage said.
Pace’s goal for the plan is not to eliminate any of the 240 current bus routes, but to attempt to restructure each route.
“None of the routes will exist in their current form,” he said.
The plan also will include the Intelligent Bus System, an electronic countdown that allows commuters to know the exact second a bus will arrive.
Pace also will add 150 to 200 new transit centers in Chicago’s suburbs that will “offer about three times the service offered now,” Krage said.
The next stage of the Vision 2020 plan is to meet with the officials of more than 200 suburbs that Pace serves, Krage said. Over the next 18 months, Pace staff will meet with town leaders to determine how the towns would like bus routes to serve their areas.
The meetings will begin this summer, although Krage said no dates have been set. After that, Krage estimated Vision 2020 would take two years to be fully operational.
Krage said the main obstacle for Pace at this point is paying for the project.
“We haven’t yet reached a point where we’re discussing funding,” Krage said. “Knowing where funding will come from for a large-scale plan like this always can be an obstacle. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Pace does not anticipate fare increases at this point, but the issue has not been addressed and it remains a possibility, Krage said.
Although, the Chicago Transit Authority is Evanston’s leading public transportation provider, Pace, which is operated by the Regional Transportation Authority, is responsible for several routes in Evanston.
Krage said part of the Vision 2020 plan will be to “put the vehicles where they make the most sense.”
Krage maintains that riders will not be disrupted by any changes implemented by Vision 2020.
“Present riders don’t have to worry,” Krage said. “They will be served to an even greater extent. The main point of Vision 2020 is to have public transit be always an option.”
