Bus stop to return to downtown Des Plaines

A bus shelter in downtown Des Plaines that was removed last year during a city streetscape improvement project will be reinstalled, officials said.

Pace will pay for a new shelter at the location of the previous shelter, on the north side of Miner Street about 150 feet east of Lee Street. The bus stop, located across the street from the Metra station, generates about 250 daily boardings from five bus routes, according to Pace officials.

Steve Andrews, a Pace community relations representative, said during a city council meeting Monday that Pace has been contacted by passengers who asked for the shelter to be reinstalled.

“We believe this is a site that warrants a shelter. It's a high ridership site,” Andrews said.

The city council voted unanimously Monday to approve reinstallation of the shelter at the previous location.

“It's been the worst winter in 35 years,” said 2nd Ward Alderman Jack Robinson. “It's unfair to my residents to have to put up with standing out in the cold like that for another winter.”

Pace previously proposed a different bus shelter design, but city officials rejected it because it didn't match the new downtown streetscape design. Then, officials explored paying for a bus shelter with city funds, but the council voted Feb. 18 to reject a $21,065 proposal to do so.

That left the bus shelter in limbo, until Pace sent a letter Feb. 28 to Mayor Matt Bogusz asking that it be reinstalled, which was followed by the council's vote Monday night approving it.

“Our belief was the prior shelter would be reinstalled after the streetscape was done. Perhaps it was an assumption on my part,” Andrews said. “Then we took this particular approach to let the city know our feelings on the issue.”

Pace and city officials say they plan to work together on finalizing the design of the new shelter, which will could be revealed April 7 at the next city council meeting.