Riders still say area transit needs to pick up the Pace

Following complaints about marathon trips and faulty service for Chicago residents using paratransit, the Regional Transportation Authority Thursday announced it will audit Pace's delivery of the program.

The suburban bus agency took over providing rides for Chicagoans with disabilities in 2006 following a change in state law, and in March, Pace instituted a number of significant changes.

These included dividing the city into zones and a new computerized scheduling system aimed at increasing efficiency.

However, the computer system crashed after it went into use and riders have criticized the zoning system as overly complicated. Paratransit users are telling horror stories about endless trips in vans with untrained drivers.

Pace acknowledged start-up glitches but said the computer flaws were rectified promptly. Despite major problems initially, on-time performance has increased from 69 percent in the first-week to 90 percent, and trips taking longer than an hour have dropped too, the agency reported.

"On-time performance and ridership are at an all-time high," Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said.

However, Pace considered the audit "an opportunity," Wilmot said, adding recommendations would help improve efficiency and service.

Still, upset riders spoke out at an RTA meeting about delays, poor service and the absence of people with disabilities on transit boards.

Marcia Trawinski, a Chicagoan who is visually impaired, said a ride that should have taken 23 minutes ended up taking one hour and 46 minutes. Expecting to be taken from far north Chicago to downtown, she ended up on the city's South Side while the van driver picked up other passengers before ending up at her destination.

"We've nicknamed it the 'hostage problem,'" Trawinski said.

The audit will focus on Pace's handling of the paratransit system.

RTA Executive Director Stephen Schlickman acknowledged there's a big disparity between Pace's explanations and riders' concerns.

"It's because of that we're doing the audit," he said.

Pace and the RTA also have both created panels to study the problems.