Passengers feel stranded after buses detour near Lombard mall

Ray Campbell feels he shouldn't have to risk injury to shop.

But the blind Glen Ellyn resident says he'd be doing just that if he visits Yorktown Center and its Shops on Butterfield in Lombard.

Campbell's concern stems from the Yorktown management's decision to prohibit Pace buses from dropping off and picking up passengers on the shopping mall property at Highland Avenue and Butterfield Road.

Since Friday, six bus routes had to be altered. Some buses can stop on Highland Avenue along the mall property's western edge, while others stop southeast of the intersection of Butterfield and Finley roads.

Shuttles to Chicago Cubs and Bears games are unaffected so far.

"I'm not going to put my life at risk, walking across a big parking lot, not knowing exactly where I'm going," Campbell said. "It's dangerous."

Campbell is among several Pace bus riders from throughout DuPage County who are feeling stranded by Yorktown Center's decision.

The DuPage Center for Independent Living in Glen Ellyn, which advocates for people with disabilities, has been fielding numerous calls from upset clients, some of whom wanted to shop at the mall and others who work there, said Don Davia, an advocate who works at the center.

Mall representatives say they are aware of the situation.

"We value all of our shoppers at Yorktown," said Lindsey Burke, mall marketing director. "We understand it can be an inconvenience and we apologize for that."

Davia says it's more than an inconvenience.

"If you're blind, in a wheelchair or elderly, you're not going to cross five lanes of traffic and walk a half mile of parking lot," Davia said. "If you are disabled, if you have small children - anyone with a traveling problem is excluded because of where they drop off."

Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said the suburban bus agency is doing its best on short notice.

Yorktown officials floated the idea amid negotiations earlier this summer that they might halt bus access to the property, Wilmot said. But mall management just notified Pace on July 28 that the policy change would become effective a few days later.

"We've been working very hard to dissuade them from making that decision," Wilmot said.

With 870 riders boarding and disembarking at Yorktown, the site is one of the most heavily used in the county, Wilmot said.

In the past, buses dropped passengers just outside the lower level doors of JCPenney. Within the last couple of years, the bus stops were moved partway out into the parking lot. Mall management recently suggested locations along the ring road, but Pace officials deemed those unsafe because they required riders to navigate a large span of the parking lot, Wilmot said.

"We were very concerned about our passengers and their safety," Wilmot said.

Burke said mall management based its decision on customer safety.

"We've been working with Pace and the village of Lombard to create a clean, safe and adequate facility on the property," Burke said.

Mall management had become concerned with safety at the bus stops, Burke said.

Pace, the mall management and Lombard officials have been negotiating for years for free-standing facility with washrooms and lights that's handicapped accessible to provide riders with shelter from the elements, she said. Another negotiation session is scheduled for Wednesday.

"Until we reach an agreement, this is the solution we've come up with," she said. "Hopefully, we can come to an agreement."

Wilmot said the free-standing facility was held up by the mall's failing to commit the land for a set period required for federal funding. Burke could not comment on the land issue.

Lombard Village President William Mueller said he believes both sides are in tough spots. The mall property has sustained damage from buses over the years, including trees, curbs and planted parkways, he said. And Pace has struggled to get adequate funding from the state. Both sides have suggested bus stops that are not ideal, he added.

"I'm hoping we can resolve this problem," Mueller said. "We're not just working for a solution for today but also planning for the future. The bottom line is that we need a hub there, a shelter for people. We know we need it. We're going to do everything we can to make sure it works."

Campbell, who noted other suburban malls allow buses to stop just outside store doors, decried the Yorktown's decision.

"Don't hurt us to enhance your position at the negotiating table," Campbell said. "We want to spend money and patronize the businesses, but we can't do it if we can't get on the property."