Wheaton reluctant to pay for Pace route

Wheaton officials are refusing to help pay for a bus route linking Naperville, Wheaton and College of DuPage unless Pace agrees to make changes to another route.

It's been nearly three years since Pace Bus 714 started taking passengers between Wheaton's downtown train station and Naperville's Edward Hospital campus. Now Pace officials say the federal grant money that has paid for most of the route's expenses is running out.

So the suburban bus service has asked Wheaton, Naperville and DuPage County to each contribute $36,000 this year to help pay for it.

Naperville and DuPage have agreed to provide the funding, but Wheaton refused to add the expenditure to its budget.

Then, this week, Wheaton City Council members said they would be willing to change their minds if Pace Bus 747 stops using Hale Street.

Homeowners living along Hale have complained to the city that the bus, which travels from Forest Park to St. Charles, shouldn't go through their residential neighborhood.

Patrick Wilmot, a Pace spokesman, said the agency is reviewing the possibility of modifying the 747 route but no decision has been made. One concern is that the suggested changes would add extra running time and expense to the route.

Pace officials also weren't aware Wheaton council members postponed a vote on the $36,000 request until after the route change is resolved.

"We're always open to discussing any suggestion they have," Wilmot said. "But we just need to sit down with them and make sure we understand completely where they are coming from and how it's going to impact service."

During 2008, the 714 bus route averaged 305 riders a day. Until ridership improves, annual requests for financial assistance from Naperville, Wheaton and DuPage are expected to continue - although the size of the requests is expected to decline.

Still, Mayor Michael Gresk said he doesn't believe any city money should be used to subsidize the bus route this year.

"It wasn't in the budget and I don't see it as a core service," he said.

If the city agrees to provide funding this year, it will have to dip into its roughly $8.8 million in reserve cash to raise the money, officials said.