Benefits are many for those riding bus

Recent comments made in this newspaper present the opportunity to tell Pace’s story about our efforts to provide the best service that we can for Chicago’s suburbs. In 2011, Pace provided more than 37.2 million rides on buses, dial-a-ride services, van pools and ADA paratransit. We have enjoyed ridership gains for two years in a row and look forward to a third, as we’re currently trending over 9 percent higher year-to-date than at this time last year.

We’ve aggressively worked to restructure service to improve efficiency and to serve more of the destinations people want and need to reach. This has allowed us to maintain service levels and reasonable fares as transit agencies across the country have raised fares and slashed service.

The majority of our service in the Lake-Cook Road corridor connects large corporations with Metra train stations. These bus routes and van pools allow these suburban companies to attract and retain talented workers, and have a very real impact on improving the local economy and job growth.

The challenges of serving a suburban environment are many. With a wealth of free parking at most locations, many people choose to drive. The people using our service rely on it often because they can’t or don’t drive. Others choose to use public transit because of the convenience and savings it offers.

Studies have shown that Chicago-area households can save more than $12,000 annually by using transit. Other studies determined that $6 in economic returns are generated for every dollar invested in public transit. Between these studies and the success stories outlined above, it’s our hope that more people believe that Pace provides an essential, effective and efficient family of services to the residents and businesses of northeastern Illinois.

Richard Kwasneski

Chairman

Pace Suburban Bus

Arlington Heights