Passenger pickups for regional buses at O'Hare to relocate

Effective Thursday, regional buses serving O'Hare International Airport will begin picking up passengers from the Multi-Modal Facility on Zemke Road instead of the terminal area.

The change will affect six bus carriers that travel to locations ranging from Elgin to Champaign/Urbana as well as Indiana and Wisconsin.

The carriers are: Coach USA/Van Galder, Express Air Coach, Lafayette Limo, Peoria Charter Coach, Reindeer Shuttle and Wisconsin Coach USA, Chicago Department of Aviation officials said. Depending on the company, buses currently pick up travelers at the Bus/Shuttle Center or at Terminal 5.

Customers catching regional buses can take Airport Transit System trains from all terminals to the Multi-Modal Facility.

"Regional buses will continue to drop off passengers as usual at the upper level departures section of each terminal," Chicago Department of Aviation Communications Director Kevin Bargnes said.

The Multi-Modal Facility opened in 2018 and connects travelers to Pace buses, rental cars, economy parking and the Airport Transit System.

Shuttle buses, such as hotel transports, will continue to utilize the Bus/Shuttle Center for all pickups, Bargnes said.

Some hoteliers have raised space concerns about plans to shift shuttles to the Multi-Modal Facility at a later date.

"Any future alterations to shuttle bus operations will be communicated to the airport community and the traveling public in due course," Bargnes said.