Yorktown OKs return of buses; Pace not ready

Yorktown Center officials say they have lifted a ban on buses, but it's unclear when Pace can once again pick up and drop off passengers on the grounds of the Lombard mall.

Jim Romano, Yorktown's manager, said Pace buses are welcome to return to the mall's property at Highland Avenue and Butterfield Road once part of the parking lot has been repaved. That project is expected to be completed this week.

Still, Pace representatives say they don't know whether the buses will return within days or longer.

Yorktown's change of heart came with the condition that Pace buses won't be allowed to idle in the mall's parking lot for 30 minutes or more.

The so-called "layovers" are part of the reason Yorktown initiated the bus ban on Aug. 1.

Romano said the mall's asphalt parking lot wasn't built to serve as a bus company hub and can't handle so many buses idling on-site. There were reports of buses damaging the pavement, curbs and trees.

"We're not designed for big heavy buses," Romano said. "I want our customers back. I don't want buses that don't service Yorktown customers and employees just hanging out all over the parking lot."

Department stores may get one or two delivery trucks per day that stay on certain aisles designed for heavy traffic.

Meanwhile, Pace has had six routes making multiple stops each day and several buses idling at various locations on the property, according to Romano.

Yorktown officials say the shopping mall needs a permanent transfer station with lights, bathrooms and heating and air conditioning. It also would have concrete pavement to handle the buses. Such a facility has been in the works for several years.

In the meantime, Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot says it's going to take time to reconfigure bus routes. Therefore, officials are unsure when the suburban bus agency can resume service to Yorktown's designated on-site bus stop, which is located just outside the lower level doors of JCPenney.

"It is very complicated to change a bus schedule on short order," Wilmot said. "The complication relates to the extra time involved in going onto the mall property."

The layover restriction would require buses to continue heading across the street to the new Branding Avenue transfer station ˆ­-- adding another stop to the routes, he said.

That could create problems for routes with shorter layovers or when the layover serves as the driver's contracted break time, Wilmot said.

"It's a rather involved process," he said. "It's a step forward. We just need to figure a way to manage the scheduling."