Could workers in Hanover Park benefit from an earlier Metra train and a Pace bus shuttle?

Metra riders who commute to Hanover Park to work early morning and late-night shifts often need a way to get from the station to their jobs. This week, Trustee Herb Porter suggested the village work with Pace and Metra to set up a shuttle.

Porter said several businesses in the area have expressed interest in a shuttle.

"It's necessary because we have workers coming in from Chicago, and employers say tardiness becomes a problem when their workers get caught in traffic," Porter said.

In addition to the shuttle, Porter and Village President Rod Craig said Metra trains with earlier arrival times in Hanover Park are something they're pushing for.

"In Hanover Park, the first Metra train doesn't come until 6:40 a.m.," Craig said. This makes it impossible for workers with a 6 a.m. start time to take public transportation to work.

The combination of an earlier Metra train and a shuttle would help keep workers out of traffic and get them to work on time, Porter said.

Hanover Park hopes to work with neighboring municipalities on the route's stops, which could include Turnberry Lakes Business Park and a business park near the intersection of Stearns Road and County Farm Road.

"Our recommendation is to try and put together something as a partnership between Hanover Park, Schaumburg, Roselle, Metra and Pace to develop a scheduled circular shuttle service," Porter said.

But Craig says a similar proposal came up three years ago but was never carried out.

"Pace thought it was a great idea as a circulator route," Craig said. "But a lot of things, funding, got in the way and we kind of lost that focus."

When presented with the idea, Porter said, some Hanover Park employers showed interest in contributing financially.

The plan is in the analysis stage, and Porter said once the village gets the numbers on workers who ride the Metra, it can present the proposal to Pace and Metra.

"Right now we're identifying who would benefit from the circulator," Craig said. "I'm excited to have trustees that have good questions about this and are bringing it up."