STATUS: In Progress
Pace has been working with the Transportation Management Association (TMA) of Lake Cook and Metra since 2004 to
evaluate the feasibility of shuttle services between suburban Metra North Central Service (NCS) stations and nearby employers.
The inspiration for the North Central Service Shuttle Initiative was Metra’s expansion of service on the NCS
line, including the addition of “reverse-commute” trips that operate outbound from Chicago in the morning and inbound to
Chicago in the afternoon, that took effect in early 2006.
Shuttle services in the North Central Service corridor will be similar to Pace’s Shuttle Bug routes that
connect many TMA of Lake Cook employers with stations along Metra’s Union Pacific-North and Milwaukee District-North lines.
In order to evaluate the feasibility of shuttle services in the NCS corridor, Pace and its project consultants
asked area employers to distribute surveys to their employees. Larger employers were targeted, namely:
• employers with 50 or more employees and located in a zip code within three miles of an NCS station
• employers with 250 or more employees and located in a zip code within five miles of an NCS station
Survey questions focused on employees’ current travel patterns and potential use of shuttle service based on
service characteristics. The project team then developed routings based on the level of interest expressed at each responding
employer and the employers’ locations.
An initial set of shuttle routes will begin operating on Monday, November 20, 2006. Trips are scheduled to
connect with rush-hour Metra trains operating in either direction; however, the train and shuttle schedules will offer more
flexibility to employees living further north along the North Central Service line. The routes are:
Route 580 – Vernon Hills Metra Station - Townline Road Shuttle Bug
Serving Medline, Rustoleum, AHR and the Vernon Hills Metra Station
Route 581 – Buffalo Grove Metra Station - Lincolnshire Shuttle Bug
Serving the Lincolnshire Corporate Center and Buffalo Grove Metra Station
Route 582 – Buffalo Grove Metra Station - Discover/Baxter Shuttle
Bug
Serving Discover, Baxter and the Buffalo Grove Metra Station
In the future, Pace will implement additional shuttles and reconfigure existing routes based on ridership
levels, employer interest and changes to Metra’s North Central Service schedule. For more information about the North Central
Service Shuttle Initiative, please contact Tara O’Malley, Pace Business Development Representative, at (847) 228-4282 or
tara.omalley@pacebus.com.
Links to More Information
North Central Service Information
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