Restructuring Initiatives: Planning Processes

Challenges
Unlike most bus systems in America, there is no one focused destination for commuters in our suburban area.

The diverse geography of the six-county suburban region poses particular obstacles to mass transit planning since many passengers commute from suburb to suburb daily. While suburban transfer points to Metra and CTA services generate thousands of riders each day,  many thousands of other suburbanites do not commute to Chicago. 

Solutions
Vision 2020 planners consider which communities generate riders and which generate jobs.  Riders are surveyed and community leaders are consulted.  Major destinations, including large employers and community colleges, are analyzed to see where people are coming from to get to them.

Where enough people are moving to a destination who would use public transit, routes are proposed.  Where few potential riders are deemed to exist routes are not planned.

• Elgin Area Initiative

• North Shore Initiative

• North Central Service Shuttle Initiative

• Fox Valley / Southwest DuPage Initiative

• South Cook County / Will County Initiative