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What's New at Pace?

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Metra Link-Up Pass Price Increases February 1

Effective Wednesday, February 1, the price of Metra's Link-Up Pass will increase by $6 to $45. The change was instituted by Metra as part of a general fare increase that the commuter rail agency is implementing to close a budget shortfall. The Link-Up pass is available to Metra Monthly Pass holders to use on Pace and CTA buses, with CTA usage restricted to select peak hours on weekdays.

Passengers impacted by the cost increase may wish to consider the PlusBus Sticker. Similar to the Link-Up Pass, it's available to Metra Monthly Pass holders at a cost of just $30. However, the PlusBus Sticker is not valid for use on CTA. For more information, visit the Fare Information page.

McRide Service Expands

Beginning February 1, McHenry County's McRide service expands by combining two coordinated dial-a-ride projects into a single, larger system to improve mobility. Combining existing dial-a-rides in and around the cities of Crystal Lake, Woodstock and McHenry, passengers can enjoy simplified travel throughout the service area by calling a single toll-free dispatch number, (800) 451-4599.

Registration is not required, but is encouraged to aid service delivery. The service is available to the general public through most of the affected area, and only to seniors aged 60 and up and people with disabilities in Greenwood Township, McHenry Township (not including the City of McHenry), and unincorporated areas of Dorr Township. The McRide website has additional details regarding eligibility and service area.

Please see the McRide website for information about fares, hours and days of service.

Restructured West Suburban Service Effective December 12

Effective Monday, December 12, change comes to a few west suburban bus routes, including new service on a pair of Call-n-Ride routes. The revised plans for service come as part of Pace's ongoing effort to restructure existing bus routes to improve service efficiency and respond to changes in community and rider demand.

One of the changes to come next week includes the combination of existing Route 301 Roosevelt Road with Route 747 DuPage Connection. Route 301 provides weekday service between Forest Park and Hillside, with an extension on Saturdays to Oak Brook. Route 747 provides weekday service between Forest Park and Wheaton via I-290 and Roosevelt Road. The new route 301 would be extended beyond Hillside to overlap the portion of Roosevelt Road served by Route 747, ending at the Wheaton Metra Station.

The all-new Wheaton-Winfield Call-n-Ride would provide weekday local service on an on-demand basis within a defined area in those two communities and scheduled trips each hour between the Wheaton Metra Station and the DuPage County Government Center.

Looking further west, Route 801 Elgin-Geneva will be revised to operate via Randall Road instead of the current alignment on Route 25. The change is designed to target stronger demand for transit service based on changes in development over recent years. It also provides easier transit access to the Kane County Courthouse and government center from the Elgin area. Routes 801 and 802 Aurora-St. Charles would no longer meet at the Charlestowne Mall, but at the Geneva Metra Station.

The all-new Geneva-St. Charles Call-n-Ride will provide service coverage in the area of Geneva and St. Charles impacted by the discontinued segments of Route 801 and 802.

Changes coming to some Shuttle Bug routes in January

Select Shuttle Bug routes operating in the Lake-Cook Road corridor will be changing as follows:

Effective following the final trip on Friday, January 27, 2012, Route 622 Shuttle Bug 12 will be eliminated due to the withdrawal of a corporate subsidy provided by a funding partner. Passengers not served by transportation provided by this employer may wish to consider Pace's Vanpool Incentive Program as an alternative.

Effective following the final trip on Friday, January 6, 2012, Route 630 Takeda Shuttle Bug will be eliminated due to the expiration of a federal grant. Pace routes 628 and 629 will be altered slightly to maintain service for current Route 630 riders beginning Monday, January 9, 2012.

Route 576 Deerfield Metra to Buffalo Grove/Lincolnshire will experience no service changes, however, beginning Tuesday, January 3, users of the company-supplied Pace Easy Rider Pass will pay a $1.00 surcharge due to the withdrawal of a corporate subsidy provided by a funding partner. The surcharge will be instituted on a six-month trial basis or until additional funding partners can be found to close the deficit caused by the loss of the corporate subsidy. Please note that cash-paying riders and those using other passes (except the Easy Rider pass) are not required to pay the surcharge.

For more information, please see the passenger notices section.

Paratransit Pick Up/Drop Off Points at Popular Destinations

Pace has developed specific bus stops for paratransit customers to use when visiting some of Chicago's most popular destinations. This will make it easier for customers to find their vehicle, and for the vehicle to find customers at locations that are crowded or where it could be confusing. Customers who are being picked up at these locations should look for the Pace bus stop sign in the area listed with each destination. Also, vehicles will use these same locations to drop off passengers at these destinations.

Office of Executive Inspector General Provides Oversight

Recent legislation designated that effective July 1, 2011, the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General (OEIG) will serve as the Executive Inspector General for Pace, RTA, CTA, and Metra. The OEIG is an independent, non-partisan state agency that investigates allegations of fraud, waste, misconduct and other abuses among state agencies, the RTA, and the service boards.

For more information about the OEIG or to file a report, visit www.inspectorgeneral.illinois.gov. Complaints can also be filed by phone at (866) 814-1113 or (888) 261-2734 TDD, or by mail or in person at:

32 W. Randolph Street, Ste. 1900
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-5600

607 E. Adams Street, 14th Floor
Springfield, IL 62701
(217) 558-5600

E-mail Notification Service

An email subscription service is now available to our customers. This notification system allows customers to subscribe to specific information based entirely on their needs (such as routes, schedules, fares and other rider information), and receive real-time updates once information is made available.

E-mail notifications are sent automatically to subscribers when new information is posted to Pace's website. Pace will provide passengers with current and up-to-date information about issues that affect their trips on public transportation.

To learn more or to subscribe please click here.

Sign Up to Receive Pace's 'Moving Forward' Weekly E-Newsletter

As public transit makes significant strides in the 21st century the Pace newsletter,  Moving Forward, is designed to keep you informed of the agency's happenings and some of the latest initiatives in suburban transportation. 

To receive the newsletter, please sign up and the latest edition will be delivered each week via e-mail.� Please feel free to forward this resource to others or use it to promote Pace services to friends, co-workers and constituents. Comments, questions and ideas are always welcome.

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