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Service Reduction FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about proposed fare increases, service reductions and the elimination of bus routes.
Why is such drastic action needed now?
The budget Pace presented to the RTA for 2007 was only a six month budget. The remainder of the year depended on new money from the State of Illinois that has not materialized. Therefore, the current budget has expired and is out of balance. Pace must be fiscally responsible, so a new balanced budget needs to be presented to the RTA as required by law. Although Pace has worked with the RTA and the other agencies on the Moving Beyond Congestion effort to get more funding for transit, the state has not provided any solutions.
How did public transportation get into this financial bind?
Think of our situation as if you had a job without ever getting a raise, but the cost of things like housing, groceries and car insurance keep rising. There has never been an increase in the percentage of sales tax going to public transportation in more than twenty years since the RTA and its service boards (Pace, Metra and CTA) have been in existence. Operators like Pace have seen the cost of labor, health insurance, and fuel grow over the years. For fuel, the costs have tripled.
Why are the fares going up?
Unfortunately, increasing fares is the most direct way to generate revenue needed to keep as much service operating as possible. Higher fares still don’t cover the total cost of operating services. Each ADA paratransit ride costs Pace about $26 dollars on average, so even charging $4.00 covers less than 15% of the total cost.
Why can’t we use 7-day passes?
Pace is proposing that we only honor the Pace/CTA 30-Day pass. Pace receives revenue for these passes through an arrangement with the CTA and RTA. Because of the increased use of cards and passes, Pace is not compensated in an amount equal to the rides it provides to riders using 7-day passes or U-Passes.
Is there a reason that no service will run on Saturday and Sundays?
There are several reasons weekend service was chosen as part of the service reduction plan. First of all, although we know that any reduction in service is going to be hard on our riders, we hope that by keeping more weekday routes running we can at least get you to very essential destinations like work, school and doctor visits. Also, not having service on weekends allows us to close our divisions for two days, saving critical money on labor, electricity and other costs associated with operations. Finally, although service won’t be operating on weekends, the savings allows us to keep more routes in service during the week protecting core services.
How did you pick the 23 routes that are going to be eliminated?
Pace does a comprehensive review of its services four times a year and ranks routes based on their individual performance. For the first quarter of this year, these 23 routes were part of a group called the Action List – routes failing to meet three or more of primary standards – like how much of the cost is covered by fares, the cost to Pace for each rider on a route and the average number of riders for each hour of service.
Why are the train feeder routes slated for elimination?
The feeder routes are costly to operate because they run without passengers during half of their trips. These routes bring passengers to or from the train station, but rarely both directions as is the case with our regular fixed routes. As is the case with the poorly performing routes, these are also heavily supported financially by Pace as compared to the fares received. More importantly, because these routes only operate during rush hours, they are not included under the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Therefore eliminating these routes does not eliminate any ADA service.
Why won’t the Special Events buses be operating?
Special Events services are also being eliminated to save more essential services. Again, the priority is to get people to their jobs and schools over things like entertainment.
How will ADA service be affected by these proposals?
Wherever regular service is eliminated, ADA service within ¾ of a mile of the route is eliminated. Pace ADA service will now be very strictly provided within that ¾ mile federal guideline. Fares will be increased and Pace will no longer accept ADA Monthly Passes and CTA One Ride tickets.
What happens next? How soon might we lose service and pay higher fares?
All of the public comment received on the Pace Plan of Action will be compiled and presented to the Pace Board at their meeting on August 1. Depending on the funding situation at that time, they will make their decisions accordingly on fare increases and service cuts. It’s possible some or all of the plan will be implemented. If fare increases are approved, they could start as early as September 1st. Any service reductions would begin in October and completed by January.
Is there anything that can be done?
Voice your opinion. Let the governor and legislators know that you need public transportation and they should support funding for it. You can write or call them, or send your message through the Pace website, (see link below). Spread the word – let your friends, families, or people at your workplace, church or school know what’s happening to public transportation and have them speak out too.
Pace had to make difficult choices to save money and stem revenue losses. We tried to make the impacts as minimal and fair as possible to all riders throughout our region. Pace will also be doing its part by cutting back on employees, internal programs and other expenses. If you have any additional questions or comments regarding Pace’s proposed actions to deal with its financial crisis, please contact Pace’s Customer Relations Department at 847-364-7223 or the TTY line at 847-364-5093.
Thank you for your help and support.
Learn more about our financial
situation, the actions being proposed and what you can still do:
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