L-R: Village of Grayslake Trustee Elizabeth Davies; Lake County Board Member Kevin Hunter; Lake County Board Member Adam Schlick; Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger; Pace Board Member Linda Soto; Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart; RTA Board Member Pat Carey; Lake County Board Member Esiah Campos; Village of Round Lake Beach Trustee Martha Ibarra; Village of Round Lake Beach Mayor Scott Nickles; Lake County Board Member John Wasik; Pace Board Member Bill McLeod. Photo credit: Tammy Chatman, Lake County Chief Communications Officer.
Expanded zone more than doubles service area, which now includes portions of Fox Lake, Long Lake, Ingleside, and Round Lake Heights
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL – Earlier today, Pace Bus hosted a ribbon cutting to celebrate the expansion of the Round Lake Area On Demand, a change that more than doubles the service area and adds more vehicles to the program providing additional flexible weekday service to a larger portion of western Lake County. Pace On Demand is an innovative alternative to traditional bus service which offers a reservation-based, shared-ride service in 10 designated service areas throughout the suburban region at the same low fare as our fixed route bus services ($2 with Ventra, $2.25 with cash).
“This exciting program will increase access to opportunity, employment, education, and more for the people of Lake County,” said Pace Director Linda Soto. “It means increased accessibility, enhanced mobility, and stronger connections to transit services, businesses, and jobs in our area.”
The expanded zone, bounded on the north by Monaville Road and Fox Lake, on the west by IL 12, and on the south by Big Hollow Road, Long Lake Road, and Round Lake Road, now includes portions of Fox Lake, Long Lake, Ingleside, and Round Lake Heights. The new zone enhances the area’s overall transit network by providing new connections with Pace Routes 570 and 806 and with Metra’s MD-North and NCS Lines.
“I’m proud of this service expansion and the tremendous work Pace has undertaken to enhance our family of services and create a strong network of access throughout our region, including the Round Lake area,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger. “Our growing On Demand services in Northeastern Illinois truly reflect our commitment to finding innovative solutions that can help build a more comprehensive public transportation system for our region.”
Event speakers included Lake County Board Member John Wasik, Lake County Board Member Esiah Campos, and Lake County Board Member Kevin Hunter. Event guests included Pace Board Member Bill McLeod; Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, RTA Board Member Pay Carey; Ari Botbol, Outreach Manager for Rep. Brad Schneider; Lake County Board Member Adam Schlick; Round Lake Beach Mayor Scott Nickles; Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit; Hainesville Trustee Mary Koval; College of Lake County Manager Personal Enrichment & Community Programs Ann Zastrow; Lake County Administrator Gary Gibson; and Lake County Assistant Administrator Matt Meyers.
The service continues to have timed transfers at the College of Lake County and operates weekdays between 6:00am and 6:15pm. Passengers reserve a trip online at PaceBus.com/OnDemand or by calling 847-847-9169. Later in October, the new On Demand mobile app will debut, offering smartphone users an easy way to book, view, or cancel reservations.
On Demand service is wheelchair accessible and is open to the general public. Pace On Demand accepts cash, Ventra, and Ventra transfers. The service honors the Reduced Fare Policy, and for those eligible customers, the fare is only $1.00. For more information, visit PaceBus.com/OnDemand.
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Pace Suburban Bus safely and efficiently moves people to work, school, and other regional destinations with its family of public transportation services. Pace offers affordable and environmentally responsible transit options for the residents of 274 municipalities in Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. The backbone of Chicago's suburbs, Pace serves tens of thousands of daily riders. One of the largest bus services in North America, Pace covers 3,677 square miles, an area nearly the size of the state of Connecticut and about 15 times the size of the City of Chicago. Pace's innovative approach to public transportation gives the agency a national reputation as an industry leader.