Board greenlights electric bus purchase and locks in service upgrades
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL – At yesterday’s meeting of the Pace Suburban Bus Board of Directors, agency leadership highlighted key developments in service delivery, zero-emission fleet procurement, budget planning, and regional paratransit policy. The Board acted on several items, including the purchase of new electric buses, the permanent adoption of successful pilot routes, and preparations for upcoming public hearings on proposed changes to the Taxi Access and Rideshare Access Programs.
As part of its Project Zero transition to a zero-emission fleet, the Pace Board authorized the purchase of 27 new 40-foot battery-electric buses from Gillig, LLC. Additionally, the Board approved Pace’s work with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) on a joint procurement of battery-electric buses for 2025 and 2026.
The Board also made permanent several pilot service expansions that were implemented last year. Effective on or after July 17, 2025, routes 330, 331, 755, 850, 851, and 855 will continue operating under their expanded schedules, which have seen measurable ridership increases between August 2024 and May 2025. The decision to make these expansions permanent reflects Pace’s continued commitment to adapting service to meet growing demand. The service enhancements were designed to connect residents to jobs, education, and essential services, and they are funded in Pace’s 2025 operating budget.
In her report to the Board, Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger shared that starting July 24, Pace will host six public hearings regarding proposed changes to the Taxi Access Program (TAP) and the Rideshare Access Program (RAP), as outlined in the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) ADA Paratransit Action Plan. The proposal from the RTA includes increasing the fare to $3.25 and implementing a 30-trip-per-month cap.
Metzger also shared that Pace has started its 2026 budget development in accordance with the RTA’s recent Budget Call, which asks service boards to develop two budget scenarios due to ongoing fiscal uncertainty. The first scenario provides no new funding in 2026, and the second scenario provides a temporary stopgap that maintains current service levels.
The RTA has requested both scenarios include a fare increase and identify operational efficiencies equal to 5 percent of 2024 expenses. Pace also has a third scenario that assumes funding for its ReVision plan, a transformational blueprint to strengthen suburban transit service.
“The coming months are critical,” Metzger said. “We are actively working with legislators and stakeholders to secure a sustainable funding solution that allows us to build the transit system our region needs.”
Finally, Metzger shared that Pace’s 2024 “Ride Kind” campaign earned two Gold Addy Awards from the American Advertising Federation’s Chicago Chapter. The marketing campaign, developed with Gatesman Agency, uses powerful visuals of drivers in uniform and in their personal lives, and centers on the message that “driving is just the half of it”, to encourage empathy and respect onboard buses.
“This meaningful campaign reinforces that if we Ride Kind everyone gets home safely,” Metzger said.
###
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.
