Pulse 95th Street Line

Public Meeting

On November 17th, 2022, Pace hosted a virtual public meeting. The project team shared information about the current Pulse 95th Street Line proposals and solicited input from meeting participants. Comments and questions received both during the meeting and afterward will be used to refine the proposed Pulse Line improvements in order to meet the needs of riders and local communities.

Have a comment or question about the project proposals presented at the public meeting? Please share them with us using the online comment form, or by visiting our online interactive mapping tool. Comments may also be submitted by phone at (847) 364-3966, or by sending an email to Pulse@PaceBus.com.

Comments and questions about the Pulse 95th Street Line project are welcome at any time, and those received by December 1, 2022 will be added to the public meeting record.

If you were not able to attend the November 17, 2022 meeting, you can watch a video recording of it.

About the Pulse 95th Street Line

The Pulse 95th Street Line is anticipated to run east-west between the CTA Red Line 95th/Dan Ryan Station in Chicago and Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. With major destinations and connections to other Pace and CTA bus routes as well as Metra’s Rock Island and Southwest Service lines, 95th Street Line passengers will have a variety of local and regional connection options.

Linking major destinations between Chicago and Palos Hills, the 95th Street Line is expected to provide significant transit improvements to the local communities.

By bringing Pulse to 95^th Street, riders will be able to enjoy:

• Fast, reliable, and frequent service to your favorite destinations
• Free Wi-Fi and other amenities on Pulse-branded buses
• Modern, heated stations
• Real-time next bus arrival time
• Faster boarding and improved accessibility at stations

Where Are We Now?

In 2022, the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways partnered with Pace to help fund the environmental review phase with an Invest in Cook grant. The environmental review phase of the project was initiated in May 2022 and will include in-depth analysis of potential environmental impacts, development of advanced conceptual designs, and revised station locations. A Corridor Advisory Group (CAG) meeting was held in August 2022 and a virtual public meeting was held on November 17, 2022.

Pace continues to seek public input on the corridor transit needs, including its stations and service. Any comments received through December 1, 2022 will be added to the record for the public meeting. However, Pace will continue to receive and consider comments or questions submitted at any time after this date. Comments may be submitted by phone at (847) 364-3966, or by sending an email to Pulse@PaceBus.com.

Based on the environmental review and input from local municipalities, agencies, and the public, a final plan for the 95th Street Line will be submitted for federal review and approval prior to moving forward with final design and construction.

Pace, in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), has also received a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to complete final design and construction of the Pulse 95th Street Line. We’re excited that this project is now fully funded!

Location

The project corridor is approximately 13 miles in length and runs east-west between the CTA Red Line 95^th/Dan Ryan Station in Chicago and Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. The corridor is primarily along 95^th Street, as well as several other roadways in Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, Bridgeview, and Palos Hills. This proposed Pulse Line would include connections to other transit services including the CTA Red Line 95^th/Dan Ryan Station, various CTA and Pace routes, Metra Rock Island 95^th St-Longwood and 95^th St-Beverly Hills stations, and Metra Southwest Service at the Oak Lawn Patriot Station. The 95^th Street Line would also provide connections to planned Pulse Lines along the South Halsted and Harlem Avenue corridors.

All routing is subject to change.

Project Process Schedule

Pace initiated the planning phase in 2018 and met with agencies, location municipalities, and community leaders to develop initial design concepts and preliminary station locations for the 95^th Street Line. A Project Definition Report was completed in 2019 outlining preliminary station locations, service plan, and project cost estimate.

As part of the federally mandated National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process, the environmental review phase of the project was initiated in May 2022 to assess the 95^th Street Line’s potential environmental impacts.  

During this phase, Pace is analyzing and documenting the project’s anticipated impacts on air quality, noise, and vibration, as well as ecological, architectural, and historic resources. We also anticipate selecting a final set of station locations to advance.

Stakeholder and public outreach are ongoing throughout the project and a virtual public meeting was held on November 17th, 2022 to solicit public feedback on the current project proposals.

During the design phase, detailed designs will be developed for selected station locations. Both design and construction are fully funded. Pace’s goal is to launch service in 2026. Any proposed service changes to the existing Route 381 will include a formal public hearing process prior to launch.

Stakeholder and public outreach are ongoing throughout the project.

Learn more about the study process and schedule.

What will happen to Pace Routes 381 and 395?

The Pulse 95^th Street Line will complement existing Route 381 service by providing faster, more frequent service to the most popular destinations along the corridor. 

The Pulse stations will be strategically located at roughly 1/2 mile intervals along the corridor at existing high-ridership locations.

Pace anticipates that many current Route 381 riders will use the new Pulse 95^th Street Line service. While changes to Route 381 service frequency may be considered, any significant changes will be subject to a public hearing. 

Pace does not anticipate Pulse service along the 95^th Street corridor to impact the design or schedule of Route 395 service, which is operated in partnership with UPS.