Pace has identified 95th Street as a candidate for a new Pulse Line. The Pulse 95th Street Line is anticipated to run east-west between the CTA Red Line 95th Street 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 Line and Southwest Service, 95th Street Line passengers will have a variety of local and regional connection options.
Providing fast, reliable public transportation is vital for Chicagoland, and Pace is stepping up to the challenge. As part of Pace’s Vision 2020 plan to modernize public transportation, Pace plans a 24-line arterial rapid transit network, Pulse, to enhance mobility and suburb-to-suburb travel options. Seven priority routes have been identified, including 95th Street, to help make the long-term vision of a rapid transit network a reality.
Linking major destinations between Chicago and Palos Hills, the 95th Street corridor is an excellent candidate for rapid transit. In 2019, Pace completed a planning study to evaluate a Pulse 95th Street Line between the CTA Red Line 95th Street Station in Chicago and Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. A goal of this study was to ensure the new Pulse Line meets the needs of the local communities. Pace enlisted the help of community leaders, emergency services, schools, and libraries along 95th Street to form a Corridor Advisory Group. This group met several times throughout the duration of the project to provide guidance on transit needs, station locations, service, and station features, and environmental considerations.
An environmental review will take place and public meetings will be held to gather even more stakeholder input.
Pace initiated the planning study in Fall 2018. This study produced the Project Definition report outlining preliminary service and operating plans, preliminary station locations, and project cost estimates. Pace established a Corridor Advisory Group consisting of community leaders and agencies to get feedback and guidance on transit and infrastructure needs as well as potential station locations. Pace will continue to meet with communities and agencies throughout the duration of the project.
The project will follow federal regulations to analyze the 95th Street Line’s potential environmental impacts. As part of this process, Pace will seek public input on the 95th Street Line stations and features, analyze and document the project’s anticipated impact on air quality, noise, and vibration, as well as ecological, archaeological, and historic resources, and select final station locations.
During the design phase, detailed designs will be developed for selected station locations. Stakeholder and public outreach are ongoing throughout the study process.
The proposed Pulse 95th Street Line project corridor is approximately 12.4 miles in length and runs east-west between the CTA Red Line 95th Street Station in Chicago and Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills via 95th Street, then south on either Harlem Avenue or 76th Avenue, west on 103rd Street, south on Roberts Road, and west on 107th Street. The proposed route would include connections to other transit services including the CTA Red Line 95th Street Station and other CTA routes, other Pace bus routes, Metra Rock Island District Line Longwood Station, Metra Southwest Service, and Oak Lawn Patriot Station. The Pulse 95th Street Line would also provide connections to three future Pulse Lines at Harlem, Cicero, and Halsted. The routing between 95th Street and 103rd Street will be determined based on proposed supporting improvement plans for the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and the Pulse Harlem Line, among other factors. All routing is subject to change.
Existing service along the route includes Pace Route 381, which operates a fixed-route bus service between Chicago and Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Route 381 connects with CTA routes and Metra train lines including the CTA Red Line, Metra Rock Island District Line Longwood Station, and Metra Southwest Service Oak Lawn Patriot Station.
The 95th Street Line project area features a mix of land uses, including residential and commercial properties, educational institutions, parks, recreational and medical facilities, and public transit access points. Popular destinations include the CTA Red Line 95th Street Station, Metra Rock Island District Line Longwood Station, Evergreen Plaza Center, Advocate Christ Medical Center, Little Company of Mary Hospital, Metra Southwest Service Oak Lawn Patriot Station, Chicago Ridge Mall, Bridgeview Courthouse, and Moraine Valley Community College.
The Pulse 95th Street Line will complement existing Route 381 service by providing faster, more frequent service to the most popular destinations along the route.
The Pulse stations will be strategically located to serve current Pace customers as well as to attract new ones. The 95th Street Line stations are anticipated to be located roughly every half mile between Chicago and Palos Hills, with spacing varying according to land use and ridership potential.
Pace anticipates that many current Route 381 riders will use the 95th Street Line. With faster travel times and improved on-time performance, the 95th Street Line will also attract new riders. 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 95th Street corridor to impact the design or schedule of Route 395 service, which is operated in partnership with United Parcel Service.
Pace completed the planning study in 2019. Pace established a Corridor Advisory Group (CAG) consisting of community leaders and agencies to get feedback and guidance on transit and infrastructure needs as well as potential station locations during this study. With input from the CAG, the project team developed the 95th Street Line Project Definition Report which outlined preliminary service and operating plans, preliminary station locations, and project cost estimates.
Throughout the project, Pace will engage stakeholders and coordinate with communities, businesses, public agencies, interest groups, and the public.
As the project proceeds, public involvement and outreach efforts will be a priority as the study reports are prepared and submitted according to federal regulations. Pace will connect with its customers, the public, affected property owners, communities, and business groups through a variety of outreach activities including project website updates, public meetings, and one-on-one stakeholder meetings.
