Pulse Dempster Line Project

Grant Program ・ Pulse

Thu, 07/27/2023

Movie Poster Image for Pulse Dempster line with purple bus moving rapidly

Pulse Sunday "sneak preview" service has launched!

We're thrilled that we are now giving our riders a preview of the new Pulse Dempster Line. As of August 13, 2023, the Pulse Dempster Line began operating on Sundays, offering riders a preview of what’s to come this fall when daily service begins.

This "sneak preview" offers a significant increase in Sunday service frequency along Dempster Street while also allowing Pace to fine-tune operations and ensure a seamless and efficient launch of daily service later this year.

We value our riders' experience and want to ensure a smooth, reliable, and enjoyable commute for everyone when the full daily service begins.

Visit Pulse Dempster Route Page

The Sunday "sneak preview" serves as an exciting opportunity for both current Pace riders and new riders to explore the benefits of Pulse. It allows them to experience firsthand the convenience of our stylish purple buses equipped with Wi-Fi and modern amenities, as well as limited-stop service to get you more quickly to your destination.

We encourage riders to share their experiences to help us provide the highest level of satisfaction and meet the needs of our communities. Let us know what you think!

We appreciate our riders' support, understanding, and patience as we continue progress on station construction to create a fast, frequent, and reliable new rapid transit service.

Later this fall, riders can look forward to new, modern stations and daily service offering fast, frequent, reliable transportation from Evanston to O’Hare.

Pulse Dempster Line

The Pulse Dempster Line operates on Dempster Street between Evanston and O’Hare International Airport. Connections to other Pace and CTA bus routes, the CTA Yellow and Purple lines, as well as to Metra’s Union Pacific North, Northwest, and North Central Service rail lines will provide passengers with a variety of local and regional travel options.

As part of the development of the Dempster Line, Pace refreshed the standard Pulse station design to fit a variety of local needs and site constraints, as well as to minimize impacts to adjacent properties. The Dempster Line will feature compact Pulse stations and vertical markers that require less space, while still providing all Pulse amenities such as heated-shelters and real-time bus tracker information.

Riders will be able to recognize the arrival of Pulse buses with the service’s signature purple branding and Pulse logo on the exterior of the bus.

Pulse Dempster Route Page

Location

The Pulse Dempster Line will provide service between the Davis Street CTA/Metra Station in Evanston and the O’Hare Airport Multi-Modal Facility. Stations will be located in the communities of Evanston, Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Rosemont. Riders will now have improved access to a variety of major destinations, schools, places of employment and more, including O’Hare International Airport, Lutheran General Hospital, Main East High School, and Notre Dame High School. In addition, the Dempster Line connects riders to the Pulse Milwaukee Line, the CTA Purple and Yellow lines, the Metra Union Pacific North, Northwest and North Central Service rail lines, and numerous other Pace routes.

Station locations were selected in collaboration with local communities and transportation and environmental agencies, as well as with input from the public.

Pulse Dempster Line stop locations

Pulse Dempster Line Map

Project Schedule

The Dempster Line project was initiated in 2015.

The environmental analysis for the project was completed in 2018 and the final design phase was completed in 2020. Construction began in 2022 and is anticipated to be completed in fall 2023.

Construction was funded by a Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning $10 million grant through the Federal Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) 2018-2022 program.

VIEW PDF SCHEDULE (8/13/23 - Sundays Only)

Image of the Pulse Dempster Line Timetable

Where Are We Now?

The Pulse Dempster Line is under construction! New Pulse-branded stations are being constructed along the route, featuring unique amenities such as heated shelters, raised platforms for easier ADA accessibility, and real-time bus arrival displays. Service on Sundays begins August 13, 2013, as a "sneak preview" of the new Dempster Line, providing fast, frequent, reliable service. During construction, temporary stations are located near the soon-to-be-completed Pulse station and will be clearly marked with a Pulse logo and signage.

The Dempster Line is anticipated to launch full daily service in fall 2023.

What Will Happen to Pace's Route 250?

The Pulse Dempster Line will complement existing Route 250 service by providing faster, more frequent service to the most popular destinations along the Dempster Street corridor. Most of the new Pulse stations will be located at or near the current Route 250 stops and will be roughly every half mile between Evanston and the O’Hare International Airport.

Pace anticipates that many current Route 250 riders will use the Dempster Line because of the faster travel times, increased frequency, and improved on-time performance. A public hearing was held in July 2022 to propose changes to the Route 250 service. With the start of Pulse Dempster's Sunday service on August 13, 2023, Route 250 service frequency is reduced to 60-minute frequencies. A similar change will be made to Route 250's weekday and Saturday schedule when daily Pulse Dempster Line service begins.

View Route 250's new Sunday schedule.

View the Route 250 daily schedule, proposed to take effect late fall 2023.