The Pace suburban bus agency seeks rider input on potential changes in operations and what could result in the biggest system overhaul in its 40-year history.

Pace suburban bus agency is asking for riders and nonriders to weigh in on what could be the biggest system overhaul in its 40-year history.

On Nov. 15, it released detailed maps outlining three potential scenarios. The two “Plus 50” scenarios assume that Pace’s funding will increase by 50 percent. The difference is how the funding would be used. Plus 50 — Ridership scenario would focus on beefing up service in the busier corridors, at the expense of lower-ridership routes. Plus 50 — Coverage scenario would expand the route network while reducing frequency.

The Plus 10 — Limited Investment scenario assumes the increase in funding that would bring Pace’s revenue to where it was before the pandemic. Even this relatively modest scenario would mean significant changes. Most notably, the majority routes in Cook County and collar counties that currently don’t operate on Sundays or have no weekend service at all would run seven days a week. It also spells major changes in Elgin, Lake County and northern Cook County.

Pace emphasized that all three scenarios are meant to be starting points, and it is currently seeking public feedback. A virtual community meeting was held on Nov. 20, and Pace will hold an in-person meeting at south suburban Homewood Village Hall at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 11.

Like other transit providers, Pace has been trying to adjust to the post-pandemic ridership patterns. The 9-to-5 workplace commuters no longer come into the office every weekday, while there’s more demand for off-peak and weekend service. In November 2023, it launched the ReVision systemwide revamp in November 2023. Consulting firm Jarrett Walker + Associates shared some concepts during August and October 2024 meetings of the Pace board’s Joint Planning and Infrastructure Committee, but it wasn’t until November that the full maps were released to the public.

Pace has argued that it was never funded to the level of its peer agencies, and it’s using the Plus 50 scenario to make a case for what it could be with greater investment. But the state has been leery of increasing funding without reforms, including a potential consolidation of CTA, Metra, Pace and RTA into a single agency — something that all four have resisted.

Weekend Service

Pace currently doesn’t operate any weekend service in McHenry County, while service in other collar counties drops considerably on Saturdays and disappears in Kane County, most of DuPage and Lake counties and parts portions of Cook County on Sundays.

Under Plus 10 scenario, the existing routes that aren’t rush hour would only get service on Saturdays and Sundays, and all new routes would have weekend service. This would be a boon for Elgin, which currently has no Sunday bus service, and Waukegan, which has only two routes on Sundays.

This would also impact McHenry County, where three out of four current routes are rush hour only. The current weekday-only Route 550 connects Elgin and Crystal Lake, primarily serving Randall Road corridor in Kane and McHenry counties. Plus 10 would keep the rush-hour routes as they are, and add weekend service to Route 550.

Cook County service changes

Most of the changes would happen in Cook County, the densest and the most transit-rich of the six countries. In the northwest suburbs, the plan includes overhauling service to Skokie Courthouse, downtown Glenview Metra/Amtrak station. Routes 210 and 422 would be eliminated, and Route 215 would be extended from Old Orchard Mall to serve the courthouse and other areas currently served by Route 422 as far as downtown Glenview, then take over the Glenview to Glenbrook Hospital section of Route 210.

Route 423, which currently runs between the Harlem Blue Line “L” station in Chicago and Linden Purple Line “L” station in Wilmette, would be replaced with new Route 425. New Route 246 would also follow Harlem Avenue as far as downtown Glenview, then follow the path of Route 422 to Northbrook Court mall.

Another notable change would be Oakton Street corridor service. Route 226 would be eliminated in favor of Route 216, with would begin at Howard Red/Purple/Yellow line “L” station and follow Howard Street to Skokie, then continue on Oakton, mostly following Route 226 as far as Des Plaines and keep going west, going around Busse Woods forest preserve to reach the Northwest Transportation Center, a major bus hub next to Woodfield Mall.

In the south suburbs, the most notable change is the elimination of Route 356, which primarily serves the 183^rd Street corridor and Wood Street corridors. Route 383 would be extended south on Cicero Avenue, then take 167^th Street and Kedzie Avenue to 183^rd Street, following the path of Route 356 the rest of the way.

Collar Counties

In Lake County, the most notable change would affect service in Libertyville, Mundelein and adjacent suburbs. Route 574, which currently runs between Hawthorne Mall and the College of Lake County, would have its route shifted along Townline Road and Lake Street.

It would still serve Mundelein North Central Service Line Metra station, but Libertyville station would be served by the new Route 568, which will travel along Milwaukee Avenue up to Buckley Road, then take Buckley, Waukegan and Belvidere roads to reach downtown Waukegan. The route would also continue south from Hawthorne Mall, following the Milwaukee Avenue corridor to the Lincolnshire Business Center business park.

Another notable change would affect Route 563, currently the only route serving the Naval Station Great Lakes. The route currently ends at Rosalind Franklin University Clinic, but Plus 10 would have it head back up north, serving Lewis Avenue corridor all the way until Zion.

In Kane County, the plan would trim and consolidate routes serving Elgin and its neighbors. Route 543, which primarily follows Dundee Road/Kennedy Road corridor, and Route 803, would be eliminated, and Route 552 would be extended to serve sections of the two eliminated routes north of Higgins Road. Routes 547 and 549 would be eliminated, but routes 550 and 548 (respectively) would be adjusted to make up for some of the resulting service gaps. New route 553 would follow the same path as the current route 554, but the latter would terminate at I-90/Barrington Road Park-n-Ride, while Route 553 would split off at Park Boulevard, then follow the path of current Route 554 to the Northwest Transportation Center.

Plus 10 simplifies the network of I-90/Jane Addams Tollway corridor express buses, reducing the number of routes from four to two. Route 600, the oldest and the busiest of the four, would be extended past Northwest Transportation Center to serve downtown Elgin, while Route 605, which operates between Rosemont Transportation and Randall Road Park-n-Ride, would see reduced service.

For more information about ReVision plan, visit http://www.pacebus.com/revision