On Board Newsletter - Fall 2026

NITA Is Here! New Board Members Seated at Pace and NITA

Pace Bus convened its first Board of Directors meeting of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) era on September 16, marking a significant moment for public transportation in northeastern Illinois as the agency continues its work under a new regional governance framework. At the meeting, John Noak was appointed Chairperson of the new Pace Board of Directors, providing board leadership as the agency begins operating under the NITA framework.

“You can only accomplish great things if you have a great team,” offered Chairperson Noak. “I know this Board can accomplish amazing things as we move forward. One of my biggest goals is to make sure that everyone is engaged in the process and that is where we will be truly successful.”

The transition comes as Pace continues to provide essential mobility across one of the largest suburban transit service areas in the nation. “Pace enters this new chapter from a position of strength,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger. “Our mission remains unchanged: connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, community resources, and opportunity. As the regional transit framework evolves, Pace will continue focusing on the fundamentals our riders depend on every day—safe, reliable, accessible, and responsive service.”

The NITA Act creates new responsibilities and regional workstreams related to land use, public safety, fare policy, and service planning. The transition effort includes coordination among NITA, Pace, CTA, Metra, IDOT, and a dedicated consultant team led by Boston Consulting Group. Near-term work includes governance and organizational planning, public safety, procurement, budget processes, paratransit coordination, capital planning, fast-track capital project authority, and development of a universal fare instrument.

“This is an important moment for Pace and for public transportation across northeastern Illinois,” Metzger said. “The work ahead will require collaboration, practical problem-solving, and a continued commitment to riders. Pace is ready to bring its operational expertise, suburban mobility perspective, and innovative spirit to the regional table.”

Service Expansions

We are continuing our efforts to improve and add more service on the street throughout the region to expand access and reliability for riders along high-demand corridors. See details below for service expansions that took effect in August and more to come later this fall:

210: Due to the permanent closure of Lincolnwood Town Center, Pace Routes 210 and 290 no longer enter the mall property. The detour implemented on June 29, 2026, is now the permanent routing, with Route 210 operating between McCormick Road and the Lowe’s Home Improvement via Northeast Parkway, Central Park Avenue, and Lawndale Avenue. Riders are experiencing schedule adjustments of up to 11 minutes in either direction.

383: To provide riders with more accurate service information, Pace has updated the public timetable for Route 383. The service change restored two southbound weekday trips at 11:01 pm and 11:31 pm.

423: To better align service with current ridership needs, Pace discontinued the Route 423 northbound “F” trip that departed the CTA Harlem Blue Line Station at 6:46 am and arrived at Notre Dame High School at 7:05 am. Riders can continue their trip using alternative transit options, including Pulse Milwaukee service with connections at the Main or Dempster stations.

508: To improve efficiency and provide more consistent service, Pace has made the current Route 508 detour a permanent part of the route. All trips continue to operate via Eastern Avenue between Jefferson Street and Second Avenue, replacing service on portions of Jefferson Street and Richards Street east of Eastern Avenue. Eastbound buses travel via Jefferson, Eastern, and Second, while westbound buses operate via Second and Eastern. Riders should note that the separate detour on Washington Street between Henderson and Logan in Joliet remains temporary and is still in effect.

Expanded fixed-route service coming to McHenry County

Service improvements in McHenry County, which took effect November 2, 2026, create all-day service on Routes 806 and 808 to better serve important travel markets between Woodstock, Crystal Lake, and McHenry. The expanded service in these corridors delivers greater access within McHenry County. The upcoming changes also will improve connections to Route 550 and the Metra station in Crystal Lake, as well as give riders more reliable options throughout the day.

The latest draft of Pace’s ReVision plan is now available for your review. 

ReVision is Pace’s bold proposal to transform bus service across its six-county region for the way people travel today. It calls for a 50 percent overall increase in service, with more frequent, connected, and accessible options, particularly at night and on weekends. The deadline to provide feedback on the ReVision Draft Plan is December 11, 2026.

Review the plan here, see what the future route network could look like. 

Tell us what you think, take the survey online at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/revisiondraft.

Planning Begins for Pulse Harlem Line as Other Pulse Projects Advance

Pace has begun planning a new Pulse line on Harlem Avenue, bringing Pulse service and infrastructure to the west and southwest suburbs. This July, Pace hosted an initial meeting with stakeholders from municipalities, agencies, and advocacy organizations along the corridor. Pace outlined plans for a long corridor of frequent, limited-stop service with stations and bus priority treatments from Oak Park in the north to Bridgeview in the south. The project is planned to connect riders to the CTA Green and Blue Lines, the Metra UP-W and BNSF lines, SeatGeek Stadium, the Pulse 95^th Street and Cermak/22^nd Street Lines, and 18 municipalities. Visit PaceBus.com/project/pulse-harlem-line to learn more and follow project progress.

Pace continues design work on the Pulse 95^th Street and Halsted Lines, which will be the next two lines to begin construction and launch service. Pulse Cermak/22^nd Street Line is in the midst of its pre-design/environmental review phase, and interested riders are encouraged to provide comments at PaceBus.com/pulse-cermak-22nd-street. Finally, riders on the Pulse Milwaukee Line are enjoying the new hybrid-electric Gillig buses, put into service in summer 2026. While not every Milwaukee Line trip is being carried by a hybrid, this implementation marks a step toward Pace’s long-term Project Zero goal to transition its fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

Student Fare Change Lowers Cost for Student Riders

With new funding from the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, transit agencies team up to make student fare policies more coordinated and affordable

This year, students K-12 across the Chicago region started the first day of school with free rides on public transit and will experience a more coordinated student fare system that provides lower, more consistent fares across the Pace, CTA and Metra throughout the year.

In one of the first actions taken by the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA), student fares on Pace and CTA are now standardized at 75 cents per ride. The change reduces Pace’s student fare from $1 to 75 cents. Pace and CTA have also expanded student fare eligibility beyond school hours and the traditional school year to match Metra’s existing student fare policies. Eligible students will be able to use the 75-cent fare at any time of day, year-round, with free transfers between Pace and CTA services within two hours. Metra will continue to offer reduced fares to K-12 students at all times.

Supported by additional funding provided through the NITA Act, the new policy is an early example of how NITA will use its regional role to make fares and services more consistent across Pace, CTA and Metra

Students and families can find eligibility requirements and instructions for accessing student fares from Pace at PaceBus.com/fares, CTA at transitchicago.com/fares, and Metra at metra.‌com/fares.

New Access Program Provides Discount to SNAP Recipients

The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) is proud to provide reduced fares to low-income transit riders through the Access Program. Eligible riders can apply for the program at GetAccess.org using their SNAP eligibility letter.

 As of October 1, 2026, the Access program, which allows Chicagoland residents who qualify for SNAP benefits to take Pace and CTA fixed route services at a reduced fare. Metra had already been offering that reduced fare, so the program now covers all three northeastern Illinois transit agencies. The Access Program is an expansion of NITA’s current Ride Free and Reduced Fare programs, which will continue to be available to older adults and individuals with disabilities. Eligible riders can apply for the program at GetAccess.org using their SNAP decision notice letter.