(L-R) Congressman Brad Schneider; Pace Director Linda Soto; Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor, Pace Chairman Rick Kwasneski; Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger; Pace Director Chris Canning; Lake County Partners President Kevin Considine
Community Project Funding for electric buses supports Pace’s Project Zero initiative
WAUKEGAN, IL – Yesterday morning, Pace was honored to host Congressman Brad Schneider to celebrate the $1.92 million in Federal funding provided by Congressman Schneider. When combined with Pace’s required local match, this funding will provide for two electric buses to be used at North Division as the agency moves towards a zero-emission fleet. The Congressman was shown Pace’s first electric bus at the agency’s North Division in Waukegan, which will be the first Pace garage to be fully converted to a zero-emission fleet.
The Congressman was joined by Pace Chairman Rick Kwasneski, Director Linda Soto, Director Chris Canning, and Executive Director Melinda Metzger. Also in attendance were Kevin S. Considine, President and CTO, Lake County Partners; and Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor.
“Today, we are announcing new federal funding to electrify the Pace bus fleet. These buses are a small but necessary step in our goal of beating the existential threat of Climate Change; they are a solution that creates a safe, secure, and clean environment for our families and our communities in Illinois, and they save us money for our transit system in the long term,” said Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10).
“It’s a simple fact that, when commuters ride public transit instead of driving their own cars, air quality improves. Pace also recognizes our responsibility for pollution reduction as an operator of hundreds of vehicles in our region,” said Chairman Kwasneski. “This is why one of Pace's top priorities is to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the quality of our community's environment.”
Pace is committed to converting its entire fleet to a zero-emission fleet by 2040 with their Project Zero initiative. This is an ambitious and significant investment which includes the purchase of more than 700 new buses (at a cost of $1.2 million each) and upgrading 10 bus garages (at a cost of $200+ million each). Pace is incredibly grateful for the funding provided by Congressman Schneider and his colleagues in Congress.
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Pace Suburban Bus safely and efficiently moves people to work, school, and other regional destinations with its family of public transportation services. Pace offers affordable and environmentally responsible transit options for the residents of 274 municipalities in Cook, Will, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and McHenry counties. The backbone of Chicago's suburbs, Pace serves tens of thousands of daily riders. One of the largest bus services in North America, Pace covers 3,677 square miles, an area nearly the size of the state of Connecticut and about 15 times the size of the City of Chicago. Pace's innovative approach to public transportation gives the agency a national reputation as an industry leader.