ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL – Pace announced a public hearing scheduled for May 7 to gather input on proposed permanent changes to Route 381 – 95th Street. Since June 2, 2024, Pace has been operating expanded weekend service on Route 381 as part of a pilot project. The enhanced service includes increased frequency and longer hours, and performance data indicates it has met rider demand and improved overall access.
Based on the pilot’s positive reception, Pace is proposing to make these weekend improvements permanent. Community feedback gathered at the public hearing will help inform the final recommendation, which will be brought to the Pace Board later this spring. “We are pleased to report that this pilot has been a success,” said Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger. “It reinforces that increased frequency is exactly what our passengers need — and what they deserve.”
The public hearing is scheduled to take place May 7, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Oak Lawn Public Library (Rotary Room A, 9427 South Raymond Ave., Oak Lawn, IL 60453). Individuals wanting to offer comments on the topic to be addressed at the public hearing may do so:
- at the public hearing;
- by submitting a completed Public Hearing Comments Form on Pace’s website at https://www.pacebus.com/public-hearing-comments;
- by email to public.hearings@pacebus.com;
- by mail to Pace, 550 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Attention: Community Relations Department; or
- by phone at (847) 354-7943.
Pace also implemented minor weekday service improvements in June 2024 and made significant service enhancements in March 2025 as part of a pilot program to boost weekday service on Route 381. Weekday service now operates more frequently – every 15 minutes from morning to early evening, and every 20-30 minutes during the early morning and mid to late evening. Pace staff will monitor the service’s weekday performance before potentially making the improvements permanent.
Pace must receive comments by 5:00 p.m. on May 7, 2025, for the comments to be part of the official record of the public hearing. Individuals with disabilities who require accommodations other than transportation and individuals who require translation into a language other than English are requested to contact Pace at (847) 364-7223 (Option 3) no less than five business days prior to the date of the public hearing. Information about this public hearing is available at https://www.pacebus.com/route-381-public-hearing-2025.
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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.