Summer 2026 newsletter for screen readers and alternative languages

On Board Newsletter - Summer 2026. 

Summer service improvements keep Pace moving forward

Summer is a busy season across northeastern Illinois, with riders traveling to work, school, medical appointments, community events, festivals, and family activities throughout the suburbs. At Pace, we are focused on making those trips easier, more reliable, and more connected.

Pace continues to invest in service riders can use every day. Building on the improvements introduced earlier this year, our June service changes add more than 60,000 annual service hours along key corridors throughout the region. These updates expand access, improve reliability, and provide stronger connections during evenings, weekends, and other times when riders need more options.

We also are continuing to grow flexible mobility programs that help riders reach important destinations. In the west suburbs, Pace recently launched two new VanGo services in Crystal Lake and Geneva, offering affordable first- and last-mile options that improve access to jobs, transit connections, and opportunity. Across the region, services like On Demand, VanGo, and ADA Paratransit continue to play an important role in helping riders travel in ways that meet their needs.

Pace is also investing in a cleaner and more modern fleet. In June, we celebrated the introduction of 24 hybrid buses at Heritage Division in Plainfield. These buses will support local service in Will County and represent another step toward our long-term fleet modernization and environmental goals.

As we deliver these improvements, we are also preparing for the future under the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act (NITA). The transition to NITA creates an opportunity for stronger regional coordination while keeping Pace focused on our core mission: providing safe, reliable, accessible, and efficient service for suburban riders.

Thank you for riding with Pace and for continuing to share your feedback. Your input helps guide our work as we strengthen today’s service and build a better transit system for tomorrow.

Melinda J. Metzger Executive Director 
 

Partnership is helping Pace deliver more for riders

Pace’s progress this summer reflects what is possible when public agencies, elected leaders, community partners, and riders work together toward a shared goal.

Across the region, that partnership is helping Pace deliver meaningful improvements. New funding secured through the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act is allowing Pace to continue adding service, improving frequency, and strengthening connections to CTA, Metra, job centers, schools, health care, and community destinations. These investments are moving us from planning to implementation and helping ensure suburban riders see real benefits.

Partnership also remains central to Pace’s work in local communities. Recent VanGo expansions, On Demand improvements, Bus-on-Shoulder service, and future Pulse corridors all depend on collaboration with counties, municipalities, transportation partners, legislators, and the public. These relationships help us identify where service is needed most and how Pace can best support local mobility, economic development, and regional access.

This summer also marks an important moment in the region’s transition to NITA. As the new structure takes shape, Pace will continue to advocate for suburban riders and ensure their needs are represented in regional planning, funding, budgeting, and service decisions. The Pace Board’s role remains essential as we help guide this transition and support continuity for the communities we serve.

This summer also brings a personal transition for me. After 24 years of service on the Pace Board of Directors and nearly two decades as Chairman, I will retire from the Board at the conclusion of my current term in August. Serving Pace’s riders, employees, communities, and regional partners has been one of the great honors of my public life, and I am proud of the strong foundation we have built together as Pace enters this next chapter.

Thank you to our riders, employees, elected officials, and community partners for helping Pace move forward. Together, we are building a stronger suburban transit network that connects people to opportunity throughout northeastern Illinois.

Richard A. Kwasneski Chairman

June Service Expansions

We are advancing our strategic investment in our operations by putting more service on the street throughout the region to expand access and reliability for riders along high-demand corridors, particularly during nights and weekends. See details below:

290 Due to the closure of Lincolnwood Town Center, Route 290 will no longer enter the mall property and will instead remain on Touhy Avenue in both directions. Service on Mall Drive and McCormick Boulevard will be discontinued. Riders can continue to connect with Pace Route 210 and access nearby destinations by using stops along Touhy Avenue at Town Center Drive. Please note that schedules will be adjusted slightly, with times shifting 2–3 minutes earlier at stops located after Touhy & McCormick.

330 Pace is enhancing Route 330 with adjusted routing and expanded service. Select weekday patterns will be simplified, with B-Trip service along 55th Street and H-Trip service along LaGrange, Ogden, and Burlington discontinued, allowing all trips to consistently operate via LaGrange Road at Hillgrove Avenue. Riders will benefit from significantly extended hours and more frequent service across all days, running from early morning to after midnight on weekdays and with 30-minute frequencies for most of the day on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays/holidays, moving to hourly evening service after 8:30 PM on weekends.

331 Pace is enhancing Route 331 with expanded service and improved reliability. Riders will benefit from earlier start times and later evening service throughout the week, with weekday service running from 4:30 AM to 11:15 PM and buses arriving approximately every 30 minutes. Weekend service is also extended, with frequent 30– 45 minute intervals on Saturdays from 4:30 AM to 11:00 PM and on Sundays and holidays from 5:15 AM to 11:00 PM.

364 Pace is enhancing Route 364 weekday service with more frequent and convenient options. Buses will run every 15 minutes between Morton/ Willow and Herion/Wheeler from approximately 5:30 AM to 7:30 PM, improving reliability during peak hours. To support this increased frequency, every other trip will begin or end at Herion/ Wheeler without serving Orland Square Mall, while service to the mall will continue at roughly 30-minute intervals. Riders should also note that some eastbound departures from Herion/Wheeler may shift by up to 10 minutes.

381 Pace is enhancing Route 381 weekend service with more frequent trips and extended hours. On both Saturdays and Sundays, buses will run every 15 minutes for most of the day from approximately 6:30 AM to 8:30 PM. Sunday service will also be extended until 12:00 AM, while Saturday hours will remain unchanged. Riders should note that some evening trips on both days may shift by 10–15 minutes.

501 To enhance Route 501, Pace is expanding coverage for more convenient service. The route will now extend to IL-59 and Caton Farm Road, operating via Jefferson, Houbolt, Joliet Junior College, Olympic, Gateway, and IL-59, while discontinuing service on Rock Creek Boulevard and portions of Jefferson Street. New trip patterns will streamline service, with all buses serving Joliet Junior College and Rt. 59 & Jefferson in both directions. Service hours have been extended, and frequency has increased with weekday buses running every 30 minutes from 5:08 AM through 10:10 PM, and expanded Saturday service from 6:07 AM to 10:05 PM.

509 Pace is making an adjustment to Route 509 to improve operational efficiency. Beginning immediately, the weekday eastbound trip departing Joliet Gateway Center will leave two minutes later, at 10:25 PM, and arrive at State/Riley at 10:46 PM. Saturday service remains unchanged.

533 Pace is updating Route 533 service at Chicago Premium Outlets. The stop will now be served by northbound buses only, and passengers traveling south should board a northbound bus to connect back to the Aurora Transportation Center. Saturday service will begin earlier, with the first trip departing at 7:10 AM.

550 Pace is enhancing Route 550 with expanded connectivity and adjusted route service. Select weekday trips will be extended to the Crystal Lake Metra Station, and all trips will now consistently serve key destinations including the Crystal Lake Metra Station, the Pace I90/Randall Road Park-n- Ride, and Sherman Hospital. “M,” “J,” “F,” and “T” trip patterns will be discontinued, with all buses operating via Randall Road. Riders should also expect schedule adjustments of up to 15 minutes to improve on-time performance.

554 To better serve customers, Pace is improving service on Route 554 on Saturdays. The Saturday schedule will be updated to improve on time performance, offer more consistent service frequency, and increase connections with other routes in downtown Elgin.

850/851/855 Pace is enhancing service on Routes 850, 851, and 855 with faster trips and more consistent frequency. Select 855 “X” trips will operate non-stop between Plainfield Park-n-Ride and downtown Chicago. On Route 851, most inbound trips will bypass Burr Ridge, while designated “B” trips will continue to serve the area, and new outbound trips will skip Burr Ridge. Additionally, two outbound Route 850 trips will no longer serve Plainfield. To provide consistent frequency, some trip times across all routes will be adjusted by up to five minutes.

In addition to these June expansions, Pace is also finalizing plans for more service expansions in August 2026. Look for updates in the next newsletter for details on those changes as we work to serve you better!

Hybrid Buses Hit the Road

We took another step in accomplishing our sustainability goals earlier this summer, when our first group of new hybrid-electric buses began serving local routes in the Joliet area. These 20 new hybrid-electric buses will operate out of Heritage Division as we continue the work to introduce even more hybrids to the region later this year.

To help celebrate this milestone, we have offered a vehicle naming contest. Visit PaceBus.com/name for the contest entry form. We look forward to seeing your clever submissions reflecting sustainability, innovation, and the spirit of the Chicagoland area.

Pace launches VanGo in Crystal Lake and Geneva

Pace has launched our newest VanGo services in Crystal Lake and Geneva. VanGo is a reservation-based round-trip service that is designed to fill first- and last-mile gaps to employment centers, especially in areas where traditional fixed-route service is not practical or available. The service allows commuters to reserve a vehicle for round-trip travel within a designated service zone, including during lunch hour. Once registered, users can unlock a vehicle with a code, make their local trips, and return the van at the end of the day. Customers can drive the van to a pre-approved work location within a 13-mile radius of the pickup point.

The Crystal Lake VanGo is stationed at the Pingree Road Metra Station and Geneva VanGo’s pickup point is at the Geneva Metra station. VanGo is available to commuters any day of the week, 24/7, for only $5 a day, offering an affordable and reliable option. Pace manages all vehicle maintenance, insurance, and fueling, allowing riders to simply reserve, unlock, and go. VanGo integrates seamlessly with Pace routes and CTA/Metra services, strengthening the regional transit network while supporting workforce access at an affordable operational cost.

Learn more at PaceBus.com/VanGo.

Transit takes you places other apps can't

Plan your trip, track your ride in real time and more, with the Transit app!

The Transit app is Pace’s recommended trip planning app. Transit app’s trip planner integrates fixed-route buses, CTA and Metra trains, ride hailing, biking, walking as well as our reservation-based services, On Demand and VanGo, to give you the best possible trip.

Download the app today! Visit PaceBus.com/transit-app.

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