Pace unveils plan to boost suburban bus service by 50%

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, October 22, 2026

Pace unveiled a draft plan called ReVision to boost bus service by 50 percent across its six-county Chicago suburban area, aiming to better match evolving travel demands and improve connections to CTA and Metra. The plan will undergo public review through December before being submitted to the Northern Illinois Transportation Authority for approval and depends on securing additional funding to address regional transit gaps.

Pace, the suburban bus service provider across six counties in the Chicago area, unveiled a draft plan Wednesday aimed at increasing overall bus service by 50 percent. The initiative, known as ReVision, seeks to revamp transit options to better align with changing travel patterns and growing demand for nontraditional trips throughout the region.

The draft report was presented at a Pace board meeting and will now be shared at multiple public forums through December 10 to gather community input. Following this feedback, the plan will be forwarded to the Northern Illinois Transportation Authority (NITA) for review.

“This ambitious plan puts more service where and when people need it while strengthening connections to CTA and Metra across the region,” Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger said in a statement. She emphasized that shifts in commuter behavior — with fewer people traveling downtown daily — and public feedback highlight rising demand for flexible transit options. Metzger noted that increasing service frequency and speed is expected to boost ridership.

The plan aims to significantly reduce transit deserts, particularly in outlying areas such as rural McHenry County and southern parts of Cook County. Officials said every county within Pace’s service area would see at least a 45 percent increase in bus service. Fixed routes, including high-capacity Pulse lines like the Dempster Street Line and Cermak/22nd Street Line, are targeted for 50 percent growth alongside expansions to On-Demand services.

ReVision’s development began in 2024 amid a regional transit funding crisis. Pace conducted rider surveys exploring options such as buses operating every 15 to 30 minutes, seven days a week, and extending routes across suburban communities. These service enhancements depend on securing additional funding sources.

The financial challenges were addressed with the establishment of NITA on September 1. This new agency, created through 2025 reform legislation, now oversees Pace, Metra, and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). It channels revenues from gas and sales taxes to support regional transit services.

Pace Chair and Romeoville Mayor John Noak described ReVision as an effort to build “a suburban transit network that gives more people a practical and reliable way to reach jobs, schools, health care, and the other destinations that matter in their daily lives.”

Details on upcoming public engagement opportunities and the ReVision plan are available on Pace’s official website.

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