Around 40 Cook County officials and attendees gathered Friday to celebrate the launch of Pace Suburban Bus On Demand service in Lansing, Calumet City and South Holland.

The launch of Lansing Area On Demand Oct. 7, marked the 11th zone for Pace’s pilot reservation-based program and the first time this service has been introduced in the south suburbs, officials said.

“Today, we celebrate another goal achieved. We brought another innovative mobility option to the people who need it,” said Pace chairman Rick Kwasneski.

“The beauty part about is it’s very flexible for our riders,” Kwasneski said. “They basically call the number on the side of the bus which goes directly to the driver, they make arrangements to come and get them and they go where they need to go.”

The fare is $2 for a one-way ride using a Ventra card and $2.25 for cash payments. Pace also accepts mobile wallet payments through Samsung, Google, Fitbit and Apple Pay apps, as well as personal contactless bank cards. Free or reduced fares are also available for eligible riders with permits.

Riders can make reservations up to seven days in advance or as close as 10 minutes before pickup, depending on availability. Reservations may be made by phone, online or through the On Demand mobile app.

Lansing Mayor Patty Eidam she had the chance Wednesday to try out the bus, which holds about 16 passengers, when she scheduled a ride from the Village Hall.

She said the On Demand bus is wheelchair accessible, featuring a lift to safely onboard wheelchair passengers. The driver then securely fastens the wheelchairs so they stay in place, she said.

“I do highly recommend the new Pace service, and our hope our residents will take advantage of it,” Eidam said.

The decision to expand the service to Lansing as a pilot program followed Pace officials’ announcement in August to make the Round Lake Area On Demand service permanent after it experienced a 100% increase in ridership within a year.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle touted the service expansion as a way to “bridge mobility gaps” by bringing people to locations such as shopping centers, schools, libraries and other residential areas.

“The Lansing On Demand service expansion exemplifies our commitment to adapting to transit needs, transit to meet residents’ needs and ensure that the local community is well served,” Preckwinkle said. “It extends the reach of public transit by covering new areas in Lansing, South Holland and Calumet City, and it does so while connecting to nearby bus routes that link to surrounding communities.”

The Lansing Area On Demand service operates from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, covering a route roughly bounded by River Oaks Drive/159th Street, the Illinois/Indiana border, Glenwood Lansing Road, Wildwood Avenue, 186th Street, and the Calumet Expressway/Interstate 94.

On demand services are also available to riders in Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Batavia, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Aurora, Round Lake, Southeast Aurora, St. Charles, Geneva, Vernon Hills, Mundelein, West Joliet, Wheaton and Winfield.

Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger said the public transportation company has made other recent efforts to enhance transit in the south suburbs.

Metzger said Pace recently completed a bus training center in Markham through $38.1 million in federal and state funds, including $7.1 million from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois program. Additional funds came from the Federal Transit Administration, Regional Transportation Authority bonds and Pace capital funds.

With the Markham training center, Metzger said Pace has increased its driver training capacity from an average of 100 drivers a year to 500.

“That facility has its own driving track,” she said. “We used to train drivers right on the street. Now we have a driving track to train them before we take them on the street.”

Metzger said the On Demand bus service was launched to adapt to changing transportation needs in the post-pandemic commuting landscape, and it will continue to expand throughout Illinois.

“Public transit needs participation,” said 33rd District state Rep. Marcus Evans. “So use this on demand, because we want to spread this out to every place. You know, Lansing deserves it, but every town in the Southland deserve great public door-to-door transit.”

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