# Pace (transit)

Pace is the suburban bus and regional paratransit division of the Regional Transportation Authority serving the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to the CTA, Metra, and Pace. The various agencies providing bus service in the Chicago suburbs were merged under the Suburban Bus Division, which rebranded as Pace in 1984. In 2022, Pace had 18.041 million riders.
Pace is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and is governed by a 13-member Board of Directors, 12 of which are current and former suburban mayors. The remaining director is the Commissioner of the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, who represents the city's paratransit riders.

## Service area

Pace serves Cook County, Illinois (where Chicago is located), as well as Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, and DuPage counties, which are the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. Some of Pace's bus routes also go to Chicago and Northwest Indiana. In some areas, notably Evanston, River Forest, Oak Park, Cicero, and Skokie, both Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority provide service.
Many of Pace's route terminals are located at CTA rail stations and bus terminals and Metra stations. The CTA and Pace have shared a payment system since 2014 called Ventra. Ventra accounts are required to obtain transfers. In 2015, Metra was added to the Ventra app.
Pace buses generally have longer routes than CTA buses. Due to its geographic service area, service is provided by eleven operating divisions (see below), as well as under agreements with several municipalities and private operators (school bus and motor coach companies). Pace buses provide service from the suburbs to various special events in the city, such as Routes 282 and 779 for Chicago Cubs games, Routes 773, 774 and 775 for Chicago White Sox games, Routes 236, 768, 769 and 776 for Chicago Bears games, Route 222 provides extra service to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont for events scheduled there, Route 284 to Six Flags Great America, Route 307 for events at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview.

## Services
### Pace Bus

The majority of Pace bus routes run daily, seven days a week. Other routes run Monday through Saturday, weekdays only, or weekday rush hours only. One route, 352 Halsted, runs 24 hours a day/seven days a week, and four routes 390, 392, 395 and 890, run only for weekday UPS shifts changes.
During weekday rush hours, Pace buses are authorized to use the shoulder of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway, Edens Expressway, and Stevenson Expressway to avoid traffic congestion.

### Pace Pulse
#### Pulse Milwaukee Line

Pace began operating a new rapid transit service between the Jefferson Park Transit Center and Golf Mill Shopping Center on August 11, 2019. The new Pulse service overlaps with part of Pace route 270 which saw a reduction in the route's service frequency.

#### Pulse Dempster Line

The Pace Pulse line on Dempster Street spans Evanston, Skokie, and Des Plaines, and terminates at O'Hare International Airport. The Dempster Pulse line inaugural run was on August 13, 2023 with a full launch on October 29, 2023. The route connects to the Chicago "L" with the CTA Purple Line's Davis station and the CTA Yellow Line's Dempster–Skokie station. It also connects to Metra stations at Evanston Davis Street on the Union Pacific North Line and Des Plaines on the Union Pacific Northwest Line.

#### Priority Corridors for Future Development

Pace is also considering adding routes from Cermak Road, Harlem Avenue and Roosevelt Road. All three proposed routes start from the southwest side of Chicago and provide routes to either the West Suburbs or in the case of the Harlem route, further south in Chicago.

### I-90 Express

In December 2016, Pace began an on-highway BRT express bus service between Rosemont Transportation Center and Elgin on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. The service uses "flex lanes" to avoid traffic and features train station like stops.

### ADA services

Pace is responsible for ADA paratransit service in its service area, and, effective July 1, 2006, for paratransit service in Chicago. Pace also coordinates various Dial-a-Ride projects, usually sponsored by various municipalities and townships. One of the largest is Ride DuPage, sponsored by Du Page County Human Services. All Pace buses are wheelchair accessible and have racks accommodating one bicycle, available during all hours of operation. Pace claims itself as the nation's largest paratransit service provider, providing approximately 17,000 daily trips on paratransit, dial-a-ride and ADvAntage vanpools.

### Vanpool incentive program

Pace operates a Vanpool Incentive Program, where groups save by commuting together in a van owned and maintained by Pace and driven by one of the participants. There is also a Municipal Vanpool Program, under which Pace provides a van to a municipality, for any public transportation purpose (such as demand response service for senior citizens).

## Route list

Pace Pulse Routes :
| Route Name | Northern/Western Terminus | Via | Southern/Eastern Terminus | Operates | Garage |
| 100 Pulse Milwaukee | Golf Mill | Oak Mill Mall | Jefferson Park | Daily | Northwest |
| 101 Pulse Dempster | O'Hare MMF | Downtown Evanston Dempster–Skokie CTA Advocate Lutheran Hospital Des Plaines Metra Allstate Arena | Davis CTA/Metra | Daily | Northwest |
Pace Suburban Bus Routes :
| Route Name | Northern/Western Terminus | Southern/Eastern Terminus | Operates | Garage |
| 208 Golf Road | Davis CTA/Metra | Northwest TC (Schaumburg) | Daily | Northwest |
| 209 Busse Highway | Cumberland CTA | Des Plaines Metra | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 210 Lincoln Avenue | Lincolnwood Town Center | Glenbrook Hospital | Weekdays | North Shore/ Northwest |
| 213 Green Bay Road | Howard CTA | Highland Park Metra | Mon-Sat | North Shore |
| 215 Crawford – Howard | Howard CTA | Old Orchard | Daily | North Shore/ Northwest |
| 221 Wolf Road | Wolf/Piper (Wheeling) | Rosemont CTA | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 223 Elk Grove – Rosemont CTA | Tower/Mark (Bensenville) | Rosemont CTA | Daily | Northwest |
| 225 Central – Howard | Oakton/Harlem (Niles) | Jefferson Park | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 226 Oakton Street | Oakton/Diane (Arlington Heights) | Jefferson Park | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 230 South Des Plaines | Algonquin/Linneman (Mount Prospect) | Rosemont CTA | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 234 Wheeling – Des Plaines | Buffalo Grove Park-n-Ride | Des Plaines Metra | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 240 Dee Road | Golf Mill | Cumberland CTA | Weekdays | Northwest |
| 241 Greenwood – Talcott | Golf Mill | Cumberland CTA | Weekday Rush | Northwest |
| 250 Dempster Street | O'Hare MMF | Davis CTA/Metra | Daily | Northwest |
| 270 Milwaukee Avenue | Glenbrook Hospital | Jefferson Park | Daily | Northwest |
| 272 Milwaukee Avenue North | Hawthorn Mall | Golf Mill | Mon-Sat | North |
| 290 Touhy Avenue | Cumberland CTA | Howard CTA | Daily | Northwest |
| 301 Roosevelt Road | Wheaton MetraDuPage County Judicial Center (weekday rush)Oakbrook Center (weekends) | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 302 Ogden – Stanley | La Grange Metra | Cermak/Cicero | Mon-Sat | West |
| 303 Forest Park – Rosemont | Rosemont CTA (weekdays)North/9th (Melrose Park) (weekends) | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 305 East Roosevelt Road | Cicero Blue Line CTA | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 307 Harlem | Grand/Nordica (Montclare) | Bridgeview Transit Center | Daily | West |
| 308 Medical Center | Forest Park CTA | Hines Hospital (Hines) | Daily | West |
| 309 Lake Street | Elmhurst Metra | Lake/Austin | Daily | West |
| 310 Madison Street – Hillside | Harrison/Wolf (Hillside) | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 311 Oak Park Avenue | North/Narragansett (Austin) | 47th/Lawndale (Lyons) | Daily | West |
| 313 St. Charles Road | Branding/Finley (Downers Grove) | Lake/Austin | Daily | West |
| 314 Ridgeland Avenue | Lake/Cuyler (Oak Park) | Morton College | Mon-Sat | West |
| 315 Austin Boulevard | Lake/Austin | Central/38th (Cicero) | Daily | West |
| 316 Laramie Avenue | Cicero Blue Line CTA | Morton College | Mon-Sat | West |
| 317 Westchester | Balmoral/Canterbury (Westchester) | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 318 West North Avenue | Northlake Commons (Northlake) | Forest Park CTA | Daily | West |
| 319 Grand Avenue | North/Wolf (Northlake) Bensenville Metra (weekday rush) | Grand/Nordica (Montclare) | Mon-Sat | West |
| 322 Cermak Road – 22nd Street | Yorktown Center | 54th/Cermak CTA | Daily | West |
| 330 Mannheim – LaGrange Roads | O'Hare MMF | Archer/Harlem (Summit) | Daily | West |
| 331 Cumberland - 5th Avenue | Cumberland CTA | La Grange Metra (weekdays)Brookfield Village Hall | Daily | West |
| 332 River Road – York Road | Rosemont CTA | Oakbrook Center (weekdays)O'Hare Delta Cargo (weekends) | Daily | West |
| 348 Harvey – Riverdale – Blue Island | Blue Island Metra | Harvey Transportation Center | Weekdays | South |
| 349 South Western | 79th/Western (Ashburn) | Harvey Transportation Center | Daily | South |
| 350 Sibley | Morton/Willow (Hammond, IN) | Harvey Transportation Center | Daily | South |
| 352 Halsted | 95th/Dan Ryan CTA | Chicago Heights Terminal | Daily | South |
| 353 95th – River Oaks – Homewood | 95th/Dan Ryan CTA | Ring Rd & Victory Centre (Calumet City)Homewood Park-n-Ride | Daily | South |
| 354 Harvey – Oak Forest Loop | Harvey Transportation Center (loop) | Harvey Transportation Center (loop) | Mon-Sat | South |
| 356 Harvey – Homewood – Tinley Park | Homewood Metra | Harvey Transportation Center | Daily | South |
| 357 Lincoln Highway | Lawrence Manor (Matteson) | Woodlawn/13th Pl (Ford Heights) | Daily | South |
| 358 Torrence | Hegewisch South Shore (weekdays)Ring Rd & Victory Centre (Calumet City) (Saturdays) | Chicago Heights Terminal | Mon-Sat | South |
| 359 Robbins – South Kedzie Avenue | 95th/Dan Ryan CTA | Homewood Metra (weekdays)Stonebridge/Kedzie (Hazel Crest) | Daily | South |
| 360 Harvey – Amazon Monee Express | Harvey Transportation Center | Monee Amazon MDW7 | Daily | South |
| 361 Harvey – Laraway Crossings Express | Laraway Crossings Amazon MDW2, MDW4 (Joliet) | Harvey Transportation Center | Daily | South |
| 364 159th Street | Herion/Wheeler (Orland Park) | Morton/Willow (Hammond, IN) Hegewisch South Shore (weekends) | Daily | South |
| 366 Park Forest – Chicago Heights | Downtown Park Forest | Chicago Heights Terminal | Daily | South |
| 367 University Park – Park Forest | Downtown Park Forest | University Park Metra (weekdays)Thornwood House (Saturdays) | Mon-Sat | South |
| 379 Midway – Orland Park | Orland Square Mall | Midway CTA | Daily | Southwest/West |
| 381 95th Street | Moraine Valley Community College | 95th/Dan Ryan CTA | Daily | Southwest |
| 383 South Cicero | Midway CTA | Oak Forest Health Center | Daily | Southwest |
| 384 Narragansett / Ridgeland | Midway CTA | 111th/Natchez (Worth) | Daily | Southwest |
| 385 87th – 111th – 127th | Midway CTA | Ridgecrest Shopping Center (Crestwood) | Weekdays | Southwest |
| 386 South Harlem | Midway CTA | North Creek Business Center (Tinley Park) | Daily | Southwest |
| 390 Midway CTA – UPS Hodgkins Limited | UPS Hodgkins | Midway CTA | Weekdays | Southwest/West |
| 392 Little Village – UPS Hodgkins | UPS Hodgkins | Cicero/Lake | Weekdays | West |
| 395 95th/Dan Ryan CTA - UPS Hodgkins Limited | UPS Hodgkins | 95th/Dan Ryan CTA | Weekdays | Southwest/South |
| 410 East Niles Local | Golf Mill | Village Crossing | Daily | Contracted to Village of Niles |
| 411 West Niles Local | Golf Mill | Village Crossing | Daily | Contracted to Village of Niles |
| 412 North Niles Circulator | Golf Mill (loop) | Golf Mill (loop) | Daily | Contracted to Village of Niles |
| 421 Wilmette Avenue | Northfield Plaza (Northfield) | Linden CTA | Weekdays | North Shore |
| 422 Linden CTA – Glenview – Northbrook Court | Northbrook CourtOld Orchard | Linden CTA | Weekdays | North Shore/ Northwest |
| 423 Linden CTA – The Glen – Harlem CTA | Linden CTA | Harlem/Bryn Mawr | Weekdays | North Shore/ Northwest |
| 471 Highland Park – Northbrook Court | Highland Park Metra | Northbrook CourtCrossroads Shopping Center (Highland Park) | Mon-Sat | Contracted to Highland Park |
| 472 Highland Park – Highwood | Fort Sheridan Metra | US-41/Park Ave (Highland Park) | Mon-Sat | Contracted to Highland Park |
| 475 Ravinia | Ravinia Park-n-Ride | Ravinia Festival | Special events | |
| 501 West Jefferson | Rock Run Business Park (Joliet) | Joliet Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 504 South Joliet | Joliet Transportation Center | Laraway Crossings (Joliet) | Weekdays | |
| 505 West Joliet Loop | Joliet Transportation Center | Joliet Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 507 Plainfield | Louis Joliet Mall | Joliet Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 508 East Joliet | Joliet Transportation Center | Silver Cross Hospital | Mon-Sat | |
| 509 Joliet – Fairmont | Joliet Transportation Center | Fairmont School (Fairmont) | Mon-Sat | |
| 511 Joliet – Elwood – CenterPoint | Joliet Transportation Center | CenterPoint Intermodal Center | Weekdays | |
| 512 Joliet – CenterPoint | Joliet Transportation Center | CenterPoint Intermodal Center | Weekdays | |
| 524 West Aurora | Woodman's (North Aurora) | Aurora Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 530 West Galena – Naperville | Galena/Constitution (Aurora) | Naperville Metra | Mon-Sat | |
| 533 Northeast Aurora | Walmart (Aurora) | Aurora Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 540 Farnsworth Avenue | Walmart (Aurora) | Rush-Copley Medical Center | Weekdays | |
| 541 Northeast Elgin | Elgin Transportation Center (loop) | Elgin Transportation Center (loop) | Mon-Sat | |
| 542 Bluff City | Elgin Transportation Center | Elgin High School | Mon-Sat | |
| 543 Dundee – Carpentersville | Meadowdale Shopping Center | Elgin Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 546 Orange – Walnut | Elgin Shopping Mall | Elgin Transportation Center | Weekdays | |
| 547 Wing Park | Wing/McLean (Elgin) | Elgin Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 548 Highland | Ascension St. Joseph Hospital (Elgin) | Elgin Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 549 South Randall | Meijer (Elgin) | Elgin Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 550 Elgin Transportation Center – Crystal Lake | Crystal Lake Metra | Elgin Transportation Center | Weekdays | |
| 552 North State – Spring Hill Mall | Spring Hill Mall | Elgin Transportation Center | Mon-Sat | |
| 554 Elgin – Woodfield | Elgin Transportation Center | Northwest TC (Schaumburg) | Mon-Sat | |
| 559 Illinois Route 59 | Monarch Landing (Naperville) | Fox Valley MallIL-59/High Meadow | Mon-Sat | |
| 561 Castlecrest via McAree | Newcastle/Edgewood (Beach Park) | Waukegan Metra | Mon-Sat | |
| 562 Gurnee via Sunset | Gurnee Industrial Park | Waukegan Metra | Weekdays | |
| 563 Great Lakes Naval Station | Waukegan Metra | Naval Station Great Lakes | Weekdays | |
| 564 Jackson – 14th | Fountain Square | Waukegan Metra | Mon-Sat | |
| 565 Grand Avenue | College of Lake County | Waukegan Metra | Daily | |
| 566 McAree – Keller | McCall School (Beach Park) | Whispering Oaks Apartments (Waukegan) | Weekday rush | |
| 568 Belvidere | Fountain Square | Waukegan Metra | Daily | |
| 569 Lewis | Lewis/Edgewood (Waukegan) | Lovell Federal Health Care Center | Weekdays | |
| 570 Fox Lake – CLC | Fox Lake Metra | College of Lake County | Mon-Sat | |
| 571 Zion | Downtown Zion | Waukegan Metra | Daily | |
| 572 Washington | College of Lake County | Waukegan Metra | Mon-Sat | |
| 573 Green Bay Road | McCall School (Beach Park) | Whispering Oaks Apartments (Waukegan) | Weekday rush | |
| 574 CLC – Hawthorn Mall | College of Lake County | Hawthorn Mall | Mon-Sat | |

## Operational structure

Given Pace's large service area, it is broken up into 11 operating divisions. Additionally, Niles, Highland Park and Schaumburg operate routes on behalf of Pace.
| Division | Garage Location | Areas Served | Notes |
| Fox Valley | North Aurora | Aurora and Naperville | |
| Heritage | Plainfield | Will County | |
| McHenry | McHenry | McHenry County | |
| North | Waukegan | Waukegan and Lake County | |
| North Shore | Evanston | North Cook County and southeast Lake County | |
| Northwest | Des Plaines | Northwest Cook County | |
| River | South Elgin | Elgin Area and Far western suburbs | |
| South | Markham | Southern Cook County and DuPage County | The only garage with CNG buses. As of September 2022, under construction to become a CNG bus maintenance facility. (Currently only offers CNG fueling.) |
| South Holland | South Holland | n/a | Acceptance facility for new buses and maintains electronic equipment on buses |
| Southwest | Bridgeview | Southwest Cook County and DuPage County | |
| West | Melrose Park | Western Cook and DuPage counties | |

## Bus fleet

In 2011, Pace received its first diesel-electric hybrid buses from Orion Bus Industries, a couple of years before the latter folded. These Orion VII buses were the first buses in the Pace fleet to not be powered directly by diesel. In 2015, Pace received its first fleet of compressed natural gas buses from ElDorado National; these buses operate mainly in the southern suburbs.
| Year | Manufacturer & Model | Length | Engine Type | Numbers | Divisions | Notes |
| 2006–2010 | ENC EZ-Rider II MAX | 30 ft (9.1 m) | Diesel | 2600–2825 (222 buses) | Fox Valley, Heritage, Highland Park, Northwest, River, Southwest, Village of Niles | Retirement in progress |
| 2011 | ENC EZ-Rider II BRT | 32 ft (9.8 m) | Diesel | 2826–2829 (4 buses) | Fox Valley | |
| 2011 | Orion VII | 30 ft (9.1 m) | Diesel-electric (Hybrid) | 2830–2831 (2 buses) | Highland Park | Used on routes 471 and 472.First hybrid buses ordered by Pace, painted in a green livery. |
| 2013–2015, 2017 | MCI D4000CT | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel | 6950–6979 (30 buses) | Heritage | Used on routes 755, 850, 851 and 855 as part of "Bus on Shoulder" operations on I-55. |
| 2012–2018 | ENC Axess BRT | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel | 6323–6575 6700–6786 (337 buses) | North, North Shore, Northwest, River, Southwest, West | |
| 2015–2020 | ENC Axess BRT | 40 ft (12 m) | CNG | 15500–15520 17500–17571 18500–18510 20500–20505 (108 buses) | South | First CNG powered buses ordered by Pace |
| 2020 | New Flyer Xcelsior XD40 | 40 ft (12 m) | Diesel | 20400–20485 (85 buses) | West | |
| 2021 | ENC Axess BRT | 30 ft (9.1 m) | Diesel | 20300–20322 (23 buses) | Fox Valley |
| 2023 | Proterra ZX5 MAX | 40ft (12 m) | Electric | N/A (20 buses) | North | Announced on 4/5/2022: Proterra won a $26.5M contract from Pace Suburban Bus to deliver 20 Proterra ZX5 Max electric transit buses (675 kWh battery) and EV fleet charging infrastructure, with the first electric bus delivery in 2023. |
* Individual units in a series may be retired or out of service (also, a few units in a mostly retired series might still be operating).
* No buses with fleet numbers ending in 13 (20400–20485 consists of 85 buses, and there is no 20413).
* Some routes operated with paratransit or community vehicles.