So ridership was poor on those Pace bus routes, and those bus routes were discontinued after August 22, 1998. The establishment of a new commuter rail line in an existing suburban area is significantly different from how Chicago's older commuter lines evolved. In the past it was the rail lines which came first, and each suburb usually evolved and grew with the train station as the main focus. The station would be at the center of town, and the residential areas would be within walking distance of the station. And when a new commuter service is established over an existing railroad which happens to be in the area, driving usually will be the most practical way to get to a station.
Sufficient parking is now an important requirement for today's new commuter rail stations.
Perhaps the first new commuter rail service to be established in North America during the automobile age was Toronto's Government of Ontario Transit, which started in 1967. Many of that system's stations have large parking lots for commuters. Although the initial schedule does not require opposing Metra trains to meet along the route. An equipment storage yard was also constructed at Antioch, and the highway crossing timing circuits had to be modified to accommodate passenger train speeds. Trains operate somewhat more slowly between Tower B-12 and the Des Plaines area, but not unreasonably slow.