The Hoffman Estates Public Works Committee on Monday night directed village staff to arrange a meeting with officials of the Pace suburban bus system to discuss transit services for residents, as the Dial-A-Ride program appears to be nearing the end of the road.
A 120-day extension of a village pact with Schaumburg, which provides a Dial-A-Ride service to both communities, expires at the end of July.
Trustees want to select an option by the board’s next meeting, July 20, but want to meet with Pace officials first.
Village Director of Transportation Michael Hankey presented several options, including a Hoffman Estates-based Dial-A-Ride service, fixed and flexible bus routes, and a subsidized taxi program.
Hankey told the committee that the Schaumburg Dial-A-Ride program currently carries 46 Hoffman Estates riders per day, six days per week. The service cost the village $5,300 in May, providing 15 percent of the Dial-A-Ride operating fund.
Mayor Michael O’Malley, who favors a subsidized taxi program, said village residents pay about $5 million annually in taxes to Pace, but get nothing in return.
