An ambitious plan to get DuPage County drivers out of their cars and into regional buses, mini-vans and trolleys was announced Thursday, the culmination of nearly a year of study led by the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference.
The proposal, which could cost $98 million over two decades to implement, seeks to move buses and people faster by using such methods as dedicated highway lanes for commuter buses and sensors that keep traffic lights green for specially equipped mini-vans.
Wood Dale City Manager Bradford Townsend said the cost of buying new vehicles and upgrading the system is less than repairing roads because of the wear and tear from so many cars.
“It’s worth trying and worth considering,” Townsend said of the proposal.
The layered system seeks to improve service for riders at all levels, and officials hope that will lead to fewer cars on the road and less traffic congestion.
The goals include moving large numbers of people to major destinations, such as O’Hare International Airport or Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg; allowing for suburb-to-suburb travel; and getting people from their front door to local destinations, such as shopping centers or entertainment spots.
“This has to be competitive with the car,” said Michelle Ryan, transportation program director of the mayors group.
“The big challenge is developing the program to bring awareness to people. Even people who want to take [public] transit, they don’t know where the bus stop is and where it’s going to take them and when it’s going to come,” she said.
County officials say spotty service is a major reason why Pace, the suburban bus system, has only 2.6 million trips annually in a county of more than 900,000 residents.
They say a regional approach to public transportation, instead of relying on the current system where townships or municipalities contract with Pace to provide service, will increase ridership dramatically.
According to the proposal, ridership could go up to 7.8 million a year by 2020 if all components of the proposal are implemented.
Officials hope the Regional Transit Authority, which oversees Pace’s budget, and municipal leaders will buy into the proposal and start some service as early as 2005, Ryan said.
David Tomzik, Pace’s supervisor of scheduling and long-range planning, said the agency’s regional plan contains many similar ideas and he would like Pace to work with the conference toward implementation.
So far, no funding has been identified. But John Noel, chairman of the DuPage County Board’s Public Transit Committee, said officials hope to tap into state and federal grants for public transportation.
Two public hearings on the proposal are planned for July 24, at 2 p.m. at Wood Dale City Hall and at 7 p.m. at Wheaton City Hall.
