Pace I-88/I-290 Express Service Study

[NewFlyerMCI]

More info here: https://www.pacebus.com/news/express-service-study-launch

My speculation is that this will result in a Yorktown/Oakbrook to Forest Park/Harlem & Lake CTA highway express with maybe some bus-on-shoulder as well

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

More info here: https://www.pacebus.com/news/express-service-study-launch

My speculation is that this will result in a Yorktown/Oakbrook to Forest Park/Harlem & Lake CTA highway express with maybe some bus-on-shoulder as well

So I guess the 757 and the 747 weren't good enough  before?  

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

So I guess the 757 and the 747 weren't good enough  before?  

757 was killed by COVID; might come back.

747 was linked to 301 because the Hillside Strangler made it no faster. With that unclogged (at least west of 25th Ave.) and other work (290/294 interchange improvements) and flex lanes, 747 might work better.

[artthouwill]

5 minutes ago, Busjack said:

757 was killed by COVID; might come back.

747 was linked to 301 because the Hillside Strangler made it no faster. With that unclogged (at least west of 25th Ave.) and other work (290/294 interchange improvements) and flex lanes, 747 might work better.

Actually the Hillside Stranger still strangles.  One can shave off a scant few minutes by using the Manheim exit lanes but nit exit at Manheim.  Its still merging 5 lanes ( 2 I 290 lanes, 1 I 88 lane, abd 2 Manheim exit/ Truck lanes) into 3 lanes..  While the 747 and 757 primary dealt with reverse peak direction travel, the study may look at peak direction travel.  The question is whether Pace would be looking at a Bus on Shoulder solution to the I-290 traffic problem.   Also how much of a factor will IDOT reconstruction if the expressway,  if ever, will affect Pace's planning?

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

 Also how much of a factor will IDOT reconstruction if the expressway,  if ever, will affect Pace's planning?

That's the whole point of the study.

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

Actually the Hillside Stranger still strangles. 

That's why I said the congestion moved to 25th Ave.

[Busjack]

On 3/11/2025 at 5:37 PM, artthouwill said:

... The question is whether Pace would be looking at a Bus on Shoulder solution to the I-290 traffic problem.   Also how much of a factor will IDOT reconstruction if the expressway,  if ever, will affect Pace's planning?

 

On 3/11/2025 at 7:11 PM, Busjack said:

That's the whole point of the study.

Which is exactly what Metzger said at the March meeting. Pace is trying to be prepared to tell IDOT that when it plans the next project in that area, Pace wants BOS and has successfully run that service.

[Tcmetro]

Public Meeting #1 

June 5, 2025

6:00 PM-8:00 PM

Forest Park Public Library 

Austin Room 

7555 Jackson Blvd.

Forest Park, IL 60130

Learn more about the I-290 / I-88 Express Bus Study and provide your input into its implementation. 

https://www.pacebus.com/I-290-study

 

[Tcmetro]

Some new documents posted to the project webpage. 

 

Public Meeting Recording (6/5/2025) https://www.pacebus.com/sites/default/files/2025-06/I-290 Public Meeting Recording (1920x1080).mp4

Travel Market Analysis Report (7/11/2025) https://www.pacebus.com/sites/default/files/2025-07/I-290 I-88 Travel Market Analysis_update 07.11.25.pdf

[Tcmetro]

Pace has published the service design plan. Available here: https://www.pacebus.com/sites/default/files/2025-09/Service Design Plan_Final.pdf

The study recommends Alignment 1 (Forest Park to Yorktown) for short-term implementation. Forest Park, Oakbrook, and Yorktown already have stops and the Loyola University Medical Center and Mannheim Rd stops could be constructed fairly easily. The I-290 modernization/HOV project could upgrade both stops in the long-term. 

Alignment 4 (Forest Park to NWTC) is listed under long-term implementation. It would also stop at LUMC and Mannheim Rd, with new stops added at Elmhurst/Berkeley, York St, Addison, Irving Park Rd, and Biesterfield Rd. 

Service levels would be every 15 mins peak, every 30 mins midday/evening, and every 60 mins weekends.

[Busjack]

From a brief glance, it isn't obvious how these alignments are much different than the former 747 (Forest Park-Yorktown [Wheaton], later merged into 301) and 757 ([Harlem]-Forest Park-[Elk Grove]-Schaunburg). Those raise the following concerns:

• There would have to be extensive highway improvements to overcome massive congestion, something along the lines of I-90, with flex lanes and in-line stations. 747 was merged into 301 for this reason, and while the Hillside Strangler was fixed, that just moved the congestion to 25th Ave. and east. IDOT has some proposals to add a toll express lane to I-290, but that doesn't seem to be progressing. The Central Tri-State project is doing something for the 294-290-88 interchange, but while that may help reinstating 895, it doesn't seem to do much for this, except for possible improvements to 290 in the Elmhurst area.
• Ridership would have to be rebuilt after 757 was cut during Covid.
• The station placement is relevant for something like Loyola Medicine. If at the hospital, there's a deviation, while if in-line or on the congested frontage roads, there would have to be a transfer to something like 331.

If you asked me (and they didn't) I would extend the Blue Line to Mannheim, but IDOT has been screwing around too long studying that.