More Plainfield-Chicago Bus Service Hinges on Shoulder Experiment

Editor's note: We originally published this story in September, but thought it was pertinent to run it again since the shoulder experiment officially started Monday.

If the RTA’s discretionary funding for Pace remains in the 2011-12 budget, there could be an increase in Plainfield-to-Chicago bus service, Pace spokesman Patrick Wilmot said.

But that will be contingent upon people embracing and increasing ridership on the 755 and 855 routes, which on Nov. 14 will begin a five-year experiment in which the buses will be allowed to ride on the shoulder of the Stevenson Expressway/Interstate 55, he said.

Express routes, which have been used successfully in Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Miami and elsewhere, allow buses to maintain a regular schedule because they’re not impeded by traditional rush-hour traffic jams, Wilmot said. The concept is that as the service begins to establish a dependable timetable, more riders who will use it as an alternative to driving or going to another town to catch a Metra train.

“What we think we can do is evolve and show a vast improvement in travel times,” Wilmot said. “That’s one of the advantages for these bus routes.”

If it’s as successful as Pace officials hope it will be, there will be money in the agency’s $3.5 million discretionary funds from the RTA to consider increasing bus service next spring, he said.

Right now, three Route 855/Plainfield-East Loop Express buses originate in Plainfield, typically leaving during in the morning to accommodate downtown employees and returning at night on the same type of schedule. All told, the line had 267 daily riders as of July 30, Wilmot said.

Route 755/Plainfield-Illinois Medical District Express is smaller, with just 34 daily passengers as of July 30, he said.

The village of Plainfield allows commuters to park in and near the village hall parking lot for free; Metra riders typically have to pay for parking.

The buses used are 50-seat road coaches, similar to those used by Greyhound, and come equipped with restrooms and other amenities, Wilmot said.

“One of the greatest advantages of these buses is they offer some of the best services with limited stops,” he said.

As for the potential danger of buses riding on an interstate shoulder, Wilmot said Pace has put a lot of planning into how the system will operate. Buses will travel no faster than a maximum of 35 mph and will be allowed to exceed the speed of regular traffic by no more than 15 mph, he said.

In other words, if rush hour traffic is moving at 5 mph, the buses will not be allowed to travel at more than 20 mph, he said.

The low speed will give bus drivers plenty of time to get off the shoulder and merge into traffic should there be a stalled car or accident using the shoulder, Wilmot said. Posted signs will alert drivers to the buses on the shoulder and will warn that anyone who tries to do the same will be ticketed, he said.

“The Illinois State Police are going to be very vigilant in enforcement if they see other cars following on the shoulder,” he said. “We’ll be watching all of this very closely … especially what happens with ridership.”