RTA/Pace I-294 Tri-State Market & Facilities Feasibility Study

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) / Pace Bus I-294 Tri-State Market & Facilities Feasibility Study (Study) identified and evaluated ways that Pace buses can capitalize on roadway improvements being constructed by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (Illinois Tollway) on portions of the I-294 Tri-State Tollway. The Tri-State Tollway is a north-south roadway in the Chicago region, providing access to major employment centers and O’Hare International Airport. In 2016, Illinois Tollway initiated its Central Tri-State (I-294) Project, which includes the 22-mile segment between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street (Central Tri-State Project). This segment carries the heaviest volume of passenger and freight traffic and has twice the amount of congestion delays compared to the entire Tollway system. The Central Tri-State Project will incorporate a number of innovations, including Flex Lanes, which will be available to Pace buses to avoid congestion. Flex Lanes are the left inside shoulder of the roadway; Pace buses are directed to the Lane by the Illinois Tollway’s traffic operations center. Pace has identified I-294 as a critical corridor because of its place as a primary travel corridor and the opportunity that Flex Lanes present. From this Study, the agencies identified and evaluated several options that will allow Pace buses to benefit from the Central Tri-State improvements. Pace bus use of the Flex Lanes when
traffic is congested will help make service in this corridor a competitive and affordable alternative to driving.

Recommendations from this Study include:
• Pace Express bus service concepts that primarily operate along the I-294 Tri-State Tollway.
• Stations, roadway modifications, and other infrastructure needed to support proposed bus service and provide improvements in passenger comfort, bus speeds, travel times, and access to jobs and other transit connections.
• A plan for implementing proposed bus services and associated support infrastructure.

These recommendations were derived from a robust market analysis of existing and predicted travel patterns in the Study area, computer modeling of service concepts, and engineering assessments of potential site locations. Pace and RTA also coordinated with the Illinois Tollway throughout the Study’s development.