Pace Releases Proposed 2012 Budget

No fare increases or service cuts included in budget as public hearings begin October 17

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pace Board of Directors officially released the agency's 2012 budget for public review and comment, with the first of 13 public hearings beginning next week. Despite the struggling economy, the agency plans no fare increases or service reductions in its balanced budget for the second straight year.

"We've been aggressively containing our costs and restructuring service to maximize efficiency," said Pace Chairman of the Board Richard Kwasneski. "The actions we've taken in recent years have put us in good position to release a positive budget message- one that not only calls for no negative impacts on riders, but increases service in some areas."

The Suburban Services operating budget, which includes fixed route bus service, vanpool and Dial-a-Ride service, totals $195 million and includes some new service to be implemented in late 2011 and early 2012. These include two new Call-n-Ride routes in the Wheaton/Winfield and St. Charles/Geneva areas, additional trips on I-55 express service, and a federally-funded route connecting the southwest suburbs with employment centers near O'Hare Airport and in the northwest suburbs.

The Regional ADA Paratransit budget is set at $126.6 million to provide complementary transportation to people with disabilities in Chicago and the suburbs. The RTA has set contingencies on funding requiring Pace to implement certain efforts to increase efficiency on the service in Chicago. These include setting trip reservation hours to regular business hours and continuing progress toward implementation of a centralized dispatch system.

Thirteen public hearings have been scheduled regionally throughout the city and suburbs, and take place October 17-27. For the first time, Pace will host an online webinar to provide access to those unable to attend a hearing. Details and registration are available at www.pacebus.com. "Our budget message is very positive this year, but we still encourage people to participate in the public hearing process," said Kwasneski. "We're always interested in hearing ideas on how we can improve." The budget document is available at public hearings and has been distributed to municipalities and libraries to be made available to the public. It can also be downloaded from Pace's website. Those unable to attend the hearings can submit written comments to Pace Government Affairs, 550 West Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 or through the Public Hearings section of www.pacebus.com.

Pace Budget Public Hearings

Monday, October 17
North Cook County
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Pace Headquarters Board Room
550 W. Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights, IL  60005

Lake County
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Waukegan Public Library Bradbury Room (lower level)
128 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL  60085

Tuesday, October 18
Will County
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Joliet Public Library Meeting Rm. B (second level)
150 N. Ottawa St.
Joliet, IL   60432

McHenry County
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Crystal Lake Municipal Complex Council Chambers
100 W. Woodstock St.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014

Wednesday, October 19
Kane County
4:30 p.m. -- 6:30 p.m.
Kane County Government Center Auditorium, Ground Floor
719 S. Batavia Ave
Geneva, IL  60134

Southwest Cook County
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Oak Lawn Village Hall Auditorium
9446 S. Raymond
Oak Lawn, IL  60453

Thursday, October 20
West Cook County
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Howard Mohr Community Center
7640 Jackson Blvd.
Forest Park, IL 60130

Monday, October 24
City of Chicago (North)
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sulzer Regional Library
4455 N. Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60625

Tuesday, October 25
City of Chicago (West)
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Garfield Park Conservatory Community Room
300 North Central Park Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60624

Wednesday, October 26
City of Chicago (Southwest)
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Arturo Valezquez Westside Technical Institute
2800 S. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL  60608

DuPage County
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
DuPage County Government Center Auditorium
421 N. County Farm Rd.
Wheaton, IL  60187

Thursday, October 27
South Cook County
4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Homewood Village Hall Board Room
2020 Chestnut
Homewood, IL 60430

City of Chicago (South)
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Olive Harvey College Cafeteria
10001 S. Woodlawn
Chicago, IL  60628

SOURCE Pace Suburban Bus Service