Come on and take a free ride as Pace turns 40
It’s Pace’s 40th birthday but the agency is the one giving out gifts this weekend with free trips.
The milestone special is a chance to experience “the convenience and benefits of public transportation at no cost,” officials said Friday.
The freebie dovetails with a similar offer Saturday and Sunday on Metra, also marking its 40th year.
After passenger numbers tanked during the COVID-19 crisis, Pace has climbed back to 78% of 2019 ridership levels. Travel on paratransit has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, planners reported.
Meanwhile, Pace is also working toward its goal of a zero-emissions fleet by 2040 and received its first electric paratransit bus last week. The electric vehicle seats 15 passengers.
The bus will be deployed in the western suburbs after driver training and testing is complete. It’s one of five battery-electric electric paratransit buses Pace is purchasing with $1 million in federal funding.
“These buses will lower fuel costs, make our environment healthier and cleaner, and work to combat climate change in Illinois,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten said at an event Friday.
Pace Executive Director Melissa Metzger noted the bus “is better for passengers, easier for our bus operators, and cleaner for the environment.”