Pace Bus Routes Get OK to Use I-55 Shoulders

Did you ever wish you could bypass all that rush-hour traffic?

Starting in November, workers who commute by bus will be able to do just that, thanks to legislation signed last week by Gov. Pat Quinn.

Under a federally funded program, buses on two Pace routes, including route 855, which makes stops in Romeoville, will be allowed to use the shoulders of Interstate 55 between I-355 and Kedzie during the inbound morning and afternoon outbound commuting times.

On Thursday, Quinn signed House Bill 1884, aimed at reducing travel times from the southwest suburbs and downtown Chicago and encouraging more commuters to use mass transit.

“This innovative transportation pilot program will use existing resources to benefit both drivers and transit riders,” Quinn said in a press release. “By easing congesting and improving public transportation we can increase the quality of life for people throughout the region.”

The two-year pilot program will allow routes 755 and 855, which have stops including Plainfield, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge, the Illinois Medical District and downtown Chicago, to use the I-55 shoulder when traffic is slower than 35 mph. In Romeoville, Route 855 stops at the Spartans’ Square development.

The new rules don’t mean buses will be able to zip along at top speed. Buses will be restricted to traveling no more than 15 mp over the top traffic speed in the mainline lines and never greater than 35 mph, according to a press release issued Thursday by Quinn’s office.

The shoulder will be off limits to buses anytime it’s being used for snow removal, vehicle breakdowns, traffic stops or maintenance.

The project is funded through Quinn’s "Illinois Jobs Now!" capital program. New signage and lane markings will be installed along the shoulder to make drivers aware of the new bus program. The $1.5 million in funding comes from a federal grant for projects that improve air quality.

“We look forward to working with our partners at the [Regional Transportation Authority] and Pace to make this vision a reality,” Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider said in a release. “Allowing buses on shoulders is a green solution to maximizing the capacity of our highways.”

A spokesman for Pace did not immediately return a call from Patch seeking additional information.