Residents in the northwest side of Chicago are expected to see their commute to downtown Chicago get a little easier and faster. Most notably, renters and homeowners in Niles and Forest Glen will have better access to Pace buses, and Pace is planning to make those routes a quick solution for residents in northwest communities of Chicago.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Pace bus-only lanes are expected to debut on the Edens Expressway by April. The $14 million project will allow the No. 620 and No. 626 buses to get through rush-hour traffic between the northwest side and Northbrook. The plan includes 13 miles of “flex lanes” between Foster Avenue in Forest Glen and Dundee Road.

The plan comes after the success in increased ridership and improved experience for customers after adding similar bus-only lanes in 2011. The lanes were added to the Stevenson Expressway and according to Pace spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken, the route’s on-time rate increased from 68 percent to 92 percent in 2017. The ridership of the route quintupled since its implementation.

Over the next decade, Pace has plans to add eight more bus-only lanes on Chicago expressways. The transit system also recently implemented express routes along the Jane Addams Tollway between O’Hare Airport and Elgin, which helped boost ridership by 40 percent.

Upcoming Transportation improvements in Niles and Jefferson Park

Rendering courtesy of Jefferson Park Transit Center

Residents in nearby Niles are expected to get an easier and faster commute into downtown as well. According to the Times, construction is underway on 10 express bus stations along Milwaukee Avenue between Jefferson Park and Niles. The construction marks the start of a larger rapid-transit line that will connect the two communities between the Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles and the Jefferson Park Transit Center.

According to Pace, the Pulse Milwaukee Line will run every 10 to 15 minutes between the destinations, which are 7.6 miles apart. The trip will be about 25 percent faster than the No. 270 bus currently runs. The line is expected to be running by the end of the year.

The buses are going to be equipped with WiFi and charging outlets in each row, and the stations will have LED displays of bus schedules. During the winter, there will be overhead heat lamps and heated floors to melt snow and ice.

Niles Mayor Andrew Przybylo said that the bus route is going to make it a lot easier for Niles residents who don’t have a car to get into the Loop.

The system will allow easy access to the transit center, which connects to the Chicago Transit Authority’s Blue Line, almost 10 bus routes, and the Metra Union Pacific-Northwest Line. Slated to be completed by 2019, major renovations are planned for the Jefferson Park Blue Line Station. The transit authority reported it will replace the entry canopy, add LED lighting, install public art, and replace the pavement. The bus turnaround, station, and platform will all see improvements.