In Lake County, public transportation service is provided by Metra and Pace, operating divisions of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Metra operates commuter rail service throughout the region; three of its lines-the Union Pacific (UP) North Line, the North Central Service, and the Milwaukee District North Line-serve Lake County. Pace, RTA's suburban bus division, operates a family of services including fixed-route bus service, dial-a-ride service, vanpool/rideshare services and paratransit service. These transportation services are part of one of the largest transit systems in the country.
In addition to the public transit services operated under the auspices of Metra and Pace, Lake County residents have access to services provided by private operators, including taxi services and airport limousine services.
In 1990, approximately 3.7% of the total work trips made by Lake County residents were by commuter rail; approximately 0.5% were by bus. Between 1980 and 1990, the proportion of work trips made by public transportation declined by 1.5%. CATS' analysis for the 2020 Regional Transportation Plan indicates that while transit ridership and daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) grew about 20% from 1970 to 1980, transit ridership decreased considerably as daily VMT grew 46% during the period between 1980 and 1995.
In Lake County, the percent of people commuting to work on rail was about 8.5% in 1970. Between 1970 and 1990, the number of workers reporting rail transit as their means of commuting to work decreased by nearly 5%, as a percentage of commute to work trips. As shown in Figure 4-1, the proportion of those Lake County residents commuting to work by bus has been relatively stable for each decade since 1970.
Figure 4-1: Use of Public Transportation to Commute to Work
Source: US Census, 1970-1990 (excluding work at home trips)
Three Metra commuter rail lines operate in Lake County. A fourth Metra line, the Union Pacific (UP) Northwest Line, serves neighboring communities in northwestern Cook County and eastern McHenry County. Figure 4-2 is a map of the system, showing service levels (number of daily trains) on each of the four lines in the study area. Table 4-1 shows the population, employment, and number of households within 0.5, 1, and 5 miles of a Metra station. Correspondingly, the data is graphically depicted in Figure 4-3 (densities within 0.5 mile and 1 mile of rail stations) and Figure 4-4 (densities within 5 miles of rail stations). The data indicates that commuter rail services are accessible to a substantial number of people and jobs in Lake County and the study area as a whole. In 1996, nearly one-third of the residents in the study area were within one mile of a Metra station.
Table 4-1: Distance to Metra Service in Study Area, for Selected Demographic Characteristics
|
Distance from |
Population |
Households |
Jobs |
||||||
|
|
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
|
Within 0.5 Mile of Metra |
71,574 |
82,595 |
84,748 |
25,003 |
26,296 |
30,149 |
49,282 |
52,288 |
66,615 |
|
Within 1 Mile of Metra |
218,459 |
251,777 |
267,120 |
73,727 |
78,447 |
93,749 |
109,466 |
117,627 |
156,143 |
|
Within 5 Miles of Metra |
696,126 |
790,700 |
967,133 |
241,647 |
265,952 |
355,819 |
308,951 |
334,178 |
481,738 |
|
a Existing Airport 2020 No Build development scenario Source: Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) Note: The study area includes all of Lake County and adjacent portions of McHenry and Cook counties, as depicted in Figure 4-2. |
|||||||||
The UP North Line serves communities bordering the Lake Michigan shoreline. Twelve stations are located within Lake County, including one at Ravinia Park, the location of a summer music festival, where trains stop only during the summer concert season. Another four stations on this line are located beyond the county, but are considered in this analysis, including one in Wisconsin and three in northern Cook County. Some important institutions located in the UP North Line corridor include: Barat College and Lake Forest College in Lake Forest; Chicago Medical School in Waukegan; Great Lakes Naval Training Center and the Naval Hospital in North Chicago; Highland Park Hospital; the VA Hospital in North Chicago; and Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan. Table 4-2 provides data about the number of stations, 1997 weekday boardings, and the number of weekday trains on UP North Line considered in this analysis. Weekday boardings, in this context, refer to a one-way trip.
Figure 4-2 Map of the Metra Commuter Rail System (PDF, 1,289kb)
Figure 4-3 Densities within 0.5 and 1 Mile of Rail Stations (PDF, 1,397kb)
Figure 4-4 Densities within 5 Miles of Rail Stations (PDF, 1,286kb)
Table 4-2: UP North Line Stations in the Study Area
|
Area |
Number of Stations |
1997 Weekday Boardings |
Weekday Trains |
|
|
Total |
Express |
|||
|
Wisconsin* |
1 |
306 |
18 |
10 |
|
Lake County |
12 |
4,644 |
56 |
21 |
|
North Cook* |
3 |
1,898 |
59 |
17 |
|
Total, Study Area |
16 |
6,848 |
||
|
*Stations are outside study area boundary, but are included here because transit services connect to Lake County. |
||||
The Milwaukee District North Line travels diagonally from Fox Lake to Rondout, northwest to southeast. At Rondout, it swings south and continues into Cook County. On this line, eight stations are located in Lake County, with additional stations in Cook County at the county line (Lake-Cook Road) and at Northbrook. One new station, north of Libertyville at Prairie Crossing, is scheduled to open in mid-1999. Institutions in this corridor include Trinity College in Bannockburn,; Lake Forest Academy,; and Lambs Farm in the vicinity of Lake Bluff. Table 4-3 provides data about Milwaukee District North Line stations considered in this analysis.
Table 4-3: Milwaukee District North Line Stations in the Study Area
|
Area |
Number of Stations |
1997 Weekday Boardings |
Weekday Trains |
|||
|
Total |
Express |
|||||
|
Lake County |
8 |
5,083 |
58 |
18 |
||
|
North Cook |
2 |
2,199 |
57 |
16 |
||
|
Total, Study Area |
10 |
7,282 |
||||
The North Central Service travels approximately through the center of Lake County, from Antioch (near the Wisconsin border) to Chicago. This single-track line shares right-of-way with freight operations for most of its length, and uses the Milwaukee West Line right-of-way between Franklin Park (well south of the study area) and Chicago. The North Central Service started operating in August 1996. Eight stations are located in Lake County, and a ninth will open in Grayslake in the future. Two stations within the study area are located in northern Cook County. The line provides access to O'Hare International Airport at the O'Hare Transfer station, south of the study area. Metra is planning to upgrade the service to a two-track railroad to increase the service. Since the 1997 passenger counts, reflected in Table 4-4, Metra reports that ridership has continued to increase, with gains approaching 20% for the line as a whole.
Table 4-4: North Central Service Stations in the Study Area
|
Area |
Number of Stations |
1997 Weekday Boardings |
Weekday Trains |
|||
|
Total |
Express |
|||||
|
Lake County |
8 |
1,565 |
10 |
0 |
||
|
North Cook |
1 |
245 |
10 |
0 |
||
|
Total, Study Area |
9 |
1,810 |
||||
The UP Northwest Line travels northwest from downtown Chicago, through Cook and McHenry Counties, to Harvard, close to the Boone County, Illinois/Wisconsin border. While much of McHenry County is beyond the study area, four McHenry communities served by the Northwest Line and its McHenry Branch Line are within the area considered in this analysis. There are no Lake County stations on this line, but two Cook County stations are within the study area, including one at Barrington, just south of the Lake County boundary. Table 4-5 lists UP Northwest Line stations within the study area.
Table 4-5: UP Northwest Line Stations in the Study Area
|
Area |
Number of Stations |
1997 Weekday Boardings |
Weekday Trains |
|||
|
Total |
Express |
|||||
|
McHenry County* |
4 |
2,918 |
53 |
23 |
||
|
North Cook |
2 |
3,850 |
60 |
27 |
||
|
Total, Study Area |
6 |
6,768 |
||||
|
*One station, Crystal Lake, is located outside of study area, but is included in the analysis due to limited service on the McHenry branch. |
||||||
On an average weekday in 1997, 28 commuter rail stations in Lake County served 11,272 boarding passengers, while in the larger set of stations considered in this analysis, including eastern McHenry County, northern Cook County and one station in Wisconsin, 41 stations served 22,708 boarding passengers. Despite figures that show transit is serving a smaller portion of total work trips than 20 years ago, between 1987 and 1997, actual commuter rail ridership has grown approximately 26% in the study area. Lake County's ridership growth over the same period was more than 30%, no doubt reflecting both increased service and population growth. Table 4-6, below, illustrates the change in ridership for the study area, from 1987 to 1997.
Table 4-6: Ridership Change in the Study Area, 1987 to 1997
|
Area |
Number of Stations |
1987 Weekday Boardings |
1997 Weekday Boardings |
Percent Change |
|
Lake County |
1987: 20 1997: 28 |
8,545 |
11,292 |
+32% |
|
Wisconsin |
1 |
208 |
306 |
+47% |
|
McHenry County |
4 |
2,027 |
2,918 |
+44% |
|
North Cook |
1987: 7 1997: 8 |
7,271
|
8,192 |
+13% |
|
Total, Study Area |
1987: 32 1997: 41 |
18,051 |
22,708 |
+26% |
Despite the average system-wide growth in commuter rail ridership through much
of the study area, ridership on UP North Line stations in the southern tier
of the study area declined slightly between 1987 and 1997. All stations on the
UP North Line between Lake Forest and Winnetka experienced weekday decreases
ranging from 0.4% to 29.9%. The decreases in the southern tier were offset by
increases ranging from 7% to 96% between Lake Bluff and Kenosha, resulting in
an overall decrease of only 0.1%. Factors that may have contributed to these
changes include population shifts to the north and west, increased availability
of Metra service in the north and central areas of the county, the closing of
Fort Sheridan, and changes in the demographic characteristics of the older,
more established lakeshore communities.
Most weekday trips are in the peak travel direction, during the morning and evening peak periods. However, on the lines that have services scheduled throughout the day and evening, a fair amount of travel does occur during the midday and evening periods, as well. A relatively small proportion of riders travel between rail stations within the area considered in this analysis. In Metra's 1997 rider counts, this proportion applies to between 4% and 5% of the Milwaukee District North Line riders, 5% of the North Central Service riders, about 2.5% of the UP North Line riders, and 2.5 to 3.5% of the UP Northwest Line riders. The lines that serve the central part of Lake County and its growing employment centers have a slightly higher share, despite the small number of daily trains on the North Central Service. Table 4-7 displays the distribution of passengers by time period for the lines that serve the study area.
Table 4-7: Percent of Ridership by Period of Day (To the Nearest Whole Percent)
|
Line* |
Peak Period/ Peak Direction |
Peak Period/ Reverse Direction |
Midday |
Evening |
|
UP North (UPN) |
73% |
11% |
9% |
7% |
|
UPN-Lake County |
66% |
15% |
12% |
6% |
|
Milwaukee North |
76% |
8% |
9% |
7% |
|
North Central |
97% |
n.a. |
2% |
n.a. |
|
UP Northwest |
81% |
5% |
9% |
5% |
|
*For all lines except the UPN, the percent of peak period/reverse direction ridership is essentially the same for the whole line and for the study area segments. |
||||
In 1996 and 1997, Metra added 9 new stations to its system: 8 of these are on the North Central line, and one is on the Milwaukee District North Line at Lake-Cook Road, thus providing substantial increases in service to Lake County. Despite this increase in number of stations, several stations in the project study area continue to be above average in passenger boardings, as illustrated in Figure 4-5. In 1997, the average number of weekday passengers boarding at Metra stations outside of downtown Chicago was 650.
Figure 4-5: Stations with Boardings Exceeding Metra Average
Reverse commuting is not a large proportion of the total Metra market, varying from 5% to 15% in the study area on the three commuter lines where reverse trips are possible. However, with the growth of employment in the study area, reverse commutes have grown 32% since 1991; it now accounts for approximately 3,517 trips on an average weekday.
The greatest proportion of growth, more than 94%, occurred on the Milwaukee District North Line. Over 70% of these trips are in the vicinity of the Lake Cook corridor-at the Deerfield, Lake Cook Road and Northbrook stations-which has benefited from coordinated planning and operations. Another important factor in making the rail system work for reverse travel is scheduling. Metra rescheduled the Milwaukee District North Line to provide four northbound trains at Lake Cook Road before 8:30 a.m. on weekdays.
Table 4-8 displays the reverse travel data for the Milwaukee District North Line, UP North Line, and UP Northwest Line.
Table 4-8 Peak Period, Reverse Direction Boarding and Alighting
|
Line |
1991 |
1997 |
Change |
|
Milwaukee North |
596 |
1,158 |
94.3% |
|
UP North |
1,658 |
1,852 |
11.7% |
|
UP Northwest |
417 |
507 |
21.6% |
|
TOTAL |
2,671 |
3,517 |
31.7% |
With the exception of the North Central Service, at least one-half of the inbound trains on all of the other lines achieve 85% or higher occupancy during the morning peak period. This level begins to approach the threshold of passenger comfort (e.g., seat accessibility or perceived overcrowding). Table 4-9 shows the number of peak trains with 85% or higher occupancy for lines serving Lake County.
Metra considers a train to be full when 95% of its seats are occupied. At this point, Metra actively begins to consider adding cars to its trains. In the morning peak period, 4 trains on the UP North Line and 1 train on the Milwaukee District North Line exceed the occupancy level. However, the inbound capacity problems do not really affect Lake County riders because there is plenty of available capacity at their boarding stations. Only when the perception of comfort is affected by standees as the trains approach downtown Chicago does crowding become a concern.
However, in the evening peak, the capacity issue affects Lake County riders because the trains have the most passengers when they leave the central area. The maximum load point is generally at Clybourn Station in Chicago. Peaking characteristics differ in the evening. Only the UP North Line has high occupancy on a large percentage of its trains; on that line, 3 trains are at 95% or higher occupancy. The UP Northwest Line has one train that exceeds the 95% occupancy threshold in the evening.
Table 4-9: Number of Peak Trains with 85% or Higher Occupancy (Lines Serving Lake County)
|
Line |
AM Peak Inbound Trains |
Percentage of AM Peak |
PM Peak Outbound Trains |
Percentage of PM Peak |
|
UP North |
9 of 13 |
69% |
7 of 10 |
70% |
|
Milwaukee North |
7 of 12 |
58% |
1 of 10 |
10% |
|
North Central |
0 of 5* |
0% |
0 of 5 |
0% |
|
UP Northwest |
9 of 17 |
53% |
4 of 14 |
29% |
|
*On one inbound train, 81% of seats are occupied |
||||
Capacity constraints near downtown Chicago represent another issue pertinent to Lake County residents-train storage. Coach yards are located at the outlying terminals, and as additional trains or coaches are warranted, it may become necessary to increase storage capacity at these locations. Several factors including finding space; allowing the land use; and controlling the noise associated with coach yards, including that of idling trains, often contribute to neighborhood concerns.
On all of the lines in the study area, the first daily train to downtown Chicago leaves its northern terminal at about 5:00 a.m., and except for the North Central Service, the last trains leave downtown Chicago at about 12:30 a.m. The last North Central Service train leaves downtown Chicago at 6:17 p.m. Metra's recent customer satisfaction surveys indicate that lack of later trains on this line is a source of consumer concern, and one which Metra would rectify by double tracking the line to increase capacity.
As a matter of policy, Metra strives to achieve a minimum of one-hour headway throughout the weekday off-peak service periods, with the exception of the North Central Service, which is limited to five trains per weekday in each direction. Other than one afternoon round-trip train, the North Central Service provides service in the peak period only. On the other lines, although there are a few two-hour gaps in schedule, the one-hour frequencies generally prevail. During the rush periods, of course, service is much more intensive, with scheduled departures varying from 4 to 35 minutes, depending on station location. Figure 4-2, presented earlier in this section, depicts train service levels (number of daily trains) at the stations in the study area.
There is no weekend service on the North Central Line. On the UP Northwest line, Saturday trains arrive at the Chicago terminal every 20 or 25 minutes until 9:20 a.m., then hourly until 1:20 p.m. After that, service is every one to two hours. Otherwise, Metra generally offers scheduled weekend service every two hours throughout the study area.
Parking for autos is available at all Metra stations in the study area, and bicycle storage is also available at many stations. In most instances, there is a charge for parking; it varies because pricing is determined by the localities that are charged with maintaining and administering parking in their communities. Metra considers parking capacity to be exhausted when utilization exceeds 85%. Figures 4-6a through 4-6d illustrate parking utilization in the study area.
Metra, in conjunction with the North Central Corridor Major Investment Study, prepared forecasts for commuter rail ridership for all communities in the study area, except for the communities along the UP North Line (see Table 4-10). The forecasts show substantial growth on the North Central Service line depending on the level of upgrade (partial to full), resulting in an overall increase in rail use. Upgrades on the North Central Service would cause some commuters from other lines to divert to the North Central Service. The diversion to the North Central Service reflects improved service, convenience and comfort.
Table 4-10: 2020 Commuter Rail Ridership Projections*
|
Line |
NCS Full Up-Grade (52 Daily Trains) |
NCS Partial Upgrade (22 Daily Trains) |
No Improvements to NCS; MDN and UP/NWa Upgrade |
|
NCS |
+13,400 |
+8,400 |
0 |
|
Other Lines |
-1,600 |
-400 |
+3,400 |
|
Total |
+11,800 |
+8,000 |
+3,400 |
|
* Improve Existing Airport |
|||
|
Table 4-11: projected future Parking Space needs on Metra Rail Line |
|||
|
Rail Line |
1991 Station Parking |
Future Parking Needs |
Percent Increase |
|
UP North |
5,125 |
+605 |
12% |
|
Milwaukee North |
4,622 |
+2,860 |
62% |
|
North Central* |
NA |
+4,500 |
NA |
|
UP Northwest |
10,052 |
+4,400 |
44% |
|
* No data available, rail line began operation in August 1996 Sources: Metra Extended Transportation Agenda (EXTRA), 1992, and North Corridor Major Investment Study, 1998 |
|||
In 1992, Metra identified the need for new parking spaces at commuter rail stations as part of its comprehensive planning efforts. The figures identified in Table 4-11 were developed based on forecasted growth in households, and were derived assuming current patterns of station access along the line. Parking forecasts can provide a good indication of future station demand due to the strong relationship between station parking and rail use, because over 90% of rail users accessing rail stations by automobile. The forecast provides a reasonable picture of future activity in the study area, even though the estimates are for rail stations along the entire line.
Communities along the UP North Line are mature, and will experience modest growth during the planning period. The Milwaukee District North Line, North Central Service (see Table 4-10) and Union Pacific Northwest Line are expected to experience moderate to considerable growth in use.
Taking a broader look at all transit trips, including rail and bus, CATS estimates that there will be a 29% increase in transit person trips made by Lake County residents each weekday between 1996 and 2020 under the No-Build scenario . Under the 2020 Build scenario , which includes the double tracking of the North Central Service, this value is expected to be about 39%. CATS data indicates that the demand for transit services by Lake County residents will continue to increase.
Pace, the RTA's suburban bus division, carried over 3.3 million passengers during April 1998, a 2.2% increase over April 1997. Its nine operating divisions in the six county area carried more than 83% of the total suburban bus ridership; three of these-North, North Shore and Northwest, provide service to the study area. It provides commuter and local services within Lake County and the entire study area. These include fixed-route and dial-a-ride as well as paratransit service. Table 4-12 shows the population, employment, and number of households within 0.5 mile of Pace bus routes. Correspondingly, the data is graphically depicted in Figure 4-7. The data presented in Table 4-12 indicates that bus services are accessible to a substantial number of people and jobs in Lake County and the study area as a whole. In 1996, more than half of the residents in the study area lived within 0.5 miles of a Pace route.
Table 4-12: Distance to Pace Bus Service in Project Study Area, for Selected Demographic Characteristics
|
Distance from Transit |
Population |
Households |
Jobs |
||||||
|
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
1990 |
1996 |
2020a |
|
|
Within 0.5 Mile of Pace |
415,233 58% |
468,631 57% |
499,489 50% |
144,250 58% |
154,325 56% |
183,377 49% |
195,223 62% |
216,160 62% |
295,022 58% |
|
a Existing Airport 2020 No-Build development scenario Source: Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission (NIPC) Note: The study area includes all of Lake County and adjacent portions of McHenry and Cook counties. |
|||||||||
While the average weekday ridership for the Pace system is 135,700, it is about 13,036 in the study area. Thirty-six Pace routes operate in the study area. Connecting bus services are provided at 29 of the 41 Metra rail stations considered as a part of this analysis. Thirteen stations have only one route providing service, and sixteen stations have two or more routes.
Pace contracts directly with three municipalities for additional fixed route services. One of these, Highland Park, is within the study area. In 1996, Pace provided service to more than 80 communities by directly contracting with 12 private transit companies. Two of those companies have contracts in the study area. Pace is also subsidizing 53 dial-a-ride services covering 210 communities throughout the six county area. Generally, these services are operated by townships or local municipalities under contract with Pace. Only partial funding is provided for these services; local governments are required to support a portion of the net service costs. Fourteen such services operate in the study area. To comply with Pace's ADA plan to serve persons with disabilities, an alternate paratransit service has also been implemented. In addition to these services, Pace also operates smaller buses to serve the large employment area that has developed along the Lake-Cook corridor, called the "Shuttle Bugs." It provides support for a vanpool service called the Vanpool Incentive Program (VIP).
Fixed route service in Lake County is primarily provided by 10 county, 9 Waukegan and 3 Highland Park routes. Eight additional, peripheral routes bring service into the study area and the county. Finally, between October 1997 and March 1998, Pace began to operate bus service from the new Lake Cook Road station on the Milwaukee District North line. The "Shuttle Bugs," as the six routes are called, use smaller buses and provide service with an innovative approach. They directly serve the large employment area that has developed along this corridor. In total, 35 routes are in the study area. A summary of fixed route service in the study area is shown in Table 4-13. Pace fixed routes in the study area are displayed in Figure 4-8.
Table 4-13: Fixed Route Service
|
Area |
No. of Routes |
Average Weekday Riders 4/ 98 |
Notes |
|
Lake County |
10 |
2,864 |
Includes two NCS alternative routes, discontinued 8/22/98 |
|
City of Waukegan |
9 |
5,022 |
|
|
City of Highland Park |
3 |
1,138 |
|
|
Peripheral Routes |
7 |
3,380 |
|
|
Shuttle Bugs |
6 |
632 |
Includes one vanpool |
|
Total |
35 |
13,036 |
The North Division garage and maintenance facility in Waukegan operates 13
routes, including all Waukegan routes. Additional routes in the study area
are operated by the North Shore Division garage and maintenance facility in
Evanston and the Northwest Division facility. McHenry Paratransit, DAR Systems
Inc., a private carrier in Crystal Lake, provides service for two routes.
Four other routes in the study area are operated by a private carrier.
Pace contracts with Highland Park for 3 fixed routes that use regular Pace vehicles and receive the same level of operating assistance as other Pace routes.
Dial-a-Ride
Generally, these services are operated by townships or local municipalities under contract with Pace. Only partial funding is provided for these services; local governments are required to support a portion of the net service costs. Fourteen such services operate in the study area. Dial-a-Ride services use vans and small buses to provide prearranged trips to and from specific locations within the Dial-a-Ride service area. Service is provided to individuals who are determined eligible based on local requirements; local sponsors set the fares. Since the service was originally established to extend public transportation to areas without traditional service, it is not necessarily exclusive to disabled persons. Pace contracts directly with private providers for the operation of 18 dial-a-ride projects and has grant agreements with villages and townships for the operation of 33 other dial-a-ride projects. The local sponsors share funding of the operating deficits. Fourteen of these projects are located in the study area. It is interesting to note that in 1997, more riders used dial-a-ride services in eastern McHenry County than in Lake County. Dial-A-Ride service in the study area is shown in Table 4-14.
Table 4-14: Dial-A-Ride in the Study Area
|
Service Area |
No. of Sponsors |
Yearly Ridership 1997 |
Number of Communities Served |
|
Northern Cook |
1 |
n.a. |
3 (Crosses to Lake Co) |
|
Lake County |
10 |
109,533 |
21 |
|
Eastern McHenry |
3 |
130,810 |
14 |
ADA paratransit service is a prearranged curb-to-curb operation for persons with disabilities whose eligibility has been determined by a regional certification process. Pace's ADA Paratransit Service operates in all suburban areas that are within 0.75 mile of Pace's regular fixed routes, during the same days and hours as the regular fixed route service. Pace contracts with 6 operators strategically located throughout the service area. Fares are one-half of the regular, basic fare. Pace funds 100% of the operating deficit. Table 4-15 shows ADA service in the study area.
Table 4-15: ADA Service in the Study Area
|
Service Area |
Number of Areas Served |
Operator |
1997 Riders with Disabilities |
|
Northern Cook |
1 |
Laidlaw |
n.a. |
|
Lake County |
22 |
Laidlaw |
38,146 |
|
Eastern McHenry |
3 |
DAR/Laidlaw |
800 (all of County) |
Pace also provides support for a vanpool service, called the Vanpool Incentive Program (VIP). As of July 1998, Pace had over 296 vanpools in operation. Total monthly ridership in April 1998 was 96,922 for all vanpools, up 2.3% over the April 1997 ridership. The average weekday ridership is 4,406. Eleven percent, or 33 of the vanpools operate in Lake County. Assuming proportional ridership, average weekday vanpool ridership in Lake County is 485 persons.
This service accommodates those who cannot use traditional public transportation yet want to rideshare through its VIP Vanpool Service. It also increases reverse commute opportunities. The services help Pace to improve ridership and fare recovery rates, and to minimize market share loss. They also help the Chicago region by reducing traffic congestion and auto emissions. VIP fares cover over 90% of program operating costs. VIP users are frequently long-term transit riders who have moved out of the city or whose jobs have relocated. They may no longer have access to regular route service but wish to continue transit usage..
The VIP service area is the 6-county Pace service area, as well as non-attainment areas outside the service area, as well as southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Indiana. The service area encompasses 6,000 square miles. While its primary market is suburb-to-suburb, VIP also serves the Chicago-to-suburbs and suburbs-to-Chicago markets.
Three types of service are provided:
The vanpool fleet is a mix of mini- and maxi-vans; it also includes 21 accessible vans. Fifty-three vanpools operate at Sears' Prairie Stone corporate center in Hoffman Estates. Another 27 operate as subscription shuttle/feeder services.
In Lake County, the VIP service breaks down as follows:
As an additional alternative to traditional public transit, taxicabs and limousine services provide accessibility for Lake County residents. The county is well served by taxi and limousine operators, with taxi service available in most major communities. All interviewed taxi and limousine companies operate 24 hours per day; some are quite large and serve several communities. Taxi fleets vary in size from 55 to 600 cabs. The airport market appears to be more important to the limousine services than to the taxi services. Of airport trips, the largest proportion is destined to O'Hare, followed by Midway. Trips to Mitchell Field, the Milwaukee area airport, are also made.
The following is a summary of the findings and conclusions related to existing rail and bus transit in the study area. The summary is grouped into topical areas that best characterize the transit findings.
Auto is the preferred mode of accessing the rail system. Currently, 19 of the 41 stations considered as a part of this analysis have parking usage that is in the range of 80 to 100% of capacity. Metra uses 85% occupancy of parking spaces as a threshold for needing additional parking capacity. Because parking is reaching capacity at nearly 50% of the stations considered in this analysis, the need for additional parking is evident. Demand for parking will continue to grow, and for the most part, it is possible to add capacity at most stations to accommodate this growth. Land for additional parking is available near stations along most lines, with the exception of the UP North Line, where there are land constraints in the fully developed and mature communities along the line. Experience has shown that parking supply is utilized almost as quickly as it is provided. Presently, parking limitations at rail stations represent one of largest constraints affecting rail usage in the study area.
Mode of access surveys are conducted from time to time by Metra. Since 1989,
four mode of access surveys have been conducted on the commuter rail system.
The surveys reveal that the preferred mode of access was automobile, while other
modes are little used. Bus access to rail stations in the study area ranges
from 2.5% to approximately 5.8%. Only two stations in the study area achieved
the 5.8% level: Deerfield, on the Milwaukee North Line, served by two bus routes,
and Buffalo Grove, on the North Central Service Line, served by three bus routes.
These stations were followed by Highland Park (UPN), with four routes providing
a bus access rate of 3.5%; Zion, with one route providing a bus access rate
of 3.4% in 1995; and Kenosha, Wisconsin, served by the Kenosha Transit System,
providing a bus access rate of 3.4% in 1996. All other stations in the study
area have a bus access rate of 2.7% or less. Walking and bicycling to the rail
stations are occurring at a modest rate. Generally, low land use densities and
the absence of pedestrian and bicycle paths in the area are not conducive for
rail access by these means.
At least half of the inbound trains in the study area during the morning peak are 85% occupied or greater. This level begins to approach the threshold of passenger comfort, e.g., availability of seats or perceived crowding. Metra considers a train full when 95% of the seats are occupied. At this threshold, Metra takes action to add cars to its trains. During the morning peak, four trains on the UP North Line and one train on the Milwaukee North Line exceed the 95% occupancy level. For rail commuters in the study area, however, these occupancy levels are not reached until trains approach downtown Chicago. During the evening peak, however, the capacity issue does affect commuters in the study area. The UP North Line has high occupancy on a large percentage of its trains, and three trains are at 95% or higher occupancy. The UP Northwest Line has one train that exceeds the 95% occupancy threshold in the evening. Overall, the evening peak is longer than the morning peak, which helps to spread rail ridership over a longer period. Therefore, the UP North Line is generally the only rail line with high occupancy rates during the evening peak. As population increases in the study area and as rail stations and parking are added to the system, additional capacity on various train lines will be necessary during the next 20 years.
Bus service supports about 0.5% of the work trips in the study area. Bus service in the study area offers a variety of fixed-route, as well as other transit options including Dial-A-Ride, ADA paratransit, and vanpool service. Fixed route bus service is proximate to a large percentage of the study area's population and currently has an average weekday ridership of 13,036 persons. The other transit options (e.g., Dial-A-Ride and vanpools) have a much smaller patronage. For example, 33 vanpools operate in Lake County with an average weekday ridership of 485 persons. Typically, suburban settlement patterns tend to adversely effect the use of bus service. Scattered origins and destinations make it difficult to effectively structure bus service to meet the variety of needs. Characteristically, many suburban trips (excluding work trips) are chained, combining a number of trip purposes and errands together. This trip characteristic tends to favor the automobile. However, specialty bus service is finding a niche in the study area market. A model bus service has been established in the Lake-Cook corridor providing service from rail stations to employment centers. Installing services that link bus and rail service, park-n-ride and bus, and link residential areas and job centers, as well as enhance the reverse commute from Cook County to the study area, will foster increases in bus ridership.