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Review Pace Suburban Bus
This business has 107 positives and 24 negatives.
Pace Suburban Bus Image

Pace Suburban Bus

Category: Employer, Transport/Car Care, Disability-Aware Business
Phone number: (847) 364-7223
Location: 550 W. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005
* this business has multiple locations
Website: http://www.pacebus.com
Hours:
Telephone: 8am-5pm
Bus Service: varies

Nearest Transportation Stop: Pace Route 606 stops at Pace headquarters
Pace is a public transit agency, providing service throughout Chicago’s six-county region. Pace’s family of services includes fixed bus routes, vanpools and paratransit. All of Pace's 700 fixed-route buses are accessible. Pace provides about 60 local Dial-a-Rides in the suburbs, as well as ADA paratransit service in Chicago and the suburbs.

Disability Aware Features:
  • Adaptive technology
  • Braille
  • Hires or would like to hire qualified individuals with disabilities
  • Large-print menus
  • Offer products or services for people with disabilities
  • Physically accessible
  • Sign language
  • Trained staff
 
Review Pace Suburban Bus
This business has 107 positives and 24 negatives.
Velma
Velma
1:29pm 09/29/22
Great!
Great!

The presenters did an awesome job of presenting the information on how to use public transportation safely and economically. Their use of technology in an interactive presentation aided the ability for our students to understand the information. They explained the useful features that are advantages for people with disabilities. Examples were given and humor was used to keep the presentation light.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Respectful, Has employees with disabilities
redfox of the forest
redfox of the forest
10:17am 09/07/22
Bad
Bad

dint like riding on pace i was once on pace for 3 hours before i was dropped off.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Avoided me, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Impatient with me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
jg
jg
2:49pm 12/06/21
Good
Good

Spoke to Briiany about getting a Venture card very helpful

thanks

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Physically accessible, Other
redfox of the forest
redfox of the forest
10:29am 08/18/21
Terrible!
Terrible!

was waing along time to get picked up and a long time to drop off and to make matters wose threre was lots of trafic.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Avoided me, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful
redfox of the forest
redfox of the forest
10:11am 07/28/21
Terrible!
Terrible!

table sone got on the wrone bus and i was waiting at the house for a long time and i was supper late to my progrm i would recomend if you want a ride from pace and are in a hurry take tanpetain on bus not pace,


Disability Awareness:   Avoided me, Ignored me, Inflexible service, Disrespectful
Alexd
Alexd
10:31am 06/09/21
Okay
Okay

It was good.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Jimmy
Jimmy
10:28am 06/09/21
Good
Good

The driver was nice when i got on. Very helpful.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Byran
Byran
10:21am 06/09/21
Good
Good

It was great.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
redfox of the forest
redfox of the forest
10:06am 06/09/21
Great!
Great!

it wawas fun seing all the diffent people.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Gave me choices, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
henrybaby
henrybaby
10:25am 06/08/21
Great!
Great!

Good happy

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful, Happy
Becky
Becky
10:15am 06/08/21
Terrible!
Terrible!

They are very slow and they drop me off late and pick me up late. It's unnecessary for them to have bad service for me. I got home late multiple times and got to places late at times.

Disability Awareness:   Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Rushed me
Erich
Erich
10:14am 06/08/21
Great!
Great!

welcoming friendly gave me time gave me choices

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time
Lynda
Lynda
9:42am 11/06/19
Great!
Great!

It was by far an awesome experience. Not only did the students learn and gain valuable information, but the staff learned as well. We will definitely do this again.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave extra time, Respectful, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Epilepsy
Epilepsy
11:25pm 07/14/19
Bad
Bad

Hi I scheduled a Paratransit bus last Tuesday for a 1:00 pick up for Wednesday. When I checked on my ride for Wednesday they said I had nothing booked. I’ve been taking pace for a few years nothing like this normally happens. I don’t understand what happened cause I had to get to work that day. I called again Thursday for Friday and I actually did have a ride that day I just don’t know what happened last Wednesday I hope this doesn’t happen again to me Cause this is my main mobility for me to get to work. Since I had a ride Friday hopefully everything will be better this week and so on.

Disability Awareness:   Respectful
Beth R.
Beth R.
5:00pm 05/12/19
Great!
Great!

Recently 30 plus students participated in the Hop on the Bus presentation. It was excellent! The students learned so much, and I always learn new information when the professionals from JJ's List give presentations. I wish every student I work with had an opportunity to attend this presentation! Thank you all for what you do!

Disability Awareness:   Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other or suggestions, Accessible Parking
John Maxson
John Maxson
9:08pm 05/04/19
Great!
Great!

Like that I get to use my ventra card on the buses. Great service.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
VAUGHN SPRING NB
VAUGHN SPRING NB
11:18am 05/01/19
Great!
Great!

We liked getting on the bus. It was cool. We learned about safety. We learned how to map a trip and took home a lot of resources. It taught us how to be smart about riding public transportation. It would be good for other students to have a Hop Workshop.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Physically accessible
Transition Director
Transition Director
3:23pm 04/29/19
Great!
Great!

This was a phenomenal workshop! The opportunity for students to both receive an informative lecture on travel resources as well as a bus demonstration on an actual CTA bus was fantastic! I was impressed with the professionalism and friendly demeanor of the trainers; along with the number of trainers that made themselves available to educate my students on how to safely use public transportation. I expected 2-3 trainers, and instead had about 5-6! Not to mention they represented CTA, RTA as well as PACE. I would recommend this workshop to any school looking to increase their students' capacities to travel independently around Chicago or the surrounding suburbs! The team from JJs List is very accommodating and will work with you to plan the event.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
jg
jg
11:42am 03/06/19
Great!
Great!

Came here to present. Staff was very welcoming. Place was very accessible.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
kewing
kewing
3:31pm 08/08/18
Great!
Great!

What a wonderful inclusive training for our folks. Very inspiring with Bridgette as the trainer, she helps provide a peer to peer experience for everyone to relate to. I highly recommend this training for anyone interested in becoming more familiar with public transportation.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Physically accessible
spurdy
spurdy
3:38pm 07/20/18
Great!
Great!

The Hop on the Bus workshop provided an excellent Pace Bus overview to our young adult students. The presenters, the bus driver, the JJ's List instructors were welcoming to our students. Joseph, Ed, and Jillian from Pace and Sarah and Tricia from JJ's List and Search answered all of our questions. Their sense of humor and relaxed manner made learning fun and relevant.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking, It was great! Thank you.
sportsfan
sportsfan
2:20pm 07/18/18
Okay
Okay

short of drivers long ride home

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible
tweetybird
tweetybird
2:17pm 07/18/18
Okay
Okay

they welcome me on the bus

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, Accessible Parking
Sarah
Sarah
2:15pm 07/18/18
Great!
Great!

welcoming friendly gave me time gave me choices

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time
Becky
Becky
2:09pm 07/18/18
Bad
Bad

The bad parts were waking up way too early and having to rush for the pace bus and going to keshet, my day program. There was too much traffic on the highway, I was always late to keshet. They also pick up more and more people which is annoying, but I think that the bus drivers were sometimes mean. Sometimes, I would get home late and wake up early which was stressful. They have unreliable services. So bad. Sometimes I do not get home until 9pm. SUPER LATE!!!!!

Disability Awareness:   Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Impatient with me
redfox of the forest
redfox of the forest
2:05pm 07/18/18
Terrible!
Terrible!

the bus stinks widows are drity.. um seats are dirty bus drivers are some times late supper late. and they are mean and eat on the bus.


Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Avoided me, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Impatient with me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
lora.k8
lora.k8
2:43pm 05/11/18
Great!
Great!

Great visuals, detailed explanation of safety procedures, and awesome interactive experience for accessing PACE

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Natalie
Natalie
8:33am 04/12/18
Great!
Great!

Thank you so much for providing such a valuable presentation to my students. They were very excited before, during and after the presentation! It was engaging and informative. I can not wait for another presentation next year!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Center on Deafness
Center on Deafness
12:13pm 04/11/18
Great!
Great!

What a great day! All of the consumers enjoyed the workshop. The presenters were friendly and explained everything clearly. I would recommend this to any organization to help promote independence.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation
Brian R.
Brian R.
10:05pm 02/25/18
Okay
Okay

Pace is convenient for people with disabilities like myself that don't drive. It allows people who don't drive to get to and from a destination without hassle. However, unfortunately, I have found Pace is really only convenient for short distance trips so it's not very useful for commuting long distances so I have found it's better to use CTA or Metra for long distance trips to the city. The other issue is it gets difficult when crossing county lines. For example, I live in Tinley Park but work in Will County (Mokena). It would be nice if Pace Paratransit would allow for people to navigate across county lines without having to transfer- this is the reason I don't use Paratransit that often.

Disability Awareness:   Physically accessible
jake74
jake74
2:06pm 12/22/17
Great!
Great!

I have recently started taking ADA paratransit to work out at the McGaw YMCA with my new tutor Nick. He started riding the bus as my assistant, and just this morning he followed in his car there and back. Each time was a great experience. If he is not with me, the drivers themselves assist me to the door of my destination. This morning Nick just met me at the front desk of the Y and we took it from there.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
TSimpson
TSimpson
2:44pm 12/01/17
Great!
Great!

The Hop on the Bus to Independence Workshop provided a well-organized and informative presentation that catered precisely to my students' needs.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Physically accessible
Elaine
Elaine
2:28pm 11/14/17
Great!
Great!

Jenny did a fabulous job presenting the information at a level our students understood. She had a great powerpoint and made the presentation interactive to make it interesting for our students. Jenny explained the different ways of paying for bus rides and helped our students to be able to identify the buses by the logo. Thanks also to Ed, Bridget, and Wesley our students received step by step on what to do from planning the trip, entering bus, where to pay, the interior safety features, and how to exit the bus. Numerous tips were given on how to stay safe. It was a great presentation and opportunity for our students to learn a new skill. Kudos to PACE and JJList for providing a much needed demonstration and instruction to increase the independence and mobility of young adults with disabilities.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Stephanie DeCarlo
Stephanie DeCarlo
3:28pm 09/15/17
Great!
Great!

RTA and JJ's List came and presented 8 workshops to over 150 students over 2 days. They were informative, responsive to needs, and enthusiastic throughout all of the presentations. We are grateful for them coming out to increase our students' knowledge of the bus, safety, scheduling, fare payment, and so much more.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Teacher
Teacher
2:42pm 09/12/17
Great!
Great!

The staff did a great job of explicitly teaching about our public transportation system and taking the bus which are essential skills for many of our students. The training was a nice combination of information and hands-on application.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
4:10pm 06/05/17
Great!
Great!

On Friday evening I took paratransit again to my parents' place to spend the night. Some of my rides have recently been on the newer buses, which are quieter than the other ones. For this reason I had a neighbor wait with me on Friday, in case I couldn't hear the bus approaching. This ride turned out to be one of the quieter buses. The driver was good and walked me to the front door of my destination.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
The Igniters
The Igniters
3:03pm 05/30/17
Great!
Great!

We attended a Hop on the Bus training session and our experience was great. We enjoyed the amount of information organized to share with our group. We all had a chance to experience getting on an actual bus and learned how to plan our trip online! Our interest in using public transportation independently grew and we feel more confident in doing so. We would definitely recommend!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
jake74
jake74
1:40pm 05/30/17
Great!
Great!

On Saturday evening I took paratransit again to my parents' place, to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday and to spend the weekend. My driver showed up right on time, and he was very friendly and helpful. He started guiding me to my parents' front door, but my nephew came around from the backyard to guide me inside and put my hand on the railing to go up some of the stairs. I did not need a return trip.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
12:04pm 05/19/17
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit again last Friday evening to my parents' place, and it worked out great. We had to drop off another passenger before me, but she wasn't going far.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
10:12am 05/08/17
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit on Saturday afternoon to the session of heARTwords that was held at the Center for Independent Futures office. Everything went well. I never had the driver before then but she was very nice. She guided me to the quiet bus, and guided me to the doors of the CIF office once we arrived. It wasn't locked like I thought it would be, despite being a bit early for the workshop. I had a fun time.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
12:10pm 04/24/17
Great!
Great!

I took a paratransit ride home again on Friday evening, but this time to my parents' 2-flat in Evanston. The driver showed up within the time window. I hadn't had this particular driver before, but he was very friendly and did a good job assisting me to my parents' front door. I took it from there. I did not schedule a return trip, as I was going to help celebrate my nephew's birthday.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, Accessible Parking, The Pace website works great on the Mac with the AT I use. I'm helping to test out an online trip tool which is very accessible here thus far.
Mary Margaret
Mary Margaret
12:59pm 03/13/17
Great!
Great!

All of the presenters were excellent. They used visuals along with their presentations to assure the students were understanding. Getting on an actual PACE bus allowed the students an initial experience of riding a bus and the steps involved.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Physically accessible
John Maxson
John Maxson
9:34am 02/18/17
Great!
Great!

Ride the bus(472)every week day mornings to my job. Enjoy my nice quiet rides. And not to cheep(the fares)either. Will come back.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Mrs. J
Mrs. J
3:09pm 02/17/17
Great!
Great!

The Hop on the Bus presentation was fun and enthusiastic and definitely made the students feel more comfortable using public transportation. The program motivates and encourages students to use public transportation as a means to gain independence. We learned the Pros of choosing Fixed Route over Paratransit whenever possible because it is faster, cheaper, and integrated with the regular population. The hands on experience and training using an ACTUAL Pace bus is very beneficial for our students and really helped to reinforce instruction.






Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Jennifer P
Jennifer P
8:30am 12/29/16
Great!
Great!

This review is long overdue, but I still wanted to share the great experience and appreciation for PACE. Ed Madden (Coordinator of Public Outreach), Steven Andrews (Community Relations Representative), and their team supported reestablishing a fixed route bus stop in front of Glenbrook North High School to provide greater access and education of students with and without disabilities on public transportation.

Thank you to PACE for supporting our efforts to increase students' skills, independence, and access to the community!

Sincerely,
Jennifer Pearson, Director of Special Education
District #225


Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Charlie Curran
Charlie Curran
1:47pm 12/09/16
Great!
Great!

The Hop on The Bus to Independence workshop was excellent! They come right to your school and go over everything there is to know about using public transportation.The resources given are excellent, and give teachers, parents, and students great insight into how the Pace Bus can be used. I would recommend that any special education teacher looking for opportunities to develop independence for their high school or transition age students take one of these workshops.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
GBOC
GBOC
9:41am 11/10/16
Great!
Great!

Important for teens to understand getting around and planning trips on public transportation when gaining life skills and independence!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other or suggestions, Accessible Parking
Sandy
Sandy
5:54pm 11/09/16
Great!
Great!

The "Hop on the Bus to Independence" workshop was excellent! It help participants gain a greater understanding of how to access public transportation. Thank you so much!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Kare
Kare
10:35pm 08/22/16
Great!
Great!

Many of our clients were able to participate in training to learn about using Pace transportation services. This took some of their fear away and will allow for them to be comfortable with further training and opportunities.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Amy D
Amy D
1:00pm 08/19/16
Great!
Great!

JJ's list provided an informative and helpful class for our clients to learn more about Pace. The staff was so helpful. I love that they actually brought a Pace bus so the clients could get on and have the experience of what it will be like when they are ready to venture forth with newly found independence.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service
jg
jg
2:43pm 08/16/16
Bad
Bad

Bus was an hour late. Spent another 1/2 hour before i got to work.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service
Briana Benitez
Briana Benitez
1:57pm 08/15/16
Good
Good

JJ's List runs a wonderful program geared to teach and expose Students with disabilities to public transportation information and situations in their environment.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
jg
jg
10:05am 08/11/16
Bad
Bad

Got on driver yelled at a pedestrian. Tried to help look for next location,, yelled at me

Disability Awareness:   Unfriendly, Disrespectful, Impatient with me
srosell
srosell
2:47pm 04/26/16
Great!
Great!

Everyone who came out for travel training was positive, professional and enthusiastic :) My students were certainly engaged, and I am thoroughly impressed with how well-organized and developmentally-appropriate all of the materials were. Bravo to you all!!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
John Maxson
John Maxson
10:45am 09/27/15
Great!
Great!

I ride these buses myself for a long time,and still do.Always gets me to where I am going.Thats it.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Physically accessible
JUSTICE
JUSTICE
11:16am 09/23/15
Great!
Great!

Driver was very friendly.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Respectful, Physically accessible
jg
jg
11:36am 04/10/15
Bad
Bad

The past few weeks have been very insteressing. Today the bus was an hour late. When I got to my appointmenr. it was time for me to come home.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Unfriendly, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Impatient with me
jake74
jake74
3:12pm 10/24/14
Great!
Great!

Yesterday I called and booked a one-way paratransit trip to my parents' house for this morning. The reservationist who took my call was Laura, and I've spoken with her before. She is very quick and efficient without rushing me, and she's also friendly. My driver showed up a few minutes ahead of schedule this morning, but I was ready and waiting out in front of my apartment building. He was very friendly. In addition to my backpack, I had a tote bag containing a 4-part Braille book which I'm giving away. The driver was kind enough to carry this bag for me up to my parents' front door.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
John Maxson
John Maxson
11:28am 05/16/14
Great!
Great!

Been riding the 472 from the highland park Metra station to my corner in Highwood during weekday mornings, and like the rides Good bus driver, and not much to complain about. Very accessible with the ramp that comes out.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
ns_div_8257
ns_div_8257
12:59am 05/15/14
Terrible!
Terrible!

Unprofessional management and drivers. I have been continually harassed by two particular drivers, repeated emails and calls to the North Division garage management have gone unanswered. One driver has also aggressed towards other disabled passengers and made comments about not wanting "retards" or "cripples" on her bus. Most drivers are good employees, but garage management has been unhelpful in remedying issues with certain employees. Even asking for the ramp to be lowered (I have severe back issues) is met with hosility from two of their drivers. It's probably safer, for a disabled person, to hitchhike rather than ride Pace service. Complaints on Pace's facebook page were not answered, but deleted instead too.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Avoided me, Ignored me, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
jake74
jake74
11:58am 03/05/14
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit again yesterday to my parents' house, because there was a pancake supper at my church. I would've taken a bus straight to my church, but I left my watch at my parents' house over the weekend and needed to pick it up. But my ride went great. When the bus arrived at my apartment building, I started to go towards the sound but the driver got out to help me across the snowbank. We had to pick up another group, but I was dropped off first. The driver helped me only to the steps, and then I took it from there. My mom and sister dropped me off later that evening.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
2:28pm 03/01/14
Great!
Great!

Yesterday I took Pace paratransit again to my folks' house for a video shoot, and to have pizza and spend the night. I had a driver whom I hadn't had before, but she was very nice. She could not pull up on my side of Chicago Ave. due to ongoing construction. But she got out of the bus and asked me if I was waiting for her. I said yes so she let me take her elbow, and we walked across the street and I got on the bus. Once at my folks' house, she guided me off the bus and just to their front steps. I took it from there. I did not need a return trip. The phone reservationist was also very friendly and efficient.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Michael3129
Michael3129
2:21pm 02/20/14
Good
Good

I have had very good experiences using the Pace Ride in Kane service in Kane County. I am blind, and a majority of the paratransit bus drivers have been very helpful, and I have had no experiences to date where the drivers did not provide assistance when I requested it. My only real complaint is that I wish there was a way for me to specify "bus only" on my reservations (trips can be scheduled in either a bus or taxi, but one cannot say "bus only")--as I feel a lot more comfortable riding the paratransit busses, and they are easier to locate as the sound of the diesel engine provides me a good auditory cue when I am boarding the bus.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, I wish there was an option for Ride in Kane customers to specify "bus only" when booking reservations.
John Maxson
John Maxson
7:23pm 02/18/14
Great!
Great!

Have done a great job running in time with this cold,and snowy winter,and never had any problems. Been riding pace for a long time.Thats it.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Celtic Pride
Celtic Pride
1:01am 02/17/14
Terrible!
Terrible!

Yesterday I was close to the 290 route way in Niles, I needed to quickly hitchhike through mountains of snow to catch my bus. I approached the stop where my bus was stopped at a traffic light. I did what I needed to requesting the cars allow me to get across and continued waving the bus driver. The driver clearly saw me but did not wait at the light or stop at any point, they just sped past me. It is not right that the public be required to continue paying taxes so these unprofessional people can continue to be compensated on a grand scale when they really should not be employed period ! UNACCEPTABLE !

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Avoided me, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Impatient with me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
jake74
jake74
12:39pm 02/15/14
Great!
Great!

On Thursday of this week I booked another one-way paratransit trip for yesterday to spend the night at my parents' house. I spoke to Danielle, whom I had for the first time but she was wonderful. My ride went well too. The driver was accompanied by a driver-in-training, and they were both very friendly. One of them got out to assist me on the bus when they arrived outside my building, and then the other guy helped me to the front door of my parents' house. He even carried my bookbag for me.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jake74
jake74
10:18am 02/01/14
Great!
Great!

On Thursday I called and booked a one-way paratransit trip. The reservationist who took my order was very friendly. I didn't catch her name even though I think she said it, and I never spoke to her before. Yesterday's ride went great. The driver showed up on time. I needed to get to my folks' house for the night, and he got me here with absolutely no problem. I have an event to attend later today at my church, and then my parents are dropping me back off at my apartment.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
jg
jg
4:46pm 01/21/14
Bad
Bad

Bus was 20 min late. spent 45 riding. got to work over an hour late.

Disability Awareness:   Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Impatient with me
jake74
jake74
12:35pm 12/05/13
Good
Good

I was able to book a round trip for Tuesday evening to go to the Young Adult Program in Glencoe that I've been attending for years. There was a slight problem with my pickup. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but the driver claimed she couldn't pull directly up to my building. In addition to the automated call notifying me that the driver would be at my place shortly, I got a call from a live person stating that the driver was at my building. However, I walked around with my cane but didn't hear the bus anywhere. So, I went back inside and asked my next-door neighbor Matt to come help me look. We eventually found the bus. She was apparently coming around the other way. She was very apologetic though and got me to YAP in time. The trip back went off without a hitch though.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
marbai
marbai
10:12am 11/26/13
Great!
Great!



Disability Awareness:   Friendly
DanCos1
DanCos1
10:11am 11/26/13
Good
Good



Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Campfaust
Campfaust
10:06am 11/26/13
Great!
Great!



Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, Accessible Parking
danwil
danwil
10:04am 11/26/13
Good
Good

My experience with hop on the bus was pretty good. I learned a lot of things that I did not know before.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
luccasey
luccasey
9:59am 11/26/13
Good
Good



Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave choices, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
kiana
kiana
9:56am 11/26/13
Okay
Okay



Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, funny
nikell
nikell
9:51am 11/26/13
Great!
Great!

I really enjoyed Hop on the Bus! My students gathered lots of information and knowledge about travel training in their community.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Adrianne
Adrianne
10:29pm 11/02/13
Terrible!
Terrible!

Service is bad. Late pickups, I was stuck on the pace bus for 2.5 hours. Rude drivers

Disability Awareness:   Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful
jake74
jake74
2:30pm 10/19/13
Okay
Okay

I have honestly been debating whether or not to write this review especially given the great experiences I've had with Pace paratransit since last year, but here it is. In recent months I have had difficulty securing paratransit rides. Whenever I have called and gotten through, the times I request have all been taken. I have therefore had to just stay home. Fortunately, these have all been optional activities. What I'm wondering is if it will ever be possible for us to call in ride reservations more than a day in advance. Other states have this option, so I'd think that Illinois could as well.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, Accessible Parking, Want ability to schedule paratransit trips more than a day in advance.
Tim
Tim
3:28pm 07/10/13
Great!
Great!

I've been taking the pace bus to a lot of places independently. The drivers are helpful and friendly. If another person with a disability doesn't know how much to pay for the fare, I've seen the driver help the person out. I really enjoy using the pace bus and taking it all over the place. It's a great way to get around the community.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:00am 07/23/13

Thanks, Tim, for these positive comments! All Pace drivers are indeed trained to be helpful to all riders and are more than happy to give customers all the information they need.
jake74
jake74
8:14pm 06/22/13
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit again this afternoon to the new CIF office, this time for heARTwords. My driver was unable to pull up right in front of my building due to an accident that had just occurred, and I think he had to park in a different position. I had not had this driver previously, but he was great. He got out of the bus and helped me on, and I paid him right away. Once we were at the CIF office, he got off the bus and helped me off and to the door of the building. It was locked, but 2 of my friends came within a minute or so and we waited together for the leader of heARTwords to come and open the doors. I didn't need a return trip, because my tutor picked me up for a session.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:02am 07/23/13

Jake, Pace is glad that your paratransit trip went smoothly. Thanks for riding Pace!
jake74
jake74
7:58am 04/21/13
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit to the new Center for Independent Futures office on Friday for my admin assistant shift. I had a driver whom I'd not had previously, but nevertheless he was great. When he arrived he got out of the bus and guided me on. I was a bit nervous as this was my first time ever traveling on my own to that particular location, and the name on the building doesn't yet match. But this driver knew exactly where he was going, and we ended up getting there a few minutes early. I paid him and then he patiently guided me off the bus, and we were then met by George from CIF who brought me inside. I didn't need a return ride that day.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:06am 07/23/13

Thanks, Jake! Pace drivers are true professionals. Now that you know where the new CIF office, perhaps you can investigate how to travel there on fixed route service--which is a much cheaper and often more convenient way to travel. Visit www.RTAChicago.org to plan your trip.
jake74
jake74
10:00am 02/27/13
Great!
Great!

I had been thinking about just not going to the Young Adult Program in Glencoe last night due to the winter storm, but upon discussing it with a few people I decided to give it a go. So I booked a round trip on paratransit for yesterday, and the driver showed up and was very helpful in guiding me onto the bus. We got to Glencoe with no problem, and he walked me to the door of the clubhouse and inside. I was one of only a handful in attendance last night. The trip home went great too!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:17am 07/23/13

Thanks, Jake! Neither rain nor wind nor snow will keep our paratransit drivers from picking up riders at their appointed times--or, at least, that's what Pace strives for.
sedol transition
sedol transition
10:23am 02/19/13
Great!
Great!

Yesterday there was a problem with the door on the 572 bus. They helped people to get people where they needed to go in a respectful way. We use the 570 and 572 a lot in lake county to get around in our communities and this helps us be more independent. The bus drivers are very friendly.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:20am 07/23/13

Thanks for this review! From time to time, mechanical problems occur with buses, and our drivers are trained to ensure that safety of riders is the first priority. We are also glad that, despite that issue, riders were able to reach their destinations. We are also thrilled to hear that you use fixed route bus service as a way to be independent--that's exactly right! JJ's List and Pace have partnered to present "Hop on the Bus to Indpendence" to many groups, and that presentation helps people with disabilities become acclimated with fixed route transportation so they can be independent and get around their communities on their own.
jake74
jake74
9:50am 01/09/13
Great!
Great!

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2013 is to take ADA paratransit more, and last night I took it to and from the Young Adult Program again. I rode up to Glencoe with a friend from the program, and I also rode back with him. Both drivers were great, and walked me to the doors. My ride to Glencoe was just a bit late, but I called anyway to see where he was just to prove to myself that the ride was being tracked. The person with whom I spoke did indeed know where my ride was.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:23am 07/23/13

Jake, we're glad that Pace is able to get you where you need to go. Did you know that taking fixed route buses is much cheaper than paratransit, and gives you the flexibility to travel when you want instead of planning 24 hours in advance. You can buy an entire month of rides on Pace buses for only $30 if you have an RTA Reduced Fare permit.
jg
jg
4:54pm 12/11/12
Okay
Okay

Bus was over an hour latew

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:25am 07/23/13

We're sorry to hear about the problem you experienced. Winter weather does cause delays for Pace buses, just like it does for other cars on the road. Thanks for riding Pace.
goodkarma
goodkarma
11:01am 12/11/12
Great!
Great!

PACE training by JJ Handler and PACE staff was terrific! It was good to have the classroom training first and the students learned about goroo (great resource!). Then, the students got to learn a lot on the actual PACE bus. I learned a lot of new things from the on-the-bus training. Overall, this experience was very positive, educational and thorough. Students got to ask lots of questions and the training staff was so nice, patient and informative.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave extra time, Respectful, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:26am 07/23/13

Thanks for this great review of our "Hop on the Bus to Indpendence" program. Pace is excited about its partnership with JJ's List, and these familiarization sessions are becoming more popular with schools and other groups. We wish your students safe travels on Pace!
Karmesha
Karmesha
5:17pm 12/06/12
Great!
Great!



Disability Awareness:   Physically accessible
jake74
jake74
11:33am 12/05/12
Great!
Great!

Last night I took paratransit to my parents' house to help celebrate my mother's birthday. My ride arrived a bit early as there was one other passenger already on board. Our driver was great. He dropped the other passenger off first, but her destination was on the way to my parents' house. This is different from when I took paratransit several years ago, because more often than not I found myself riding around for hours sometimes before being dropped off. Our driver last night wasn't sure he had the correct house for me as it was dark and he couldn't see the numbers well. But he patiently waited while I called my mom to come look for us. She did, and we were basically right outside.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, Accessible Parking, I had a very nice conversation with the other passenger on board.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:28am 07/23/13

Pace bus drivers do go out of their way to be helpful to riders. Thanks for riding Pace!
SmashLIXs
SmashLIXs
11:48am 11/19/12
Okay
Okay

The staff worked to make my experience a positive one by being supportive and kind. I kind of already knew a lot of the information that they told us, but it was a nice review. Everyone was really nice. I was bored, but only because I have had this training before.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:29am 07/23/13

Thanks for your positive review of the Pace/JJ's List "Hop on the Bus to Independence" program. Please recommend our program to other groups that you think would benefit from it!
jake74
jake74
9:45am 10/17/12
Great!
Great!

Last evening I took ADA paratransit again to the Young Adult Program, but to a different location. When I made my ride reservations on Monday, I told the reservationist that I needed to be dropped off somewhere else. I gave her that address, and she confirmed it with me after both rides were scheduled. The driver showed up a bit early last night, and I confirmed with him that he'd be dropping me off at a different address. He said that was no problem, and I ended up getting to the restaurant a bit early. I shared the trip back with a friend from the program.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Test.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:49am 10/30/12

Jake, we're glad this trip went well. We take pride in making the ADA paratransit service as user-friendly as possible for the riders and as cost-effective as possible for the taxpayers. Thanks for your comments!
Casey B Burke
Casey B Burke
2:54pm 10/09/12
Great!
Great!

PACE Suburban Bus and JJs List provided an interactive training to participants from Seguin Services entitled "Hop on the Bus to Independence". The training, consisting of 1/2 "classroom" and 1/2 "real-world" experiences, is designed to familiarize people with the PACE suburban fixed bus route service and how to utilize goroo.com, the RTA's interactive web portal that provides detailed and up to the minute travel directions (including many options and information not found on other popular websites associated with maps and directions). Kudos to both JJ's list and PACE for providing this much needed, highly interactive and super fun training. Opportunities such as this serve to grow the independence, safety and planning skills of persons with disabilities and cannot be underestimated. Thank you!!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Accessible Parking
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
9:47am 10/30/12

Thanks, Casey. Pace is very pleased about our partnership with JJ's List and these "Bus to Independence" presentations. It's true that public transportation is a lifeline to the community for many people, and we're excited to spread the word about how affordable and easy-to-use Pace is. If any teachers or trainers are interested in scheduling an event for their students, please contact Bryce Word at 847.228.2450.
jake74
jake74
12:14pm 09/19/12
Great!
Great!

I took paratransit again last night to the Young Adult Program, but this time I also took it back to my apartment. The driver who picked me up at my apartment was several minutes late even though I received a call on my cell phone indicating he was on his way. He also got a bit lost on the ride, but he was very apologetic. He walked me to the door at my destination. My return trip went well and that driver was also friendly.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, My CIF tutor was very helpful in meeting me at both destinations.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:24am 10/03/12

Glad to hear this trip went well. Did you know that you can travel less expensively if you use the fixed route buses? Plus, with fixed route, you don't have to reserve a ride in advance. You can call Pace at 847-364-7223 for more information. Thanks for riding!
jake74
jake74
2:46pm 09/05/12
Great!
Great!

Last night I took ADA Paratransit up to the Young Adult Program in Glencoe. My tutor was not with me this time, though. He just followed us there in his truck. Although my driver was a bit late picking me up, he was wonderful. He pulled up right in front of me, and opened the door to verbally guide me in. I made sure to ask him to take me to the door of the place where I was going, and he did this. Were it not for the fact that I was feeling sick, I would've taken paratransit back to my apartment too. However, cancelling my ride was a success as well. I apparently got it wrong the first time, but a friend who uses paratransit told us what to do. My tutor ended up driving me home early.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, The driver had a GPS which made all sorts of fun sounds throughout the ride.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:37am 10/03/12

Thanks for posting! Your comment serves as a reminder to paratransit riders--if you no longer need a trip that you've reserved, please remember to call Pace and cancel it. That helps Pace operate the system in the most cost-effective manner possible.
jake74
jake74
9:50am 07/11/12
Great!
Great!

I recently re-registered for paratransit service after not using it for several years, and last night was my first round trip. I went with my CIF tutor to the Tuesday night Young Adult Program. I got an automated phone call a few minutes before my tutor arrived, which alerted me that our bus was on its way. So we waited out in front of my building, and the bus came within a few minutes. The driver was friendly, and he got us to where we needed to be with little if any trouble. I then showed the driver my paratransit card and paid him. The trip back went very well too. We had another driver, but he was very friendly as well.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible, Other, I'm already seeing improvements in this service even after only one round trip.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:27am 10/03/12

Pace has indeed made some technological improvements recently. Paratransit riders should receive an automated phone call, warning them about the arrival of the paratransit bus. When you get this call, please prepare yourself to be at the pickup location on time. This preparedness helps keep everyone's paratransit pickups on-schedule. Thanks.
TransitionStaff
TransitionStaff
2:00pm 05/29/12
Terrible!
Terrible!

Tried to arrange a morning pick up time that is convenient for our student because she interns at a book store, the operator "could not find" an acceptable time and told me I needed to call back later. I told her that was not acceptable and she said "Do you want to talk to my manager?" so I told her "yes" and put me on hold only to have found a time that was acceptable. This experience is one of many negative ones we have had with this service and it has been difficult to train our students to use it considering the confusion we tend to have and the unhelpful nature of the operators.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Inflexible service, Unwilling or unhelpful with assistance or accommodations
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:30am 10/03/12

Pace apologizes for the problem you experienced. The reservation agents should offer everyone who wants a ride a pick-up time within one "useful" hour of the desired pick-up time. You may also be aware that Pace's fixed route buses (which are completely accessible to people with disabilities) allow people to travel without making reservations and at a lower fare.
TransitionStaff
TransitionStaff
1:58pm 05/03/12
Terrible!
Terrible!

As my student with Down's Syndrome and I were exiting the bus, the driver shut the door on my student's arm and did not even get up to apologize or open the door to release it. I had to physically pull the door open with my fingers to get my student out and he still did not apologize or acknowledge what he had done. When I called PACE they did not even make a general apology or acknowledge my disgust for what had happened.

Disability Awareness:   Ignored the person/people with the disability, Unfriendly, Disrespectful, Rushed the person/people with disability, Impatient, Unwilling or unhelpful with assistance or accommodations
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:35am 10/03/12

Pace apologizes for this incident. That kind of behavior is not acceptable for any Pace driver. If you call Pace's Customer Relations line at 800-606-1282 and tell them the driver or vehicle number, a supervisor will conduct an investigation of the incident. Again, Pace apologizes to you and your student.
jg
jg
6:17pm 02/15/12
Okay
Okay

Berenis was very helpful today to figure pick-up times with me. Thanks!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Respectful
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:35am 10/03/12

Thanks for posting! Pace is proud of its customer-oriented staff.
jg
jg
9:20am 01/31/12
Bad
Bad

2nd to 3rd week same driver 15-20 minutes late.picking me up for work.When i asked for a name, he refused to provide it and questioned why i need it

Disability Awareness:   Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Impatient with me
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:11pm 02/06/12

J.G., thank you for your comment. Pace's paratransit drivers are trained to be courteous, and this driver should have provided his name or badge number to you. In order to make sure that the right Pace staff person can look into the situation, you should also provide comments like this directly to Pace's Customer Relations Department ( passenger.services@pacebus.com ). Additionally, please remember that there is a 20-minute window of time in which the pickup is considered "on time", so plan your reservations accordingly. You might also know that Pace's fixed route services are often a cheaper and more convenient way to get around, since those buses run on a fixed schedule and don't require reservations. Thanks for riding Pace!
KW
KW
11:36am 09/28/11
Terrible!
Terrible!

I use an motorized wheelchair. Pace door to door is okay on the weekdays, but it's not okay on the weekends. If I want to go to church, Pace can note pick me up from Highland Park. Because of that, the way I get to church, is I take a train from highland park to evanston, then the Pace bus picks me up from Evanston and takes me to Skokie. It takes me 2 1/2 to get to Church, and it takes me 2 1/2 hours to get home. I'm not very happy with these services. I wish they could service Highland Park 7 days a week.

Disability Awareness:   Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
10:43am 10/03/12

Thanks for your comments. You may be aware that ADA paratransit service (a.k.a. "door to door") is supposed to match our regular bus service. Therefore, because there is no regular (fixed route) bus service in Highland Park on Sundays, there is no paratransit service either. Pace is glad that you and your fellow churchgoers can take advantage of Metra and Pace services on Sundays to reach your destination.
jg
jg
10:04am 07/20/11
Okay
Okay

I do not understand how come the bus came an hour early when i had an 10:45 ride. Pace was able to re-book

Disability Awareness:   Friendly
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:45pm 08/03/11

Because Pace provides more than 6,000 paratransit rides per day, from time to time there are scheduling mishaps. When that happens, please call your carrier to reschedule, if necessary. Additionally, please remember that there is a 20-minute window of time in which the pickup is considered "on time", so plan your reservations accordingly. I'm happy to hear Pace successfully re-booked your trip.
jg
jg
8:49am 05/29/11
Bad
Bad

I called last Wed. to make sure Pace serviece my area on Memorial Day and was told yes. However when i called today i was told they said no. I had to cancel my appointment

Disability Awareness:   needs to make service area larger on weekends and holidays
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:48pm 08/03/11

We apologize for this miscommunication. Pace's Customer Relations staff has information about what geographic areas are covered by paratransit and at what times/days. You can reach them at 800-606-1282. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.
willeypam
willeypam
7:18am 05/15/11
Terrible!
Terrible!

I have a seizure disorder and travel with a seizure alert dog. On Saturday, May 14th, I was waiting in the Elgin terminal for a bus to Geneva when the staff informed me that because my dog was not a seeing eye dog that I could not ride the bus. I was terribly embarrassed and had to change my plans for my weekend. I will say I have traveled in the past without a hitch, but not this time unfortunately.

Disability Awareness:   Disrespectful, Pace's web page has a clear description of accessibility w/service dogs. Please make your staff aware of it.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
12:12pm 08/05/11

Thanks for your comments. We apologize for this experience. It is absolutely Pace's policy to allow service animals of all types on-board Pace vehicles, per Operations Bulletin SBD-01-52. If this problem should arise in the future, please call Customer Relations at 847-364-7223 and provide the driver's badge number or the bus number and time of incident. Again, we apologize for this incident.
John Maxson
John Maxson
10:34am 04/30/11
Great!
Great!

I have been riding their buses for a long time ,and still ike to ride them.They go to all diffrent places ,and take people to their jobs,and other places.Good way to travel.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:50pm 08/03/11

Thanks for riding Pace! We agree that Pace buses are a convenient and affordable way to get to many places in your community.
ymom
ymom
7:16pm 03/04/11
Great!
Great!

I was speaking with a recreation specialist at our special recreation association today. We were trying to figure out how to find transportation for a family friend who uses a power wheelchair and needs paratransit so that he can participate in an afterschool program. She said that she had had a very helpful conversation with a representative at PACE about how the transportation might work for this teen who really wants to participate in a recreation program. One of the things they discussed was the training that the drivers receive, which is something that is really important to families of young people with a disability.

Disability Awareness:   Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:53pm 08/03/11

Thanks for this comment. It is true that all Pace drivers (for fixed route buses and paratransit services) undergo an extensive training program. Did you know that all Pace fixed route buses are equipped with wheelchair ramps? Fixed route buses are often a more convenient and less expensive way for people with disabilities to travel. See goroo.com to plan a trip on fixed route buses and trains.
jg
jg
7:20pm 02/24/11
Good
Good

The other day i spoke to Daniel to see if pace could take me to Forrest Park from Prospect Heights. He explained it would take two buses.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:55pm 08/03/11

We're glad you were able to receive appropriate instructions for your trip. Did you know you can also use goroo.com to plan any trip on public transit in the entire Chicagoland area? It's easy to use--just type in your starting point and destination and goroo tells you how to get there on public transit. Thanks for riding Pace!
MMMB
MMMB
8:03pm 02/22/11
Good
Good

As a personal support worker for individuals with disabilities I've seen firsthand the value the Pace door-to-door Paratransit Service. Many of the people I work with utilize Pace paratransit and rely on it to get them to and from work, errands they need to run, and social events. Several of the people I know use the Pace paratransit service as one of the primary means of transportation, often upwards of 3-6 times per week.

This service helps people who are not able to use fixed route public transit to have as much independent access to their community as people who are able to use the fixed routes. From what I've observed Pace works hard to coordinate the transportation needs of a large number of individuals to a wide range of locations. The paratransit bus drivers are friendly and on time overall.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:57pm 08/03/11

Thanks for these comments. Pace takes great pride in operating an efficient and user-friendly paratransit service. Did you know that all Pace fixed route buses are fully ADA-accessible? Fixed route bus service is often a more convenient and less expensive way for people with disabilities to travel. See goroo.com to plan a trip on fixed route buses and trains.
jg
jg
5:20pm 02/21/11
Good
Good

David was able to come back because i was not ready.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:58pm 08/03/11

We're happy to hear you were satisfied with your experience on Pace. Thanks for riding!
Carol
Carol
5:43pm 02/17/11
Great!
Great!

I have to say that I am surprised when I read this previous review's experience, because my interactions with Pace have been very positive. I have found the bus drivers to be very knowledgable about routes and helpful with extra assistance. When I had been recovering from a back injury, one PACE employee went out of his way to assist me with my packages. I also recently observed a kind driver who patiently waited for someone who obviously had trouble walking, especially with this recent snowstorm.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave choices, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
3:59pm 08/03/11

Thanks for these kind words. Pace bus drivers are truly special people who go beyond the call of duty in serving upwards of 125,000 riders every day.
Shell
Shell
1:50pm 02/17/11
Terrible!
Terrible!

When calling to book my ride I had called at 5:30 and they had me on hold untill 7:30. This was a long time to wait.

Another time when a man, Mr. Jones, was bringing me home he criticized me and said that I could have walked home instead of getting a ride.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Unfriendly, Disrespectful
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:02pm 08/03/11

Pace apologizes for the experience you had with the reservations agent. Please note that paratransit reservations can be made any time between 6am and 7pm for trips taking place the next day. Furthermore, the comments made by that driver are inappropriate. Please report incidents like this one to Customer Relations at 800-606-1282.
Noah&Ellen
Noah&Ellen
1:58pm 02/16/11
Great!
Great!

A couple of weeks ago, Noah transitioned full time into a group home. He was taking Paratransit to a different location for the first time. When the bus driver arrived at Noah's location, the driver was concerned because no one was waiting for Noah at the door. The driver got out of his bus and escorted Noah into the building to check to make sure that he was in the right place and that he had supervision.
He absolutely went above and beyond!
Over all we have found Paratransit to be a great way for Noah to get to and from his programs and to work.
We have been VERY satisfied with the service and it is a bargain, at $3 a ride!
Ellen and Noah

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:05pm 08/03/11

Thanks for this comment. Pace is proud of our drivers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Paratransit trips certainly are a bargain at $3. Fixed route buses and trains are even cheaper--people with disabilities ride for a reduced fare ($0.85 on Pace).
jzoe
jzoe
9:04pm 01/27/11
Terrible!
Terrible!

I work as a case manager for adults with developmental disabilities in a Day Program. Our clients are transported to our facility in Oak Park by Pace Door to Door. In September 2010, my client was dropped off at the wrong location in Chicago, despite his guardian insisting with the dispatcher that he be dropped off in Oak Park. His driver did not ensure that he walk in the building (even though it was the wrong location) and my client ended up roaming around the Loop until he was discovered by police. Pace must ensure the safety of their passengers, especially those with developmental disabilities who are not independent in the community. It is imperative that drivers ensure their passengers walk through the door of their drop off before leaving.

Disability Awareness:   Unwilling or unhelpful with assistance or accommodations
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
2:34pm 02/02/11

Pace sincerely apologizes for this incident. Pace drivers are trained to make sure that all paratransit riders arrive safely at their chosen destinations. If you haven't already done so, please call our Customer Relations Dept at 847-364-7223 and let them know the date and location of the incident so we can make sure to discuss this incident with that driver and avoid problems like this in the future. Thank you for your comment.
Tim
Tim
6:01pm 01/04/11
Great!
Great!

I've taken the pace bus to lots of different places by myself and it's been a great transportation to take. It's wheelchair accessible and the drivers are friendly. Whenever I ask the driver if this specific bus goes to where I'm going, if it does, he says yes. I've also transferred onto different pace bus routes and have used a transfer card. I enjoy taking the pace bus by myself and I'd recommend the pace bus if you need to get somewhere on public transportation. Another place I've taken the pace bus to is to a private school called The Cove School which is a place that I go to school. Sometimes, I take the pace bus to school whenever I'm not taking any other transportation. The pace bus is a fun public transportation to take to all kinds of places.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:06pm 08/03/11

Thanks for your comments. Pace is indeed a convenient and affordable way to get to many places in your community. Thanks for riding!
Tim
Tim
8:11pm 09/08/10

I take the pace bus by myself to a lot of places, and sometimes, when I take the pace bus and I'm waiting for it, the bus is sometimes late. Like for example, when I was taking Route 213 to Evanston and then transferring onto Route 208, the bus was 10 minutes late and I missed the second bus going to taekwondo. Another time, when I was taking the pace bus home from taekwondo, the bus was 15 minutes late and the bus driver was driving through a lot of traffic. Sometimes, I don't know where the bus is and I think I missed it. For the CTA bus, you're able to text CTA and see where your route is depending on where you text the code of the bus stop. I think they should do the same thing for the pace bus so people know where it is so they don't think they missed the bus. When my bus was 15 minutes late coming home from taekwondo, I took it to Evanston, then took the CTA Purple Line back to Linden, but then I missed the last bus and had to walk all the way home. It was a long walk and the pace bus drivers are impatient with me and the buses are always delayed and the driver sometimes drives too slow. I wouldn't recommend taking the pace bus right now until their service gets better. The pace bus isn't so much of a good transportation to take.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Impatient with me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
2:42pm 02/02/11

Thanks for your comments. Pace is aware that late buses are frustrating. However, riders can take advantage of technology to make their commutes go more smoothly--just like the CTA example you mention above. If you go to http://gis.pacebus.com/webwatch/default.aspx , you can see (in "real time") the next arrival time for the bus you're intending to ride, and you can also see a map of your bus route with real-time locations of buses displayed. Pace knows that many people have busy schedules. Using this technology can help you plan your commute in a way that makes the most productive use of your time. Thanks for riding Pace!
jake74
jake74
1:12pm 07/20/10

I am reviewing the Pace Suburban Bus website for accessibility. I am using the System Access screen reader to navigate the site, and it works flawlessly. All the links are very clearly labeled, and I had no trouble. Kudos to Pace Suburban Bus for making their website 508-compatible.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:07pm 08/03/11

Thanks for this comment. Pace's Webmaster put a great deal of effort into this process and he appreciates your feedback!
Tim
Tim
7:28pm 07/19/10

I've taken a lot of different pace bus routes by myself and I've taken the pace bus to different places. I enjoy taking the pace bus by myself. Sometimes, I've taken the pace bus to the Linden CTA Station by myself and have transferred onto the CTA Purple Line, and I've also transferred onto another route at some specific places. Like one time, when I took the pace bus to Golf Mill by myself, I got a transfer card and transferred onto another route. When I got on the second bus route, I used the transfer card and found a place to sit. The pace bus is wheelchair accessible and the drivers are helpful and friendly. If I ask the driver if this bus goes to a specific place or city, if the driver says yes, then I pay my fare. When I once took the pace bus to Northbrook Court by myself, I asked the driver if this bus goes to Northbrook Court, and the driver said yes, so then I paid my fare and found a place to sit. When I'm on the pace bus, they've got different schedules inside the bus for different routes. If you don't know how much the fare costs, and you ask the driver, then the driver will tell you. I enjoy taking the pace bus around town by myself. They've got good customer service for the pace bus and it's wheelchair accessible. The pace bus is a fun bus to take for public transportation.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:08pm 08/03/11

Thanks for your comments. Pace is indeed a convenient and affordable way to get to many places in your community. Every one of our 700 buses is ADA-accessible. Thanks for riding!
ladybugs83
ladybugs83
2:57pm 06/24/10

I like using the Pace bus cause the staff that work there are friendly and kind too the customers. I frequently ride the pace bus too travel too many locations its nice and reliable. There is seating for the disabled and wheelchair access as well. I recommend that for Ur next travels u should try out this form of transportation. I hope u like this review and will suggest the pace bus too Ur friends and many others. Hope Ur travels will be as good as mine were.
Thanks Alot for reading this review take cares now bye.
From: A Friendly and Frequent Pace Bus Rider

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Has employees with disabilities, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:08pm 08/03/11

Thanks for your comments. Pace is indeed a convenient and affordable way to get to many places in your community. Every one of our 700 buses is ADA-accessible. Thanks for riding!
Brian
Brian
4:43pm 06/23/10

I highly recommend the pace bus to all my friends. It is a good system they have. The bus drivers are nice and friendly too. I use it to go to work and Arts of Life. Its fun. I hope you have a nice day. It costs $6 to ride the bus. The bus comes to my address, and then I get on the bus, and go to work. I call to schedule the bus ride the day before. I hope you have a nice day and a good weekend too.

Disability Awareness:   Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:09pm 08/03/11

Thanks for this comment. Pace is proud of our drivers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Paratransit trips certainly are a bargain at $3 per ride. Fixed route buses and trains are even cheaper--people with disabilities ride for a reduced fare ($0.85 on Pace).
flipper
flipper
12:15pm 06/23/10

I like pace. cause they pick me up at my house. pace helps me do social activities.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:12pm 08/03/11

Pace's paratransit service is indeed an excellent transportation solution for people with disabilities. Fixed route buses and trains are even cheaper and can take you all over the six-county region. People with disabilities ride for a reduced fare ($0.85 on Pace).
jg
jg
11:11am 06/13/10

The other day i had to buy more PACE ride tickets, so i went to the office. When i tried to speak up the woman spoke to my aide. I thought they were geered toward the disabled population. I guess i was wrong.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Ignored me, Unfriendly, Impatient with me
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:14pm 07/28/10

Pace sincerely apologizes for this incident. Pace personnel are trained with an emphasis on sensitivity towards persons with disabilities. When you have a problem like this, you can email Pace’s Customer Relations Department at passenger.services@pacebus.com and tell them where and when the incident occurred. Those details are necessary to allow Pace to take corrective action. Thanks for your comments.
NedWagner
NedWagner
11:45am 05/25/10

PACE helps me go to choir practice and sometimes go to my program when our van is broken or takes me home from the movies. I have to call a day ahead of time to make my ride. Sometimes they go to the wrong address which makes me angry, but they usually do a good job getting me where i need to go.

Disability Awareness:   Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:13pm 08/03/11

Thanks for riding Pace!
BF
BF
9:56am 05/24/10

I took my students on field trip to Navy Pier using PACE, CTA busses and the Metra train. We had a fabulous time & everything was very accessible. The only negative was that the CTA busses did not accept our student's id's for the student discount. All of the drivers and ticket takers we encountered were wonderful with the students. They were extremely patient as our students practiced getting exact change for the fare.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked directly to the person/people with disability, Friendly, Gave extra time, Respectful, Helpful with assistance or accommodation, Physically accessible
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:14pm 08/03/11

Thanks for riding Pace! Pace is proud of the service our drivers provide to riders of all ages.
Bill Eichengreen
Bill Eichengreen
4:42pm 05/22/10

The Pace website is impossible to use to plan a route. It is very confusing. I ended up calling for assistance. Certainly my son who has a disability would never be able to figure out how to use the Pace bus with this website.

Disability Awareness:   Website difficult to use to use to plan a local trip from A to B and back.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:15pm 07/28/10

Pace apologizes for the difficulty you had in using the web site. The Pace web site features two trip planners—Tripsweb and goroo--both administered by RTA. We have tried to ensure both are quite user-friendly, but online trip planning can be complicated for first-time users. A potential alternative to the web-based trip planning is to look at a printed RTA system map, which shows all of the region’s bus and train lines. You can call 847.364.7223 to request one, and to request printed schedules/maps for Pace bus routes. Thanks for your comments.
jg
jg
7:49am 05/18/10

I have mixed feelings about Pace, They go through times when they are good and then they are bad. A few months ago they cut service in my area. This prevented me to attend a advocacy group.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Physically accessible
John Maxson
John Maxson
7:22pm 05/15/10

I have been riding some of the pace bus routes for over 20 years ,and had not had any problems.They are a good bus company for thoese that take the bus,and some timers might be late if it is in traffic,accidents,.etc

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Noah&Ellen
Noah&Ellen
9:01pm 05/13/10

Noah has been taking Pace/Paratransit for almost three years. It is mostly a positive experience. It can be inconvenient to have to call every day for the next day and it can be frustrating getting through, especially in the first 20 minutes or so, when the reservation line first opens, which is at 6 am. On average, the bus comes within 10 minutes of the requested time, with occasional days when they are 20-30 minutes late (maybe once a month) and very rare times when they are more than 30 minutes late, a couple of times a year. The drivers tend to be quite nice. If they arrive early, they always wait.
The bus is just a little less reliable on the trips back home in the afternoon, with a variance of anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. But, they are much more consistent than inconsistent. The $3/ride charge is a bargain and if this wasn't available to Noah, I would be driving him everywhere and it would be MUCH more exhausting then dealing with all of the little inconveniences of Paratransit. On balance, Paratransit works very well for Noah (and for me!)
Ellen Garber Bronfeld

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Brad
Brad
12:40pm 04/29/10

The service on this bus line is accessible... in that I am able to get on the bus. The only real complaint I have with the service is that they insist on using the tie-downs to secure my wheelchair. I do not like this because it makes me uncomfortable- I would have difficulty getting out in case of emergency. When I protested this, they told me they wouldn't be able to move without tying me down due to policy. I would just end up just going along with it because I needed to get where I was going. It was just frustrating.

Disability Awareness:   Ignored me, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:18pm 07/28/10

Pace apologies for the inconvenience stemming from this policy, but we do require that all mobility devices be secured while a bus is in motion. This policy was instituted for safety reasons—both the safety of the rider using the mobility device and other riders on the bus. Pace believes strongly in safety and this policy is a reflection of that belief. Your comment is appreciated and we thank you for using Pace service.
jake74
jake74
1:39pm 04/24/10

I also rode Pace's ADA paratransit system for awhile. I did not find them very accommodating at all, although there were those rare occasions when things did work out in my favor. First off, one had to call in a day in advance at the crack of dawn. Often times the wait on the telephone was several minutes. There were times when the reservation people called back later on that day--usually at dinner--only to tell me they were going to have to bump my ride times up or something similar. Often the drivers would get terriblly lost, and I was late several times or had to cut class at the end of the day to make my ride. I would not recommend anybody use paratransit. I did hear about improvements but I'm still very skeptical.

Disability Awareness:   Unwelcoming, Ignored me, Inflexible service, Disrespectful, Rushed me, Impatient with me, Unwilling or unhelpful when I needed assistance or accommodations, Though some of these people were in fact friendly, I'd still not recommend the service as is.
Pace Suburban Bus
Pace Suburban Bus
4:19pm 07/28/10

Thanks for your comments. We apologize for the problems you experienced with Pace’s ADA paratransit service. Regarding the telephone reservation system for ADA paratransit trips, please note that you do not have to call right when the phone line is open.You can call any time during the day before your trip to schedule a ride.
However, as a general rule, ADA paratransit isn’t necessarily more convenient than using fixed route service, and certainly is not as flexible. Since every Pace and CTA bus has a wheelchair lift and riders with disabilities can ride fixed routes for a reduced fare, there are more incentives than ever to use fixed routes for your daily travels to destinations all over the six-county region. The RTA can even help with travel training for those who request it. Please contact passenger.services@pacebus.com for more information. Thank you for riding Pace.
jake74
jake74
1:27pm 04/24/10

I used the regular Pace bus system too for a short time, back when I attended Barat College in Lake Forest which is no longer in existence. I found them to be very disability-aware. My mom would drop me off at the bus stop in Winnetka. When the number 213 bus came, the driver slowed the bus to a halt and brought the stairs down to a kneeling position, opened the door, and would give me verbal directions to get on the bus and locate the fare box for my change. Then she would verbally direct me to a seat. She announced each stop as we approached them, and once we got to my stop another passenger would help me off the bus and into the shelter to wait for 472. He was very friendly too and did the same things. Ditto for my return trip at the end of the day.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Brian
Brian
11:06am 10/30/09

I take the pace bus to work two days a week. The drivers are very nice. I highly recomend the pace bus tro all my friends. I also take it to the office to work too! It is a lot of fun to take it too!

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Asked me if I needed or wanted help, Friendly, Gave me choices, Gave me extra time, Respectful, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service, Physically accessible
Brian
Brian
8:23pm 06/24/09

I take the pace bus to work two days a week. They do a good job. The bus drivers are very nice to me. I have other friends who take it too. They do a good job. I highly recommend it to my friends. Have a good evening.

Disability Awareness:   Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Helpful when I needed assistance or accommodation, Flexible service
Tim
Tim
7:30pm 05/28/09

I've taken Route 422 on the pace bus by myself. It hasn't been too hard to take the pace bus by myself. The fare costs $0.85 cents when I take the pace bus. When the pace bus approaches, I just get on the bus, ask the driver if the bus goes to where I want to go, and if the driver says yes, I pay the fare, and then find a seat. I've taken Route 422 to the Irving's by myself, which is in Westlake Plaza. Then after I've been done eating at Irving's, I've just walked over to The Fresh Market, which is in the Edens Plaza. I've also taken Route 422 to Old Orchard by myself. When I've taken the pace bus to Old Orchard, I've gone to the movie theater, then I have gotten back on the pace bus. The drivers have been helpful when they've told me if the pace bus goes where I'm going. It has been big experience to take the pace bus by myself. It goes to all different cities and starts out in Wilmette. Route 422 on the pace bus is a fun route to take.

Disability Awareness:   Welcoming, Talked to me person-to-person, Friendly, Respectful, Flexible service, Physically accessible