Manley Hosts Public Transit Field Trip for Seniors

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. – State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, brought five constituents from Bolingbrook to downtown Chicago on Friday, Sept. 18, using various modes of public transportation. The group was guided by representatives from Pace, Metra, CTA, and the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) for the first session of “Transit 101.”

“We want to empower you all to use public transit as an affordable, convenient option to get around,” Rep. Manley said as the group gathered at the Canterbury Park-N-Ride in Bolingbrook for the first leg of the trip. “Chicago is a world class city and we should all be able to enjoy it safely.”

After hopping on the Pace express bus on the shoulder, Doug Sullivan, the external relations manager for Pace Bus, provided an overview of their programs for seniors and individuals with limited mobility.

“Pace ridership has increased from hundreds to thousands following the General Assembly’s approval of this route on I-55 in 2014,” Sullivan said. “In addition, our Dial-A-Ride service provides curb-to-curb rides to seniors and residents with disabilities in Will County.”

Any older adults and people with disabilities who are enrolled in the Illinois Department on Aging’s Benefit Access program are eligible to ride free on the CTA, Metra and Pace fixed-route services. In addition, transit riders who qualify for SNAP are eligible for reduced fares on Metra trains.

After getting off the bus in the Loop, participants headed underground to the CTA Red Line. With the Ventra app, riders can plan their trips ahead of time, purchase tickets, and load money into a mobile card to scan on any CTA or Pace entry point.

The Red Line brought the group right to Millennium Park, where Transit 101 headed to Michigan Avenue for lunch. While grabbing a bite, participants heard from Greg Godfrey, Senior Director of customer communications at Metra; Zach Braun, a government affairs associate with NITA; and Melinda Metzger, the Executive Director of Pace.

“We pride ourselves on being part of the community,” Metzger said. “With the implementation of NITA, we can continue work on universal fares, start a security task force to keep passengers safe, and expand our transit ambassador program to help passengers navigate the system confidently.”

For the second half of the trip, the group boarded a CTA bus toward Union Station. After exploring the historic Great Hall, Transit 101 made its way toward the Metra concourse for the journey home.

The BNSF Metra line between Chicago and Aurora accommodates approximately 160 trains each weekday, including commuter, passenger, and freight traffic. The 2:30 p.m. express BNSF takes only 30 minutes to get from Union Station to Downers Grove, which is half the usual commute in traffic.

Just across the street from Downers Grove station, Transit 101 hopped on a local Pace bus back to the Park-N-Ride. “For the first trip, things went very smoothly,” Rep. Manley said. “It’s a testament to our wonderful transit partners and a system that is easy for anyone to learn to use.”

Rep. Manley’s office is currently planning the next session of Transit 101 this fall, with details forthcoming. If you would like to join an upcoming field trip, or would like assistance navigating Pace, Metra, and CTA services, send a message to repmanley@gmail.com.

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