Issue in Brief
Chicago is snoozing and (close to) losing
Chicago is on the verge of losing its downtown intercity bus station after Greyhound’s previous owner sold off the property to a private equity firm.
Chicago and state of Illinois should move quickly to buy Chicago’s downtown Greyhound bus terminal, rehab it, and contract with a firm to manage it. Then the station’s future operator should work with a wide range of intercity bus companies to expand service to and from Chicago.
The total cost will be a tiny fraction of recent investments in Chicago’s other vital transportation assets. And the returns on investment will be immense.
Project Basics
Type
- Nation’s Bus Hub
Existing Service:
- Greyhound, Flix, and companies that “code-share” with Greyhound
- Other bus lines are forced into curbside service
Status:
- Advocates have blocked the closing planned for October 20, 2024
- Station is staying open on a month-to-month basis
Our Proposal:
- Chicago, the State of Illinois, or another government body should buy it and operate it like a municipal airport
Why it matters
The quickest way to convert car trips
Chicago should do everything it can to attract more visitors—especially from nearby university cities like Normal, Iowa City, Madison, Urbana, West Lafayette, East Lansing, and Ann Arbor.
We have to make it easier—not harder—for people to get to Chicago.
And we have to give Chicago residents easy, affordable ways to travel around the region without driving.
That won’t happen without quality intercity buses. And we won’t have quality intercity buses without a dedicated bus terminal.
Chicago’s bus terminal provides links across the Midwest and beyond.
In California, buses and trains work closely together to link the whole state.
Why is good intercity bus service so important?
• Intercity buses are the most expedient way to shift people toward non-car options for longer trips.
• An extensive intercity bus system is crucial to filling gaps—and supplementing service—in a regional network of fast, frequent, and affordable trains.
• Chicago has traditionally been the hub of the nation’s intercity bus network. A strong commitment to buses in Chicago will be a big boost to intercity bus service nationwide.
The stakes are extraordinarily high
Curb-only drop-off is not acceptable
Intercity buses serve about 60 million passengers each year, or roughly twice Amtrak’s ridership. For many people, they are the best (or only) option for getting where they need to go without driving.
Not surprisingly, there is pent-up demand for more bus service in this region. Carriers like Burlington Trailways, Indian Trails, and Peoria Charter Coach are interested in adding service in Chicago.
But first, they need access to a safe, dedicated bus station—instead of the dangerous curbside pickups and drop-offs that are now the only option.
Peoria Motorcoach has been forced to serve passengers under an expressway.
Bloomington, IL subsidizes its airport with real estate taxes.
Publicly owned stations are great for business
Chicago owns both O’Hare and Midway airports and is investing heavily to improve both—while charging the airlines no property taxes for using the land devoted to those airports.
It’s easy to see why the subsidies are worth it.
Good transportation options are the engine of a city’s prosperity. One study found that the O’Hare renovation project will expand Chicago’s economy by $500 million each year. O’Hare is perhaps “the most important economic asset in Illinois,” according to one author of the study.
It’s less common for bus stations to be publicly owned and/or subsidized. But there are some great success stories.
Chicago is snoozing and (close to) losing
Meantime, Chicago is on the verge of losing its only intercity bus station after Greyhound’s parent company, Flix North America, sold off the property to a private equity firm.
About 500,000 passengers use it each year, which is more than many publicly-owned and subsidized regional airports. It could easily handle many more buses and passengers if more intercity bus companies served Chicago.
On the other hand, losing the station will create a downward spiral. Inconvenient curbside service will diminish demand, which which will lead to fewer departure options, which will lead to fewer riders and more service cuts. And so on.
All of which means the city and state face a choice.
They can take a hands-off approach and let region’s intercity bus system slowly wither and potentially die. Or they can invest in a thriving bus station that serves multiple carriers and brings hundreds of thousands more people into downtown Chicago each year.
Help save—and expand—intercity bus service across the region
Public pressure has convinced Greyhound to continue operations in the downtown station on a month-to-month basis. That’s good news for now, but it’s unsustainable over the long run.
The only way forward is for the city and/or state to step in, buy the station, and manage it like an airport.
Expanded intercity bus service is in everyone’s interest. It will bring more people to downtown Chicago. It will give travelers easy, affordable ways to get around the region. And it will be a crucial vote in favor of sustainable alternatives to driving.
Please help make that happen. Sign the petition below—then call and/or contact your local and state representatives personally.
