As a transport enthusiast and especially streetcar lover, I should mention that Elgin once had fast, convenient and integrated service to "L". It was "Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad" - an interurban lines network, which provided direct throught service via "L" system to Chicago Downtown. In the last years of operation interurban stopped downtown trains and passangers needed to change between interurban and "L"... it was for financial reasons, but it led to even more decline of ridership. So Elgin said "goodbye" to electric rail transport at 1959. And now, I think, projects like I-90 Express and Metra STAR line are attempts to reintroduce some forgotten public transport links with cost effective or even just cheap methods of transportation.
Besides its violent history and watchmaking history, Elgin is where the motorized streetsweeper was invented! It was invented by John Murphy. He recognized the serious health hazards caused by polluted streets and wanted a machine that automatically picked up street debris. He first thought of the idea in 1911 but worked together with the American Tower and Tank Company to make it a reality, who later formed the Elgin Sweeper Corporation. They were built in a factory near the National Street bridge. The first finished machine was sold to Boise. John M. Murphy continued to improve the sweeper and, in 1917, he patented the next version with a conveyor belt to carry dirt from the broom to the dirt box instead of a slat conveyor that was in the original. Although they were offered a special discount price, the City of Elgin itself did not buy its first motor driven street sweeper until 1920. Today, Elgin Sweeper Company sells street sweepers all over the world and they are all made in Elgin!
Man, an alternate timeline where that Blue Line extension was built...would be a utopia. Also a shame that Metra line didn't happen either...it's like that corridor is cursed when it comes to transit. But hey, at least you get a comfy ride for a cheap deal as a result! The MTA also has highway express buses! Unlike the ordinary NYC buses, they use MCIs (Motor Coach Industries) and Prevost for the express runs. Express bus service is geared primarily to peak commuters from the outer boroughs (Bronx, Staten Island, Queens; hence why you might see MTA buses on highways in New Jersey in route to/from Staten Island) in transit deserts to and from Midtown or Lower Manhattan. Some routes provide significant off-peak service every day as well. Routes with daily off-peak service include the BxM1/2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, QM2, QM4, QM5/6, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM33C, X27 and X28. The only express bus that runs 24-hours a day is the SIM1C.
Thom glad you made it to Elgin my hometown. Our industry is now much more diverse which is good. Not dependent on one huge company. I hope you enjoyed your time here. Even though you are moving to D.C. I hope you return soon.
THIS IS MY COMMUTE! I almost exclusively work from home, but my office is in Elgin, so when I do go into the office I take the 77 from Lakeview East to the Blue Line to the 603. It’s a looooong commute, but only doing it once or twice a month isn’t too bad. Those seats are a really nice touch in comparison to a regular CTA or PACE bus and makes the ride a lot smoother. By far the most comfortable of the three legs.
I love Suburban Buses, I like how they’re a mix between a regular bus and a commuter coach. My agency, Foothill Transit (operator of the Silver Streak), has specifically ordered Suburban Buses since 2009, and those seats are so comfortable making the ride much smoother
I had gone on my weekly commute to my friends house using the 381, and to my surprise, one of these express busses pulled up to my stop. I'm not even sure how the Southwest Division got their hands on one of these, but it was a very welcome surprise to get a proper coach seat on a local route.
The Pace I-90 Express makes it easy to travel to O'Hare Airport from Elgin as well. While the bus doesn't go to O'Hare, you can still get to O'Hare, due to its connection at the Rosemont Blue Line station where you can transfer to Blue Line trains one stop west to O'Hare. That way you don't have to worry about waiting in the soul crushing traffic that I-90 is known for on the way to the airport
This bus saved me from paying for an expensive Uber from Elgin one day. Long story short I was hanging out with a buddy and Elgin was the closest metra station to where we were at and there wasn’t another train for two hours (Saturday schedule, gotta love ‘em). Because the Elgin bus station is spitting distance away from the metra, I saw this bus was the only one leaving the station much sooner than the train. Took it to the Rosemont cta and from there transferred to the red line at Washington I think over to lake and went home from there. Wow, it was so comfy and pleasant.
Cool bus! I love the seats, without a doubt. I can see this being an absolute hit. the small attention to routing, allowing use of the the "flex lanes" and having pedestrian access to both sides stations for each direction set it apart. Obviously wish it could be a train for that extra "oomph" of permanence and punctuality, but this really is just about as good as it can get without going all-in on dedicated BRT ROWs (at which point...just build a train)
“Just build a train” is what we’ve been screaming in Pittsburgh for decades. Best they can come up with is a rebrand nobody asked for and painted bus lanes masquerading as “rapid transit”.
They really need to add an Elgin Transportation Center to Schaumburg Northwest Transportation Center bus. The only express bus that goes between Elgin and Schaumburg is only services stops at the park-and-rides along I-90 and not the downtown. You either have to transfer onto an express bus or take the 554 both taking an hour.
What an interesting fun fact about why Elgin is on the clock outside Union Station! I always thought that was there only because Elgin is one of the terminal stops for the lines running out of Union Station, but found it weird no other cities had a special clock with their name on it. Now I know why lol
Thank you for this fascinating video. What a superb bus ! Shame about the neanderthal passenger, but what a great ride. I recall Elgin also has (had) a well known freight company called the Elgin Joliet and Eastern, and I guess that has probably been taken over by one of the Canadian intruding railroads !
My transit agency has some buses with this kind of interior, we have 30 of them used for express routes to Downtown LA, and Riverside it’s nice inside. Sadly they don’t use them for the express routes but they are now used to take people to and from Metrolink Train Station, sometimes seen on local routes as well
When I was a kid, I used to catch the South Suburban Bus Line behind the 63 and Halstead St. "EL" station to visit my grandparents in Chicago Heights. There also used to a bus that would take you to Gary, Indiana from the side a drugstore at 63rd and King Drive. A lot of memories.
When you mentioned El Dorado-National, I had to look them up. Back in the ‘80s when I drove buses for a living, National and ElDorado built nothing but Ford Econoline cutaway buses used as shuttle buses for car rental companies and hotels. I guess through mergers and acquisitions, they’re now called ENC Corp. and they’ve grown quite a bit. I live closer to the Gillig plant in the SF Bay Area so I’m more familiar with them.
@@Thom-TRA’ve had a somewhat eclectic work history. I joined the Air Force right after high school (Class of ‘74) and promptly got in over my head. I spent six years as, of all things, an air traffic controller. After having had quite enough of that, I got out of the Air Force in the middle of a recession. I like driving and Greyhound was hiring. No experience necessary. Be at least 24 years old and have a clean driving record. So I got hired and trained. But too many layoffs. I spent more time in low pay, part time charter outfits. It was time for another career change. I went to school and received my FAA Airframe and Powerplant license. I got hired by United Airlines at SFO in 1989 and I’ve been fixing airplanes there ever since. Next January will mark 35 years. I think I’m going pack up my tools right around then. So yeah. I used to be a bus driver. Or for the record, a “professional motor coach operator.” I will say though, that having been a professional driver for Greyhound has taught me one very valuable and important lesson about driving. Rule S-2 from the Greyhound driver’s handbook: “It is the responsibility of the professional Greyhound driver, to recognize accident producing situations soon enough to take reasonable and prudent action to avoid an accident.” In other words, if you’re involved in an accident, it was probably avoidable had you heeded Rule S-2.
This reminds me of Foothill Transit here in LA, the agency that operates the silver streak. they run local services throughout the san gabriel valley, and pretty much all of their buses are low-floors with comfy commuter coach like seating, even for local routes
Pace has additionally been updating interiors on the 6700s series - in the north shore division. You will find brand new LED screens - similar to the ones on the CTA novas. additionally brand new dark blue leather padding is so much more comfortable. Outlets are also being installed.
We need something that connects the southern suburbs to the western suburbs. For me, I would have to take 2 buses and 2 trains to get to this bus. The commute time would be insane. I would like to visit these suburbs.
I wish the 607 went to downtown Elgin instead of Randall Road though. The 607 is a through run of the 600 bus where a lot of them just change route numbers when they reach Schaumburg. There is no point for someone to take their car to the Randall Road park and ride to get to Schaumburg. While in Elgin, the 607 would probably get a lot of transfers.
@@Thom-TRA Yeah I do this sometimes. I transfer from the 550 bus to the 607 at Randall/90. At Schaumburg, it just changes numbers and continues on to Rosemont. They don't kick me off or anything at least going EB. Going westbound there is a 20-minute layover which I haven't tried. This means there are at least 4 buses an hour during the week going to Rosemont from Randall/90 which is quite good for how terrible a location it is.
@@Thom-TRA I was born in Seattle and have ridden the double deck buses before. One is called the Double Tall by Community Transit and the other is by Sound Transit which I like better because it's a lot safer than the regular bus. Why? It goes through the good areas of town.
Close. This intersection is Elm and Lincoln in Winnetka. The shot from the movie is a couple blocks west. Elm and Chestnut, which actually still is a Realty Company. I worked just a few buildings north from there on Chestnut.
TRA- I like the fact that you travel and shoot your videos in real, “on-location” locations. Scenes of the local weather, of the constantly changing scenery, the transportation system in that area- it’s a wealth of good knowledge! Many people these days are just doing TALKING HEAD videos- and then putting in some “canned video content” (stock) to complete their project. Or using other people’s video content. Ok- it’s a new thumbnail- but nothing more than that- it’s just another talking head video. It really would better as an audio-only podcast. I enjoy your videos- they help me me understand the other parts of the country and the world! 👍
I really appreciate this comment more than I can say! I’ve always wanted to do majority videos where I travel to a system, and a big part of my philosophy is to shoot as much as I can myself. We already have the discovery channel for documentaries haha.
I wish the STAR line was constructed, along the proposed line, especially near Carol Stream and West Chicago, there is pretty much no bus service at all, so something like the STAR was needed. Metra and Pace kinda forget about us over here.
Then you get the oft argued point and the distinction between a bus and a coach.I'd say it's like a frog 🐸 and a toad.A toad is a kind of frog but a frog isn't a kind of toad! Generally a coach is long distance but it's also to do with the type of seating,etc..
I get the logic of having a stop in Rosemont for easy access to O'Hare and all the businesses in Rosemont, but why not continue into the Loop? It's a long ride on the Blue Line with all the stops, and being able to sit on those comfortable seats sounds much more comfortable than being crammed in on the train (assuming they could figure out how to run those buses on the shoulders of the Kennedy).
I remember on one of my last bus rides in awhile was going on the 603 from Elgin to Rosemont and remembering the seats were really good, while it sucks here in Aurora there's little demand for Pace, though mostly cause Metra is already here for that, it would have be really cool to have a service like that on I88, I could imagine the service going from Aurora to Forest Park Blue line and Harlem/Lake Green Line with a stop at Yorktown Mall so that there would be an alternative connection. Oh well, I'm more anticipating for the 95th St Pulse Line to open so I can ride it for the memories of riding Route 381
Did you live on the northwest side of the city and work near Woodfield? Did you take a Pace bus from Jefferson Park or Cumberland? What kind of job did you do? You said you traveled for your job in the Midwest. I have lived in the NW suburbs near Woodfield my whole life. I used to work right on Meacham just north of Woodfield and now work in Hoffman Estates. The drive is actually pretty easy from the NW side of Chicago to the Woodfield area. I work with someone who lives on the NW side and commutes to Hoffman. I also commuted from Palatine to Rosemont which was easy. Did you not want a car?
I’ve rode these same kind of buses on the route 600 between Rosemont and Schaumburg. I’ve always wanted to do the 603, I hope I get a chance one of these coming years, especially since it’s been a while that I’ve been to downtown Elgin. I liked going there in the winter a few times when there was ice on the river so that I could see bald eagles that were nesting and that’s where they eat fish from. Now one thing I want to say about the bus you were on, that one is a 2013 Eldorado National Axess. I should have the year right.
The ironic thing is that the 600, 603, 605, and 607 (as you discussed in this video) is at a regular fixed fare of $2.00 ... while the 755 and combo route 850/851/855, also operated by Pace Bus, are at a premium fare of $4.50, when they're all interstate express routes. It's utterly strange. 😅
This is so cool! I wish that WMATA had more express highway buses to eliminate transfers and give people one seat rides, but there is a proposal for an express bus from bethesda to tyson’s, giving lots of people a one seat ride. I hope that goes through! Nice video!
Sounds like a very inconsiderate person you had to deal with on the bus. Aside from that, I enjoyed this video. I've yet to experience the vast Chicago area transit network with limited trips on Pace and Metra although plenty of experience with the CTA. If only there was a reason for those buses to be used in the city.
Hey Mr. Idealist, I’m not going to anger a person who is on some substance and more than likely carrying a weapon, on a bus in the middle of the highway. Your third grade morality is a little more nuanced in the adult world.
@@Thom-TRA 4 days ago ? That’s like 96 +/- hours?? I suppose you have to work and care of the little lady, too, huh? I enjoyed that one and I’m just eagerly anticipating the next one. I’m just glad you’re still making videos!!!
@@SD45-ET44AC can you please refer to my wife in a more respectful manner next time? Thanks! On my moving video, I mentioned that I will mix it up between Chicago content, DC content, and other stuff.
@@Thom-TRA I apologize if you thought I was insulting your wife, that was never my intention. I was hoping you realized that she is your priority, not us.
As a transport enthusiast and especially streetcar lover, I should mention that Elgin once had fast, convenient and integrated service to "L". It was "Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad" - an interurban lines network, which provided direct throught service via "L" system to Chicago Downtown. In the last years of operation interurban stopped downtown trains and passangers needed to change between interurban and "L"... it was for financial reasons, but it led to even more decline of ridership. So Elgin said "goodbye" to electric rail transport at 1959. And now, I think, projects like I-90 Express and Metra STAR line are attempts to reintroduce some forgotten public transport links with cost effective or even just cheap methods of transportation.
Besides its violent history and watchmaking history, Elgin is where the motorized streetsweeper was invented! It was invented by John Murphy. He recognized the serious health hazards caused by polluted streets and wanted a machine that automatically picked up street debris. He first thought of the idea in 1911 but worked together with the American Tower and Tank Company to make it a reality, who later formed the Elgin Sweeper Corporation. They were built in a factory near the National Street bridge. The first finished machine was sold to Boise. John M. Murphy continued to improve the sweeper and, in 1917, he patented the next version with a conveyor belt to carry dirt from the broom to the dirt box instead of a slat conveyor that was in the original.
Although they were offered a special discount price, the City of Elgin itself did not buy its first motor driven street sweeper until 1920. Today, Elgin Sweeper Company sells street sweepers all over the world and they are all made in Elgin!
I wonder if they also built the sweepers in robot city that brought the outmodes down to the chop shop!
Man, an alternate timeline where that Blue Line extension was built...would be a utopia. Also a shame that Metra line didn't happen either...it's like that corridor is cursed when it comes to transit. But hey, at least you get a comfy ride for a cheap deal as a result!
The MTA also has highway express buses! Unlike the ordinary NYC buses, they use MCIs (Motor Coach Industries) and Prevost for the express runs. Express bus service is geared primarily to peak commuters from the outer boroughs (Bronx, Staten Island, Queens; hence why you might see MTA buses on highways in New Jersey in route to/from Staten Island) in transit deserts to and from Midtown or Lower Manhattan. Some routes provide significant off-peak service every day as well. Routes with daily off-peak service include the BxM1/2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, QM2, QM4, QM5/6, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM33C, X27 and X28. The only express bus that runs 24-hours a day is the SIM1C.
Thom glad you made it to Elgin my hometown. Our industry is now much more diverse which is good. Not dependent on one huge company. I hope you enjoyed your time here. Even though you are moving to D.C. I hope you return soon.
You are correct in saying we have excellent transportation options.
It's always a pleasure collaborating with you. Can't wait for your next trip to Chicago!!
Thanks for the help on this one!
I was in Ogilvie two weeks ago wondering how I would learn the story of that station clock. Thank you, again, Thom!
I’ve stated at it many times wondering what the heck was so important about Elgin
THIS IS MY COMMUTE! I almost exclusively work from home, but my office is in Elgin, so when I do go into the office I take the 77 from Lakeview East to the Blue Line to the 603. It’s a looooong commute, but only doing it once or twice a month isn’t too bad.
Those seats are a really nice touch in comparison to a regular CTA or PACE bus and makes the ride a lot smoother. By far the most comfortable of the three legs.
I remember the first time riding these and being shocked at how nice the seats were. I knew right then and there they were video-worthy.
I was wondering if the ride would also be smoother than the standard transit version. Definitely an interesting video
Pace buses have one of my favorite transit liveries in the US. The bright blue is a nice splash of color in the monochrome Midwest winter.
It’s one of my favorite colors
I love Suburban Buses, I like how they’re a mix between a regular bus and a commuter coach. My agency, Foothill Transit (operator of the Silver Streak), has specifically ordered Suburban Buses since 2009, and those seats are so comfortable making the ride much smoother
I never knew that about Foothill Transit!
@@Thom-TRA yeah lol. They have been ordering them since 2009 because almost all of their buses do Commuter Services so it makes sense
Same as VTA Express buses in NorCal but I really don't like the material our seats have.
@@Cupertinorail are they like plastic or something?
@@alfredoacosta5600 probably but I am not 100% sure
I had gone on my weekly commute to my friends house using the 381, and to my surprise, one of these express busses pulled up to my stop.
I'm not even sure how the Southwest Division got their hands on one of these, but it was a very welcome surprise to get a proper coach seat on a local route.
I’d declare that day a national holiday if that happened to me
Thank you for sharing a trip here in Chicago. Yes, we do have a great city here.
The Pace I-90 Express makes it easy to travel to O'Hare Airport from Elgin as well. While the bus doesn't go to O'Hare, you can still get to O'Hare, due to its connection at the Rosemont Blue Line station where you can transfer to Blue Line trains one stop west to O'Hare. That way you don't have to worry about waiting in the soul crushing traffic that I-90 is known for on the way to the airport
That’s a great point!
Nice video, Thom. I enjoy the historical tidbits, too.
This bus saved me from paying for an expensive Uber from Elgin one day. Long story short I was hanging out with a buddy and Elgin was the closest metra station to where we were at and there wasn’t another train for two hours (Saturday schedule, gotta love ‘em). Because the Elgin bus station is spitting distance away from the metra, I saw this bus was the only one leaving the station much sooner than the train. Took it to the Rosemont cta and from there transferred to the red line at Washington I think over to lake and went home from there. Wow, it was so comfy and pleasant.
Although a more frequent train would be better it’s still great that this connection exists!
@@Thom-TRA absolutely, but after traveling to several European countries and taking their trains, it’s hard to go back to American efficiency.
Cool bus! I love the seats, without a doubt. I can see this being an absolute hit. the small attention to routing, allowing use of the the "flex lanes" and having pedestrian access to both sides stations for each direction set it apart. Obviously wish it could be a train for that extra "oomph" of permanence and punctuality, but this really is just about as good as it can get without going all-in on dedicated BRT ROWs (at which point...just build a train)
I like that slogan: just build a train. Lol.
“Just build a train” is what we’ve been screaming in Pittsburgh for decades. Best they can come up with is a rebrand nobody asked for and painted bus lanes masquerading as “rapid transit”.
Thanks for this video Thom. Wow the seats in that bus look really comfy. I wish we had seats like that on buses in Sydney!
They are very comfy indeed!
Thank You!
You’re welcome!
I really love riding on the I-90 Express routes just for fun. Or whenever I'm in the mood on hitting the routes in Elgin, IL
I used to take them from Schaumburg every once in a while
They really need to add an Elgin Transportation Center to Schaumburg Northwest Transportation Center bus. The only express bus that goes between Elgin and Schaumburg is only services stops at the park-and-rides along I-90 and not the downtown. You either have to transfer onto an express bus or take the 554 both taking an hour.
Yeah I don’t understand why they did it like that. Especially with Schaumburg Metra station being so far away from the NWTC.
What an interesting fun fact about why Elgin is on the clock outside Union Station! I always thought that was there only because Elgin is one of the terminal stops for the lines running out of Union Station, but found it weird no other cities had a special clock with their name on it. Now I know why lol
I always thought it was weird too, but never weird enough to research it. Glad I found the answer when I was researching Elgin!
Thank you for this fascinating video. What a superb bus ! Shame about the neanderthal passenger, but what a great ride. I recall Elgin also has (had) a well known freight company called the Elgin Joliet and Eastern, and I guess that has probably been taken over by one of the Canadian intruding railroads !
The STAR Line was supposed to follow the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern right of way!
Wow!!! Those seats!!! What a great way to ride!!! Thank you!!!
I wish every bus had seats like that!
Great channel. Love the city of Chicago and have been binge watching your videos for a while now
My transit agency has some buses with this kind of interior, we have 30 of them used for express routes to Downtown LA, and Riverside it’s nice inside. Sadly they don’t use them for the express routes but they are now used to take people to and from Metrolink Train Station, sometimes seen on local routes as well
When I was a kid, I used to catch the South Suburban Bus Line behind the 63 and Halstead St. "EL" station to visit my grandparents in Chicago Heights. There also used to a bus that would take you to Gary, Indiana from the side a drugstore at 63rd and King Drive. A lot of memories.
When you mentioned El Dorado-National, I had to look them up. Back in the ‘80s when I drove buses for a living, National and ElDorado built nothing but Ford Econoline cutaway buses used as shuttle buses for car rental companies and hotels. I guess through mergers and acquisitions, they’re now called ENC Corp. and they’ve grown quite a bit. I live closer to the Gillig plant in the SF Bay Area so I’m more familiar with them.
I didn’t know you used to be a bus driver!
@@Thom-TRA’ve had a somewhat eclectic work history. I joined the Air Force right after high school (Class of ‘74) and promptly got in over my head. I spent six years as, of all things, an air traffic controller. After having had quite enough of that, I got out of the Air Force in the middle of a recession. I like driving and Greyhound was hiring. No experience necessary. Be at least 24 years old and have a clean driving record. So I got hired and trained. But too many layoffs. I spent more time in low pay, part time charter outfits. It was time for another career change. I went to school and received my FAA Airframe and Powerplant license. I got hired by United Airlines at SFO in 1989 and I’ve been fixing airplanes there ever since. Next January will mark 35 years. I think I’m going pack up my tools right around then.
So yeah. I used to be a bus driver. Or for the record, a “professional motor coach operator.” I will say though, that having been a professional driver for Greyhound has taught me one very valuable and important lesson about driving. Rule S-2 from the Greyhound driver’s handbook:
“It is the responsibility of the professional Greyhound driver, to recognize accident producing situations soon enough to take reasonable and prudent action to avoid an accident.”
In other words, if you’re involved in an accident, it was probably avoidable had you heeded Rule S-2.
@@TenMinuteTrips thanks for sharing your cool life story here!
I like the 1 door boarding because people be hoping on the bus by the back doors so they don't pay the fare
This reminds me of Foothill Transit here in LA, the agency that operates the silver streak. they run local services throughout the san gabriel valley, and pretty much all of their buses are low-floors with comfy commuter coach like seating, even for local routes
I’ll have to go back to LA and try them out!
@@Thom-TRA Please do because it's the transit agency I frequently ride when in SoCal
Oh yes it does, I ride Foothill Transit and OCTA a lot.
Yess!!
Pace has additionally been updating interiors on the 6700s series - in the north shore division. You will find brand new LED screens - similar to the ones on the CTA novas. additionally brand new dark blue leather padding is so much more comfortable. Outlets are also being installed.
You will find these on bus numbers: 6700, 6708, 6710, 6712, 6714, 6715, 6717, 6718, 6720, 6722 and 6464 and 6520.
6707, 6719, 6705 - Power outlets, Brand new navy leather seats, LED screens
We need something that connects the southern suburbs to the western suburbs. For me, I would have to take 2 buses and 2 trains to get to this bus. The commute time would be insane. I would like to visit these suburbs.
Yeah they really should have built that train instead of this lame bus.
here in Richmond we have 9 2008 Orion V busses with high floor but fabric reclining seats. and uses hwy 99 to head to several places south.
Haha. I grew up on the East Side. Lol
I wish the 607 went to downtown Elgin instead of Randall Road though. The 607 is a through run of the 600 bus where a lot of them just change route numbers when they reach Schaumburg. There is no point for someone to take their car to the Randall Road park and ride to get to Schaumburg. While in Elgin, the 607 would probably get a lot of transfers.
Yeah I don’t know what the appeal of Randall Road is.
Would passengers be allowed to remain on board at Schaumburg?
@@Thom-TRA Yeah I do this sometimes. I transfer from the 550 bus to the 607 at Randall/90. At Schaumburg, it just changes numbers and continues on to Rosemont. They don't kick me off or anything at least going EB. Going westbound there is a 20-minute layover which I haven't tried. This means there are at least 4 buses an hour during the week going to Rosemont from Randall/90 which is quite good for how terrible a location it is.
A the Amtrak venture coaches should take after the seats on the pace
The venture seats are fine
This reminds me of go transit in Toronto or YRTs express routes. Although go transit uses actual coach buses mainly double decker tho.
I love double decker buses. Will be doing a video about the Seattle ones soon.
@@Thom-TRA I was born in Seattle and have ridden the double deck buses before. One is called the Double Tall by Community Transit and the other is by Sound Transit which I like better because it's a lot safer than the regular bus. Why? It goes through the good areas of town.
Was the intersection at 0:55 used as the location for Ferris Bueller's mom's real estate office? It looks very familiar.
Close. This intersection is Elm and Lincoln in Winnetka. The shot from the movie is a couple blocks west. Elm and Chestnut, which actually still is a Realty Company. I worked just a few buildings north from there on Chestnut.
Elgin , Chicago ? Wonder if it will ever be twinned with Elgin , Scotland ?
Perhaps. Though I’ve heard cities aren’t into twinning as much anymore. Costs a lot apparently.
@@Thom-TRA That's a shame
TRA-
I like the fact that you travel and shoot your videos in real, “on-location” locations. Scenes of the local weather, of the constantly changing scenery, the transportation system in that area- it’s a wealth of good knowledge!
Many people these days are just doing TALKING HEAD videos- and then putting in some “canned video content” (stock) to complete their project. Or using other people’s video content.
Ok- it’s a new thumbnail- but nothing more than that- it’s just another talking head video. It really would better as an audio-only podcast.
I enjoy your videos- they help me me understand the other parts of the country and the world! 👍
I really appreciate this comment more than I can say! I’ve always wanted to do majority videos where I travel to a system, and a big part of my philosophy is to shoot as much as I can myself. We already have the discovery channel for documentaries haha.
If Chicago transit had seats like that on all equipment there city would be a happier place.
Everything leaving at the same time? Reminds me of a Swiss railway node - can see why it's popular \m/
I call it Bus o’clock
Can you please do a video of taking the metra electric to blue island?
I wish the STAR line was constructed, along the proposed line, especially near Carol Stream and West Chicago, there is pretty much no bus service at all, so something like the STAR was needed. Metra and Pace kinda forget about us over here.
STAR would have been so popular
I enjoyed the video👍👍
Then you get the oft argued point and the distinction between a bus and a coach.I'd say it's like a frog 🐸 and a toad.A toad is a kind of frog but a frog isn't a kind of toad! Generally a coach is long distance but it's also to do with the type of seating,etc..
I get the logic of having a stop in Rosemont for easy access to O'Hare and all the businesses in Rosemont, but why not continue into the Loop? It's a long ride on the Blue Line with all the stops, and being able to sit on those comfortable seats sounds much more comfortable than being crammed in on the train (assuming they could figure out how to run those buses on the shoulders of the Kennedy).
I think it’s because the demand between Rosemont and the city is much higher, so a train is much better suited.
I remember on one of my last bus rides in awhile was going on the 603 from Elgin to Rosemont and remembering the seats were really good, while it sucks here in Aurora there's little demand for Pace, though mostly cause Metra is already here for that, it would have be really cool to have a service like that on I88, I could imagine the service going from Aurora to Forest Park Blue line and Harlem/Lake Green Line with a stop at Yorktown Mall so that there would be an alternative connection. Oh well, I'm more anticipating for the 95th St Pulse Line to open so I can ride it for the memories of riding Route 381
Just a random question, but while you were still in Chicago did you ever get the chance to ride all the metra lines and make videos on them?
I did, most of those are up on the channel already
Did you live on the northwest side of the city and work near Woodfield? Did you take a Pace bus from Jefferson Park or Cumberland? What kind of job did you do? You said you traveled for your job in the Midwest. I have lived in the NW suburbs near Woodfield my whole life. I used to work right on Meacham just north of Woodfield and now work in Hoffman Estates. The drive is actually pretty easy from the NW side of Chicago to the Woodfield area. I work with someone who lives on the NW side and commutes to Hoffman. I also commuted from Palatine to Rosemont which was easy. Did you not want a car?
Why would I want a car? A super expensive death trap that makes our cities worse
@@Thom-TRA I hate cars too but unfortunately in most areas, you need
a car. The US made a huge mistake
starting in the 1930s to favor the car .
Guess I was wrong, but it did look like the interior of a suburban gillig
I’ve rode these same kind of buses on the route 600 between Rosemont and Schaumburg. I’ve always wanted to do the 603, I hope I get a chance one of these coming years, especially since it’s been a while that I’ve been to downtown Elgin. I liked going there in the winter a few times when there was ice on the river so that I could see bald eagles that were nesting and that’s where they eat fish from. Now one thing I want to say about the bus you were on, that one is a 2013 Eldorado National Axess. I should have the year right.
The ironic thing is that the 600, 603, 605, and 607 (as you discussed in this video) is at a regular fixed fare of $2.00 ... while the 755 and combo route 850/851/855, also operated by Pace Bus, are at a premium fare of $4.50, when they're all interstate express routes. It's utterly strange. 😅
Have you been on Pace's MCI?
I have not yet
@@Thom-TRA maybe put it on your to-do list when you return to Chicago. I know it is a pain to get to some of the park and rides, but it is fun
METRA could be so much better. It's a missed opportunity for regional development.
This is so cool! I wish that WMATA had more express highway buses to eliminate transfers and give people one seat rides, but there is a proposal for an express bus from bethesda to tyson’s, giving lots of people a one seat ride. I hope that goes through! Nice video!
Pace heritage runs mci d motorcoachs
Sounds like a very inconsiderate person you had to deal with on the bus. Aside from that, I enjoyed this video. I've yet to experience the vast Chicago area transit network with limited trips on Pace and Metra although plenty of experience with the CTA. If only there was a reason for those buses to be used in the city.
Maybe for some train replacement service when they close yet another section of the blue line? Lol
@@Thom-TRA I like that idea
In my county such jerks get reported and then fined
So, BusesAreAwesomeSometimesToo?
You can't give into bullies. You have to confront them.
Hey Mr. Idealist, I’m not going to anger a person who is on some substance and more than likely carrying a weapon, on a bus in the middle of the highway. Your third grade morality is a little more nuanced in the adult world.
@@Thom-TRA I really overestimated you.
@@user-gm5mc8jh5d oh darn. Whatever will I do.
Hopefully they ban the lousy guy from pace. Hate to see wakandans ✊🏿 thrash and ruin public transport for everyone else
But it is not the trains are awesome TH-cam channel?? At least these buses are nice!
There are multiple trains in this video
@@Thom-TRA ok, I will give you that.
Aaah, the wonderful combination of a next to non existing suspension and Eastern European quality roads....
What happened to DC videos?
There was one literally 4 days ago
@@Thom-TRA 4 days ago ? That’s like 96 +/- hours?? I suppose you have to work and care of the little lady, too, huh? I enjoyed that one and I’m just eagerly anticipating the next one. I’m just glad you’re still making videos!!!
@@SD45-ET44AC can you please refer to my wife in a more respectful manner next time? Thanks!
On my moving video, I mentioned that I will mix it up between Chicago content, DC content, and other stuff.
@@Thom-TRA I apologize if you thought I was insulting your wife, that was never my intention. I was hoping you realized that she is your priority, not us.
@@SD45-ET44AC thanks for the clarification!