DuPage County committee hears that Hinsdale Lake Terrace ride pilot has surged in use and faces near-term funding shortfall

DuPage County transportation staff told the Transportation Committee on June 3 that a subsidized ride pilot serving the Hinsdale Lake Terrace neighborhood has grown rapidly since January and faces a near-term funding shortfall.

John Loper, transportation staff, said the pilot was launched after a COVID-era study identified transportation as a primary need in the neighborhood and that the area was designated by federal agencies as transportation-disadvantaged. "This is a pilot program, as a discovery process," Loper said, reporting that enrollment rose from about 100 people in January to roughly 230 and that approximately 90 to 100 enrollees are regular users who often take multiple trips per day.

The program, operated through agreements with PACE and Uber, provides vouchers that enrolled residents use to request trips inside a defined service area. Loper said ridership has…