Will County ad hoc committee forwards recommendation to expand Access Will County, including a rideshare pilot

The Will County Access Transportation Ad Hoc Committee voted to forward a set of recommendations to the county executive committee on Friday that would ask county leadership to support enhancements to Access Will County, create a transportation enhancement fund and study limited use of rideshare services to reduce long wait times and provide trips across township lines.

The recommendation — moved from the ad hoc committee and adopted on a roll‑call vote — asks the executive committee to consider a $288,000 transportation fund (described in the draft as allowing a $1,000 monthly contribution to each enrolled township) and to explore cost‑sharing arrangements with townships and riders to cover supplemental rideshare trips. Committee members repeatedly emphasized that the draft is a recommendation, not a binding ordinance or appropriation, and that the executive branch and the normal budget process would decide any actual funding.

The recommendations are aimed at two gaps committee members said the existing regional programs have not solved: long return waits for some riders…