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PACE lays out 2026 budget, warns implementation depends on SB 21‑11 details
Summary
PACE representative Mayor John Noak presented the agency's 2026 operating and capital plan to the Will County Committee of the Whole, highlighting new funding from Senate Bill 21‑11, service‑expansion plans and a capital push for hybrid/electric buses and improved paratransit access.
Mayor John Noak, representative of the PACE board of directors for Will County, told the Will County Committee of the Whole that PACE’s 2026 operating and capital plan is built around new funding authorized by Senate Bill 21‑11 and a forthcoming network revision plan.
“With the new investment, we plan to deliver more services, increase frequency, expand bus on shoulder operations, [and] explore innovative solutions to meet the growing demand,” Noak said in the presentation. He said PACE will release a draft revision plan in 2026 for public review.
Noak cited local service metrics to justify the plan: between January 2025 PACE provided more than 364,000 fixed‑route rides and over 54,000 paratransit rides in Will County, and ridership on PACE‑operated fixed routes in Will County was up 17.3% in September 2025 compared with the prior year. He also said an ADA customer satisfaction survey showed 89% of respondents were “very satisfied or satisfied” with paratransit service.
On capital, Noak highlighted a recent Federal Transit Administration discretionary grant to buy 36 hybrid electric buses and additional grants to buy an electric over‑the‑road coach to operate from the Plainfield division. PACE reiterated its goal of operating a fully zero‑emission fleet by 2040 and said it is procuring hybrid and battery buses as near‑term steps toward that target.
Board members asked how pilot on‑demand service called Van Gogh functions and whether it is broadly available. Noak said Joliet is the initial Van Gogh station because that is where demand was first met; not all Van Gogh vans are electric yet, and PACE intends to transition vehicles to electric or hybrid as availability allows. He said TripCheck allows paratransit riders to view trip information in real time and that reservation phone numbers for dial‑a‑ride services will remain unchanged during an expected transition into AccessWill programs.
Members also pressed PACE on farebox recovery and long‑term stability. Noak said the legislation changes recovery requirements and that implementation details — including how discretionary funds will be allocated by the new regional authority — remain to be finalized. PACE offered to provide detailed fare and cost breakdowns to board members.
Next steps: Noak said PACE will circulate the draft revision plan in 2026 for public input and will follow up with the Will County chief of staff on requested cost and operational breakdowns.
Ending: The committee accepted the presentation and asked staff to provide follow‑up materials on fares, the Van Gogh cost structure and paratransit reservation transitions.
