Geneva council approves PACE Van Gogh pilot to close first‑and‑last‑mile gaps

The Geneva City Council approved a license agreement on Feb. 2 to host a PACE Van Gogh pilot that will provide reservation‑based, short‑trip vans intended to close first‑and‑last‑mile connections for Geneva commuters.

Steven Andrews, PACE’s manager of community relations, told the council the Van Gogh service is a flexible, geo‑fenced, reservation system that allows users to unlock a van with a code and use it within a defined zone for a $5 daily fare. Andrews said the pilot typically operates with two vans initially and that ridership per trip is usually two to four people; the agency can add vans if reservations indicate unmet demand.

Councilmembers pressed staff on the boundaries of the geofenced zone and on how PACE would scale the service. Andrews said target areas under consideration include the Randall Road corridor, the hospital, and several business parks along Glengarry Drive, Avril Road, Fabian and Kirk roads. He said PACE will finalize zones after coordination with city community development staff and will monitor reservation data to determine whether to expand from the initial two vans.

The license agreement would provide two parking spaces in the South Street lot for the Van Gogh vehicles. Committee and council votes followed the presentation and questions; staff recorded the item for approval as part of the committee agenda.

The pilot marks PACE’s first Van Gogh site in Kane County and the agency’s eighth overall, officials said. No fare subsidies, start date or specific implementation deadlines were detailed in the meeting packet; PACE staff said they will return with zone details and utilization reports if expansion is warranted.