Harvey Pace Bus Transportation Center renovation getting $20 million in federal funding

Harvey’s downtown bus terminal is slated to get a major rehabilitation since it opened 20 years ago.

Thanks to $20 million in funding from the United States Department of Transportation, the station will get better weather protection for commuters, restrooms, and an interior waiting area.

The project will also be supported by an $8 million grant from the state through the Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure bill.

“The existing Pace Harvey Transportation Center handles more Pace bus boardings than any other single location in the six-county northeastern Illinois region,” Pace and Metra officials said in a news release, “so it is critical that these thousands of daily riders are provided a modern and comfortable facility.”

The 352 Pace Bus, the route with the agency’s highest ridership, is the only bus that runs 24 hours. It connects Harvey commuters to Chicago Heights and the Chicago 95th Street Red Line station.

There are currently ten bus bays at the station, and that figure is expected to increase to 14 with this project.

In an effort to make the station more accessible for people with disabilities, there will be a dedicated area for paratransit ADA vehicles. A consolidated commuter parking lot and pick-up-and-drop-off area will be added, also.

Retail space will accommodate the project, filling a void. A small brick-and-mortar store to the east side of the main building where commuters purchase tickets closed in 2021.

The goal is to make the bus station more interconnected with the rail line, as a new bus passenger waiting area will be built across the street next to the 154th Street Metra Station.

The downtown rail station is also slated to receive a makeover. Renovations will include a new entrance, new elevators, improved lighting, an expanded platform with a canopy, and new passenger headhouses. That project is in the design phase with plans to begin construction in 2024.

These efforts come as Pace is expanding bus service along the Halsted corridor—a major thoroughfare for buses on Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs—and the Tri-State Tollway.

“My administration is focused on building and maintaining relationships that fosters growth in the City of Harvey,” said Mayor Chris Clark in a statement. “The historic collaboration of Metra and Pace will make a significant impact on the lives, infrastructure, and future City developments. This $20 million dollar investment improves the quality of life for residents that deserve to live in a city for which they can be proud.”

The discretionary Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity fund, from which Harvey received monies, supports projects that could have major local or regional impact. The second round of RAISE applications were due in April.

“Metra is excited that this RAISE grant will help create a modern and comfortable transfer facility for the benefit of both Pace and Metra riders,” said Metra Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Jim Derwinski.

Earlier this year, officials broke ground on a $20 million renovation of the city’s Metra Station 147th Street and Sibley Boulevard.

That station is closed until next fall while renovations are underway.