Beginning on January 6th of 2025, several service changes will go into effect. Of these, the largest improvement is to north side night service. Currently the area is served only by Route 901 after 6 PM on weekdays, but in January the 901 will be retired and replaced with three existing day service routes which will be extended into night service:
These three routes cover most of the same area as the current 901 route but also expand upon it. Here is a comparison of the existing and future night service coverage:
This will bring the total amount of night service stops from 470 to 568 – an increase of 20%. With more route options, more destinations can be reached in a shorter amount of time.
Route 501
The current Route 501 provides service to both University of Illinois Springfield and Lincoln Land Community College for those living in nearby residential areas, but only from 6:15 PM to 9:15 PM on weekdays, during the school year.
In January, the 501 will be extended to run all day. It will run every half hour each weekday, from 6:22 AM to 10:12 PM, year round. Saturday service from 6:22 AM to 5:52 PM will also be added. The new version of the route will start at the UIS PAC building, head to LLCC, then back to the UIS PAC before heading out to the residential areas and back again.
Service to Lincoln Land Community College
The day service and night service routes currently servicing LLCC – Route 11 and Route 905 – will end at the UIS PAC building. Trips to LLCC will require riders to transfer at the UIS PAC from either route to the new 501 route to complete their trip. Time checks at the UIS PAC for all three routes have been aligned to make these transfers possible. Rides from one college to another will not require a fare to be paid.
Villanova Bus Stops
In response to community feedback, Route 10 – South 11th / Stevenson and Route 902 – Southeast Side Night Service will no longer service bus stops on Villanova Drive. Both will instead take Stanford Avenue for their outbound and inbound trips.
