Pace and the Illinois Tollway are submitting an application seeking $200 million in federal stimulus funding for new express bus service and newly-designated carpool lanes on the Tri-State Tollway to provide access to jobs in the south, west and northwest suburbs of Chicago.

“We’re asking for about $200 million that will cover not only the roadway modifications and improvements to construction on park-and-ride stops, but also for about 50 new buses that will be powered by compressed natural gas, a clean burning, environment friendly fuel,” said Patrick Wilmot, manager of media relations for Pace.

Wilmot said Pace and the tollway got the  idea from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery program, funded by the federal stimulus bill.

“Pace came to us and asked if we will support them in the TIGER grant application and we certainly will,” said Joel McGinnis, press secretary of Illinois Tollway. “Pace currently has buses on the Tri-State and plans to extend their service.”

Wilmot said Pace has been working with the Illinois Tollway for about six to seven weeks.

The TIGER program is designed to create jobs through transportation investment projects and provide access to jobs, Wilmot said.

“Now that we have the opportunity to benefit from federal stimulus funding we’re trying to change and create opportunities to people that don’t have access to some of these employment centers,”  Wilmot said.

Pace is looking to start the bus lanes at the southern end of the Tri-State, east of the Lincoln Oasis, and extend them 35 miles north to Rosemont and O’Hare Airport.

“We want to take advantage of the availability of federal funding to help enhance the transportation along the Tri-State,” Wilmot said. “[We] also need to be able to connect areas where there is a high percentage of affordable housing in the south suburbs and areas with major employment corridors in the west suburbs.”

Wilmot said there will be multiple stops and pick-up locations at some of the other oases and tollway interchanges.

“We would incorporate park-and-ride a lot and hope to attract people that make trips on the tollway now, as well as be able to attract people who currently don’t have the ability to make the trips to the west or west suburbs by transit now,” Wilmot said.

Pace is considering having the express service start as early as 4 a.m. and end as late as midnight. Buses  will operate every 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour and once an hour during off-peak hours.

“By having longer hours, we are able to serve some of the shift work-type jobs that exist by O’Hare,” Wilmot said.

“Right now Pace has a flat fare of $1.75 one way to ride how far you want,” Wilmot said.

“The distance traveled will be around 35 miles and we’re looking at a distance fare similar to the Metra.”

If funding is approved, High-Occupancy Toll lanes could be opened on the Tri-State by early 2012.

“In other areas, HOT lanes are referred to as carpooling,” Wilmot said. “To travel in that lane on the tollway, a car will need to have more than one rider.”

McGinnis said the Illinois Tollway doesn’t have plans for HOT lanes at this time and they are more concerned about Pace itself.

“HOT lanes are not a concept that is fully fleshed out or something that we [have] confirmed we will participate in for passenger vehicles,” McGinnis said. “Right now the focus is strictly on the buses.”

Anthony Williams lives in the Maywood west suburb, and catches a Pace bus to get to school and work.

“Maywood is only 21 blocks and only 3 buses go through [it],” Williams said. “It’s a good idea because especially around the suburb of Westmont, which is 10 minutes away, there are no buses at all. When you live out there you’re just stuck, with no connection for you to get from those deep suburbs unless you get on the Metra. If you try to catch the bus out there, you can’t.”