Streetsblog readers are likely already in the (West) Loop about what's been going on with the impending closure Chicago's Greyhound bus terminal, 630 W. Harrison Street. If you're not, check out our last article on the subject to get up to speed.
In a nutshell, Greyhound owner FlixBus is slated to lose its lease at the privately owned station building on October 20, less than two weeks away. If local leaders don't take action soon, bus passengers riders will be forced to wait for a ride on the sidewalk of Jackson Boulevard east Canal Street, with no shelter, which will be intolerable during the winter.
While the Jackson pickup/drop-off site is across the street from Chicago Union Station, that terminal's owner Amtrak says during rush hours, there's no room to accommodate Amtrak, Metra commuter rail, and bus customers. So, in addition to impacting the marginalized populations that make up the bulk of intercity bus riders, losing the Greyhound station would make Chicago the largest Northern Hemisphere city with no bus station. That would be a very embarrassing new title for what Mayor Brandon John regularly calls, "The greatest frickin' city in the world."
I don't wan't this issue to fall off the public's radar before the 10/20 doomsday hits, so I recently asked some of the major players for updates. Here's a quick rundown of their responses, or non-responses.
Mayor Johnson
The mayor is currently in crisis mode, as all Chicago Public Schools board members recently stepped down, apparently after facing pressure to sign off on taking out a short-term, high-interest loan to fund school pensions. More than 40 out of the 50 alderpersons, including some progressive mayoral allies, signed a letter criticizing Mayor Johnson's actions regarding CPS.
So obviously the Greyhound station is not a top priority for Mayor Johnson at the moment. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that his office didn't immediately respond to my latest inquiry, but here's they said in a statement on September 19. "The City of Chicago is fully committed to serving passengers and residents who depend on essential intercity bus services," the Mayor's Office stated. "Flix's lease at 630 W. Harrison St. expires on October 20, 2024, and we're working diligently with all operational parties to develop a comprehensive solution. Given our jurisdiction over curbside pick-up and drop-off, we're dedicated to ensuring travelers maintain access to affordable transportation options."
FlixBus
"Our lease at the Harrison Street terminal is set to expire on October 20," a FlixBus spokesperson confirmed. "We have been actively engaging local stakeholders for more than a year to try to find a solution that would preserve intercity bus service and give Chicagoans the most convenient, accessible location possible. Conversations with relevant stakeholders in Chicago are still ongoing."
"The Mayor’s office has been helping us to identify a suitable downtown location for pick-ups and drop-offs," the FlixBus spokesperson added. "We are encouraged by their efforts and the potential for a solution that meets the needs of our passengers, including features like a dedicated bus lane, basic shelter from the elements, and proximity to local transit options."
"Intercity bus services, including Greyhound, are vital to the Chicago community, and our top priority is to ensure uninterrupted service," the FlixBus spokesperson concluded. "This is a matter of preserving equitable access to affordable transportation for all residents. Chicago, the third-largest city in the nation, cannot afford to lose this critical mode of transportation, which plays a key role in maintaining the connectivity and affordability of the broader transit network. While this has been a challenging process, we remain hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon."
Ald. Bill Conway (34th)
"Alderman Conway has reached out to the Mayor’s Office about the loss of a Greyhound terminal and the opportunity to host this station nearby at the asylum seeker landing zone that has seen significantly diminished traffic over the past months," said 34th Ward Communications Director Olivia Simon.
Amtrak
Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said the railroad has no official statement on recent developments that might give intercity bus riders their own waiting facility, rather than having to use Union Station. "[The September 28] CNN story ["America's Greyhound bus stations are disappearing"] didn’t move the needle with anything new, either, as far as I know."
DePaul's Chaddick Institute Director Joe Schwieterman
"No news," said Schwieterman, who's been tracking the issue closely. "The main new development is that two bus lines not using the station [Peoria Charter Coach and Indian Trails], each offered or currently using the unattractive curb on Desplaines Street under the I-290 viaduct for arrivals and departures, sent this letter."
"We may... get a Peoria Charter bus in the boarding process under the viaduct," Schwieterman added. "I can't think of a worse spot of any downtown big-city location in the United States for bus lines. Peoria Charter was forced to move from Jackson Blvd. due to congestion issues there. Both prefer using public terminals rather than subleasing from Greyhound."
Kyle Lucas, executive director of Better Streets Chicago
"While the City has acknowledged [advocacy organizations'] letters to them, at this time we remain in the dark on what the future holds for Chicago's intercity bus terminal," Lucas said yesterday. "Considering we are now 18 days past when the terminal had initially been slated to be vacated, and are now only 12 days away from when the lease is set to expire, we continue to urge the administration to be transparent with the public and to bring advocacy to the table. The uncertainty that bus travelers are facing is not something that would be considered acceptable if we were instead discussing one of our city's airports, and the disproportionate impact this has on low-income travelers, and people seeking services such as reproductive or gender-affirming care is significant."
Streetsblog will keep our readers posted on any new developments we hear in the near future about avoiding the inequitable and humiliating loss of Chicago's inner-city bus station.
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