In September 2024, the future of Chicago intercity bus service wasn't looking particularly bright. Greyhound owner FlixBus barely escaped being evicted from its station, 630 W. Harrison St. in the West Loop, by getting a month-to-month lease. It was good that the facility didn't immediately close, which would have kicked riders to the curb, literally, but its future was in limbo.
But there was some excellent news from Mayor Brandon Johnson's people today. The City is planning to purchase and rehabilitate the facility.
“Given the fact that Greyhound is the most economical form of intercity transport, serving a ridership that is disproportionately low-income, disabled, and unemployed, the Johnson administration made the decision to purchase the station using [Tax Increment Financing] dollars to ensure it will continue to serve as a transportation hub," a spokesperson stated today. "The City is in the initial phase of purchasing the site and planning for restorations."
"The alternative to purchasing the station would force hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to utilize curbside pickup," the Mayor's Office staffer added. "We have seen that this method has been dysfunctional in other cities, which has already led some cities to reverse course. Particularly throughout the winter in Chicago, curbside pickup would not be a viable solution for this site."
The spokesperson was almost certainly referring to the City of Philadelphia reversing course on its decision to but their Greyhound station after thousands of complaints about a switch to unsheltered curbside pickup. So not only did Philly's current misfortune with a public transportation budget gap and service cuts spur Illinois legislators to pass a robust transit funding/reform bill last Halloween. But the Quaker City's bus station mishap also surely inspired Chicago's mayor to say, in the words of Philly pop stars Hall and Oates, "I can't go for that."
So Chicago definitely owes Philadephia a big thank you. Mayor Johnson, how about FedEx-ing Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker a crate of Mr. Beef sandwiches as a show of gratitude?
But I digress. "The Johnson administration is committed to providing accessible transportation for all Chicagoans and visitors, regardless of their economic status," the spokesperson concluded. "We anticipate welcoming additional bus lines to the terminal, connecting Chicago with more cities in Illinois and across the country."
It’s worth noting that there won’t be an option for local Ald. Bill Conway (34th), who has previously supported closing the current Chicago Greyhound station due to crime issues, to veto the bill. For citywide assets like the airports and other transportation hubs, the Johnson administration does not let City Council members to exercise "aldermanic prerogative" by putting the kibosh on projects in their wards they dislike.
This plan represents a major win for local intercity transit and transportation equity. A DePaul University study reported that the Greyhound station serves over 500,000 riders a year, with many them disabled, low-income, and/or jobless. Moreover, if the stop had closed, Chicago would have been biggest city in the northern hemisphere without a bus station.
So, thanks to Philadelphia, Chicago will get to avoid that embarrassing title, and Philly may get some tasty Italian beef sandwiches. That's a great example of two peer cities showing sibling love.
Do you appreciate Streetsblog Chicago's paywall-free sustainable transportation reporting and advocacy? We officially ended our 2024-25 fund drive in July, but we still currently need $42K to complete our budget and keep publishing at full strength in 2026. We'd appreciate any leads on potential major donors or grants. And if you haven't already, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us continue publishing next year. Thanks!
