SUBURBAN TRANSIT ROUTES

ROUTES 641-689

VILLAGE SPONSORED FEEDER ROUTES/DU PAGE COUNTY

These routes were originally sponsored by individual villages, and were generally operated by contract operators, often school bus companies. Some routes were discontinued, and usually other routes were modified to incorporate portions of the discontinued routes.

Many bus routes in the northwest and west suburbs were originally operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems. Commuter Bus Systems was formed in 1973, and normally operated school buses painted white. But by 1986, Commuter Bus Systems was no longer in operation, and various school bus companies were operating the buses, usually using school buses. Although all day routes usually used regular transit buses. In 1997, Pace began providing the school bus companies with its own smaller transit buses, for rush hour feeder service.

The largest school bus companies serving Du Page County were Du Page Motor Coach Co. (several locations), Valley Transit (Hodgkins), and Kammes Bus Service (Wheaton and Batavia). Around the 1980's these companies were acquired by Vancom, which had evolved out of an original school bus company, Van Der Aa Bus Lines, based in South Holland IL. In 1997, the Vancom school bus operations were sold to Canadian company Laidlaw, which in turn in 2007 was sold to First Group of Great Britain. The school bus operations became known as First Student.

641-646 - Elmhurst - originally sponsored by village, and by 1978 consisted of six rush hour feeder routes. Routes #643 and #645 were introduced 1/9/78. Route #641 served northeast Elmhurst, and was discontinued 4/13/90. Route #642 served southwest Elmhurst, and was discontinued 6/8/2001. Route #643 served northwest Elmhurst, and was discontinued 2/7/2010. Route #644 served south central Elmhurst, and was discontinued 10/11/91. Route #645 was a reverse feeder route serving the northwest Elmhurst industrial area, and was discontinued 6/8/2001. And route #646 served southeast Elmhurst, and was discontinued 12/31/93. By late 1970's, routes were operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems. By 1986, routes were operated by Valley Transit, and a few years later, routes were assumed by Lakeview Bus Lines. Around 1994, service was assumed by Vancom, later Laidlaw. And in 2000, direct operation assumed by Pace through its West Division.

648-649 - Glenview-AON/Des Plaines-AON - two rush hour reverse feeder routes from Glenview and Des Plaines Metra stations introduced 8/20/2001, discontinued in 2008. Routes operated by Pace Northwest Division.

651-657 - Glen Ellyn/Glendale Heights - originally sponsored by village of Glen Ellyn, and known as Glen Ellyn Transit ("GET"). Originally six rush hour feeder routes introduced 5/1/74, and with route #657 introduced 2/27/78. Route #651 operated between Glendale Heights and the College Ave. station, and was discontinued 7/2/82. Route #652 served southwest Glen Ellyn, and was discontinued 8/11/2000. Route #653 served Bloomingdale and Glendale Heights, and was discontinued 6/9/2008. Route 654 served south Glen Ellyn, and was discontinued 2/7/2010. Route #655 served Central Glendale Heights, and was discontinued 9/22/95. Route #656 served southeast Glen Ellyn, and was discontinued 2/28/97. And route #657 served Bloomingdale and Glendale Heights, and was discontinued 2/7/2010. Route #651 was operated under contract by Westway Coach. Other routes operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems until 1986, when assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co./Glen Ellyn, which evolved to First Student.

655 - Bolingbrook-Schaumburg - introduced 11/30/2009, providing commuter express service between Bolingbrook and Schaumburg. Discontinued 3/8/2010. Operated under contract by Keeshin Charter Service/Coach USA.

661-665 - Westmont - rush hour feeder routes originally sponsored by village, with routes introduced 10/4/76, 3/25/74, 10/76, 1/24/77, and 5/16/79 respectively. Was operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems. In 1981, routes #663-#664-#665 assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co./Westmont, and in 1986, routes #661 and #662 assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co. Du Page Motor Coach Co. evolved to First Student. Effective 8/25/2014, routes assumed by MV Transportation/Romeoville. Route #661 was discontinued 1/21/2019. Service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

667 - La Grange Park-Stone Avenue - rush hour feeder route introduced 11/20/78, discontinued 2/25/83. Was operated under contract by Valley Transit, later by Our Town Bus Co.

667 - Oakbrook-Hinsdale - rush hour route introduced 4/4/88, operated primarily on York Road between Oakbrook shopping center and Hinsdale Metra station. Discontinued 5/11/90. Operated under contract by Westway Coach.

668 - Countryside-La Grange - introduced 12/09/85, discontinued 1/30/87.

668 - Burr Ridge-Hinsdale - introduced 10/15/84 as route #666. Renumbered to #668 in 1997, presumably for superstitious reasons. Operated under contract by Valley Transit/Hodgkins, which evolved to First Student. Effective 8/25/2014, route assumed by MV Transportation/Romeoville. Service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

669 - Western Springs-Indian Head Park - introduced 11/20/78. Operated under contract by Valley Transit/Hodgkins, which evolved to First Student. Effective 8/25/2014, route assumed by MV Transportation/Romeoville. Service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

671-672-674-676 - Lombard - originally sponsored by village, and known as "Lombard Lilac Lines". By 1978 consisted of four rush hour feeder routes. Route #671 operated between north Lombard and Villa Park train station from 12/04/78 to 5/7/82. Route #672 served southeast Lombard, operated from 5/1/74 to 5/28/93. During late 1970's, there also existed a route #676 operating between Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace. Was operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems until 1986, except for a brief period in 1982 when operated by Sanders Charters. In 1986, routes assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co./Glen Ellyn, later later Vancom and Laidlaw. Remaining route #674 was introduced 5/1/74, operated by Laidlaw Villa Park division until 2004, when contract assumed by MV Transportation/Batavia. Route #674 service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

672/673/675 - Route 59 Park-n-Ride - three rush hour feeder routes introduced 10/6/2008, 3/19/2001, and 10/4/99, respectively. Routes operated under contract originally by Laidlaw/Naperville, in 2007 to First Student. Service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

676-678/680-689 - Naperville - village sponsored bus system originally created 8/1/74, known as "GNATS" (Greater Naperville Area Transit System). Routes introduced after formation of RTA include #684 and #688 (9/7/76), #680 (12/10/90), #678 (1/22/79), #677 (12/26/79), and #676 (10/1/85). There originally was a route #680 Brookdale introduced 11/23/77, replaced with a new #682 Brookdale route 7/17/89, when the nearby Route 59 Metra station was opened. Route #682 was originally the East Highlands route, one of the original Naperville routes introduced 8/1/74, and discontinued 8/22/86. Effective 6/13/2016 route #686 consolidated into route #684, and route #688 consolidated into route #689. Routes operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems until 1986, when assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co./Naperville, which evolved to First Student. Route #689 had been operated by Du Page Motor Coach Co. Westmont division. Effective 6/13/2016 routes #676 and #685 operated by Pace Fox Valley Division. Service suspended effective 4/13/2020 due to covid-19 pandemic.

679 - Warrenville Feeder - rush hour feeder route introduced 5/15/78, between Warrenville and Naperville train station. Replaced 7/17/89 by #790 Warrenville Feeder route, serving newly opened Route 59 Metra station. Operated under contract by Commuter Bus Systems until 1986, when assumed by Du Page Motor Coach Co./Naperville.