Chicago has always been a major transportation hub, but we came close to losing a key travel mode when owners of the old downtown Greyhound station tried to sell the land for a high-rise. Fortunately, bus riders and advocates spoke out, and the city stepped up to purchase the property. On June 17, the Chicago City Council voted on a long-term solution to save and fix the station.
Here are three reasons why this is a good deal for the city and for riders.
First, the intercity bus market is booming. After all travel dropped during the pandemic, most transit agencies rebounded slowly, but long-distance bus and rail ridership shot back up. DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development calculated buses reached 90% of pre-COVID-19 levels in 2024 and estimates full recovery this year.
As gas prices climb, people are seeking affordable alternatives. The bus goes more places more frequently than trains, filling a niche like no other. The city could capitalize on that growth with a public bus station that would foster a more competitive market and improve the rider experience. Just as Chicago provides public facilities for plane, train and even cruise ship passengers (at Navy Pier), bus riders deserve that same support.
Second, public ownership means a better bus station and a good return on investment. The old private station only served Greyhound buses and a couple of partner companies. Even if bus frequencies stayed the same, the city would break even on operations by charging companies a surcharge per bus or passenger, like it does at the airport. But additional bus operators have already expressed interest in joining a public station, including Coach USA, Indian Trails, Peoria Charter and more. This would centralize transfers, bring more rental income for the city and reduce congestion impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. Critically, public ownership also makes it easier to improve public safety, as the city can better coordinate with security contractors and police at a public station than it can on private property. New food vendors and other retail could also boost rent and beneficial foot traffic.
Land downtown is a hot commodity, but the city negotiated a great deal to purchase the property for about $7 million below market value. The city is doing it right with a smooth transition process. It will beef up security and immediately begin renovations while Flix maintains operations for one year, allowing time to find the right operator to manage the property responsibly for the long term. Letting the station deteriorate or close would cost us much more, so we’re glad the city seized this opportunity for better. Instead of an eyesore, a bright, clean, new station can be a community hub of activity, a win-win for neighbors and visitors.
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Most importantly, the bus station is a vital lifeline for half a million travelers. Many have no other option. Over a quarter of Chicago households have no car, and more people should be able to save the money they currently spend on one. People with disabilities, students getting to school, women seeking reproductive healthcare, LGBTQ+ residents fleeing persecution and domestic violence survivors are just some of the hundreds of thousands who currently depend on this station. If it closed, riders would have been kicked to the curb to wait in the elements without restrooms or ticket counters. Chicago would have been the largest city in the Northern Hemisphere without a bus hub, and Greyhound could have moved its Midwest hub to Indiana where reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare are criminalized. It is critically important to ensure that everyone has the freedom to travel.
For too long, the bus has been treated as a last resort rather than one of the most efficient, equitable and sustainable transportation options. Taking the bus creates just one-fifth the carbon emissions of driving. All of us benefit from cleaner air when people can choose a bus over driving and when affordable travel options open doors of opportunity for people to enrich our communities. For generations, Chicago has thrived because dreamers could make it here with little to their name and make something of themselves, and the bus is a prime way to do so.
Chicago is doing the right thing to bring bus service into the future and solidify our place as a major transportation hub for the Midwest.
Lena Guerrero Reynolds is a policy advocate at the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Chicago.
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