Lake County is set to become the first Pace service area anchored by an all-electric bus garage, with the agency's Waukegan facility leading its broader shift away from diesel.
Pace spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken said the agency chose Lake County first because of the number of buses operating out of the Waukegan facility and because the community has been a victim of industrial pollution, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune.
No precise date has been set for when the Lake County fleet goes fully electric.
The transition is part of Project Zero, Pace's plan to convert all 700 of its buses to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. The agency estimates the vehicle cost alone at roughly $1 billion, with an additional $1.5 billion needed to upgrade its ten bus garages.
"Waukegan has a lot of people who depend on public transportation," Skogsbakken said. "That's one of the reasons for the investment here."
What's happening at the Waukegan garage
The Waukegan facility, known as North Division, is already mid-renovation. Pace opened a charging station there in December 2025 capable of powering 12 electric buses, including two on overhead high-speed pantograph chargers.
The final construction phase is underway. Skogsbakken said she expects the garage work to be complete by the end of 2028. Once finished, the facility will have 60 additional chargers and expanded bus storage. Construction is staged so the garage stays open.
Pace's own Project Zero page lists a target of making North Division a zero-emission-only facility with 60 battery-electric buses by 2027. The garage renovation completion date of 2028, cited by Skogsbakken, may reflect a different milestone. The agency has not publicly reconciled the two timelines.
Buses in the pipeline
Twenty-seven new electric buses are being delivered, funded by a grant the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) awarded Pace in January 2025. Two electric buses already run on Route 381 along 95th Street in the southwest suburbs.
Meanwhile, 47 hybrid-electric buses entered service May 4. Pace ordered 22 more electric fixed-route buses, 10 of which arrived in August. Every future replacement bus will be hybrid or electric as the agency phases out diesel.
Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger told the Tribune the rollout requires more than purchasing vehicles, citing the need for coordination across charging infrastructure, maintenance procedures and staff training before electric buses can enter daily service.
Local connection
Pace's North Division garage in Waukegan serves Lake County, including routes connecting to the area.
Which specific fixed routes serving Lake Forest and Lake Bluff will switch to electric buses first has not been announced. Pace's next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Oct. 21 at 9:30 a.m. at Pace headquarters.
