One year since the opening of the Wind Creek Chicago Southland casino in East Hazel Crest, Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld has one major concern: a bus stop.
Many of Wind Creek’s hundreds of employees use Pace’s Route 352 bus, which runs up and down Halsted Street, to commute to work, Hofeld said. The buses stop at Halsted Street and 174th Street, not far from the casino’s main entrance.
However, there’s no clear sidewalk or walking path between the stop and the entrance, which is primarily designed for cars. The stop is also immediately south of entrance and exit ramps for Interstate 80/294.
The northbound bus stops on the far side of Halsted Street from the casino, where there is no sidewalk or bus shelter. Riders then have to cross the crowded and fast-moving thoroughfare. The casino is open 24 hours, meaning workers and visitors may also be making the trek when it’s dark.
Hofeld and East Hazel Crest President Thomas Brown said that they would like the bus diverted to instead stop in front of the casino’s main entrance, which would protect riders going to and from the casino from weather and save them from having to traverse the pedestrian unfriendly approach.
“Our goal is to have better transportation for the people that work there, people that go there,” Hofeld said. “It’s a decided inconvenience the way that Pace has it now.”
“And they’d probably get more riders if they actually pulled up,” Brown said.
The casino is largely located in East Hazel Crest, but its parking garage is in Homewood, and the two municipalities split a share of the casino’s revenue.
Pace said in a statement it was aware of the concern, but that rerouting the bus to stop directly in front of the casino would affect reliability for other riders.
“Route 352 Halsted is a major north-south corridor with 175 daily trips and timed connections with other bus and rail services to serve our customers. Rerouting the bus to the casino entrance would affect reliability for riders throughout the corridor,” the statement said. “More than 90% of Route 352 riders are not going to/from the casino.”
Hofeld said the stop has seen a surge in use since the casino’s opening, making it worth the delay from redirecting the bus.
“If they don’t have three or four minutes built into their schedule, they’re not doing something right,” Hofeld said.
The number of riders getting off the southbound bus at Halsted and 174th spiked from 17 to 64 daily after the casino opened, and the number boarding northbound jumped from 5 to 38 daily, according to data assembled by Homewood village staff.
Pace’s statement indictated the bus service plans to install bus shelters next year, and that sidewalk construction is the purview of municipalities and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Pace also said there has been discussion of a Pace Vanpool, Pace’s ridesharing option, to provide dedicated service to the front of the casino.
“Our goal is to support all of our riders including the thousands who depend on our service along the Halsted Corridor every day,” Pace’s statement said.
Hofeld called Pace’s suggestions a “total waste of money” compared to stopping the bus in front of the casino. Even with a bus shelter, he said, “the people still have to walk a good block and a half in the wet weather.”
“When Tom and I went for the casino, one of the things we talked about was employment opportunities. And they’ve created them,” Hofeld said. “However, some of these people have to take the bus. Don’t inconvenience them.”
elewis@chicagotribune.com