Greyhound Bus Terminal Saved From Closure

Whoop whoop! By a 38-10 vote, City Council has approved an ordinance to purchase the Greyhound Bus Terminal at 630 W. Harrison St! LWV Chicago was proud to be one of the civic, environmental and social justice groups that signed on to the letter urging the city to go forward with this purchase. This means the estimated annual half-million intercity bus riders will be able to shelter inside the terminal while waiting for the bus to arrive. The purchase will be for $19 million, and the City Council expects to spend an additional $31 million for upgrades to improve security and temperature control. The Chicago Sun-Times says the deal could be finalized as early as August.

This public transportation victory isn’t just a win for the environment, although air travel does produce impressive carbon emissions compared to buses. The purchase is a social justice win, especially for women. Maintaining the terminal will help keep safe people who can’t afford to take a car or plane to their destination. This includes but isn’t limited to women who come to Illinois for reproductive care they can’t receive in their home states.

Alderman Conway (34), whose ward includes the terminal, said of the purchase: “Those nearly half a million riders are not powerful people. They don't have lobbyists, they don't write campaign checks, but they are people that matter, and they rely on affordable transportation, and they are our constituents, too, and they frankly deserve to know who stands with them […] Doing nothing will leave riders with no bus station, or at best waiting at the stop outside with a large deteriorating site on Harrison Street.”

The Environmental Action Committee meets the second Monday of each month at 4:30 pm. Please contact environment@lwvchicago.org to get involved with our work and view our webpage for news and environmental advice.