Ela Township Dial-A-Ride Holiday Bus Schedule

All aboard! Ela Township’s bus service for township residents 55 and older has a special holiday schedule for December, in addition to its regular schedule.

Do you need to do some holiday shopping? The bus service is offering two trips to Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills on Monday, Dec. 7 and Monday, Dec. 14.

Rider’s will be picked up at their homes beginning at 9:15 a.m. on both days. The bus will return to the mall at 2:15 p.m. to take riders home. Riders must make their reservation the Friday before each date (Dec. 4 and Dec. 11). The fare is $4 for a round-trip.

Free Ride to Dinner Dance

Are you a township resident 55 and older who’ll be attending the annual Holiday Dinner Dance at St. Francis on Dec. 11? Get a FREE round-trip ride on the township bus!

Riders will be picked up starting at 3:30 p.m., though the bus will not drop-off anyone prior to doors opening at 4:30 p.m. The bus will begin taking riders home at 7:45 p.m. This is 15 minutes prior to the dinner dance ending, but will help the driver get everyone on board and out of the parking lot before the rush.

Reservations for the free ride to the dinner dance must be made by Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the latest.

Regular Bus Schedule

Regular bus service hours are 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, for township residents 55 and older who need transportation related to shopping, errands, hair appointments, etc. Hours are extended to 3:45 p.m. for riders with doctor, dentist or Good Shepherd appointments.

There will be no bus service on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24; Christmas Day, 25; and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.

All rides must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. The cost is $2 for one-way and $4 for a round-trip. Riders can request one additional stop for $1 more.

To schedule a ride, please call (847) 438-6677.

Bus Service Guidelines

• Ela Township’s senior/handicapped bus service starts at 8:30 a.m. for stops with no appointment time.

• Riders with appointment times will be picked-up within the hour of their scheduled appointment time.

• All appointments should be scheduled for after 9:15 a.m. All riders must be back on the bus by 1:30 p.m. The only exception is for doctor, dentist or Good Shepherd appointments, in which case the last scheduled pick-up to go home is 3:45 p.m.

• Bus rides should be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours in advance. You cannot call for a ride on the day of your appointment or requested stop. Riders are advised to reserve their ride as soon as they know their appointment time to ensure a seat is available the day they need it. Cancellations or changes may be made the same day, if necessary, by calling (847) 438-6677. Drivers are not responsible for these messages.

• Please watch for the bus, as the driver can only wait five minutes at each stop. Drivers cannot leave the bus to ring your doorbell.

• Drivers cannot leave the bus to deliver grocery bags. All shoppers should limit their number of bags to five, or whichever they can carry.

Senior Center Bus Schedule

• Monday: Pickup at 8:30 a.m., back on bus at 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday: Pickup at 8:30 a.m., back on bus at 12:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: Pickup at 10 a.m., back on bus at 2:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Pickup at 8:30 a.m., back on bus at 2:30 p.m.

The Ela Township Highway Department is base camp for the senior/handicapped bus service and is the responsibility of Highway Commissioner Bill Kruckenberg and Bus Supervisor/Dispatch Pam Saubert.

For more information, call (847) 438-6677 or visit http://elatownship.org/bus-service.

Ela Township serves more than 40,000 residents and covers 36 square miles. Within its borders are all or part of the Villages of Barrington, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, North Barrington and portions of unincorporated Palatine and Mundelein.

The Ela Township Offices are located at 1155 E. Route 22 in Lake Zurich. For more information about township programs and services, visit www.elatownship.org and like us on Facebook.