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{{Short description|American Midwest bus service}}
{{COI|date=November 2008}}
{{Infobox Bus transit {{Infobox Bus transit
| name = | name =
| logo = Sebanner white.png | logo = Sebanner white.png
| logo_size = 250 | logo_size = 250
| image = Intermodal Transportation Center.JPG | image = Intermodal Transportation Center.JPG
| image_size = | image_size =
| image_caption = Illini Shuttle, operated by Suburban Express, at | image_caption = Illini Shuttle, operated by Suburban Express, at ] in Champaign, Illinois.
| company_slogan=
] in Champaign, Illinois.
| company_slogan = | founded = 1983
| former headquarters = 714 S Sixth Street <br />Champaign, Illinois 61820
| parent =
| service_area = Illinois, Indiana, Iowa
| founded = 1983
| service_type = ]
| headquarters = 714 S Sixth Street<br />Champaign, Illinois 61820
| destinations = Six universities served and Chicago suburbs
| locale =
| service_area = Illinois, Indiana, Iowa | ceo = ], President
| website =
| service_type = ]
|ceased=May 7, 2019}}
| alliance =
'''Suburban Express''' was a bus service that provided transport services to students between Chicago Suburbs and six universities in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Airport shuttles were operated under the name "Illini Shuttle". The company owned no vehicles, instead contracting buses from other carriers.
| routes =
| destinations = 6 Universities served and Chicago suburbs
| stops =
| hubs =
| stations =
| lounge =
| ridership =
| fuel_type =
| operator =
| ceo =
| website = http://www.suburbanexpress.com
}}


In the 1980s, Suburban Express broke the bus ]<ref name="farewars" /> that ] had between Champaign and Chicago, leading to a ] that cut student fares by more than half.
'''Suburban Express''' is a ] company which serves six ] universities: ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Weekend services transport students from all six campuses directly to several Suburban ] locations.<ref></ref> The '''Illini Shuttle''' runs every day from ] and ] to the Chicago Airports of ] and Chicago suburbs.<ref></ref>

Since 1994, it filed at least 200 lawsuits over dishonored payments, fraud, and alleged violations of its terms of service, leading students to criticize the bus service online.

On May 7, 2019, Suburban Express announced that it would be ceasing all operations. "I stopped enjoying this business around 2001, and I think it’s beginning to show," said the owner. <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-05-07/suburban-express-shuts-down.html|title=Suburban Express shuts down|website=www.news-gazette.com|access-date=2019-05-08}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
Suburban Express began operating in late 1983.<ref name="founded">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |quote= Toeppen hit on the idea of chartering equipment. A little research showed it just might be profitable and a Greyhound driver's strike added momentum to the idea.|url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref> At that time, scheduled bus service between Champaign and the Chicago area in Illinois was a monopoly<ref name="monopoly">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |quote=The one-man service broke Greyhound's monopoly on the route|url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref> operated by Greyhound Lines,<ref name="farewars" /> and reinforced by exclusive ticket sales through the Illini Union Travel Center of the ] (UIUC).<ref name="ticket-exclusivity">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |quote=The university travel center...refused to sell Toeppen's tickets...published a letter encouraging students to take Greyhound...University officials said they did not want to sell both types of tickets because they feared Greyhound would not approve and would dump the university as a ticket agent, meaning less ticket revenue for the university...We were concerned about (Greyhound's) reaction. |url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref> Between November and December 1983, Greyhound Lines suffered a nationwide ].<ref name=CSMstrikeStart>{{cite news|last=Townsend|first=Ed|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1983/1104/110440.html|accessdate=9 April 2014|title=Strike against Greyhound forces customers to leave driving to somebody else|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|date=4 November 1983}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ray Phillips and the 1983 Strike |url=http://atu1700.org/node/2639|accessdate=8 May 2019|date=31 December 2011 |website=ATU Local 1700}}</ref><ref name=CSMStrikeEnd>{{cite news|last=Townsend|first=Ed|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1983/1205/120519.html|title=Tentative settlement in Greyhound strike|accessdate=9 April 2014|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|date=5 December 1983}}</ref> For the ] break during the Greyhound strike,<ref name=Illini1984CutRate/> ], then a 19-year-old student at UIUC, and later Suburban Express' founder, chartered six buses, sold tickets through a local travel agent, spent $600 on advertising, and undercut Greyhound's fares by $4 to $8. The Thanksgiving 1983 service carried nearly 300 students.<ref name="farewars" />


In January 1984, and then named ''Western Trails Transportation'', the company announced regular weekly and holiday service.<ref name=Illini1984CutRate>{{cite news|last=Rubey|first=Peter|title=New cut-rate bus company to begin service next week|url=http://www.toeppen.com/oldarticles/1984_0128_new_cut-rate_bus_service.pdf|accessdate=9 April 2014|newspaper=Daily Illini|date=28 January 1984|quote=Western Trails Transportation Co., a new bus service which operated during the Greyhound bus driver's strike, will begin regular cut-rate weekly service next Friday}}</ref> UIUC's Illini Union Travel Center, saying it relied on commissions from Greyhound and feared losing revenues, initially refused to sell competing tickets, despite their lower price.<ref name="ticket-exclusivity" /> The Illini Union Travel Center also briefly offered its own competing charter service.<ref name="farewars">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref>
Students of the ] ("UIUC") have had a variety of transportation options over the life of the university. In the early 1980s, most students wishing to travel to the Chicago area used ] (]s), ] (]es) and ].


In 1983, a student of the University of Illinois became dissatisfied with the Amtrak's high fares and Greyhound's unreliable service, and started Suburban Express. Suburban Express used a novel ] - that of a "virtual" bus company - in that it did not own any buses or facilities. Rather, it contracted buses from established carriers, sold tickets through a travel agent, and used public streets and suburban malls as its bus stops.<ref name=farewars>''Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound''. Dan Rozek. ]. Chicago, Illinois. Sunday, October 20, 1985. Page 20.</ref> Suburban Express attracted the scrutiny of the Illinois Commerce Commission. The Commission asserted that Suburban Express was operating as a public utility without proper operating authority. Suburban Express responded that it was serving a pre-formed group of passengers rather than the general public, and that it was therefore not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. After changing procedures to require that passengers display a university ID at boarding, the Commission found that Suburban Express was operating lawfully. <ref name="farewars">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref>


In 1984, a ] between the company and Greyhound<ref name="farwarquote">{{cite news|work=Daily Herald (Arlington Heights) |title=Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound |first=Dan |last=Rozek |quote=Fare wars... ignited a price war that dropped fares dramatically for both Greyhound and Toeppen's Suburban Express.|url=http://toeppen.com/daily-herald-fare-wars-toeppen.pdf |date=October 20, 1985}}</ref> cut prices between Champaign and Chicago by more than fifty percent. Reacting to new competition, Greyhound lowered its prices from around $36 to $14.75 and filed two complaints with the Illinois Commerce Commission.<ref name="farewars" /> In February 1985, the company, by then called ''Suburban Express'', charged Greyhound with ], claiming the $14.75 price was below Greyhound's costs and designed to drive competitors out of business.<ref name=IlliniPredPrice1985>{{cite news|last=Taylor|first=Barbara|title=Greyhound pricing illegal, bus service official claims|url=http://www.toeppen.com/oldarticles/1985_0216_greyhound_predatory_pricing.pdf|accessdate=9 April 2014|newspaper=Daily Illini|date=16 February 1985}}</ref> According to Suburban Express' lawyer, after the ] sent a letter to Greyhound, the bus service raised their rate by $3.<ref name="farewars" />
The first charter of six buses carried about 300 students to the Chicago suburbs for the ] break in 1983 undercutting Greyhound's prices by $4 to $8. The concept was partially encouraged by a Greyhound ]'s ] around the
same period. Charter service continued in the spring of 1984, but encountered a few problems. UIUC refused to allow Suburban Express ticket sales at the university travel center because the school received a ] for selling Greyhound tickets and they feared Greyhound's reaction to selling competing tickets.<ref name="farewars"/>


Suburban Express expanded its service to ] in 1985,<ref name="farewars" /> and to ] in 1989.<ref>''Russell's Guides'' (September 1999). GLI Schedule 397.</ref>{{Better source|reason=a 1999 guide seems "too late" for a 1989 event|date=April 2014}} In 2002, the company introduced self-service ticket kiosks in the Champaign area.<ref name=SESiteKioskLaunch>{{cite web|archivedate=2002-02-01|title=Suburban Express Self-Service Ticketing|url=http://www.suburbanexpress.com/kiosk.html|work=suburbanexpress.com|publisher=Suburban Express (subject's website)|accessdate=22 April 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020201203028/http://www.suburbanexpress.com/kiosk.html|quote=Suburban Express is pleased to introduce self-service ticketing.}}</ref> The company's ''Illini Shuttle'' began service connecting UIUC to Chicago's ] and ] airports in October 2004.<ref name=SubExSiteIlliniSchedArchive>{{cite web|title=Illini Shuttle - O'Hare & Midway Schedules|url=http://www.illinishuttle.com/bbs.html|work=illinishuttle.com |publisher=Suburban Express|accessdate=11 April 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041016184545/http://www.illinishuttle.com/bbs.html|archivedate=16 October 2004|quote=Schedules...will begin operating October 12, 2004...October 27, 2004. We will begin accepting reservations and selling tickets on September 30, 2004.}}</ref> Service to the ] began during the 2006–2007 academic year.<ref name=SESiteUIowaArchive>{{cite web|work=suburbanexpress.com|publisher=Suburban Express (company website)|accessdate=22 April 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221175629/http://www.suburbanexpress.com/uiowaspring07.pdf|archivedate=21 February 2007|quote=$9.95 Introductory Fare Extended through February 16|url=http://www.suburbanexpress.com/uiowaspring07.pdf|title=Weekend Bus Service from Iowa City to Oakbrook Mall and Woodfield Mall}}</ref>
The company also met stiff competition from its main rival, Greyhound. A ] ensued and by February 1985 both sides had reduced round trip ticket prices from $36 to $14.75. In 1984, Greyhound also contacted the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) which initiated two separate investigations of Suburban Express. The first ICC investigation in Spring of 1984 found Suburban Express to be operating a regular service without the ICC's approval. In response Suburban Express changed the operation to a private charter for UIUC students and staff excluding it from ICC jurisdiction. The second investigation was in fall of 1984 and found the company to be operating according to ICC rules.<ref name="farewars"/>


The company closed its office on the University of Illinois campus during 2018.<ref name="news_Subu">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express vacates Campustown office; destination unknown
In the spring of 1984, the Illini Union Travel Center also attempted to create its own charter service to recover increasing losses of commissions on ticket sales. Unable to compete with Greyhound and Suburban Express, the university's charter service ended after only one weekend of service. By October 1985, UIUC allowed sales of Suburban Express tickets at the Illini Union Travel Center to recover revenue lost by the decline of Greyhound ticket sales. At that time, the manager of the Travel Center said that Suburban Express tickets accounted for over half of the tickets sold weekly.<ref name="farewars"/>
|last=Zigterman |first=Ben |work=News-Gazette |date=23 August 2018 |access-date=8 May 2019 |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-08-23/suburban-express-vacates-campustown-office-destination-unknown.html}}</ref> The company's website stated that the campus office was closed due to nearby demolition and construction and listed current telephone hours.<ref name="demolition">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express:Office Hours |url=http://www.suburbanexpress.com/officeuiuc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201152334/http://www.suburbanexpress.com/officeuiuc.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-02-01 }}</ref>


Suburban Express stopped operating on May 7, 2019. Said the owner, "I stopped enjoying this business around 2001, and I think it’s beginning to show."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-suburban-express-bus-company-closes-20190508-story.html|title=Suburban Express shuts down|website=www.chicagotribune.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-09}}</ref>
Suburban Express eventually displaced Greyhound as the most popular mode of transportation to/from the Chicago suburbs.<ref>''Champaign man takes one of the last Concorde trips''; Lynda Zimmer. News-Gazette Staff Writer. News Gazette. Champaign, Ill. Oct 29, 2003. pg. B.5.</ref> In 1989, Greyhound pulled out of the Champaign-to-Suburbs market altogether.<ref>Russell's Guide September 1999 - GLI Schedule 397 removed from publication</ref> Suburban
Express added ] in Charleston, IL to its route structure in 1985.<ref name="farewars"/> Illinois State University was served from1989-1993 and from 2003-present. As of 2003, annual ridership was approximately 55,000 passengers.<ref>http://www.suburbanexpress.com/bulletpoints.html</ref>


== Transportation services ==
Similar ventures were formed at other midwestern universities to transport students to the Chicago suburbs.
As of September 2015, Suburban Express offered weekly service to Chicago-area locations from four universities: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://suburbanexpress.com/indexuiuc.html|publisher=Suburban Express|title=Special Weekend Coach Service Between U of I and Chicago Area!|accessdate=1 December 2015}}</ref> Illinois State University,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://suburbanexpress.com/scheduleisu.html|publisher=Suburban Express|title=Fall 2015 Schedule|accessdate=1 December 2015}}</ref> ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://suburbanexpress.com/schedulepurdue.html|publisher=Suburban Express|title=Special Weekend Service Between Purdue and Chicago Suburbs!|accessdate=1 December 2015}}</ref> and the University of Iowa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://suburbanexpress.com/scheduleuiowa.html|title=Schedules & Fares Fall 2015|publisher=Suburban Express|accessdate=1 September 2015}}</ref> The company's ''Illini Shuttle'' ran daily from Champaign to ] and the suburbs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.illinishuttle.com/schedule.html|website=Illini Shuttle|publisher=Suburban Express|title=Illini Shuttle Typical Schedule|accessdate=1 December 2015}}</ref> According to the company, it hired only non-smoking drivers, had free ] on most buses,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.illinishuttle.com/ |title=Frequent Service Between Champaign and O'Hare, Chicago Suburbs! |website=Illini Shuttle |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928102641/http://www.illinishuttle.com/ |archive-date=28 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and in the year prior to April 2013, carried around 100,000 passengers on up to 75 buses a day.<ref name="DailyIlliniContinues"/>
* HoosierBus serves ] and ] and was founded in 2003 by two University students.<ref>https://www.hoosierbus.com/about.html</ref>
* Catch A Ride, Inc. serves Indiana University, founded by a parent of IU students.<ref>http://www.catcharide.com/about.html</ref>
* Burbsbus.com used to serve University of Iowa


== Business practices, lawsuits, and controversies ==
==Competition==
Suburban Express currently provides an alternative to the following carriers:<ref>Daily Herald, August 25, 2005 - Section 1, Page 13</ref>


Suburban Express' business, legal, and media practices have been the topic of numerous media discussions since early 2013.<ref name="DailyIlliniContinues">{{cite news|url=http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/04/26/suburban-express-lawsuits-reach-125-this-year-conversation-continues-on-reddit/| work=Daily Illini | title=Suburban Express lawsuits reach 125 this year; conversation continues on Reddit | first=Corinne | last=Ruff | date=April 28, 2013|accessdate=February 23, 2017}}</ref><ref name="UIShouldDefend">{{cite news|url=http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/04/25/ui-should-defend-international-students-disallow-suburban-express-services/|work=Daily Illini |title=UI Should Defend International Students | first=Chalkey |last=Richard |date=April 25, 2013 |accessdate=February 23, 2017}}</ref> At that time, the company's terms of service said passengers would be charged a $100 convenience fee for using an "invalid, altered or duplicate ticket" and $500 for "disruptive behavior".<ref name="aba"/> In April 2013, the company sought $500 payment from a passenger whom they alleged engaged in disruptive behavior on a bus, leading to an active social media discussion. The passenger was upset by the driver's words and actions, and an account of the situation was widely seen on Facebook and in a college newspaper.<ref name="chicagoone"/><ref name="dailyillini1">{{cite news|last=Ruff |first=Corinne|url=http://dailyillini.com/uncategorized/2013/04/26/suburban-express-lawsuits-reach-125-this-year-conversation-continues-on-reddit/ |title=Suburban Express lawsuits reach 125 this year; conversation continues on Reddit |location=Champaign-Urbana |newspaper=The Daily Illini |date=April 28, 2013 |accessdate=February 23, 2017}}</ref><ref name="oli">20 dismissals were vacated, meaning those cases could be refiled anywhere; Suburban Express indicated they would file in Champaign County. {{cite news|first=Will|last=Brumleve|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-30/judge-allows-bus-company-refile-some-claims-against-passengers.html |title=Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers |work=The News-Gazette |date=July 31, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054715/http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-30/judge-allows-bus-company-refile-some-claims-against-passengers.html|archivedate=March 4, 2016}}</ref>
* University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana: ], ], ], ] and various airlines operating out of ]
* ]: EIU bus service.
* ]: ], ].


The case led to discussion online, a threat by the company to sue the subreddit's moderator over false and libelous comments, a ] request by the company to UIUC, and a page on the company's website directed at the complaining passenger.
==Collection Action==
Since 1994, Suburban Express has filed 204 lawsuits, with 125 of them filed in 2013.<ref name="DI-26Apr2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyillini.com/news/local/article_43a45b74-ae1a-11e2-9a0d-0019bb30f31a.html |title=Suburban Express lawsuits reach 125 this year; conversation continues on Reddit |last=Ruff |first=Corinne |publisher=] |date=26 April 2013 |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref> Many of these lawsuits target passengers for alleged violations of Suburban Express' terms of service,<ref name="Ars-26Apr2013">{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/express-to-internet-hate-bus-company-threatens-redditor-with-lawsuit/ |title=Express to Internet Hate: Bus company threatens redditor with lawsuit |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |publisher=Ars Technica |date=26 April 2013 |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref> including failing to pay penalty fares of $100 for presenting invalid or misdatedtickets, or for canceling payment as a result of other disputes.<ref name="News-Gazette-26Apr2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-04-26/bus-firms-lawsuits-criticized.html |title=Bus firm's lawsuits criticized |last=Brumleve |first=Will |publisher=News-Gazette |date=26 April 2013 |accessdate=27 April 2013}}</ref> Students and journalists have questioned the company's practice of filing lawsuits in neighboring ], rather than in ],<ref name="DI-26Apr2013"/><ref name="News-Gazette-26Apr2013"/> as students at ] are not entitled to aid from Student Legal Services for lawsuits outside of county boundaries.<ref name="News-Gazette-26Apr2013"/>


Suburban Express also maintains a "page of shame" where the company posted the name, email, phone number, and address of customers, many of them University of Illinois students, whom the company claims have "dishonored payments" or are "fare cheaters".<ref name="Francis17">{{cite news|last=Francis|first=Jacqueline|title='Page of Shame' causes concern among U of I students|url=http://foxillinois.com/news/local/page-of-shame-causes-concern-among-u-of-i-students|accessdate=14 October 2017|work=Fox Illinois|date=12 Oct 2017}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}


Suburban Express initiated 209 lawsuits between April 1994 and April 2013, of which most were ] cases alleging terms of service violations by customers, while four were against competitors.<ref name="DailyIlliniContinues"/> A group of 126 lawsuits were filed in ] in early 2013. Students complained that the company's choice of Ford County (30 miles from UIUC), made them ineligible for free legal aid from UIUC.<ref name="refile">{{cite news|last1=Brumlee|first1=Will|title=Bus company wants to reinstate some lawsuits|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-06-26/bus-company-wants-reinstate-some-lawsuits.html|accessdate=9 July 2014|work=The News-Gazette (East Central Illinois)|date=26 June 2013|quote=One issue raised by UI students: They are not eligible to receive free representation from the UI's Student Legal Services, which only offers such assistance for cases filed in Champaign County.}}</ref>
==Further reading==

*''Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound''. Dan Rozek. ]. Chicago, Illinois. Sunday, October 20, 1985. Page 20. (Large article about the company, covers 3/4 of the page. Discusses the creation of the company, two attempts by the IllinoisCommerce Commission to shut it down and fare war with Greyhound.)
In explaining its small claims actions, Suburban Express stated that some students broke the company's rules by "printing out multiple copies of the tickets and allowing others to use them," or "using tickets on the incorrect dates, or altering the dates listed on the printed copy."<ref name="SubEx_NG1">{{cite news|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-04-26/bus-firms-lawsuits-criticized.html |work=The News-Gazette | quote=Ramais said some of the alleged violations are related to students buying their tickets online, then printing out multiple copies of the tickets and allowing others to use them. Another issue has been students using tickets on the incorrect dates, or altering the dates listed on the printed copy, she said. |title=Bus firm's lawsuits criticized |first=Will |last=Brumleve |date=April 26, 2013}}</ref>
Some students asked why Suburban Express chose not to refuse invalid tickets during boarding. Suburban Express said processing during loading would be "too slow."<ref name="chicagoone"/> After a backlash from UIUC students,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brumleve|first1=Will|title=Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-30/judge-allows-bus-company-refile-some-claims-against-passengers.html|accessdate=9 July 2014|work=The News Gazette (Central Illinois)|date=30 July 2013|quote=After a backlash from UI students, Toeppen filed motions to dismiss 103 of the cases "with prejudice" on April 30;}}</ref> 116 of the suits were withdrawn from Ford County, and later, 20 suits were changed to permit refiling in another venue.<ref name="refile"/> Suburban Express indicated it would switch its litigation to Champaign County, so that students would have access to free UIUC legal aid. The company also eliminated convenience fees from the terms of service in response to complaints.<ref name="aba">{{cite news|title=Cheap bus ticket included a trip to small-claims court for unwary students|first=Martha|last=Neil|date=May 3, 2013|url=http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/Cheap_bus_ticket_included_a_costly_trip_to_small-claims_court_for_over_100_/|newspaper=ABA Journal|accessdate=January 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="chicagoone">{{cite news|title=Bus company's lawsuits anger students, parents|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/05/01/bus-companys-lawsuits-anger-students-parents/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=May 1, 2013|first=Kim|last=Geiger|access-date=January 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suburbanexpress.com/tsandcs.html |title=Suburban Express terms of service |date=April 29, 2013 |access-date=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Brumleve|first1=Will|title=Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers|url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-30/judge-allows-bus-company-refile-some-claims-against-passengers.html|accessdate=9 July 2014|work=The News-Gazette (Central Illinois)|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054715/http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2013-07-30/judge-allows-bus-company-refile-some-claims-against-passengers.html |archivedate=March 4, 2016|quote=Toeppen said most of the cases that will be refiled will be brought to Champaign County Circuit Court, so the many UI students named as defendants can have access to free legal representation by the UI's Student Legal Services.}}</ref>

In December 2017, Suburban Express sent an email promoting the benefits of riding, including: "you won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses." This drew criticism for what many perceived as an anti-Chinese bias. The situation was enflamed when the company sent an apology email which criticized the University of Illinois for enrolling a large number of Chinese students and "selling our university to the highest foreign bidder."<ref>{{cite web|title=Bus company stokes outrage over racially charged ad sent to U. of I. customers|website=]|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-university-of-illinois-shuttle-bus-advertisement-20171203-story.html|accessdate=4 December 2017}}</ref>

== Lawsuit against Suburban Express by Illinois Attorney General ==
{{summarize section|date=September 2019}}
On April 23, 2018 Illinois Attorney General ] filed a lawsuit against Suburban Express in the ] citing violations of the ] and alleging other violations.<ref> on Facebook</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dailyillini.com/news/2018/04/23/attorney-general-files-lawsuit-against-suburban-express/|title=Attorney General files lawsuit against Suburban Express|date=23 April 2018}}</ref>

Suburban Express posted a response to the lawsuit on its Facebook page, stating that it does not discriminate against any protected class, that it has used "Go Home" on English-language posters since 1985, and that it does not post private information online. The company denied that it harasses customers, but said that it defends itself against harassers.<ref name="zuckerberg">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express Facebook Page |website=] |access-date=30 January 2019 |url=https://www.facebook.com/pg/SuburbanExpressBus/posts/ |quote=Suburban Express has served hundreds of thousands of happy customers in its 35 year history. We have held down fares in multiple college markets through vigorous competition with other carriers. The world is a better place as a result of Suburban Express. The Twitter account @SuburbanExpress linked by Attorney General Madigan in her tweet about Suburban Express is a parody account which a detractor set up in 2013. We do not control that account.}}</ref>

Settlement assistance counsel was appointed to Suburban Express in October 2018.<ref name="news_UIst">{{Cite web|title=UI student rebuffed in attempt to retrieve items left on Suburban Express bus |first=Ben |last=Zigterman |work=News-Gazette |date=February 14, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2019 |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/ben-zigterman/2019-02-14/ui-student-rebuffed-attempt-retrieve-items-left-suburban-express-bus.html |quote=As negotiations continued, Toeppen's lawyer withdrew from the case in September due to what he said were unpaid fees and a strategic impasse. Another attorney was appointed in October to help Toeppen negotiate a settlement.}}</ref> Additionally, Suburban sought and was granted by the court pro bono legal defense against its insurance carrier, Hartford. Hartford had rejected Suburban's insurance claim and sued Suburban so it would not have to pay the cost of Suburban's legal defense.<ref name="maico_pdf">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express insurer lawsuit PDF |publisher=news-gazette.com |date=18 July 2018 |accessdate=2018-07-20 |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/sites/all/files/pdf/2018/07/18/Suburban_Express_insurer_lawsuit.pdf}}</ref>

On April 1, 2019, Suburban Express and new Illinois Attorney General ] reached a settlement in the form of a three-year ], which was approved in court on April 9, 2019. Defendants did not admit liability but would pay the state's Consumer Trust Account $100,000, agreed to a no-retaliation clause, agreed to not disclose customer personal identifiable information, agreed to not discriminate, to post a no-discrimination notice on buses and in all advertisements, to provide anti-discrimination training, and to retain and report complaints and disclose contracts with passengers. Suburban Express claimed that it had been shaken down by the Illinois Attorney General's Office<ref name="news_Subu2">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express reaches consent decree with Illinois attorney general |work=news-gazette.com |date=9 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019 |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-04-09/suburban-express-reaches-consent-decree-with-illinois-attorney-general.html |quote=About a year after then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued Suburban Express and its owner, Dennis Toeppen, for alleged discrimination and harassment of its customers, the company has reached a consent decree subjecting it to three years of monitoring.}}</ref><ref name="news_">{{Cite web|title=Suburban Express Consent Decree PDF |date=9 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019
|url = http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2019_04/DKT_95_2019-04-09_Consent_Decree.pdf}}</ref><ref name="illi_Illi">{{Cite web|title = Illinois Attorney General - Attorney General Raoul Announces Consent Decree with Suburban Express |website=illinoisattorneygeneral.gov |date=9 April 2019 |access-date=10 April 2019 |url=http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/pressroom/2019_04/20190409b.html |quote=The consent decree was entered today by Judge Andrea Wood in the Northern District of Illinois to resolve allegations that Toeppen and Suburban Express discriminated against customers on the basis of race, national origin and religion; harassed customers with public shame and ridicule; and intentionally compromised customers’ personal information. Suburban Express is a company that provides bus services to students at colleges and universities in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana to the suburban Chicago area and Chicago airports.}}</ref>

==Current status==

The Suburban Express website remains active as of August 2023.

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
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Latest revision as of 03:52, 11 September 2024

American Midwest bus service
Illini Shuttle, operated by Suburban Express, at Illinois Terminal in Champaign, Illinois.
Founded1983
Ceased operationMay 7, 2019
Service areaIllinois, Indiana, Iowa
Service typeIntercity coach service
DestinationsSix universities served and Chicago suburbs
Chief executiveDennis Toeppen, President
Websitewww.suburbanexpress.com

Suburban Express was a bus service that provided transport services to students between Chicago Suburbs and six universities in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Airport shuttles were operated under the name "Illini Shuttle". The company owned no vehicles, instead contracting buses from other carriers.

In the 1980s, Suburban Express broke the bus monopoly that Greyhound had between Champaign and Chicago, leading to a price war that cut student fares by more than half.

Since 1994, it filed at least 200 lawsuits over dishonored payments, fraud, and alleged violations of its terms of service, leading students to criticize the bus service online.

On May 7, 2019, Suburban Express announced that it would be ceasing all operations. "I stopped enjoying this business around 2001, and I think it’s beginning to show," said the owner.

History

Suburban Express began operating in late 1983. At that time, scheduled bus service between Champaign and the Chicago area in Illinois was a monopoly operated by Greyhound Lines, and reinforced by exclusive ticket sales through the Illini Union Travel Center of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC). Between November and December 1983, Greyhound Lines suffered a nationwide strike by its drivers. For the Thanksgiving break during the Greyhound strike, Dennis Toeppen, then a 19-year-old student at UIUC, and later Suburban Express' founder, chartered six buses, sold tickets through a local travel agent, spent $600 on advertising, and undercut Greyhound's fares by $4 to $8. The Thanksgiving 1983 service carried nearly 300 students.

In January 1984, and then named Western Trails Transportation, the company announced regular weekly and holiday service. UIUC's Illini Union Travel Center, saying it relied on commissions from Greyhound and feared losing revenues, initially refused to sell competing tickets, despite their lower price. The Illini Union Travel Center also briefly offered its own competing charter service.

Suburban Express attracted the scrutiny of the Illinois Commerce Commission. The Commission asserted that Suburban Express was operating as a public utility without proper operating authority. Suburban Express responded that it was serving a pre-formed group of passengers rather than the general public, and that it was therefore not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. After changing procedures to require that passengers display a university ID at boarding, the Commission found that Suburban Express was operating lawfully.

In 1984, a fare war between the company and Greyhound cut prices between Champaign and Chicago by more than fifty percent. Reacting to new competition, Greyhound lowered its prices from around $36 to $14.75 and filed two complaints with the Illinois Commerce Commission. In February 1985, the company, by then called Suburban Express, charged Greyhound with predatory pricing, claiming the $14.75 price was below Greyhound's costs and designed to drive competitors out of business. According to Suburban Express' lawyer, after the Department of Justice sent a letter to Greyhound, the bus service raised their rate by $3.

Suburban Express expanded its service to Eastern Illinois University in 1985, and to Illinois State University in 1989. In 2002, the company introduced self-service ticket kiosks in the Champaign area. The company's Illini Shuttle began service connecting UIUC to Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports in October 2004. Service to the University of Iowa began during the 2006–2007 academic year.

The company closed its office on the University of Illinois campus during 2018. The company's website stated that the campus office was closed due to nearby demolition and construction and listed current telephone hours.

Suburban Express stopped operating on May 7, 2019. Said the owner, "I stopped enjoying this business around 2001, and I think it’s beginning to show."

Transportation services

As of September 2015, Suburban Express offered weekly service to Chicago-area locations from four universities: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State University, Purdue University, and the University of Iowa. The company's Illini Shuttle ran daily from Champaign to O'Hare International Airport and the suburbs. According to the company, it hired only non-smoking drivers, had free Wi-Fi on most buses, and in the year prior to April 2013, carried around 100,000 passengers on up to 75 buses a day.

Business practices, lawsuits, and controversies

Suburban Express' business, legal, and media practices have been the topic of numerous media discussions since early 2013. At that time, the company's terms of service said passengers would be charged a $100 convenience fee for using an "invalid, altered or duplicate ticket" and $500 for "disruptive behavior". In April 2013, the company sought $500 payment from a passenger whom they alleged engaged in disruptive behavior on a bus, leading to an active social media discussion. The passenger was upset by the driver's words and actions, and an account of the situation was widely seen on Facebook and in a college newspaper.

The case led to discussion online, a threat by the company to sue the subreddit's moderator over false and libelous comments, a Freedom of Information Act request by the company to UIUC, and a page on the company's website directed at the complaining passenger.

Suburban Express also maintains a "page of shame" where the company posted the name, email, phone number, and address of customers, many of them University of Illinois students, whom the company claims have "dishonored payments" or are "fare cheaters".

Suburban Express initiated 209 lawsuits between April 1994 and April 2013, of which most were small claims cases alleging terms of service violations by customers, while four were against competitors. A group of 126 lawsuits were filed in Ford County, Illinois in early 2013. Students complained that the company's choice of Ford County (30 miles from UIUC), made them ineligible for free legal aid from UIUC.

In explaining its small claims actions, Suburban Express stated that some students broke the company's rules by "printing out multiple copies of the tickets and allowing others to use them," or "using tickets on the incorrect dates, or altering the dates listed on the printed copy." Some students asked why Suburban Express chose not to refuse invalid tickets during boarding. Suburban Express said processing during loading would be "too slow." After a backlash from UIUC students, 116 of the suits were withdrawn from Ford County, and later, 20 suits were changed to permit refiling in another venue. Suburban Express indicated it would switch its litigation to Champaign County, so that students would have access to free UIUC legal aid. The company also eliminated convenience fees from the terms of service in response to complaints.

In December 2017, Suburban Express sent an email promoting the benefits of riding, including: "you won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses." This drew criticism for what many perceived as an anti-Chinese bias. The situation was enflamed when the company sent an apology email which criticized the University of Illinois for enrolling a large number of Chinese students and "selling our university to the highest foreign bidder."

Lawsuit against Suburban Express by Illinois Attorney General

This section may be too long and excessively detailed. Please consider summarizing the material. (September 2019)

On April 23, 2018 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against Suburban Express in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois citing violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and alleging other violations.

Suburban Express posted a response to the lawsuit on its Facebook page, stating that it does not discriminate against any protected class, that it has used "Go Home" on English-language posters since 1985, and that it does not post private information online. The company denied that it harasses customers, but said that it defends itself against harassers.

Settlement assistance counsel was appointed to Suburban Express in October 2018. Additionally, Suburban sought and was granted by the court pro bono legal defense against its insurance carrier, Hartford. Hartford had rejected Suburban's insurance claim and sued Suburban so it would not have to pay the cost of Suburban's legal defense.

On April 1, 2019, Suburban Express and new Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul reached a settlement in the form of a three-year consent decree, which was approved in court on April 9, 2019. Defendants did not admit liability but would pay the state's Consumer Trust Account $100,000, agreed to a no-retaliation clause, agreed to not disclose customer personal identifiable information, agreed to not discriminate, to post a no-discrimination notice on buses and in all advertisements, to provide anti-discrimination training, and to retain and report complaints and disclose contracts with passengers. Suburban Express claimed that it had been shaken down by the Illinois Attorney General's Office

Current status

The Suburban Express website remains active as of August 2023.

References

  1. ^ Rozek, Dan (October 20, 1985). "Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound" (PDF). Daily Herald (Arlington Heights).
  2. "Suburban Express shuts down". www.news-gazette.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  3. Rozek, Dan (October 20, 1985). "Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound" (PDF). Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). Toeppen hit on the idea of chartering equipment. A little research showed it just might be profitable and a Greyhound driver's strike added momentum to the idea.
  4. Rozek, Dan (October 20, 1985). "Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound" (PDF). Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). The one-man service broke Greyhound's monopoly on the route
  5. ^ Rozek, Dan (October 20, 1985). "Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound" (PDF). Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). The university travel center...refused to sell Toeppen's tickets...published a letter encouraging students to take Greyhound...University officials said they did not want to sell both types of tickets because they feared Greyhound would not approve and would dump the university as a ticket agent, meaning less ticket revenue for the university...We were concerned about (Greyhound's) reaction.
  6. Townsend, Ed (4 November 1983). "Strike against Greyhound forces customers to leave driving to somebody else". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  7. "Ray Phillips and the 1983 Strike". ATU Local 1700. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  8. Townsend, Ed (5 December 1983). "Tentative settlement in Greyhound strike". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  9. ^ Rubey, Peter (28 January 1984). "New cut-rate bus company to begin service next week" (PDF). Daily Illini. Retrieved 9 April 2014. Western Trails Transportation Co., a new bus service which operated during the Greyhound bus driver's strike, will begin regular cut-rate weekly service next Friday
  10. Rozek, Dan (October 20, 1985). "Fare wars - Bus service run by student butts heads with Greyhound" (PDF). Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). Fare wars... ignited a price war that dropped fares dramatically for both Greyhound and Toeppen's Suburban Express.
  11. Taylor, Barbara (16 February 1985). "Greyhound pricing illegal, bus service official claims" (PDF). Daily Illini. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  12. Russell's Guides (September 1999). GLI Schedule 397.
  13. "Suburban Express Self-Service Ticketing". suburbanexpress.com. Suburban Express (subject's website). Archived from the original on 2002-02-01. Retrieved 22 April 2014. Suburban Express is pleased to introduce self-service ticketing.
  14. "Illini Shuttle - O'Hare & Midway Schedules". illinishuttle.com. Suburban Express. Archived from the original on 16 October 2004. Retrieved 11 April 2014. Schedules...will begin operating October 12, 2004...October 27, 2004. We will begin accepting reservations and selling tickets on September 30, 2004.
  15. "Weekend Bus Service from Iowa City to Oakbrook Mall and Woodfield Mall" (PDF). suburbanexpress.com. Suburban Express (company website). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2014. $9.95 Introductory Fare Extended through February 16
  16. Zigterman, Ben (23 August 2018). "Suburban Express vacates Campustown office; destination unknown". News-Gazette. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  17. "Suburban Express:Office Hours". Archived from the original on 2019-02-01.
  18. "Suburban Express shuts down". www.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  19. "Special Weekend Coach Service Between U of I and Chicago Area!". Suburban Express. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  20. "Fall 2015 Schedule". Suburban Express. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  21. "Special Weekend Service Between Purdue and Chicago Suburbs!". Suburban Express. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  22. "Schedules & Fares Fall 2015". Suburban Express. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  23. "Illini Shuttle Typical Schedule". Illini Shuttle. Suburban Express. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  24. "Frequent Service Between Champaign and O'Hare, Chicago Suburbs!". Illini Shuttle. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015.
  25. ^ Ruff, Corinne (April 28, 2013). "Suburban Express lawsuits reach 125 this year; conversation continues on Reddit". Daily Illini. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  26. Richard, Chalkey (April 25, 2013). "UI Should Defend International Students". Daily Illini. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  27. ^ Neil, Martha (May 3, 2013). "Cheap bus ticket included a trip to small-claims court for unwary students". ABA Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  28. ^ Geiger, Kim (May 1, 2013). "Bus company's lawsuits anger students, parents". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  29. Ruff, Corinne (April 28, 2013). "Suburban Express lawsuits reach 125 this year; conversation continues on Reddit". The Daily Illini. Champaign-Urbana. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  30. 20 dismissals were vacated, meaning those cases could be refiled anywhere; Suburban Express indicated they would file in Champaign County. Brumleve, Will (July 31, 2013). "Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers". The News-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  31. Francis, Jacqueline (12 Oct 2017). "'Page of Shame' causes concern among U of I students". Fox Illinois. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  32. ^ Brumlee, Will (26 June 2013). "Bus company wants to reinstate some lawsuits". The News-Gazette (East Central Illinois). Retrieved 9 July 2014. One issue raised by UI students: They are not eligible to receive free representation from the UI's Student Legal Services, which only offers such assistance for cases filed in Champaign County.
  33. Brumleve, Will (April 26, 2013). "Bus firm's lawsuits criticized". The News-Gazette. Ramais said some of the alleged violations are related to students buying their tickets online, then printing out multiple copies of the tickets and allowing others to use them. Another issue has been students using tickets on the incorrect dates, or altering the dates listed on the printed copy, she said.
  34. Brumleve, Will (30 July 2013). "Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers". The News Gazette (Central Illinois). Retrieved 9 July 2014. After a backlash from UI students, Toeppen filed motions to dismiss 103 of the cases "with prejudice" on April 30;
  35. "Suburban Express terms of service". April 29, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  36. Brumleve, Will. "Judge allows bus company to refile some claims against passengers". The News-Gazette (Central Illinois). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2014. Toeppen said most of the cases that will be refiled will be brought to Champaign County Circuit Court, so the many UI students named as defendants can have access to free legal representation by the UI's Student Legal Services.
  37. "Bus company stokes outrage over racially charged ad sent to U. of I. customers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  38. CBS Chicago video on Facebook
  39. "Attorney General files lawsuit against Suburban Express". 23 April 2018.
  40. "Suburban Express Facebook Page". Facebook. Retrieved 30 January 2019. Suburban Express has served hundreds of thousands of happy customers in its 35 year history. We have held down fares in multiple college markets through vigorous competition with other carriers. The world is a better place as a result of Suburban Express. The Twitter account @SuburbanExpress linked by Attorney General Madigan in her tweet about Suburban Express is a parody account which a detractor set up in 2013. We do not control that account.
  41. Zigterman, Ben (February 14, 2019). "UI student rebuffed in attempt to retrieve items left on Suburban Express bus". News-Gazette. Retrieved February 14, 2019. As negotiations continued, Toeppen's lawyer withdrew from the case in September due to what he said were unpaid fees and a strategic impasse. Another attorney was appointed in October to help Toeppen negotiate a settlement.
  42. "Suburban Express insurer lawsuit PDF" (PDF). news-gazette.com. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  43. "Suburban Express reaches consent decree with Illinois attorney general". news-gazette.com. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019. About a year after then-Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued Suburban Express and its owner, Dennis Toeppen, for alleged discrimination and harassment of its customers, the company has reached a consent decree subjecting it to three years of monitoring.
  44. "Suburban Express Consent Decree PDF" (PDF). 9 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  45. "Illinois Attorney General - Attorney General Raoul Announces Consent Decree with Suburban Express". illinoisattorneygeneral.gov. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019. The consent decree was entered today by Judge Andrea Wood in the Northern District of Illinois to resolve allegations that Toeppen and Suburban Express discriminated against customers on the basis of race, national origin and religion; harassed customers with public shame and ridicule; and intentionally compromised customers' personal information. Suburban Express is a company that provides bus services to students at colleges and universities in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana to the suburban Chicago area and Chicago airports.

External links

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