Pace Set to Launch E-Mail Alert Service on June 1; Website subscription management system will update riders as per their requests

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill.--May 30, 2006--Pace, the suburban transit agency, is preparing to launch June 1 its new e-mail alert subscription management system. Available at its website at www.Pacebus.com, the new system will communicate real-time updates about routes, schedules, emergencies, fare information and lots more as selected by subscribers.

"We're putting the information our riders want right before their eyes virtually the minute it's available," said T.J. Ross, executive director of Pace. "Riders can subscribe to specific information based on their needs and interests. Relevant e-mail notifications are then sent automatically when new information is posted at our website."

E-mail update subscriber options include route changes, emergency notifications, newsletters, news releases, project documents, job opportunities, events calendar, new route schedules, meeting agendas and reports and policy updates.

The new service is being supplied by GovDelivery Inc. of St. Paul, MN, a provider of government-to-citizen e-mail and wireless communications solutions designed specifically for the private sector. GovDelivery E-Mail Subscription Management is the seven-year-old company's flagship product.

TriMet, the transit agency for Portland, OR, launched a similar service in 2003 and has since generated more than 33,000 subscriptions and increased website usage by as much as 45 percent.

"Our new e-mail alert system is the latest online technology we're bringing to our riders," Ross said. "Our WebRoute service offers customers a mapping tool to view and print a route or group of routes based on their needs. Our Vanpool Finder lets potential riders search for existing vanpools near their home and work. This feature also helps job hunters who want to know if there is any transportation available to potential workplaces.

"We expect to continue to upgrade our online tools as they become available," Ross said.