Passenger Link – September 2024

CityLink Partnering with Peoria Historical Society for History on the Move Tours

CityLink Partnering with Local Libraries to Offer Free Rides in September to Library Card Holders

Peoria Public Library, Peoria Heights Public Library, Fondulac District Library and Pekin Public Library offer educational resources and programming to more than 165,000 residents across Peoria, Peoria Heights, East Peoria and Pekin. In September of 2023, CityLink provided 165,457 rides for passengers and had amassed 1,816,752 for their overall ridership on its fixed routes in fiscal year 2023. In addition to promoting National Library Card Sign-Up Month, September is also the 4th anniversary of Peoria and Fondulac libraries going fine free, thus the “Fine Free + Fare Free” promotion.

CityLink schedule and route information is available at ridecitylink.org, and below is the list of routes with service to the participating public libraries.

Peoria Public Libraries

• Main: #10 Forrest Hill, #11 Western, #12 Heights, #14 Wisconsin
• Lincoln: #15 Lincoln
• McClure: #10 Forrest Hill
• Lakeview: #1 University
• North: #1 University

Fondulac District Library

• #8 East Peoria Sunnyland

Peoria Heights Public Library

• 12 Heights

Pekin Public Library

• #18 Pekin South

For more information about how to obtain a library card, please contact the library associated with your residence:

• Peoria Public Library at (309) 497-2000 or peoriapubliclibrary.org
• Peoria Heights Public Library at (309) 682-5578 or peoriaheightslibrary.com
• Fondulac District Library at (309) 699-3917 or fondulaclibrary.org
• Pekin Public Library at (309) 347-7111 or pekinpubliclibrary.org

Popcorn Day

CityLink came to life as we marked our very own celebration of Popcorn Day! Employees got to enjoy some freshly popped popcorn on August 29, 2024, at both the administrative building and transit center. Thank you to our HR team for organizing such a fun treat!

Bradley University Peoria Browse

Members of the CityLink marketing team took part in the Bradley University Peoria Browse event on Monday, August 19, 2024. The event aimed to introduce first-year students to local resources, with around 800 new students in attendance. Participants had the opportunity to learn about public transportation services and received complimentary items. Although primarily for first-year students, returning students were also encouraged to join. The event was part of a campus-wide initiative and student escorts were provided throughout the day.

National Senior Citizens Day

Wednesday, August 21, 2024, CityLink helped celebrate National Senior Citizens Day with TRIAD, where we honored and appreciated all the invaluable contributions from our senior citizens in our community. It featured a variety of engaging activities, informational sessions, free health screenings, and a resource fair, all which helped make this day enjoyable and memorable for our senior community.

Local Free Entry Opportunities for Passengers

CityLink and the Doug Oberhelman Caterpillar Visitors Center are partnering for the month of October to offer a free entry opportunity for CityLink, CityLift, CountyLink and Benefit Access passengers who present a bus pass or ticket for one of these services.  Passengers simply show their bus pass/ticket at the visitors center admission desk to gain free general entry to the Caterpillar Visitors Center and its exhibits. One bus pass/ticket is required per adult, and children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Below is the list of accepted bus passes/tickets:  

• CityLink Day Pass – $3 per pass
  • Offers unlimited fixed route rides for one complete service day
• CityLink 30-Day Pass – $40 per pass
  • Offers unlimited fixed route rides for 30 consecutive service days
• CityLift Ticket – $2 per ticket
  • Offers one ride on the paratransit service and this service requires eligibility to ride
• CountyLink/CAUSE Ticket – $6 per ticket
  • Offers one ride on the rural transportation service and this service requires that a trip begin or end in the rural part of Peoria County
• CityLink Benefit Access Card – Valid and Up-to Date
  • Offers transportation for those individuals who do not have the functional capability to use the fixed-route system

The Caterpillar Visitors Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the last entry at 3:30 p.m.  For information on the visitors center, please call 309-675-0606 or go to www.visitcaterpillar.com.  

The Caterpillar Visitors Center is located at 110 SW Washington Street, Peoria, IL 61602.  It is a short five-minute walk from the CityLink Transit Center, located at 407 SW Adams.

Sleep Your Way to Better Health: The Ultimate Guide

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should get between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. But nearly one third of U.S. adults report not getting enough sleep.

Your behaviors during the day and especially before bed can have a major impact on your sleep. 

Try these sleep habits for a better night’s sleep:

· Create a bedtime ritual: Turn down the lights, stretch, read, journal, meditate, pray or sip on some decaf tea.

· Keep it regular: Get up and go to bed at the same time every day, even on the weekends. A
regular wake time helps to set your body’s natural clock by making sure you do not oversleep and helps you avoid morning fog.

· Limit electronics: Put away all electronics before bedtime. Cell phones, tablets and other devices can make it harder for your brain to turn off and can interfere with your body’s natural sleep clock.

· Avoid or limit alcohol: Alcohol before bed can suppress REM sleep, which is the stage of sleep that plays a role in memory consolidation. While alcohol can help people fall asleep, it leads to more sleep problems during the night.

· Limit light: Use blackout curtains, turn clock settings to low and cover any cable boxes or other sources of light. Turn down overhead lights and use lower watt lamps 60 to 90 minutes before bed.

· Create a cool and quiet bedroom: It is easier to fall asleep and stay asleep in a cool room. Use earplugs, white noise machine or fans to block out noise around you.

· Only use your bed for sleep: Doing other activities in bed such as checking email will train your brain into thinking that doing activities other than sleep in bed are appropriate.

· Don’t lay awake in bed: If you are unable to fall asleep in bed after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a calming activity such as reading, drinking decaf tea or listening to calming music. Return to bed when sleepy and repeat if necessary.

National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness. World Suicide Prevention Day is September 10. It’s a time to remember those affected by suicide, to raise awareness, and to focus efforts on directing treatment to those who need it most. National Suicide Prevention Week is the Monday through Sunday surrounding World Suicide Prevention Day. It’s a time to share resources and stories, as well as promote suicide prevention awareness.

The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. When individuals call the lifeline, there will first be an automated message featuring additional options to route your call to the local 988 Lifeline network crisis center. There will be brief hold music before being connected to a trained crisis worker at the local center. This worker will listen to your situation and work with you to provide support and get the help you may need.

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 49,400 deaths and 1.6 million attempts. You can be an advocate to help prevent suicide in our community.

The 988’s message for National Prevention Month and beyond is #BeThe1To, which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. The Lifeline network and its partners are working to change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, to actions that can promote healing, help and give hope.

There are Five Action Steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal and these steps are supported by evidence in the field of suicide prevention.

1. Ask – Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone talks with them in a caring way. Findings suggest acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation.

2. Be There – Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful by after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.

3. Keep them safe – A number of studies have indicated that when lethal means are made less available or less deadly, suicide rates by that method decline, and frequently suicide rates overall decline.

4. Help them stay connected – Studies indicate that helping someone at risk create a network of resources and individuals for support and safety can help them take positive action and reduce feelings of hopelessness.

5. Follow Up – Studies have also shown that brief, low cost intervention and supportive, ongoing contact may be an important part of suicide prevention, especially for individuals after they have been discharged from hospitals or care services.