Passenger Link – September 2026

Service Alert – Sunday, September 20

Sunday, September 20, 2026, our last fixed-route lineup will depart from the Transit Center at 2:15 p.m. on this date only. Passengers impacted are encouraged to find alternative transportation ahead of this date.

This disruption in CityLink fixed-route bus service DOES NOT include the CityLift paratransit service. Regular CityLink service will resume as scheduled on Monday, September 21, 2026.

Fine Free x Fare Free

Back by popular demand, the Greater Peoria Mass Transit District (GPMTD) will offer free CityLink bus rides throughout September for Peoria, Peoria Heights, Pekin and East Peoria in honor of National Library Card Sign-up Month. Riders will need to show a library card or student ID to ride for free during this period. 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 2025, CityLink provided 175,199 rides for passengers and had amassed 1,475,234 for their overall ridership on its fixed routes in fiscal year 2025. In addition to promoting National Library Card Sign-Up Month, September is also the 6th 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 ofroutes 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

Community Engagement

On August 13, 2026, the Marketing & Community Engagement Department had the pleasure of being invited to a Peoria Chiefs baseball game, courtesy of our valued partners, Adams Outdoor. Account Executive Ryan generously hosted company
partners in one of the Chiefs’ private boxes, providing a fun and memorable experience for all in attendance, as the Chiefs became the Orange Barrels for the themed game. Their mascot, Homer, whom CityLink sponsors with the CityLink logo on the back of his jersey, showed off his moves on top of the dugout. This community partnered event served as a great opportunity to strengthen the ongoing partnership between Adams Outdoors, Peoria Chiefs, and CityLink. Building community relationships provides greater collaboration and shared success in future initiatives.

National Suicide Prevention Awareness 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 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.
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.
Be There – Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful when speaking to someone who listens without judgment.
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.
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.
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.

Monthly Health Tip – Importance of Preventative Health Care

While health screenings may seem exhausting at first, they can save time, money and resources in the long run.
Consider the advantages of getting regular health screenings:

• Avoid severe health complications
• Better quality of life
• Comprehensive health care plans and treatments
• Early intervention for progressive diseases
• Education on healthy lifestyle choices
• Identification of risk factors
• Longer lifespan
• More data for your doctor to evaluate
• More treatment options
• Peace of mind and reduced anxiety about your health
• Reduced medical costs (individual and collective)

Prioritizing your health screenings is your best route to a healthy future. Attending yearly checkups and following through with any health screenings your doctor asks for can catch problems early. Developing a positive relationship with your doctor is the first step to long-term health and wellness. If you don’t have a primary care provider yet, now’s the perfect time to find one.