Show Bus Public Transportation

What Show Bus Public Transportation does

SHOW BUS Public Transportation NFP is a private, non-profit rural public transportation provider headquartered at 510 Hoselton Drive, Chenoa, Illinois, founded in 1979. The organization provides scheduled limited-stop routes, door-to-door demand-response service, non-emergency medical transportation, and intercity connections across central Illinois counties, with an ADA-compliant fleet equipped with wheelchair lifts and ramps and drivers trained to secure mobility devices. Service is operated primarily through a phone-based reservation system answered by trained transportation assistants, supported by county-level transportation committees, with intercity connectivity to Amtrak, Burlington Trailways, Greyhound, Peoria Charter, and Megabus at Normal and Bloomington hubs. The revenue model is heavily grant-dependent, with the primary funding streams coming from the Illinois Department of Transportation (Federal Transit Act and Downstate Operating Assistance Program), county-level government appropriations, and the federal senior transportation grant administered through AgeGuide. Secondary revenue includes passenger fares ($2-$7 per trip, with free service for persons 60+), Medicaid NEMT revenue (via First Transit as broker and managed care plans including Blue Cross/Blue Shield, IlliniCare, Meridian, and Molina), service contracts with human service agencies, and community contributions from United Way, civic groups, businesses, and individuals.

Name

Show Bus Public Transportation

Legal name

SHOW BUS Public Transportation NFP

Website

https://showbusonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHOW BUS Public Transportation is a non-profit rural transit provider in central Illinois operating demand-response and scheduled bus service across multiple counties since 1979, serving seniors, Medicaid recipients, and rural residents with an ADA-accessible fleet.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Public Transportation Services

NAICS

Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (485210)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional/County Public Bus Operators (THAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paratransit / ADA Complementary Bus Operators (TLAFAGAI), Rural & Small-Town Intercity Scheduled Bus Operators (THAIADAF), Regional Intercity Bus Operators (Scheduled) (THAIADAB)

Keywords

• Rural public transit
• Demand response transit
• ADA accessible transit
• Medicaid transportation
• Intercity bus service

Headquarters

HQ city

Chenoa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary revenue from Illinois Department of Transportation (Federal Transit Act), Downstate Operating Assistance Program, and county-level government support for Logan, Kankakee, and McLean counties as federal and state funding grantees.
2. Service Contracts with Agencies: Contracts with organizations to provide transportation services, either as full transportation provision, supplemental services, or discounted client transportation on an as-needed basis.
3. Community Funding: Funding from United Way, community funds, churches, civic groups, businesses, individuals, and passenger donations.
4. Passenger Fares: Fare revenue from passengers using scheduled routes. Prices vary by county and route type, with free service for persons 60 years and older due to federal grants.
5. Medicaid Transportation: Non-emergency medical transportation for Medicaid beneficiaries with prior approval at no charge to the recipient. Also accepts payments from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, IlliniCare, Meridian, and Molina through Health Choice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SHOW BUS Public Transportation provides ADA-compliant, demand-response and scheduled public bus transportation for rural residents of central Illinois across nine counties. The service combines limited stop scheduled routes, door-to-door rides, intercity connections to Amtrak, Greyhound, and other carriers, non-emergency medical transportation, and contracted services for human service agencies. All vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts or ramps and drivers are trained to secure mobility devices.

Product overview

SHOW BUS Public Transportation is a rural public transportation provider serving central Illinois since 1979. The company operates a unified platform of county-based transportation services across nine counties (DeWitt, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Mason, and McLean), offering scheduled routes, limited stop services, door-to-door demand response service, and intercity connections. Key service modules include county-specific service routes, limited stop services (Route 24, Pontiac, Lincoln, Watseka, Kankakee-Momence), the Livingston-McLean County Intercity Service, Non-Emergency Medical/Medicaid Transportation, and agency partnership programs including Service Contracts and the Voucher Program. All vehicles are equipped with wheelchair lifts/ramps for accessibility compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DeWitt County Service Scheduled and demand-response public transportation service for rural DeWitt County, Illinois, available to all county residents.
• Ford County Service Public transportation service for rural Ford County, Illinois, with connections to Champaign/Urbana, Bloomington/Normal, and Pontiac/Fairbury.
• Iroquois County Service Public transportation service for rural Iroquois County, Illinois, including the Watseka Limited Stop Service and weekly service to Danville.
• Kankakee County Service Public transportation service for rural Kankakee County, Illinois, including Kankakee-Momence Limited Stop Service and daily service to Hopkins Park; free for persons 60+ via the AgeGuide federal grant.
• Livingston County Service
• Logan County Service Public transportation service for rural Logan County, Illinois, including the Lincoln Limited Stop Service connecting to Springfield.
• Macon County Service Public transportation service for rural Macon County, Illinois, with connections to Decatur, Champaign, and Springfield.
• Mason County Service Public transportation service for Mason County, Illinois, with connections to Springfield, Lincoln, Pekin/Peoria, and Canton.
• McLean County Service Public transportation service for rural McLean County, Illinois, including a daily circulator to Bloomington/Normal with fares from $2 to $7 by route and free service for persons 60+ via federal grants.
• Livingston-McLean County Intercity Service Intercity transit connecting Livingston County to McLean County (Bloomington/Normal), with connections to Amtrak, Greyhound, Burlington Trailways, Megabus, and Peoria Charter; currently suspended due to funding interruption.
• Route 24 Limited Stop Service Daily limited stop service along Route 24 between Piper City and Chenoa to Pontiac, connecting with intercity and local services.
• Pontiac Limited Stop Service Hourly limited stop service throughout Pontiac, operating Monday-Friday from 9am to 4pm with 21 stops.
• Lincoln Limited Stop Service Hourly limited stop service throughout Lincoln, operating Monday-Friday from 9am to 5:45pm with 18 stops.
• Watseka Limited Stop Service Limited stop service in Watseka, with round trips from 9:30am to 1:30pm.
• Kankakee-Momence Limited Stop Service Limited stop service connecting Kankakee, Sun River Terrace, and Momence with round trips from 4am to 4pm.
• Non-Emergency Medical Transportation and Medicaid Transportation Transportation assistance for hospital discharges, ER discharges, and medical appointments; Medicaid beneficiaries receive free service with prior approval through First Transit, with payments accepted from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, IlliniCare, Meridian, and Molina Health Choice.
• Agency Service Contracts Customized transportation partnerships for organizations, including full transportation provision, supplemental services, or discounted rates for clients on an as-needed basis.
• Voucher Program Program reimbursing non-profit organizations assisting individuals with difficult mobility obstacles by covering costs for trained professional escorts on SHOW BUS vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free transportation for persons 60+ through federal grants
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AmtrakminorOthersSHOW BUS intercity routes connect to Amtrak at Normal's Uptown Station, allowing riders to continue to destinations like Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and other cities served by Amtrak rail service.
• Burlington TrailwaysminorOthersIntercity bus service connection available at Normal's Uptown Station for regional travel.
• GreyhoundminorOthersIntercity bus connection available at both Pilot Station and Uptown Station for travel to various destinations.
• Connect TransitminorOthersBloomington/Normal local transit service connecting SHOW BUS intercity riders to local destinations including Central Illinois Regional Airport, hospitals, restaurants, and shopping via Lime Route and other local routes from Uptown Station hub.
• Peoria CharterminorOthersIntercity bus service connection available at Normal's Uptown Station.
• MegabusminorOthersIntercity bus service connection available at Bloomington's Pilot Station for travel to various destinations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Champaign County Regional Planning Commission - CRIS Rural Transit: Rural transit program operated under Champaign County RPC, taking over Ford County service from SHOW BUS after June 30, 2025. A directly comparable rural Illinois demand-response bus operator funded through the same state and federal transit programs.
• River Valley Transit (Massac County Rural Transit / RVA): Rural Illinois public transit operator serving multiple lower-Indiana-Illinois counties through IDOT Section 5311 funding. Closely analogous in mission, demand-response operating model, and ADA/paratransit obligations to SHOW BUS.
• Decatur Public Transit System: Municipal transit agency in Decatur, Illinois, taking over rural Macon County service from SHOW BUS after June 30, 2025. Operates comparable fixed-route and demand-response bus service in central Illinois under the same IDOT/FTA regulatory regime.
• Burlington Trailways: Scheduled intercity bus operator providing service to Normal Uptown Station where it is a transit-connection partner for SHOW BUS. Comparable as a federally subsidized rural and small-city bus operator in the Midwest.
• Peoria Charter: Intercity bus carrier connecting Central Illinois to other cities, including Chicago and Normal, where it serves as an intercity connection partner with SHOW BUS. Same customer-base geography and ADA/non-emergency transportation exposure.
• Piattran (Piatt County Public Transportation): Public transit provider for rural Piatt County, Illinois, replacing SHOW BUS as the designated provider for DeWitt County effective July 2025. Directly comparable rural Illinois transit operation offering demand-response service under the same IDOT funding framework.
• Connect Transit: Bloomington/Normal urban transit agency and current SHOW BUS intercity partner at Uptown Station; will replace SHOW BUS in rural McLean County after June 30, 2025. Provides directly overlapping bus and paratransit services in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Amtrak: National passenger rail operator with service at Normal Uptown Station, where it acts as an intercity connection partner for SHOW BUS. Comparable as a federally subsidized, ADA-compliant passenger transportation provider reaching rural Illinois through hub-and-spoke arrangements.
• Pace Suburban Bus Service: Largest suburban bus and paratransit operator in the Chicago metropolitan region, providing demand-response paratransit and fixed-route service. Operates in the same Illinois regulatory environment but at much larger scale, serving as a broad incumbent for ADA/accessibility transit delivery.
• Greyhound Lines: Nationwide intercity bus operator connecting at Normal Pilot and Uptown Stations with SHOW BUS. Although much larger and focused on intercity rather than rural service, it is comparable as a publicly accessible ADA-compliant coach operator serving central Illinois transit hubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/show-bus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Show Bus Public Transportation