The shortcomings of Chicago area public transit are self-evident to any suburban transit rider who has ever tried to get anywhere but the Loop.
Metra lines all terminate at the Loop and their pre-pandemic schedules tended to favor suburb-to-Chicago commuters. Pace bus network was created from multiple suburban bus systems, which can still be seen in how service levels and route coverage can vary wildly depending on where you are. And while CTA has a network of “night owl” services throughout the city, Pace only operates a handful of less frequent night routes across a much wider area, and Metra doesn’t have any night services at all.