In the 1980s, Suburban Express broke the bus monopoly[1] that Greyhound had between Champaign and Chicago, leading to a price war that cut student fares by more than half.

[9] UIUC's Illini Union Travel Center, saying it relied on commissions from Greyhound and feared losing revenues, initially refused to sell competing tickets, despite their lower price.

Suburban Express responded that it was serving a pre-formed group of passengers rather than the general public, and that it was therefore not subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission.

After changing procedures to require that passengers display a university ID at boarding, the Commission found that Suburban Express was operating lawfully.

[13] The company's Illini Shuttle began service connecting UIUC to Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports in October 2004.

[16] The company's website stated that the campus office was closed due to nearby demolition and construction and listed current telephone hours.

[25][26] At that time, the company's terms of service said passengers would be charged a $100 convenience fee for using an "invalid, altered or duplicate ticket" and $500 for "disruptive behavior".

[27] In April 2013, the company sought $500 payment from a passenger whom they alleged engaged in disruptive behavior on a bus, leading to an active social media discussion.

[32] Suburban Express indicated it would switch its litigation to Champaign County, so that students would have access to free UIUC legal aid.

[27][28][35][36] In December 2017, Suburban Express sent an email promoting the benefits of riding, including: "you won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses."

[41] Additionally, Suburban sought and was granted by the court pro bono legal defense against its insurance carrier, Hartford.

Suburban Express claimed that it had been shaken down by the Illinois Attorney General's Office and threatened a defamation lawsuit against Raoul and a specific subordinate.