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One of the last CTA with our last NYC bus today. Very surreal for sure, I am glad so many people enjoy the buses! I have probably hundreds if not thousands of photos from my years there that I will definitely share at some point. I lost my Flickr account due to not using my Yahoo account ugh.

This was 2 mins ago.

There was a CT Board presentation that CTA was supposed to get 6 of on the left, but I'm sure you can confirm that's not gonna happen.

7199-7206 are currently at Skokie Shops. 7177-78 should be in service while 7157-58 are yet to be mated. 7203-04 were delivered today and I decided to show how they’re delivered from the flat trucks. The unit we were using is called a shuttle wagon. It’s a diesel engine unit that can drag any unit anywhere around the yard when there’s no third rail available. We had to use a flatbed car to couple to the 7000s because of coupling issues in the past with the shuttle wagon.

That's the paper that every bus got on the assembly line, LD75 the contract # and the date is when the bus was scheduled for lay down. Usually these are removed prior to shipping, but as it's a pilot bus it may not have gotten removed.

8949 is in Plattsburgh inside the building right now, or was at 4pm. I was working on it today replacing a Clever unit and doing validations on Rosco. 😉

Here's the remaining list of #8350s at SS along with the remaining batch that have yet to be delivered embolden in black below. There is a total of 13 left that haven't been delivered yet. Once they arrive that will conclude the delivery process. #8765, #8804, #8816, #8822, #8825 - #8843, #8845 - #8853, #8856 - 8879, #8880, #8881 - #8885, #8886, #8887 - #8895, #8896, #8897 - #8909, #8910, #8911 - #8913, #8914, #8915, #8816, #8817, #8819, #8821 - 8924, #8925, #8926 - 30, #8931, #8932, #8933 - #8935, #8936, #8937, #8938, #8939 #8940 - #8945 (Total: 109) Excluding the the ones embolden.

#8939 is at SS.

Governor Pritzger has publicly said he didn't see a scenario where the State gives the RTA more funding without reforms being put ib place. He didn't specify what exactly he meant. We know he wasn't a fan of Dorval Carter as CTA President. I also think the relationship between Pritzger and Mayor Brandon Johnson is frayed. Clearly there are some political issues that may influence how this gets resolved, if st all. Years ago this would have been a city Democrats vs downstate Republicans battle. It's a completely Blue State but it's still shaping up as Chicago vs downstate.

The Harvard Tunnel has platforms on the driver-side the bus requiring an door on the other side.

TransSee has been fixed earlier today.

That wasn't even the same plant. That one was in Schenectady, NY. Only thing in common was that CTA had the last order before Nova Bus pulled out.

No problem! I just happened to find this forum trying to look up what a bus number was from a previous contract. I have photos of the last bus as it was going down the line, I tried to get as many as I could. They used to be very strict about photos taken inside the plant but it's become relaxed somewhat since we knew we were closing. I've worked here since 2011 so just under 14yrs by the time I leave.

That’s a good shot especially with the last of them to be shipped

Yeah looks like it's a tug of war/sky is falling scenario as busjack says and while the 2010 cuts were a more reasonable approach they still should've did a mix of the 2012 restructuring along with cutting the lowest performing X routes rather than just blindly cutting all the X routes just to still compete with pace (which thankfully they finally knocked that off). Part of me feels like one side is gonna cave the give the others what they want BUT after whatever bailout hopefully comes they hurry and clean up a few things like the remainder of the Evanston restructuring that was supposed to happen. As far as what I'd do, I've hinted at it in other places in the forum but to reiterate: A further realignment of the south Lakeshore corridor (particularly the downtown terminals of J14, 26 and 28), eliminate 30 north of 92nd but instead of my previous suggestion to send it bronzeville I'd just combine the remaining segment with 95 (to still give them a red line connection). 43 and 44 would get combined, an idea came to mind about the development in west loop; bring back 23 in some form as busjack suggested but route it via Halsted, Harrison, Racine, Washington, Green and loop around near grand pretty much replacing the short trips on 8 Halsted to give Bridgeport riders a more direct connection to the medical district/UIC area as well. For rail how about using the argyle middle track to put in Red line trains that run between there and Garfield (turning back at 63rd middle) to address the Dan Ryan being over served in the reverse peak direction and put purple in the subway to end at Roosevelt. Apparently Belmont is also getting a middle track nearby so maybe start some peak brown line service there to make up for the purple line reroute. It's a game of making the most with what we have IMO 🤷

Hard to say really to be honest. I feel like it's rushed and there are better solutions in the meantime such as encouraging travel outside of rush hour to lower congestion (and idling vehicles). The TAs might have their own agenda and still want to push for electric conversion although now that there's apparently no mandatory dead line they'd have more space and time to perfect things (such as the issues we're having with the 600s, the associated infrastructure etc)

If this is like Doomsday 1.0 (2006-2008), it's a political stunt. Transit agencies that try to cry "wolf" without a clear plan for reform shouldn't be allowed to just make threats. As 2010 demonstrated, if they have to cut, they'll do it in a more responsible manner. All 4 boards are lobbying Springfield, but it is mostly to save their own jobs. See the thread on that subject. Tribune and Joe Schwieterman complaining about $26,000 in leased car payments isn't going to close a $770 million deficit. But if Schwieterman is the sole expert, at least as local media are concerned, maybe he should volunteer to be CTA Executive Director, pro bono.

And this has to do with 8350-8949, how?

103rds problem is keeping the artics they have repaired. 70 artics pretty much covers their needs but due to 10-15 of them always being in the south shops they end up using 40fts on 6 and 26 more (26 really only needs them morning rush into mid afternoon, the PM rush can get by with 40fts since the evening rush hour is more spread out.) If anything since 103rd strictly uses artics on express routes I'd have all the diesel artics assigned there and send all the hybrids to K or P since they make more sense on the local routes those 2 tend to use them all. I don't think the hybrids take too well to being used at high speeds so often (plus defeats the fuel savings point)

shit, one came back (4190) after it had structural damages and issues.

Depends on your definition of "still missing." Although you mention 8765 at SS, a combination of personal observation in NP territory and trackers indicates that fleet numbers up to 8824 are in service. I'm not keeping tallies, though. Rephrased. the question is how many are still pending delivery from the factory, considering that the highest vehicle number has been delivered?

I doubt it. The only way 103rd gets more artics, if they're stimulus artics come back from the dead.

Thanks for sharing - when I get to Toronto next week, hoping I can catch one more (Orion 7).

That solves my running thoughts from last week - it's still 8-12 minutes on the 119, which really doesn't impact the interline as much as I would expect.

Well, Rosemont Yard capacity is 260 cars and Des Planes Yard capacity is 122 cars. Since the Blue Line currently have 80 runs (30 Forest Park and 50 O’Hare) while having to ton of runs terminating at UIC-Halsted, I wouldn’t be surprised if Rosemont have at least 100 cars of spares.

Really curious about the interior that they're doing a 4 door artic and not a 5 door. Also funny that MBTA is also taking delivery (or will be soon) of 3-door XE40s

This bill is SB1938. IMO, it's the kind of mess one would expect in Illinois. It changes the CT Board to 6 mayoral and 2 Preckwinle appointees, also increases the RTA board, sort of says there would be a uniform fare policy (although there's still some element of each service board can set its own fares subject to RTA approval) and RTA police, and incorporates the director qualifications from the MMA Act. It also calls for hiring independent consultants for a strategic plan. Also, it is hidden in a road usage tax study bill. Labor seems to like this because one director on each of the boards must be appointed by labor, and that a hearing on the 5-year capital plan before labor. Update: Rereading the bill, it doesn't resolve the real problem. It reduces the recovery ratio, but doesn't have a new revenue source, and retains the distribution formula (even though CTA complains about it). It is a union-sponsored power grab, causing more problems than it solves.

And funnily enough, they never actually made an electric artic, just diesel and hybrid

NO. Didn't you read above that NovaBus is no longer producing in the US and has left the market?

Sun-Times article on the RTA's response to the MMA Act, which would give the RTA more authority, but leave the 4 boards intact. The article says, "RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard is asking state lawmakers to grant the RTA substantially more authority." but IMO doesn't go far enough

Flxible Metro E

Apparently Amtrak needs some. Sun-Times: Several trains between Chicago and St. Paul or Milwaukeewere cancelled and buses substituted because cars had to be taken out of service due to corrosion. Amtrak statement More details in Trains.

They're going to have too. 103rd shouldn't have gave 4015 - 4033 to P to begin with.

CTA is probably never getting the electric LFS with the plant shutting down in a few months. Even though the money was earmarked for 6 buses and 103rd garage chargers, they never did put an electric Nova order up for board approval. There is, however, an outstanding order for 22 PhoenixEV (Proterra successor) buses that should be delivered later this year and would likely just be a continuation of the 600 series.