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In other blue line news 2819-2820 are in the spirit of chicago livery

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 is just the tip of the iceberg.

Looks like it is coming close. Feb. 2025 agenda item "for the transfer of UP transportation employees and functions to Metra. ... Metra will assume the responsibility of operating UP lines, as well as direct oversight of the employees operating commuter trains and various support functions. UP will remain responsible for dispatching all trains on its mainline territory and for local tower operations." The new agreement is to be effective April 16, 2025.

Which isn't the only one. When there were competitive procurement, Nova would have about 50 responses "We kindly request" our floor covering" NF had "our supp;ier won't give us a 5-year warranty," etc, in which the bidder (I assume) had to figure in the extra cost. In Pace's case NF and Nova said don't 'you mean a square rear sign and the answer was "no, the same as on the sides." NF eventually redesigned the bus, but when it came to procuring the 8980 coaches, MCI was the only qualified bidder and said that the wide sign would not fit on the bus, so take it or leave it. If there is any analogy, Toyota has certain equipment packages for an LE, SE, XLE, or XSE, but if you want a hybrid, you can't get a V6. On the other hand, if you want to "build your own Porsche", you'll pay through the nose.

Well NP and 74th are the two garages that don't have the 8350s save for 2 training buses at NP. If CTA plans to showcase these buses, that probably means either NP and 74th aren't participating in the DNC Shuttle or CTA will shuffle some to NP before thee DNC begins in two weeks. I still think it is crazy to send new buses to FG only to turn around and take them away in a short period of time. We will see what happens soon.

7113 7114 spotted in service this morning on run 107.

From the release: [It] will officially be known as the “Damen” Green Line station. “Few realize there is process involved in determining the appropriate name for our stations," ... said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. Really? Carter and the Board of Pastors don't have any higher priority? It wasn't like CTA was going to call it the "William Rockwell Wirtz Memorial Station," or something like that.

#7089-94 are currently in service.

This was 2 mins ago.

Yeah, but in those days, buses didn't include fareboxes (most just had a shelf where you laid your token), electronic signs (they just grabbed a roll sign off some other bus), farecard readers, gps, radios, emergency alarms, cameras, cell phone hotspots, powered rear doors, collision avoidance systems, wheelchair ramps, and electronic engine control.They also didn't have emission controls, although maybe propane buses didn't need them. CTA also probably had an adequate number of mechanics @ $6/hour.

The other pages were just miscellaneous items related to the picking schedule for the rest of the year.

Yeah the 52 was rumored to be getting extended but that yet to be confirmed by CTA/Local 241. The 75 getting extended to 79th/Western doesn't make much sense with the terminal being that small with 4 other routes counting the Weekday X49s that sit there with the 349. If the 50 does go to K what does NP gain in return other the 151? I'm surprised that FG hasn't gotten Fullerton back after all these years. I hope the return of the X54 will come in the near future at the very least CTA is dropping the ball with the return of Express service on local streets. The return of X3 is long overdue along with the X80.

West of Clark but east of Ashland. Unless you live just steps from Clark, it's not a long walk. While we can appreciate your particular ailments, CTA service doesn't revolve totally around you. Suppose someone with a similar condition lives steps from Ashland and Bertram. They either have to make that walk to Clark or use paratransit . The Ashland reroute is a suggestion to speed up service on the portion of the route that you live on which is further north. I would think you would be in favor of something that would reduce your wait times up in Rogers Park.

It appears that March 22nd is the effect date for spring changes on the CTA bus system. CTA has announced the launching of a new “Frequent Network” initiative to improve frequency on select bus routes & operating on a “10-minute or less” frequency scale during certain times on all days of the week. The article confirms 20 bus routes will be part of this initiative, taking effect throughout 2025. The 8 listed below are the ones set for added service later this month: #J14 Jeffery Jump #34 South Michigan #47 47th Street #54 Cicero #60 Blue Island/26th #63 63rd Street #79 79th Street #95 95th Street No other service changes to these or any other bus routes have yet to been announced at this time. For more information on the CTA “Frequent Network” initiative, here’s the link to the press release: https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-launches-new-frequent-network-for-buses/

Adding a 3rd more simpler option: since Belmont and Halsted isn't used by 151 any more try 22's between downtown and Belmont 🤷

Just got a headcount of #8350s down at SS and the total is up to 72 with the highest delivered so far being #8904. #8765 is the lowest still remaining at SS. #8893 is also at SS. I'll see if anymore deliveries will occur today and tomorrow.

The Novas are rolling in quickly but are very slow rolling out in service. At least the Nova deliveries are faster than the 7000 series rail cars.

During 2024 following 6400s went to Scrap Metal Services: 6401 6455-6456 6473-6474 6477 6503 6516 6558 6562-6564 6573-6574 6577 6581 6585 6651 6671 6674 6678 6681 6684 6686 6696 6699 6710-6711 6713-6715 6722 6724 6734 6746 6751 6758 6761 6763-6764 6772 6776 6780 6784 6787 6794 6799 6808 6810 6819 6824 6826 6838 6842-6843 6847-6848 6870-6871 6873 6877 6882

Carter wasn't exactly a visionary before the pandemic, but the past five years were basically crisis mode and try to get it fixed. I think the recovery could have been managed better, but at least full service has been restored which most cities haven't achieved yet. There were many worse CTA presidents in the past, so I am hoping for the best. The upcoming fiscal cliff is going to be even harder to figure out than the pandemic recovery so I'm not surprised Carter has decided to leave. We'll see if the MMA happens - it's going to be one of the bigger news stories this year.

for F i only know 1050 is at SS, 1065 LTH at the garage, 1407 broken tracker, 1609 is at SS, 1637 1648 and 1665 are retired.

In that the approximately 170 Novas to come are supposed to complete the retirement of approx. 550 NFs, the rust buckets shouldn't be around much longer. All that should be left is 450 of 5he under 1630 range..

Looks like the 9 Ashland bus is being extended to Lawrence & Ravenswood Metra. https://www.reddit.com/r/CarFreeChicago/s/htQKd1WP2w

The original plan was for the 6 electric Novas to go to 103rd garage. They were also supposed to get charging equipment for that garage. Needless to say none of this has come to fruition.

8757 in service today P on #50.

Well we had Skokie south, now we got 77th-North 😁😁

all of them were going back to South Shops from Skokie Shops, they were at Skokie Shops for the rebirth of the 2024 CTA Bus Rodeo competition that was held on Saturday September 7th.

#8750, #8717, #8751, #8741 are at FG

You do realize 77th had only received 1 brand new bus being #8405 until the Blue Line shuttles . FG and 103rd received pretty much a majority of the Deliveries early on and then C took a majority of the rest while K and 77th got bread crumbs. 74th and 77th has had the same amount of equipment for about 8 - 10 years now when it comes to the #1000s and #7900s/ #8000s. The quote on quote "77th always abuses equipment or runs it into the ground." Isn't necessarily true since I've been there for practically the last 5 years now. Have the 89 #7900s shown there age after 300k miles at one garage? Yes. Have the 150+ #1000s we have made it more difficult to maintain the #7900s simultaneously? Absolutely. FG had a surplus of buses that they really didn't need after the DNC and they just happen to be brand new but when you look at the rosters you'll see that FG and 77th have just about the same amount of 7900s/8350s so who really got shafted in the end? Heck we even have more #1000s than FG. If we want to throw any garage in the system right now that is getting shafted I'll showcase the rosters below and you tell me who is really getting shafted right now. 😅

Looks like they finally installed the new bus stops. This was at the new NB stop on Wilson & Ashland.

It's so refreshing to not see a left-justified sign anymore. I can't wait till those go away

You'd think by now they'd learn to clear old codes knowing they tend to reuse them by now 🥴🥴

Well it's time you've done some research on the #1000s, the option 3/4 models from 2008 and 2009 are getting retired first for rusted out carbon steel frames among other miscellaneous problems with the buses as a whole. The 1st and 2nd options have stainless steel frames and have fairly held together for the duration of there service lives. CTA has put themselves into a interesting spot by sending NP and C a boat load of those 1st and 2nd order models to balance out the loses of the option 3/4 options they once had. Now when the last 200+ #8350s get here in the next 6 months I'm sure the entire fleet will get balanced out throughout the system properly where no more than 65 - 75 #1000s are at all 7 garages of the 400 that are left to get rehabbed for a second time in the next several months. It takes time to retire an entire fleet though. Spare ratios are still an important factor for every garage to have in order to run efficiently.

#8749 has entered service out of FG.

We're down to 207 Nova's left to be delivered and the general gameplan after the DNC and presumably when the fall pick starts is FG and possibly C will ship there newly acquired #8700s to NP/74th. #8715 Not at SS, #8717 Not at SS , #8718 (SS),8721(SS),#8722(SS),#8724 Not at SS , #8726(SS), #8727(SS), #8731 Not at SS , #8732 Not at SS, #8738 Not at SS,#8741 Not at SS ,#8745 (SS), #8746 Not at SS ,#8747 (SS),#8748(SS),#8749 (SS), #8750 - #8950 Have yet to be delivered to SS.

#8742,#8743, & #8745 are at SS, apparently they were hiding amongst #1000s at SS along 78th & Vincennes. 😅

Bus #8716 is running out of Forest Glen garage; currently on route #86 Narragansett-Ridgeland.

#8708 and #8709 have entered service out of FG this morning currently on the 56.

Man I have alot of catching up to do due to me having a situation going on back In May & cpd took my phone had to make a new account🤣🤣

If they did, they would have posted.

8700 & 8701 are at SS

One of yesterday's Jeopardy clues was: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The L train & a bus to Skokie are run by the CTA, short for this original name of the "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" band The third place finisher said "What is the Chicago Transit ... Administration?"

For the question of how trains are stopping at the new high level platforms: https://chi.streetsblog.org/2024/04/10/south-shore-line-double-tracking-concludes-new-schedule-to-be-unveiled-in-may

Also 8596 is at NP for driver training

I would most definitely dedicate the cities resources to reconfiguring these bus lanes to work more efficiently in areas where traffic is the most congested. Areas that could use such reconfiguration are listed below. #8 Halsted : Between Madison and North Ave. The bus lane between Erie and Grand Milwaukee going SB is a tight squeeze for any bus to maneuver through with heavy traffic sitting in the lane. All routes that Utilize Michigan Ave between 35th and Oak Street. Either bus lanes from Roosevelt to Wacker Drive would be created or at the very least priority signaling at Key intersections that are prone to heavy PED traffic that causes the right lane to become congested because I'm sure we've all experienced the turn at Wacker and Michigan waiting for the 2 and 146 going SB to complete the turn without any cross traffic, same goes for the 20 going NB just to name a few. #53A South Pulaski Between 43rd and 87th. Some Peak Priority Zones could be established. #79 79th Street between Cicero and Racine. #87 Between Commercial and State Street

Whoever did this they had one job & they blew 😂😂

If they're spoiling bnsf riders, I'd like if the up-n/nw were both hourly all day on weekends

Alright pee and go to bed

Not one cent of tax money for these thieves! Both of them already screwed us taxpayers out of hundreds of millions in bonds & interest over the last 30 years. The Bears are worth well over $6 billion, so go to the banks & borrow the money, using the team as collateral! But the rotten to the core McCaskeys don't want to spend anymore money, after throwing away about $200 million to buy & demolish Arlington Park. Their original plan for developing the site was to put a new stadium, a half mile from the current train station, which is about as stupid as the Bears have been in choosing quarterbacks over the last 30 years! Every year, before the season starts, the McCaskeys get to divide up something close to $100 million in TV revenue the NFL gets from all the networks that show the football games! Chicago is stuck paying off all the bonds issued to rebuild Soldier Field, which is a few hundred million, when all the interest is added in. The McCaskeys demanded that & that incompetent fool Richie Daley fell for it! And Reinsdorf is worth a couple of billion, you already have a relatively new ballpark, but no one wants to go there because you are a cheap jerk & won't spend the money to field a decent winning team, so go to hell! The other reason no one wants to go there is Reinsdorf had everything bulldozed around the park, even McCuddy's Tavern, so no one has any reason to stay around before or after a game to eat or drink. The stupidity of that is evident by the extremely lively neighborhood of Wrigleyville. As Allan Sanderson of the University of Chicago has stated multiple times, building these multi-billion dollar idiocies aren't worth the costs to taxpayers, as they are money pits that lose money like crazy! The Ricketts family paid their own money to fix up Wrigley Field, buy up a few properties around the area & build a hotel & the Triangle Building on the old Sahara coal yard. If they could do it, so can the Bears & White Sox. If either team doesn't like paying for their own stadiums, you're free to move someplace else & find suckers there to pay for them, but not us!