Charters

[trainman8119]

Does anyone remember the old days when the CTA (and I guess Pace too from talking with drivers) used to charter buses. I know part of the reason it is not done now is because Uncle Sam does not allow agencies that receive public funding to be used for private enterprises, or something like that. I know the CTA gets around that, for example, by making something a fixed route, as in the 154 which operates from Lane Tech to Wrigley Field for Cub night and weekend games. Somehow, Pace gets away with it too with their UPS routes for example which UPS pays for and does whatever they want with the routes (and Pace then caters to them)...also the Shuttle Bug routes which are paid for in part by private enterprise and so on. All have route numbers, and I guess, this allows the semi-charter to be operated as a fixed route.

Would it not be a way to increase revenue for carriers if the Feds relaxed the Charter rule and allowed this practice to return again. Do the carriers even want to get back into it ???

[Busjack]

The "Pace" charters were probably when they were private companies. The weirdest sign I ever saw was on Suburban Transit, which said "FANTASY-CHARTER." (Were they going to the Magic Kingdom?) I grew up in Hammond, and it seemed like the Chicago and Calumet District Transit Co. had more charter buses than city ones.

Basically, why it ended as what you said, that when the government pays for the equipment, the buses aren't allowed to unfairly compete with the private charter and school bus companies, which have to buy their own equipment.

The other Pace examples are more like "if the employer wants service, it has to pay for it." Notices for the proposed cancellation of routes, such as the 558, stated that "without subsidy, the route does not meet ridership standards." The Shuttle Bugs have a combination of Metra, CMAQ, and employer funding. As part of the North Shore Initiative coverage, which the Pioneer Press, as usual, partially botched, the editorial said that if you want to save the 212, employers in addition to UPS should pay for it. Similar deal with the Niles and Schaumburg shuttles, except the towns pay, probably by passing the cost on to the merchants (Pace says the towns "pay the fares" and that's how they are free). About all Pace does is provide the equipment (paid by the feds) and a bit of a subsidy, so that what the towns pay contributes to the recovery ratio.

There is probably nothing now that prevents the employers from chartering their own regular service (such as the Coach USA buses you see downtown on railroad station shuttles). No franchise that protects a local transit operator.

[ryanbytes]

I saw a charter this morning. It was around the Buckingham fountain area. They were shooting a movie or something and a CTA bus was chartered to move crew and extras around. At least that's what it looked like from the 146 as we passed by! It was definitely a charter though.

[RIPTA42]

Movie charters are different from personal charters, of course. I had a coworker whose friend chartered a CTA bus for his bachelor party, so everyone could barhop and not worry about driving.

You can still Charter a Train!

[sw4400]

I remember back in Elementary School one time(Early 90's). As I was heading home, I saw a CTA Bus parked near a church(the church was one block south on Paulina). I believe it was a GMC New Look(the later 9600 series), a Flyer D901, a TMC, or a Flxible 5300. It was so long ago, I don't remember exactly. But it was one of these four types of buses.