X98

[busbiz]

Metra pays Pace for the service. I have worked on both sides of those occurances.

So is that a standing relationship between Metra and Pace? Is that ever offered to any other company?

[Busjack]

So is that a standing relationship between Metra and Pace? Is that ever offered to any other company?

Since the money is all RTA, why should it go outside the family (both the Suburban Bus Division and the Commuter Rail Division are divisions of the RTA*)? On the other hand, if CTA is burning its own fuel to run the heating buses, taxpayers outside of Chicago are paying for a Chicago problem.

Anyway, I thought that the South Shore always paid. At least in their case, there isn't a transit authoity that has more than about 15 buses (at least in Lake or Porter County).

For that matter: Who paid for the operation of the CTA hybrid buses that squired the Olympic Committee around the first time? And why was it necessary to use apparently non-CTA paratransit vehicles the second? Both sound like charters.

_____

*Unlike the CTA, neither Pace nor Metra is a corporate entity. Each is a marketing name, although the Commuter Rail Division has the NIRCRC under it.

[ibebobo]

Since the money is all RTA, why should it go outside the family (both the Suburban Bus Division and the Commuter Rail Division are divisions of the RTA*)? On the other hand, if CTA is burning its own fuel to run the heating buses, taxpayers outside of Chicago are paying for a Chicago problem.

Anyway, I thought that the South Shore always paid. At least in their case, there isn't a transit authoity that has more than about 15 buses (at least in Lake or Porter County).

For that matter: Who paid for the operation of the CTA hybrid buses that squired the Olympic Committee around the first time? And why was it necessary to use apparently non-CTA paratransit vehicles the second? Both sound like charters.

_____

*Unlike the CTA, neither Pace nor Metra is a corporate entity. Each is a marketing name, although the Commuter Rail Division has the NIRCRC under it.

I can tell you that they probably used every charter company around for the Olympic stuff. They went crazy on that one.

[Busjack]

I can tell you that they probably used every charter company around for the Olympic stuff. They went crazy on that one.

Doesn't answer who paid for the hybrid tour. But at least you were satisfied. That may be sufficient in your world, but doesn't mean the taxpayers were.

[MetroShadow]

When the service first started, it was run by PACE North Shore as routes 425 and 426. One started at Roosevelt/Cicero and ran via Roosevelt to the Ryan, then up Ryan-Kennedy-Edens-Dempster-Waukegan, other started Cermak/Cicero and ran Cermak-Ryan etc. Eventually it was decided it made more sense to start the bus at Irving Park Blue Line and have riders find their own way there. This was when CTA took it over as X98. CTA could provide an artic, while PACE would need two 40-footers, which made it cheaper for CTA to run it.

It was 424 and 425. 424 was the roosevelt service, and 425 was the Cermak route. 426 was the Northwestern-Evanston-Downtown service.

[Busjack]

Also, IIRC, the handoff from Pace to CTA happened a bit after the route was cut back to Irving Park. (Bill V. backs that up.) Pace did post that it didn't have to hold a hearing because an alternative was being provided (I don't recall that they explcitly said by CTA, though).