On the Spot Detours

[artthouwill]

Today I was on an EB 35th St bus. Just before Wentworth, an IDOT truck passed by. We got to the Red Line, a squad car passed by, but before we pulled away, the squad backed up. Then we had to U-turn and go back west on 35th to Wentworth because 35th & LaSalle was completely blocked by some sort of accident. Problem was those beautiful concrete barriers with plants and trees are right in the middle of 35th, even on the bridge. Needless to say it was a very difficult manuveur (I think he actually did scratch that whatever Daley calls those things). When the driver started boarding passengers on the WB side of 35th (after the turnaround) some passengers thought it was a WB bus. When we got to Pershing/Wentworth, there was a 39 Pershing bus going westbound. I thought this bus never attempted to go to the Red Line at 35th, but I had to be wrong as we encountered another 39 Pershing bus westbound at State./Pershing. At 35th/State, I observed a WB 35th bus turning north on State. When we got to King DRive, then and only then did I see a CTA supervisor truck turning west on 35th from soutbhbound King Drive. There didn't seem to be any plan or any coordination going on.

[jajuan]

Today I was on an EB 35th St bus. Just before Wentworth, an IDOT truck passed by. We got to the Red Line, a squad car passed by, but before we pulled away, the squad backed up. Then we had to U-turn and go back west on 35th to Wentworth because 35th & LaSalle was completely blocked by some sort of accident. Problem was those beautiful concrete barriers with plants and trees are right in the middle of 35th, even on the bridge. Needless to say it was a very difficult manuveur (I think he actually did scratch that whatever Daley calls those things). When the driver started boarding passengers on the WB side of 35th (after the turnaround) some passengers thought it was a WB bus. When we got to Pershing/Wentworth, there was a 39 Pershing bus going westbound. I thought this bus never attempted to go to the Red Line at 35th, but I had to be wrong as we encountered another 39 Pershing bus westbound at State./Pershing. At 35th/State, I observed a WB 35th bus turning north on State. When we got to King DRive, then and only then did I see a CTA supervisor truck turning west on 35th from soutbhbound King Drive. There didn't seem to be any plan or any coordination going on.

The accident had to have been very recent (like within some minutes prior to getting there) for that type of uncoordination to be going on. I couldn't imagine for it to have been there too long for the driver not to know the street was blocked. Yes communication might be quick these days but nothing happens instantaneously.