New Express Routes Coming Soon.

[Busjack]

I took a quick look at the Edens construction. Some portions of the shoulders have been ground or paved, and there is paving work on the travel lanes. However, the areas near ramps (merges and gores) still have the same markings and gray   shoulders, so I don't know what they intend to do  there.

[Busjack]

Pace announcement that the I-90 Flex lanes are in operation. Also on the status of the Park and Rides.

Maybe in response to @BusHunter's comment on low ridership, note that while the Randall Road one is open with 150 spaces,Ill. 53 and Barrington Road seem a bit off. Also, with respect to Randall Road, a question may be how much Pace has solicited ridership from those driving in from the west on I-90, as opposed to the immediate area. Remember that back in 2012, Pace had a big promotional program for I-55, which, from the appearance of the last couple of buses, no longer appears necessary.

[BusHunter]

I don't know about 150 spaces. i didn't see that. This makes me want to upload my shots that I still haven't uploaded. About half of the space shown dug up is a bus turnaround, so while the dug up area could fit 150, I can't see how it does in it's current config. Give me a second to see if i can find these pictures....

Also it was indicated that the buses can weave in and out of the flex lanes or stay in them. It will be interesting to see what they do. With a solid white line according to the rules of the road they are not supposed to. Don't know why they did that. Maybe the engineers were out to lunch.

[Busjack]

16 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

With a solid white line according to the rules of the road they are not supposed to.

I  thought  that rule was changed to yellow, and there was the amendment to the vehicle code  before the I-55 project that the buses can operate there,  so obviously they have to cross the line. From what pacebus.com says, the I-55 traffic rules apply here, such as the lane may be used only under 35 mph.

Pace officials have also said  that  ridership  is already up 20%  from December,  when the new service started.

[BusHunter]

3 minutes ago, Busjack said:

I  thought  that rule was changed to yellow, and there was the amendment to the vehicle code  before the I-55 project that the buses can operate there,  so obviously they have to cross the line. From what pacebus.com says, the I-55 traffic rules apply here, such as the lane may be used only under 35 mph.

Pace officials have also said  that  ridership  is already up 20%  from December,  when the new service started.

Yeah but what is 20 percent. One new rider out of 5? 

Your not supposed to cross any white solid lines. Think of all those left turn lanes out there. Yellow just denotes appossing traffic versus white rrefers to all traffic in the same direction.

[BusHunter]

Can't find my pictures, googlemaps has an old 2012 streetview too, but the satellite shot that is a keeper.

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0823671,-88.3338924,111m/data=!3m1!1e3

Damn it does has 150 spaces, I counted them. (doesn't look that way though.)

[Busjack]

13 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Yeah but what is 20 percent. One new rider out of 5? 

As I said, most of the park and rides aren't open yet. I-55 passenger count was not built in 6 months with only 3 park and rides open. And maybe you can compare it to CTA bus ridership is way down.

13 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Yellow just denotes appossing traffic versus white rrefers to all traffic in the same direction.

Actually, it is more complicated than that As I indicated above, the Vehicle Code gives buses the right to use that lane.

The Rules of the Road pamphlet says under Pavement Markings:

• Solid white lines are used on the right of the roadway edge.
• Solid yellow lines are used on the left edge of divided streets or roadways.

White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
• Broken white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing
the line is allowed only when changing lanes or turning.
• Solid white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing a
solid white line requires special care and is discouraged.
• Solid double white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
Crossing a double solid white line is prohibited.

If that line isn't an edge line, it takes a double white line to prohibit use of the lane.
 

 

[BusHunter]

10 hours ago, Busjack said:

As I said, most of the park and rides aren't open yet. I-55 passenger count was not built in 6 months with only 3 park and rides open. And maybe you can compare it to CTA bus ridership is way down.

Actually, it is more complicated than that As I indicated above, the Vehicle Code gives buses the right to use that lane.

The Rules of the Road pamphlet says under Pavement Markings:

• Solid white lines are used on the right of the roadway edge.
• Solid yellow lines are used on the left edge of divided streets or roadways.

White lane lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
• Broken white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing
the line is allowed only when changing lanes or turning.
• Solid white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction. Crossing a
solid white line requires special care and is discouraged.
• Solid double white lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction.
Crossing a double solid white line is prohibited.

If that line isn't an edge line, it takes a double white line to prohibit use of the lane.
 

 

If you want to try and figure out why I-55 does so good and I-90 still needs to prove itself, it might have to do with convenience as well as a cheaper alternative. So what I think is going on is I-55 is only $5 right, well Metra is definitely over $5, so we have the smart consumer here riding the bus, but really what the draw is I think is that it's a one seat ride into the loop. I-90 is not doing that and that hurts it. You have a blue line ride which is about 40 minutes to the loop from Rosemont. I bet if I-90 ran into the loop it would get business. With the blue line and all it would be easy to build intermodal or shoulder access stations and route the pedestrians right into the big Park N ride lots via the CTA bridges at Cumberland or Jeff PK. (thinking of the Veterans Square garage)  They would have to add shoulder access to the Kennedy but it would succeed just because the Kennedy traffic can be so bad people will be like damn there goes the bus as they sit in traffic. You know you have to think also in terms of time, this I-55 bus goes straight to Michigan avenue Metra does not. Is there a time savings in that? This proposal also is the solution for an Airport Express which could serve the NW side of Chicago too. If the bus is limited or Express it's bypassing stops the blue line makes. HOV lanes are the trend of the future and as long as the city doesn't build, it will just stay in the past.

As far as the rules of the road that's basically what I said.

 

[MetroShadow]

3 hours ago, BusHunter said:

If you want to try and figure out why I-55 does so good and I-90 still needs to prove itself, it might have to do with convenience as well as a cheaper alternative. So what I think is going on is I-55 is only $5 right, well Metra is definitely over $5, so we have the smart consumer here riding the bus, but really what the draw is I think is that it's a one seat ride into the loop. I-90 is not doing that and that hurts it. You have a blue line ride which is about 40 minutes to the loop from Rosemont. I bet if I-90 ran into the loop it would get business. With the blue line and all it would be easy to build intermodal or shoulder access stations and route the pedestrians right into the big Park N ride lots via the CTA bridges at Cumberland or Jeff PK. (thinking of the Veterans Square garage)  They would have to add shoulder access to the Kennedy but it would succeed just because the Kennedy traffic can be so bad people will be like damn there goes the bus as they sit in traffic. You know you have to think also in terms of time, this I-55 bus goes straight to Michigan avenue Metra does not. Is there a time savings in that? This proposal also is the solution for an Airport Express which could serve the NW side of Chicago too. If the bus is limited or Express it's bypassing stops the blue line makes. HOV lanes are the trend of the future and as long as the city doesn't build, it will just stay in the past.

As far as the rules of the road that's basically what I said.

 

The market operates differently than I-55. Comparing the two is dangerous and inaccurate. 

[Busjack]

 

@BusHunter:

1.You want instant gratification when construction isn't even complete yet. That's totally unrealistic. Every other CMAQ has gotten 3 years to prove itself. Even Lincoln got 14 months, but you declared failure on Day  Two.

2.  The whole point of both I-55 and I-90  is that Metra is not parallel. Now maybe suburanites  don't want to ride  with you on the Blue Line, if that's your point. But Pace was not going to duplicate it, and there is hardlyany shoulder on  the  Kennedy.

3. Other than yellow being opposite directions, no you're wrong. You said one is not allowed to  cross  a single white line. Try reading.

 

[Busjack]

12 hours ago, MetroShadow said:

The market operates differently than I-55. Comparing the two is dangerous and inaccurate. 

To reinforce that: The Rosemont lot and Cumberland P&R garage are usually full. On the CTA Park and Ride page, Rosemont is $7.00 (ridiculous) and Cumberland is $6.00. Coming from the Tollway, one has to, at a minimum, go through the River Road toll plaza (75 cents I Pass; $1.50 cash), which doesn't give cars direct access to Rosemont; drivers probably have to get off at I-190 O'Hare, pay the toll, and turn around, or Lee Road if that eastbound exit is open (late part of Tollway construction).

By comparison, riders on Pace get free parking, avoid at least one toll, and if they have a Ventra card (TVMs at Elgin and NWTC), pay at most 25 cents to transfer from the bus to the Blue Line. The Blue Line may take 40 minutes, but the travel time to and from O'Hare isn't any faster.

So, you're right that the market is different, but @BusHunter is wrong that there is no economic incentive to use the Pace system.

Update: There are also commuters working in Schaumburg. There aren't any going to Plainfield.

[Tcmetro]

The Pace I-90 & Blue Line combo is pretty reliable, and costs only $4.50 round trip. Metra or CTA parking is much more expensive, but the cost burden probably isn't that much for downtown commuters.

The ridership numbers for commute hours are never going to be that good, considering how small the park and rides are. Reverse commute market is much harder to serve, especially if you ask riders to change at Rosemont and a second time in the suburbs. Midday service probably will be lackluster. Saturday service doesn't run late enough for special events, which is a pretty significant driver of Metra ridership. 

I think once the grants run out we'll see some off-peak service consolidation (e.g. an I-90 combo run) and new feeder routes combined into existing feeders (e.g. 611/696, 608/711/715). Some of the hours saved could go towards later service or Sunday service. 

[Busjack]

58 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

The ridership numbers for commute hours are never going to be that good, considering how small the park and rides are.

But, as I noted, two of them aren't even open yet.

One has to compare it to Plainfield, that 5 years after service began there, Pace now has to build a new lot. Strange that downtown Plainfield is becoming a park and ride lot.

58 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

Reverse commute market is much harder to serve, especially if you ask riders to change at Rosemont and a second time in the suburbs.

However, that has always been the justification for improving transit to Schaumburg, whether a Blue Line extension or the STAR Line. Employment seems to be holding up there, even though Motorola Solutions is out. Also the 606 bus is doing well (as indicated that 40 foot buses are now being assigned and the frequency is good), even though it isn't much on I-90.

58 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

I think once the grants run out we'll see some off-peak service consolidation (e.g. an I-90 combo run) and new feeder routes combined into existing feeders (e.g. 611/696, 608/711/715).

That's possible, although the routes don't really serve the same markets (608 is consistently north of the terminals for 711/715, so there wouldn't be any savings), In effect there will be I-90 combo runs when the Ill 25 and Barrington Road P&Rs open. 611 is just a small office shuttle (using community vehicles), which either works or doesn't..As I indicated earlier, I don't see what passenger traffic generator is being served by 604, so if anything bites it, that's what would I would say.

[Tcmetro]

The ridership will definitely grow with the new park and rides opening, no doubt. Randall has 150 spaces, IL 25 has 199 spaces, Barrington has 170 spaces. NWTC has another 150 spaces. If all of these park and rides were 100% used, that amounts to only 1400 rides. The service levels can only be justified if there are a lot more people transferring or getting rides to and from the stations. 

Right now there are 4 buses per hour midday/weekends along I-90 between Elgin and Rosemont with the various configurations. Simplifying the off-peak pattern (e.g. half-hourly Elgin-25-Barrington-NWTC-Rosemont and half-hourly Randall-25-Barrington-NWTC-Rosemont) could make the service a lot more useful, perhaps even moreso with a stop at Woodfield. 

[Busjack]

20 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

The service levels can only be justified if there are a lot more people transferring or getting rides to and from the stations. 

Which depends on whether the feeders (including the Trolley) do their job. I don't know whether one should assume one occupant per car, or how much Kiss and Ride business there is.

22 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

Right now there are 4 buses per hour midday/weekends along I-90 between Elgin and Rosemont with the various configurations. Simplifying the off-peak pattern (e.g. half-hourly Elgin-25-Barrington-NWTC-Rosemont and half-hourly Randall-25-Barrington-NWTC-Rosemont) could make the service a lot more useful, perhaps even moreso with a stop at Woodfield. 

Probably is too much midday service. But driving into Woodfield isn't such a good idea, given all the congestion there, and, again, there is the Trolley.

[MetroShadow]

5 hours ago, Busjack said:

Which depends on whether the feeders (including the Trolley) do their job. I don't know whether one should assume one occupant per car, or how much Kiss and Ride business there is.

Probably is too much midday service. But driving into Woodfield isn't such a good idea, given all the congestion there, and, again, there is the Trolley.

Probably create an all-stop combo (such as the 850's) if staffing and buses are too much.

[Pace831]

The concrete paving for the bus lane at Barrington Road is done. The general message boards showed "(Yellow Arrow/Caution) means slow down or move over". There was a red X over the left and right shoulders. The left side didn't say "Pace bus only" as in the graphics. Maybe not ready yet, although I heard on the radio this morning they opened the flex lane to all traffic due to an accident blocking two right lanes.

[Busjack]

Passenger Notice that the 626 routing is being changed in Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove, and one a.m. inbound trip from the PNR is being eliminated.Terminal is being changed from Bond/Aptakisic to Tower Dr.

[west towns]

Is this to prepare  for bos service?

[Busjack]

5 minutes ago, west towns said:

Is this to prepare  for bos service?

Although BOS seems close, the notice seemed more pruning service in the Lincolnshire area.

The previews do not have the BOS logo.

[Pace831]

On 10/12/2017 at 10:01 PM, Busjack said:

Although BOS seems close, the notice seemed more pruning service in the Lincolnshire area.

The previews do not have the BOS logo.

They have begun installing BOS signage on the Edens. Southbound from Dundee to Willow Rd.

[Pace831]

On 10/31/2017 at 3:37 PM, Pace831 said:

They have begun installing BOS signage on the Edens. Southbound from Dundee to Willow Rd.

Southbound signage is complete. Northbound signs have been installed to at least Touhy (where I got off).

[strictures]

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Southbound signage is complete. Northbound signs have been installed to at least Touhy (where I got off).

The NB signs are now in as far as Lake Ave.  They've also added some guard rails in a couple of places.

[Busjack]

Couple of interesting things there:

• While most of the signs are roadside ones, there is an overhead "SHOULDER PACE BUS ALLOWED" one :south of Dundee Road and an overhead "PACE BUS ON SHOULDER ENDS" northbound about half way between Tower Road and Dundee Road.
• There are signs before some interchanges (I saw at Willow Road and Skokie Road southbound) with Pace Bus and a left arrow. (pointing at about 310 degrees). What it appears is that buses are not allowed to ride on shoulders cutting off merges. Thus, the bus might get 2 miles on the shoulder, have to merge into traffic, a half mile stuck in traffic, and then back to the shoulder.

[artthouwill]

4 hours ago, Busjack said:

Couple of interesting things there:

• While most of the signs are roadside ones, there is an overhead "SHOULDER PACE BUS ALLOWED" one :south of Dundee Road and an overhead "PACE BUS ON SHOULDER ENDS" northbound about half way between Tower Road and Dundee Road.
• There are signs before some interchanges (I saw at Willow Road and Skokie Road southbound) with Pace Bus and a left arrow. (pointing at about 310 degrees). What it appears is that buses are not allowed to ride on shoulders cutting off merges. Thus, the bus might get 2 miles on the shoulder, have to merge into traffic, a half mile stuck in traffic, and then back to the shoulder.

I guess that's understandable albeit craZy.  I had to remember the difference between Minneapolis and our BOS is thatour entrance/exits are cloverleaf as opposed to diamonds which, along with ramp signals and longer entrances, make it easier for buses there to stay on the shoulder.