New Express Routes Coming Soon.

[Busjack]

11 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

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.

Most of the ones on the Edens north of Old Orchard aren't cloverleaves, but half cloverleaf in the to/from Chicago direction at Willow and Dundee, and just on/off in the Milwaukee direction at Tower and Skokie Road. I attribute the signs more to that the buses are not allowed to cross the striped triangles separating the through lanes from the exits and merges. I don't know what the situation is in Minneapolis, but the distinction between this and I-55 and I-90 is that the bus lanes in the latter two are on the left. Comparable is that Pace said that the I-55 bus was not allowed to run on the shoulder where Joliet Road splits off to the left near I-294.

[artthouwill]

8 hours ago, Busjack said:

Most of the ones on the Edens north of Old Orchard aren't cloverleaves, but half cloverleaf in the to/from Chicago direction at Willow and Dundee, and just on/off in the Milwaukee direction at Tower and Skokie Road. I attribute the signs more to that the buses are not allowed to cross the striped triangles separating the through lanes from the exits and merges. I don't know what the situation is in Minneapolis, but the distinction between this and I-55 and I-90 is that the bus lanes in the latter two are on the left. Comparable is that Pace said that the I-55 bus was not allowed to run on the shoulder where Joliet Road splits off to the left near I-294.

In Minneapolis the bus doesn't have to leave the shoulder due to merging traffic.  However, they are required to use 4 way flashers while on the shoulder which makes them more visible to merging traffic whether entering or exiting expressway.

[west towns]

Anyone know when edens bos starts?

[MetroShadow]

On 11/15/2017 at 12:20 PM, west towns said:

Anyone know when edens bos starts?

Patience. 

[Pace831]

Edens BOS signage is complete in both directions, including some overhead signs.

[Busjack]

Passenger Notice that the Ill. 25 Park and Ride is opening, effective Dec. 18, although route 543 is not pulling in at this time.

[Busjack]

On 11/28/2017 at 1:22 PM, Pace831 said:

Edens BOS signage is complete in both directions, including some overhead signs.

The new thing from last time I looked was that there were some signs near interchanges saying "WATCH FOR BUS ON SHOULDER." I did, but didn't see any, but it was at about 2 p.m. and traffic was moving at the speed limit.

Also, it hasn't been mentioned before, but there are overhead signs northbound that BOS is not allowed near Old Orchard Road (BUS SHOULDER USE ENDS at about 9300 N. and SHOULDER PACE BUSES ALLOWED at about Old Glenview Road).

In a slightly related note, I was in Cincinnati over the weekend and there are similar SHOULDER AUTHORIZED BUSES ONLY on I-71 on the left side..

[Pace831]

33 minutes ago, Busjack said:

The new thing from last time I looked was that there were some signs near interchanges saying "WATCH FOR BUS ON SHOULDER." I did, but didn't see any, but it was at about 2 p.m. and traffic was moving at the speed limit.

Also, it hasn't been mentioned before, but there are overhead signs northbound that BOS is not allowed near Old Orchard Road (BUS SHOULDER USE ENDS at about 9300 N. and SHOULDER PACE BUSES ALLOWED at about Old Glenview Road).

In a slightly related note, I was in Cincinnati over the weekend and there are similar SHOULDER AUTHORIZED BUSES ONLY on I-71 on the left side..

It looks like buses are allowed to stay on the shoulder where there is an off ramp, except Old Orchard, hence the difference in signage. They probably did that because the Old Orchard ramp traffic sometimes backs up onto the expressway.

Did you notice the Pace logos are sideways on all four of the large overhead signs?

[Busjack]

9 minutes ago, Pace831 said:

It looks like buses are allowed to stay on the shoulder where there is an off ramp...

The signs seem inconsistent. It looked that way southbound at Dempster and Touhy, but there were left arrows going northbound.

11 minutes ago, Pace831 said:

except Old Orchard, hence the difference in signage. They probably did that because the Old Orchard ramp traffic sometimes backs up onto the expressway.

That's probably it, although it may also be that the ramps are tight to the expressway (on columns instead of the embankment).

12 minutes ago, Pace831 said:

Did you notice the Pace logos are sideways on all four of the large overhead signs?

Going about 60 mph, I'm not going to see that level of detail.

[Busjack]

Pace has a banner on its website that Edens BOS starts April 9.

The story also confirms that Route C is BOS.

[NewFlyerMCI]

6 hours ago, Busjack said:

Pace has a banner on its website that Edens BOS starts April 9.

The story also confirms that Route C is BOS.

Was the ridership for the 54A high enough that the new Route C is justified, or is this an experimental service?

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

Was the ridership for the 54A high enough that the new Route C is justified, or is this an experimental service?

It's hard to say if a comparison is warranted, in that 54A ran only rush hour, this gives CTA an opportunity to dump it, and Pace canceled 254 on Saturday in 2005 because it said it made no sense to offer better service on Saturday than CTA did during the week. CTA applied for a JARC for all day service, but as usual, didn't have the match.

I see this more like with the proposal to route #215 to Jefferson Park, this is a way not to overlap that, while offering a bit quicker service to Old Orchard and Skokie Courthouse, which are passenger generators.If offset by canceling 210, it doesn't cost Pace additional resources.

Other than that, Pace, unlike CTA, does not run experiments.

[jesi2282]

Changes are being done to the Wrigley and Soldier Field express services. Yorktown will no longer be the departure point for the 776/779, instead it will now depart Hillside PNR. 237/282 service from Schaumburg and Elk Grove is being discontinued in favor of Rolling Meadows (location TBD).

The Schaumburg changes are kinda surprising considering NWTC is the unofficial flagship terminal for Pace and is slated for a major renovation, but at least the Hillside PNR will finally get some use...

http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/wrigley_field_express.asp

 

[MetroShadow]

36 minutes ago, jesi2282 said:

Changes are being done to the Wrigley and Soldier Field express services. Yorktown will no longer be the departure point for the 776/779, instead it will now depart Hillside PNR. 237/282 service from Schaumburg and Elk Grove is being discontinued in favor of Rolling Meadows (location TBD).

The Schaumburg changes are kinda surprising considering NWTC is the unofficial flagship terminal for Pace and is slated for a major renovation, but at least the Hillside PNR will finally get some use...

http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/cubs_schedule.asp

 

I really forgot that still existed after the 301/747 merge. We usually leveraged that for RideShare purposes. 

[Busjack]

On 4/1/2018 at 12:05 AM, jesi2282 said:

The Schaumburg changes are kinda surprising considering NWTC is the unofficial flagship terminal for Pace and is slated for a major renovation, but at least the Hillside PNR will finally get some use...

It was said at the March Board meeting, that the I-90 growth was so much that the NWTC parking lot was full and Pace would have to do something else for the Wrigley Field special.

[artthouwill]

9 hours ago, MetroShadow said:

I really forgot that still existed after the 301/747 merge. We usually leveraged that for RideShare purposes. 

Very  few people  use the Hillside Park N Ride.  Pace uses it for driver reliefs on the 301 (instead of Manheim).  Depending on where you are  coming from, it isn't the  easiest place to access, though the buses will have quick access to and from the Eisenhower.

[jesi2282]

3 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Very  few people  use the Hillside Park N Ride.  Pace uses it for driver reliefs on the 301 (instead of Manheim).  Depending on where you are  coming from, it isn't the  easiest place to access, though the buses will have quick access to and from the Eisenhower.

The Hillside PNR was always lightly used (even before 301/747 merge), but a Google Street View search shows the lot repaved. Pace still uses both Roosevelt/Mannheim and Harrison/Wolf (Hillside) as relief points (just depends on the run).

I wonder if the Yorktown change has something to do with a new restaurant or store that was built across from the Yorktown bus stop. Its well known Pace and Yorktown mgmt. don't have the best relationship, and Yorktown probably doesn't want Bears and Cubs fans taking parking spaces away from mall patrons.

Also, the Wrigley page on the Pace website states a new location in Rolling Meadows will be announced when "our new contract is signed", what kind of contract would that be? What kind of contract is needed to change the begin/end point for these routes?

[jesi2282]

Another thing I find interesting is why is Pace looking for a totally new place in Rolling Meadows for 282 service. Why don't they just use the Elk Grove PNR, it already has Bears service, and like the Hillside PNR it is barely used...

[artthouwill]

24 minutes ago, jesi2282 said:

The Hillside PNR was always lightly used (even before 301/747 merge), but a Google Street View search shows the lot repaved. Pace still uses both Roosevelt/Mannheim and Harrison/Wolf (Hillside) as relief points (just depends on the run).

I wonder if the Yorktown change has something to do with a new restaurant or store that was built across from the Yorktown bus stop. Its well known Pace and Yorktown mgmt. don't have the best relationship, and Yorktown probably doesn't want Bears and Cubs fans taking parking spaces away from mall patrons.

Also, the Wrigley page on the Pace website states a new location in Rolling Meadows will be announced when "our new contract is signed", what kind of contract would that be? What kind of contract is needed to change the begin/end point for these routes?

I think there is an office complex at Golf and New Wilke that has ample parking  but is private property. Can't think of anyplace  else in Rolling  Meadows.

[jesi2282]

7 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

iI think there is an office complex at Golf and New Wilke that has ample parking  but is private property. Can't think of anyplace  else in Rolling  Meadows.

My point exactly, meanwhile Elk Grove PNR is just sitting there collecting dust. This would be the ideal place, it has parking, Pace signage, a shelter and for a bonus it still has a payphone...

[Busjack]

7 hours ago, jesi2282 said:

I wonder if the Yorktown change has something to do with a new restaurant or store that was built across from the Yorktown bus stop. Its well known Pace and Yorktown mgmt. don't have the best relationship, and Yorktown probably doesn't want Bears and Cubs fans taking parking spaces away from mall patrons.

Also, the Wrigley page on the Pace website states a new location in Rolling Meadows will be announced when "our new contract is signed", what kind of contract would that be? What kind of contract is needed to change the begin/end point for these routes?

The Yorktown stop was courtesy of Harry Caray's restaurant, so if something changed with respect to that,  it would explain that.

If by Elk Grove you mean the Northwest Point  one on 616,  that appears to be private property, too, and given the meagre ridership to Chicago as opposed to Itasca, undoubtedly any change of scope would require permission. 

[Busjack]

Saw 6711 and 6723 in local service. Not wrapped, but both had ILLEGAL TO FOLLOW BUS ON SHOULDER on the rear bumper.

[Busjack]

Having dinner at Lake Cook last night, 6718 was on 626 unwrapped, and the cage was up but empty. So, two things due to  change on Monday.

[Busjack]

The one 626 I saw tonight (6701) wasn't wrapped. We'll have to see what happens moving forward.

[west towns]

Appears bos buses dont need to be wrapped. Policies may have changed since 2011.