February System Pick

[rmadisonwi]

Just as 8, 49, 82 and 94 will have to be shared, in the very least the 140s will need to be shared in the rush periods at least from how new schedules read. It was stated in someone's post that there's going to be a lot of sharing going on which would have to the case. Some of us may just be seeing what we want to see instead of how it needs to be to accommodate going down to seven garages from the current eight.

Then I suppose some folks on here will really be wetting their pants when they see 77th, 103rd, Forest Glen and Chicago Garage buses doing certain trips on rts 134, 143, and 151.

[jajuan]

Then I suppose some folks on here will really be wetting their pants when they see 77th, 103rd, Forest Glen and Chicago Garage buses doing certain trips on rts 134, 143, and 151.

Don't count me among the pants wetters .....Something has to be done to make up for losing one garage with nothing replacing it. This is not like Lawndale being replaced by Chicago and getting routes from Kedzie because Lawndale didn't have that many routes before closing, or Limits pretty much having the bulk of its work taken over by Kedzie, its 8 and 9 runs by 69th then 74th, and the 145 completely by NP because Limits also was a small garage in terms of routes and runs. Archer is not a small garage and only nine routes are being eliminated out the system. So I'm not blind to the fact there's no getting around going back to shared runs on routes like before the 3/23/08 reassignments but maybe on a bigger scale even with the frequency cuts and cuts in service hours. I kind of like that Chicago and FG won't lose out on doing express work though 77th and 103rd are already solidly in the express game. I would like to see Kedzie remain in the game in some way, and not get cut too much with getting 21, 50, 60 and 62.

[Busjack]

Then I suppose some folks on here will really be wetting their pants when they see 77th, 103rd, Forest Glen and Chicago Garage buses doing certain trips on rts 134, 143, and 151.

And all this time I thought it was incontenence and drinking too much pop. I've been burping a lot about 6200s showing up on 606, too.

Seriously, I would concur with jajuan on this. However, unless it is a situation where a 3, 4, 6, or 14 interlines with one of the aforesaid (and I think that probably will be the case), deadhead costs (gas and labor) would probably wipe out any "saving."

However, as far as any garage getting into the "game," that will be pretty irrelevant, as far as the riders are concerned, if all have about the same equipment (1258 NFs and 480 Novas).Also, of course, adding garage symbols to the run numbers takes some of the sport out of it that existed before about 1975.

[jajuan]

And all this time I thought it was incontenence and drinking too much pop. I've been burping a lot about 6200s showing up on 606, too.

Seriously, I would concur with jajuan on this. However, unless it is a situation where a 3, 4, 6, or 14 interlines with one of the aforesaid (and I think that probably will be the case), deadhead costs (gas and labor) would probably wipe out any "saving."

However, as far as any garage getting into the "game," that will be pretty irrelevant, as far as the riders are concerned, if all have about the same equipment (1258 NFs and 480 Novas).Also, of course, adding garage symbols to the run numbers takes some of the sport out of it that existed before about 1975.

Well there's got to be some left in the sport. May as well put in some wishes that really aren't as important as having a system that still operates.

[MetroShadow]

Then I suppose some folks on here will really be wetting their pants when they see 77th, 103rd, Forest Glen and Chicago Garage buses doing certain trips on rts 134, 143, and 151.

Why does that not surprise me, after what I saw with the N. LSD routes during three-track?

[BusHunter]

Why does that not surprise me, after what I saw with the N. LSD routes during three-track?

I wonder if Kedzie will run service still on these routes at all. It would be a good way for Kedzie to rid itself of some artics and get some more room at the garage. Maybe they could fit 3 40 footers for every 2 artics lost. They could shift more artics to 103rd/77th to aid with the #3 service or problems on the South Side. Kedzie's going to be picking up alot of new 40 foot service routes. I noticed 35th is still pulling in and out from the west end so it looks like it goes to Kedzie too. Probably a good question would be what would Kedzie's capacity be if it were all 40 footers?

[jajuan]

I wonder if Kedzie will run service still on these routes at all. It would be a good way for Kedzie to rid itself of some artics and get some more room at the garage. Maybe they could fit 3 40 footers for every 2 artics lost. They could shift more artics to 103rd/77th to aid with the #3 service or problems on the South Side. Kedzie's going to be picking up alot of new 40 foot service routes. I noticed 35th is still pulling in and out from the west end so it looks like it goes to Kedzie too. Probably a good question would be what would Kedzie's capacity be if it were all 40 footers?

I can tell you right now Kedzie is still going to need its artics if the 12 is any indication. As it stands now buses on that route are jammed to the gills during the week with three high schools and the U of I to serve not to mention the south end of the Medical District. It's only going to get worse after next Sunday. Also there was no indication that 156 is going anywhere, so I don't see Kedzie giving up artics just yet. Kedzie still has routes that are artic worthy, so the South Side is not the only area that's going to see crowds. BTW 35 only shows one short turn in the whole schedule, 35th Orange Line Station, which given the location isn't enough to infer Kedzie gets it. 74th can just as easily get it, given that garage got 47 in 2008 and that it is losing X9, 53AL and X55. The four routes Kedzie is already said to get from Archer is already a tight squeeze.

[cta_44499_FG]

Why does that not surprise me, after what I saw with the N. LSD routes during three-track?

To boldly go where no NovaBus has gone before! :D

[MetroShadow]

To boldly go where no NovaBus has gone before!

After seeing an Archer Nova on a 135, you couldn't be anymore correct! =p

[qwantae]

Any updates yet of where would the Archer Novas will go to after the effect? I would suggest that Novas should go back to Chicago, some to North Park, and some to Kedzie. Meaning that 103rd and 74th should be all New Flyers in my opinion.

[jajuan]

Any updates yet of where would the Archer Novas will go to after the effect? I would suggest that Novas should go back to Chicago, some to North Park, and some to Kedzie. Meaning that 103rd and 74th should be all New Flyers in my opinion.

Just put them where they are needed regardless of a wish list. In a week's time people will be glad to see any bus on the road serving their taken route regardless of model or manufacturer.

[BusHunter]

I can tell you right now Kedzie is still going to need its artics if the 12 is any indication. As it stands now buses on that route are jammed to the gills during the week with three high schools and the U of I to serve not to mention the south end of the Medical District. It's only going to get worse after next Sunday. Also there was no indication that 156 is going anywhere, so I don't see Kedzie giving up artics just yet. Kedzie still has routes that are artic worthy, so the South Side is not the only area that's going to see crowds. BTW 35 only shows one short turn in the whole schedule, 35th Orange Line Station, which given the location isn't enough to infer Kedzie gets it. 74th can just as easily get it, given that garage got 47 in 2008 and that it is losing X9, 53AL and X55. The four routes Kedzie is already said to get from Archer is already a tight squeeze.

I should have said most artics (forgetting the #156), but if the other routes (#151 shortliner,#143, #134, possibly #145, and #148) left for other garages they wouldn't need so many artics. Sort of like in 2004 when they had 30 or so artics for the #156. Today they have 65. Eliminate 30 artics and you now have space for 45 40 footers. Although they probably would need a few more 40 footers if they gained the #35, but maybe those could be squeezed in the garage. As far as crowded conditions are concerned, I see most problems on the buses are going to be where the "X" routes were. Probably I'd be most concerned with the #3 in the rush. In the loop in the PM they'll be alot of overcrowding and trouble boarding in the south loop. Vice versa for the mornings south of the loop. They'll probably get the #X4 riders that go north on Mich. Ave past the #4 terminus as well. So they might pick up riders from 2 cut routes. Maybe with a few former Kedzie artics at 77th placed on the #3, they could solve that problem. As far as the high school comment, as long as they get out around three p.m. there shouldn't be any problem using the same artics for the #156 in the rush.

[artthouwill]

I should have said most artics (forgetting the #156), but if the other routes (#151 shortliner,#143, #134, possibly #145, and #148) left for other garages they wouldn't need so many artics. Sort of like in 2004 when they had 30 or so artics for the #156. Today they have 65. Eliminate 30 artics and you now have space for 45 40 footers. Although they probably would need a few more 40 footers if they gained the #35, but maybe those could be squeezed in the garage. As far as crowded conditions are concerned, I see most problems on the buses are going to be where the "X" routes were. Probably I'd be most concerned with the #3 in the rush. In the loop in the PM they'll be alot of overcrowding and trouble boarding in the south loop. Vice versa for the mornings south of the loop. They'll probably get the #X4 riders that go north on Mich. Ave past the #4 terminus as well. So they might pick up riders from 2 cut routes. Maybe with a few former Kedzie artics at 77th placed on the #3, they could solve that problem. As far as the high school comment, as long as they get out around three p.m. there shouldn't be any problem using the same artics for the #156 in the rush.

I have confirmed with an Archer operator that the 35th will operate out of 77th and not Kedzie.

[rotjohns]

I'm curious about something and if it was talked about, I apologize, but I don't think it has. What will happen with the Optimas at Archer? Where will they end up?

[BusHunter]

I have confirmed with an Archer operator that the 35th will operate out of 77th and not Kedzie.

I wonder why they wouldn't pull out from the east end versus the west. So any word on whether the #39 and #43 will go to 77th too?

[cta5658]

i wonder if 103rd might get some novas if these cuts happens?

[jajuan]

I wonder why they wouldn't pull out from the east end versus the west. So any word on whether the #39 and #43 will go to 77th too?

Where are you seeing these pullouts in the new 35 schedule you keep talking about? All I see is full trips from its terminus at 36th/Kedzie to Cottage Grove and the one short trip from the Orange Line in the morning weekdays. As for the 12, have you been on it lately? It's not just during time that the high schools I mentioned that let out that the route is crowded. Lately it's been having some good sides crowds before PM rush periods even start more like midday off-peak times. I live along the route and use it daily so I now what I'm talking about here. The high schools are a part of it, but not the end all or be all of the crowded conditions. You have a lot of vetarans from the west end that go to the VA. Once they're gone, the buses crowd right back up with UIC students, folks working for the hospitals in the Medical District, those shopping or working at the Target store at Clark, and those going to the Red, Orange and Green Lines. So again even if runs are freed up on 134, 143, 145, 148 and 151 short runs, those artics can be used elsewhere on other Kedzie routes as they had been doing in recent months to begin with. I'm not saying they'll still need 65, but I don't see this mad dash to move out half.

[west towns]

What would happen if the CTA drivers and operators agree to the days off, will the CTA put back the service and if so how quickly will it get put back in?

[artthouwill]

I wonder why they wouldn't pull out from the east end versus the west. So any word on whether the #39 and #43 will go to 77th too?

They and the Optimas and the University routes are supposed to go to 77th.

[rideonrulez]

They and the Optimas and the University routes are supposed to go to 77th.

Correction: All of the 170's are going to 103rd.

[Busjack]

Where are you seeing these pullouts in the new 35 schedule you keep talking about? All I see is full trips from its terminus at 36th/Kedzie to Cottage Grove and the one short trip from the Orange Line in the morning weekdays.

His reference is to the first trip, which starts at 35-Kedzie at 4:00a, gets to Cottage Grove at 4:29a, and then leaves Cottage at 4:30a (apparently).

However, if this were a consistent pattern, all rows would line up that way, but they don't. The second row has the bus arriving at Cottage at 4:58a, but leaving at 4:50a, indicating that at least the run in the second row originates at Cottage Grove.

The last runs are 12:35 at Cottage and 12:56 at Kedzie, so something is ending at each end of the line.

[jajuan]

Correction: All of the 170's are going to 103rd.

So back to where they were originally.

[jajuan]

His reference is to the first trip, which starts at 35-Kedzie at 4:00a, gets to Cottage Grove at 4:29a, and then leaves Cottage at 4:30a (apparently).

However, if this were a consistent pattern, all rows would line up that way, but they don't. The second row has the bus arriving at Cottage at 4:58a, but leaving at 4:50a, indicating that at least the run in the second row originates at Cottage Grove.

The last runs are 12:35 at Cottage and 12:56 at Kedzie, so something is ending at each end of the line.

Ok I see. I can see how it might be a pullout if it were to go to Kedzie which apparently it's not if the reports of 77th are correct. That move I really don't get. 74th or Kedzie, it had the room, I could see.

[BusHunter]

Ok I see. I can see how it might be a pullout if it were to go to Kedzie which apparently it's not if the reports of 77th are correct. That move I really don't get. 74th or Kedzie, it had the room, I could see.

Looks like in the morning that one bus on the #35 at 4:50 will originate from 77th. But the follower is definitely the 4:58 arrival from Kedzie. There's not a chance it could be shared with both garages? I guess we'll have to wait and see on that. Speaking of not getting something, now if I understand this right if the #39 and #43 go to 77th, the midway routes go to 74th, and the #170's go to 103rd, and the Optimas just go to 103rd, the rest will operate with 40 footers or will some optimas come from another place for those other two garages for the Midway routes or the #39 or #43? Would the U of C need 30 optima buses?

[Busjack]

...Speaking of not getting something, now if I understand this right if the #39 and #43 go to 77th, the midway routes go to 74th, and the #170's go to 103rd, and the Optimas just go to 103rd, the rest will operate with 40 footers or will some optimas come from another place for those other two garages for the Midway routes or the #39 or #43? Would the U of C need 30 optima buses?

Based on what's on BusTracker, only about 5-10. However, the last I looked it showed only 2 500s and 3 6600s. Based on published notices, frequency has been increased on 171-172, but, of course, 173-174 are gone.