CTA Bus Rapid Transit (take two)

[BusHunter]

I took another cold walk through the loop link corridor and what they have done now is paint sections of stations in yellow paint, just like on the"L" platforms to tell operators where they should stop the bus for a service stop. There's 3 markings, but it looks like the first is for 60 and 40 footers and the 2nd and 3rd marking is for a 2nd bus depending on whether a 40 or 60 footer is in the first stop position. So at least 2 buses will stop at a time.

They don't seem to be finishing construction, maybe it has been delayed until the Spring. Just bring your umbrella to the Madison stops.

[juelzkellz]

I just rode the #20 on the Loop Link. Is it just me or does it seem like the buses travel slower now than before? In all, the whole project seems kinda pointless to me. 

[Busjack]

30 minutes ago, juelzkellz said:

I just rode the #20 on the Loop Link. Is it just me or does it seem like the buses travel slower now than before? In all, the whole project seems kinda pointless to me. 

If you had read above, there was the issue that the buses have to slow down to avoid knocking someone in the head with the side mirror.

[BusHunter]

9 hours ago, Busjack said:

If you had read above, there was the issue that the buses have to slow down to avoid knocking someone in the head with the side mirror.

I think i was reading speeds were restricted by supervision to 15 mph through the stations. Also those stations are raised up to meet the doors, they sure wouldn't want to hit the bus islands. I really don't know what the purpose is of the raised islands, do they intend for a wheelchair passenger to not get a deployed ramp?

[Pace831]

3 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

I really don't know what the purpose is of the raised islands, do they intend for a wheelchair passenger to not get a deployed ramp?

The intent is more to eliminate the step up for those who may have difficulty with it. A wheelchair would presumably still need the ramp deployed, sort of like the gap fillers on the L.

[BusHunter]

While checking out Union Station, i walked over to see what's up with Loop Link lately, and I discovered they have put the glass canopies on Madison/Franklin and Madison/Lasalle, so an umbrella is no longer required at those stops. Madison/State though is the last one not done, unless you want to count Madison/Wabash. Still no Bustracker equipment though.

[Pace831]

Looks like your concerns about the thermoplastic were correct. WBBM radio is having a report at 6:00 tonight that red flakes of paint from the Loop Link lanes are covering the sidewalks in the area.

[BusHunter]

On 1/28/2016 at 11:59 PM, BusHunter said:

While checking out Union Station, i walked over to see what's up with Loop Link lately, and I discovered they have put the glass canopies on Madison/Franklin and Madison/Lasalle, so an umbrella is no longer required at those stops. Madison/State though is the last one not done, unless you want to count Madison/Wabash. Still no Bustracker equipment though.

Looks like someone was listening to me or their shipment came in with Loop Link supplies. On friday, they installed all the loop link signs at all the stops except Madison/Wabash. (The ones with the light up CTA signs.) They also are installing the bustracker equipment at the Washington stops. Franklin/Washington sign is working and the ad signs are up but not lit yet. Clark/Washington and State/Washington are both in the process of getting the bustracker equipment installed on their platforms. They also put up the glass canopy at Madison/Wabash, so Madison/State is the last one without the glass canopy. Madison/Wabash only seems to be missing the glass dividers on the platform. Once that goes up that station will probably open.

[jajuan]

I rode through the Loop Link on Friday morning on a 157 and noticed buses are getting through there fairly quickly. About the only stop buses creeped through was the Washington/State station. Otherwise the creeping a a slow rate didn't seem to be an issue that morning.

[BusHunter]

Well they announced the last loop link station at Madison/Wabash is opening today.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160205/downtown/loop-link-bus-platform-at-madison-wabash-opens

Strange I was down there at 7PM and it wasn't open. They did put up the glass dividers it was missing before and it has the CTA branded Loop Link sign now. It just seemed to be missing that gray sign that tells what stop it is. I took a tour again of all the stops, Madison/State station now has a glass canopy roof installed, the last one and they cleared all the wood material from the east ramp, so you can roll right up now no problem. Washington/Franklin is now complete like Wash/Lasalle. Washington/Clark has working bustracker signs but non working lights in the advertising displays. Washington/State has just the framing for the ad signs installed and the bustracker screens are on electrically, but look like they need programming.

Back to this link, they claim stations are going to open on canal in the summer. What's stations might those be? Or are they speaking of the Union Station terminal?

[BusHunter]

Well yesterday they opened Madison/Wabash. It remained closed over the weekend. The station now has it's gray Madison/Wabash signs and route sign on the sidewalk. They are using the whole station stop, contrary to what dnainfo said that part of would remain closed for "L" construction in the area. They put a trash bag over the old bus stop sign on the west side of Madison/Wabash, but it didn't stop people from waiting for the bus there.

[jajuan]

On 2/6/2016 at 0:40 AM, BusHunter said:

Well they announced the last loop link station at Madison/Wabash is opening today.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160205/downtown/loop-link-bus-platform-at-madison-wabash-opens

Strange I was down there at 7PM and it wasn't open. They did put up the glass dividers it was missing before and it has the CTA branded Loop Link sign now. It just seemed to be missing that gray sign that tells what stop it is. I took a tour again of all the stops, Madison/State station now has a glass canopy roof installed, the last one and they cleared all the wood material from the east ramp, so you can roll right up now no problem. Washington/Franklin is now complete like Wash/Lasalle. Washington/Clark has working bustracker signs but non working lights in the advertising displays. Washington/State has just the framing for the ad signs installed and the bustracker screens are on electrically, but look like they need programming.

Back to this link, they claim stations are going to open on canal in the summer. What's stations might those be? Or are they speaking of the Union Station terminal?

They may be speaking of the bus lanes. Remember Clinton and Canal are supposed to get the red dedicated bus lanes as well. Those like the Madison/Wabash stop were marked as coming in 2016 in their documentation. So stations in this case could simply mean the regular bus stops already there and will still be there when the Clinton and Canal bus lanes are complete.

3 hours ago, BusHunter said:

Well yesterday they opened Madison/Wabash. It remained closed over the weekend. The station now has it's gray Madison/Wabash signs and route sign on the sidewalk. They are using the whole station stop, contrary to what dnainfo said that part of would remain closed for "L" construction in the area. They put a trash bag over the old bus stop sign on the west side of Madison/Wabash, but it didn't stop people from waiting for the bus there.

Further evidence of how extreme some folks take to being a creature of habit. There are still folks who still wait at the Washington/Wabash stop believe it or not even though the CTA replaced the bus stop sign with one of those red and white "This stop temporarily out of service" signs up and the stop has been out of service for months. 

[Juniorz]

Development is underway on the Union Station Transit Station.

[TaylorTank1229]

1 hour ago, Juniorz said:

Development is underway on the Union Station Transit Station.

So they finally starting building the stations huh? Doesn't seem like there'll be much construction trouble. I say if we're lucky the Union Station Transit Center should open up maybe somewhere between May and July 2016.

[Juniorz]

11 minutes ago, TaylorTank1229 said:

So they finally starting building the stations huh? Doesn't seem like there'll be much construction trouble. I say if we're lucky the Union Station Transit Center should open up maybe somewhere between May and July 2016.

Even sooner! I would give it late March-April, there isn't much to be done, just move the construction material around. I would expect them to lay concrete down once temperatures are consistent with the climate. Most of the work they are doing now looks to be just basic prep work. They can get this done in under 2 months tops!  

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, Juniorz said:

Even sooner! I would give it late March-April, there isn't much to be done, just move the construction material around. I would expect them to lay concrete down once temperatures are consistent with the climate. Most of the work they are doing now looks to be just basic prep work. They can get this done in under 2 months tops!  

The real issue is the state of construction of the tunnel from the Union Station concourse to the headhouse of the bus terminal, which your pictures don't reflect.

[Kevin]

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

The real issue is the state of construction of the tunnel from the Union Station concourse to the headhouse of the bus terminal, which your pictures don't reflect.

Overhead photos from a couple weeks ago show that area of the project.

[BusHunter]

The loop link report for this week reveals that they have started adding the bustracker signs and ad rack frames at Madison/Lasalle and Madison/Franklin. Nothing yet at the other Madison stops. Also no further progress was made this week on the last two Washington stations at Clark and State which remain unfinished.

[garmon757]

On February 15, 2016 at 10:15 PM, BusHunter said:

The loop link report for this week reveals that they have started adding the bustracker signs and ad rack frames at Madison/Lasalle and Madison/Franklin. Nothing yet at the other Madison stops. Also no further progress was made this week on the last two Washington stations at Clark and State which remain unfinished.

Washington and State

[Busjack]

Relevant here is the statement in the Daily Herald story on Union Station that the transit center will be ready in late summer.

Also mentions a passageway to the Clinton Blue Line subway, which I think someone here once suggested.

[Juniorz]

'L' style marker post and monikers along the LoopLink.

Here's hoping that they enlarge that "platform edge" decal along the station platforms as they are hardly noticeable.  

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, Juniorz said:

'L' style marker post and monikers along the LoopLink.

Here's hoping that they enlarge that "platform edge" decal along the station platforms as they are hardly noticeable.  

Aside from if it is big enough, the questions are if anyone is going to heed it, and what they are going to do when downtown Chicago gets as much snow as Indiana did last week?

[Busjack]

On this topic, the following was in the Sun-Times in an exchange with Emanuel's outgoing aide:

Q: You were a prime mover behind the new bus rapid transit system in the Loop. It doesn’t seem to be drawing many riders.

A: It’s been, like, two months. I’ve only heard positive reviews . . . . If it works, great, let’s expand it. If it doesn’t work, then you don’t expand it.

[Kevin]

There was an incident just now at the LaSalle/Washington Loop Link station. A man wanted to board a bus after it had already pulled past the station's boarding platform and was waiting for the light. The driver refused to open the door, causing the man to become very upset. After blocking the front of the bus with his backpack, he proceeded to kick the passenger door and then punch the driver-side window, cracking both. He walked away before the police arrived. They were actively seeking him in the nearby area.

[Busjack]

9 minutes ago, Kevin said:

he proceeded to kick the passenger door and then punch the driver-side window, cracking both.

Don't need the Loop Link for that. Something like that happened on a 155 I was riding in about 1976, at about 1400 W. Devon. Since the bus wouldn't move until a supervisor arrived, I hiked to the L.