Nasty Articulated Bus Accident

[Archon]

Seems a Rt 6 ran off Lake drive and hit a tree. New Fyler

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/cta-bus-crashes-on-lake-shore-drive.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2788174,bus-crash-south-side-100910.article

[cta5658]

Seems a Rt 6 ran off Lake drive and hit a tree. New Fyler #1009

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/cta-bus-crashes-on-lake-shore-drive.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2788174,bus-crash-south-side-100910.article

Actually that was one of the hybrid articulated buses from the 103rd Garage that crashed and it's front end looked totaled

[mikeymc77]

Just seen it on the news, definitely not #1009. It was an artic.

Poor Bus :angry:

[sw4400]

Seems a Rt 6 ran off Lake drive and hit a tree. New Fyler #1009

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/10/cta-bus-crashes-on-lake-shore-drive.html

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2788174,bus-crash-south-side-100910.article

Wonder what the bus # was. The pics are inconclusive. Anyone think this bus will be repaired or put out to pasture?

[qwantae]

Terrible!!! Thank God for that little girl on that picture is okay! Looks like that poor bus is to be Rest In Peace.

[Archon]

Wonder what the bus # was. The pics are inconclusive. Anyone think this bus will be repaired or put out to pasture?

I'd say the bus will be rebuilt it is to new.

[railfan4072]

Wonder what the bus # was. The pics are inconclusive.

#4058

[mikeymc77]

I think they will fix it. I can't recall of any buses being retired that were only in service for 2 years. Although I could be wrong.

[Guest]

Wow! Thankfully, by the pics the bus did not roll over or that anyone was thrown from the bus. Terrible, terrible!!

[Busjack]

I think they will fix it. I can't recall of any buses being retired that were only in service for 2 years. Although I could be wrong.

That's happened.* However, technically CTA doesn't own that bus (one of the 150 on the Cerberus lease) so either they have to fix it or come up with $800,000.

Sort of troubling that the Sun-Times quoted a passenger who said the steering locked up.

_____________________

*The picture in the Sun-Times looks a lot like 7520, which was sitting in the 77th yard several years before its other NABI mates. Also the prior link to the Sun-Times is bad.

[New Flyer]

It's terrible that the bus was wrecked but how about being thankful that the operator wasn't killed of badly injured. The bus can be replaced by the company her parents can't reproduce her.

[rotjohns]

Yeah that was pretty ugly. CTA may have more problems to worry about than fixing a bus or coming up with $800K. Depending on the situation, could lawsuits come out of this?

[mikeymc77]

There definitely will be lawsuits. Some of those people probably compare being on that bus to hitting the lottery. :(

[Busjack]

There definitely will be lawsuits. Some of those people probably compare being on that bus to hitting the lottery.

As I previously mentioned, you don't need notice of claim any more to sue. If people went to the hospital with serious injuries, of course they'll sue, and probably win. What was more interesting was the usual reaction on the Tribune blog that if an articulated bus is packed with say 100 riders, 400 will show up at the hospital.

[rotjohns]

As I previously mentioned, you don't need notice of claim any more to sue. If people went to the hospital with serious injuries, of course they'll sue, and probably win. What was more interesting was the usual reaction on the Tribune blog that if an articulated bus is packed with say 100 riders, 400 will show up at the hospital.

I just hope the driver was ok. Matter of fact, I'm kinda wondering how they weren't injured considering how bad the front of the bus looked.

I was just reading on the Chicago Tribune that since 2008, CTA has had more bus accidents than the 9 other largest bus systems in the U.S. That really is a scary thought.

[jajuan]

Before anyone starts jumping on that impulse to hit the panic button, let's keep in mind that the number of people seriously injured in a CTA bus accident is relatively low and that vast majority of us who have used a CTA bus on any given day make it through unscatched. And yes let's keep in perspective that yes the bus has some damage, but it can be repaired which is likely while the driver and the passengers are irreplaceable as far as their families are concerned.

[dann]

Before anyone starts jumping on that impulse to hit the panic button, let's keep in mind that the number of people seriously injured in a CTA bus accident is relatively low and that vast majority of us who have used a CTA bus on any given day make it through unscatched. And yes let's keep in perspective that yes the bus has some damage, but it can be repaired which is likely while the driver and the passengers are irreplaceable as far as their families are concerned.

Here, here. Buses can be replaced, but loved ones cannot be replaced. And the damage on that bus is limited to the front end and nothing else, which is a testament to the crashworthiness of that bus.

[twyztdmynd]

CBS 2 News footage Chicago Title : Union: Maintenance Failures May Have Caused CTA Bus Crash

Union Mechanic Carlos Acevedo reports that 'poor' CTA maintenance is to blame for the crash.

[geneking7320]

When something like this occurs look for many accusations to be made (rightly or wrongly). I would like to ask a question:

Is it reasonable to expect a steering failure on a bus that is (I think) less than 5

years old? If I were in the appropriate position at CTA I would be on the phone with

my counterparts at other transit agencies which operate New Flyer artics to see if this incident was unique.

[Busjack]

When something like this occurs look for many accusations to be made (rightly or wrongly). I would like to ask a question:

Is it reasonable to expect a steering failure on a bus that is (I think) less than 5

years old? If I were in the appropriate position at CTA I would be on the phone with

my counterparts at other transit agencies which operate New Flyer artics to see if this incident was unique.

Except that it was about 1-1/2 years old (which I guess is less than 5, but considerably less).

I also saw the union official twy mentioned, to the same effect, but on Fox. I guess I would agree with him that there should be an independent investigation, probably by NHTSA. You should remember that when I mentioned some time back that if the posts from the inside that the NFs were junk had any substance, NHTSA should be notified, and, in this case, especially if there is a defective part that requires a recall.

The union guy also mentioned outsourcing maintenance to nonunion mechanics but didn't explain what was happening. Was he referring the Chicago Bus & Truck? In any event, they'll probably get another contract to fix the front end on that one.

[BusHunter]

Except that it was about 1-1/2 years old (which I guess is less than 5, but considerably less).

I also saw the union official twy mentioned, to the same effect, but on Fox. I guess I would agree with him that there should be an independent investigation, probably by NHTSA. You should remember that when I mentioned some time back that if the posts from the inside that the NFs were junk had any substance, NHTSA should be notified, and, in this case, especially if there is a defective part that requires a recall.

The union guy also mentioned outsourcing maintenance to nonunion mechanics but didn't explain what was happening. Was he referring the Chicago Bus & Truck? In any event, they'll probably get another contract to fix the front end on that one.

Most likely the bus will get fixed. It's damage was not as bad as other major front end collisions. I doubt CTA would want to scrap a 1 and a 1/2 year old bus that is a hybrid. Usually if a bus is past it's midlife it's more likely to get scrapped than a newer bus unless the bus damage was significant on the newer bus, like the two bridge accidents involving #5530 and #6832, both buses being about 3-5 years old at the time but significantly damaged. As far as this being a mechanical maintainance failure, with all the jobs that were cut this year, that may become an issue with this accident if that finding were to go public. As the buses get older there will be more of a demand on the mechanics, so CTA might need to ask itself is it compromising safety to save money.

[BusExpert32]

You should remember that when I mentioned some time back that if the posts from the inside that the NFs were junk had any substance, NHTSA should be notified, and, in this case, especially if there is a defective part that requires a recall.

We want Flxibles!

[Guest]

Im beginning to believe that maybe the accident was caused by the loss of power steering. From what witnesses had reported, the bus driver's statement, no serious damage to the bus itself and of course the estimated speed of about 40mph, it could happen. Ive lost power steering on a few occasions at CTA, once I dislocated my "pinky" after the steering wheel snapped back after I exited the Kimball Blue Line WB working the #77 Belmont. To me, this looks like an isolated incident.

[BusHunter]

Im beginning to believe that maybe the accident was caused by the loss of power steering. From what witnesses had reported, the bus driver's statement, no serious damage to the bus itself and of course the estimated speed of about 40mph, it could happen. Ive lost power steering on a few occasions at CTA, once I dislocated my "pinky" after the steering wheel snapped back after I exited the Kimball Blue Line WB working the #77 Belmont. To me, this looks like an isolated incident.

yeah, it sounds like she lost a power steering line while on LSD, but usually the line will go when it's under pressure during a 90 degree turn like what happened to you. Those lines usually go fast if there going to go because there under high pressure. Why she was veering to the right I don't know, maybe she was changing lanes at the time. That stretch is basically a straightaway north of 31st.

[qwantae]

yeah, it sounds like she lost a power steering line while on LSD, but usually the line will go when it's under pressure during a 90 degree turn like what happened to you. Those lines usually go fast if there going to go because there under high pressure. Why she was veering to the right I don't know, maybe she was changing lanes at the time. That stretch is basically a straightaway north of 31st.

I love 4000s I just hoping that they won't be in tough situation often like 7500s did. Thank god that no one got killed, How can a bus that is not even couple years old yet can loose control like that?