New 31st Street Route

[jajuan]

I see they also renamed the route with this extension, designating it for the time being the # 35 31st/35th.

[eyetube21]

My mom and I ride the #35 31st/35th bus for the first time heading to Cicero Avenue. As soon as we get to Cicero Avenue and 31st Street, we're the only riders on the bus, everyone got off before us. We did enjoy the ride. It was great.

[jajuan]

Funny thing is Bustracker still lists it as #35 35th. :lol:

[qwantae]

My mom and I ride the #35 31st/35th bus for the first time heading to Cicero Avenue. As soon as we get to Cicero Avenue and 31st Street, we're the only riders on the bus, everyone got off before us. We did enjoy the ride. It was great.

I like the new route, they needed an bus on 31st street west of California a long time, and it's going to pick up more passengers soon to travel to Cicero, especially the ones who usually rides the 60 and doesn't want to deal with the traffic during middle of day in Little Village Business District.

[eyetube21]

I like the new route, they needed an bus on 31st street west of California a long time, and it's going to pick up more passengers soon to travel to Cicero, especially the ones who usually rides the 60 and doesn't want to deal with the traffic during middle of day in Little Village Business District.

Yeah, it's going to take awhile for passengers who wants to travel to Cicero Avenue to go shopping and other jobs. There are shopping malls there between 31st Street and 28th Street area along Cicero Avenue. If people who work there or want to get jobs there, the CTA must keep #35 #31st/35th street bus run until around 10pm at all times.

[jajuan]

Yeah, it's going to take awhile for passengers who wants to travel to Cicero Avenue to go shopping and other jobs. There are shopping malls there between 31st Street and 28th Street area along Cicero Avenue. If people who work there or want to get jobs there, the CTA must keep #35 #31st/35th street bus run until around 10pm at all times.

They have to see if it can pass muster operating until 8pm on 31st Street to the Cicero/24th Place bus terminal during its 6 month experimental phase first before any talk of expanding that extension until 10pm.

[eyetube21]

They have to see if it can pass muster operating until 8pm on 31st Street to the Cicero/24th Place bus terminal during its 6 month experimental phase first before any talk of expanding that extension until 10pm.

Yeah, let's hope so.

[Busjack]

CTA Press Release that the extension of 35 on 31st is permanent, no demand for service on 31st east of Ashland, and there will be beach service on 35.

[jajuan]

CTA Press Release that the extension of 35 on 31st is permanent, no demand for service on 31st east of Ashland, and there will be beach service on 35.

Not too surprised that the old 31 won't be resurrected, but I am surprised to hear that they had been looking at serving 31st Street Beach..

[Busjack]

Not too surprised that the old 31 won't be resurrected, but I am surprised to hear that they had been looking at serving 31st Street Beach..

There is a new harbor there. The Park District must have put the arm on the CTA, and its page lists the beach as being served by bus routes 3, 4, and 35, although it doesn't indicate not as directly as it will be.

[geneking7320]

I am rather curious if the #35 to the beach will wind its way through Lake Meadows [via 33rd Place,Rhodes and Cottage Grove] or will it just go up and down King Drive.

[Busjack]

I am rather curious if the #35 to the beach will wind its way through Lake Meadows [via 33rd Place,Rhodes and Cottage Grove] or will it just go up and down King Drive.

That's a good question. It uses Rhodes for the terminal loop, but it seems like an awful lot of snaking to get around the gap between 33rd Pl and 33rd St. to get to 31st St.

But I guess less than what the 1 Drexel Hyde Park had to do to get from 29th to 35tth and Cottage.

[BUSANGEL#1]

That's a good question. It uses Rhodes for the terminal loop, but it seems like an awful lot of snaking to get around the gap between 33rd Pl and 33rd St. to get to 31st St.

But I guess less than what the 1 Drexel Hyde Park had to do to get from 29th to 35tth and Cottage.

The routing wouldn't be any different from the old Mercy/Reese Hospital trips the 35 did before 2010.

[jajuan]

The routing wouldn't be any different from the old Mercy/Reese Hospital trips the 35 did before 2010.

Not very original or time savvy for that matter. From Gene's question, there was room for a bright light to go off in someone's head that King Drive offers a more direct routing to 31st Street.

[Busjack]

The routing wouldn't be any different from the old Mercy/Reese Hospital trips the 35 did before 2010.

I had forgotten about that, which was the replacement for 1 Drexel-Hyde Park.

[BUSANGEL#1]

Not very original or time savvy for that matter. From Gene's question, there was room for a bright light to go off in someone's head that King Drive offers a more direct routing to 31st Street.

Not really it may be logical but, what about the people east of King that need direct service to the lakefront? Or those on 35th getting off in the vicinity of Cottage? That would be the purpose of using the old routing, unless someone proposes splitting the terminal with every other bus going to the lakefront. This would mean poor frequency and reliability.

[jajuan]

Not really it may be logical but, what about the people east of King that need direct service to the lakefront? Or those on 35th getting off in the vicinity of Cottage? That would be the purpose of using the old routing, unless someone proposes splitting the terminal with every other bus going to the lakefront. This would mean poor frequency and reliability.

We're only talking about a two block stretch in that vicinity as far as the 35 is concerned, and the 4 gives daily service on 35th east of Michigan Avenue if the concern is making the connection with Cottage Grove buses.

[artthouwill]

I am rather curious if the #35 to the beach will wind its way through Lake Meadows [via 33rd Place,Rhodes and Cottage Grove] or will it just go up and down King Drive.

Lets take a look at the other Beach routes.

63rd st, which route ends at Stony Island. Normal route is to turn south on Stony, board midblock, then head west on 64th to Blackstone, north on Blackstone and west on 63rd. Beach routing takes 63rd St east onto Hayes Drive to the beach. Its WB routing comes back Hayes drive, then turns south on Stony to 64th, boarding midblock, then resumes regular routing. Note that the route doesn't continue west on 63rd DIRECTLY from Haynes Drive.

72 North, which has a small turnaround built into Lincoln Pk just east of Clark. This route turns north on Clark to LaSalle Drive and into the beach, with the reverse being true WB. There is no need to serve the turnaround as it is not a boarding location.

Using the above, it seems that the routing will likely wind through Lake Meadows (like the old 1 Drexel Hyde Pk ) to 31st/Coattage, then east to the beach. Remember once upon a time this was the routing for 35th st bus when it served Michael Reese and Mercy Hospitals. Since there is significant ridership from the Red Line to the 35th/Rhodes area, it would be best for CTA not to mess with the normal routing.

[BUSANGEL#1]

We're only talking about a two block stretch in that vicinity as far as the 35 is concerned, and the 4 gives daily service on 35th east of Michigan Avenue if the concern is making the connection with Cottage Grove buses.

No I was referring to people wanting beach service, or that actually live in the area east of King who need service. Most people who take the 35 east of King are going to the Red Line or further west. Its obvious that #4 serves those transferring from #35 (usually going south), but it only goes as far west as Michigan.

[Busjack]

No I was referring to people wanting beach service, or that actually live in the area east of King who need service. Most people who take the 35 east of King are going to the Red Line or further west. Its obvious that #4 serves those transferring from #35 (usually going south), but it only goes as far west as Michigan.

That essentially gets to the stink noted in the CBS Chicago story linked on the home page, that people turned out at the Board Meeting to demand that the original JARC of reinstating service on 31st be implemented east of Ashland. The Press Release said "insufficient demand," but the article said that Peterson tried to placate them by saying it would be further studied.

[mkohut]

That essentially gets to the stink noted in the CBS Chicago story linked on the home page, that people turned out at the Board Meeting to demand that the original JARC of reinstating service on 31st be implemented east of Ashland. The Press Release said "insufficient demand," but the article said that Peterson tried to placate them by saying it would be further studied.

When i read

Despite the findings, CTA Chairman Terry Peterson said the vote was on

the westerly extension, and did not preclude an easterly extension, if

the need is shown. CTA President Forrest Claypool said he was open to

additional surveys in the corridor along 31st that would focus on those

who are not currently mass transit users.

This is a case of catering to keep then happy.But,in reality there not going to do it.

[ChicagoNova]

_{From what I remember, prior to the elimination of 31 31st, buses on that route used to come around every hour Monday through Saturday from approximately 6am-6pm. No Sunday/Holiday Service.}

[Busjack]

The study results are now posted on the Board Presentations page (very, very large pdf).

The conclusions, summarized are:

• West of Kedzie: low ridership but growing; ridership comparable to other routes between Kedzie and Cicero; high population density; aids in connecting with N-S buses; surveyed customers satisfied.
• Between Kezie and Ashland: Continuous route on 31st not possible between California and Ashland; probably would duplicate 35 and 62 without any benefit; Cook County Jail not a population source.
• East of Ashland: Not recommended "at this time"; while a gap between Cermak and 35th, not as much demand as would be for an 83rd St. route, most traffic is N-S and adequately served; adequate density west of the Dan Ryan, but not east; beach service would be comparable to 78 Montrose.

[jajuan]

The study results are now posted on the Board Presentations page (very, very large pdf).

The conclusions, summarized are:

• West of Kedzie: low ridership but growing; ridership comparable to other routes between Kedzie and Cicero; high population density; aids in connecting with N-S buses; surveyed customers satisfied.
• Between Kezie and Ashland: Continuous route on 31st not possible between California and Ashland; probably would duplicate 35 and 62 without any benefit; Cook County Jail not a population source.
• East of Ashland: Not recommended "at this time"; while a gap between Cermak and 35th, not as much demand as would be for an 83rd St. route, most traffic is N-S and adequately served; adequate density west of the Dan Ryan, but not east; beach service would be comparable to 78 Montrose.

Yeah on the point whether to serve between Kedzie and Ashland, they point out that 31st isn't a continuous roadway along that stretch in large part because of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Stevenson Expressway and neither is 26th east of Western, so the only alternative way would be to draw the route to operate either along California or Western to 35th and operate on 35th all the way to Ashland to Archer or on 35th to Archer and Archer to the street the old 31 used to get back to 31st from Archer. And as you indirectly alluded to, after implementation of the DeCrowd plan under Claypool, CTA is averse to routes mirroring parts of others outside of downtown where possible without an indication the routes won't eat into each other's ridership. That would explain the 36 still being here with it mirroring the 22 all the way to Diversey once it gets out of downtown and the Rush Street area. The population density is there for the area it serves.

[geneking7320]

I saw a #35 turning eastbound onto 31st heading to the beach today. I couldn't tell what the beach terminal operation was because I was heading southbound on Lake Shore drive at 31st [i was a block or 2 behind the bus at one point]. It appeared that the bus turned northbound when it crossed the drive. Does anyone know where they turn it around? It seems a bit much to go all the way to McCormick Place. BTW, I didn't get the vehicle number but it appeared to a K hybrid artic of the latest vintage.