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New 31st Street Route


BusExpert32

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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.

The extension to the 31st Street Beach has been occurring since May 24th

Surprisingly, though, the schedule brochure has not been updated since Dec. 22, 2013.

The only clue in the stop list is

17961

31st Street Beach

Northbound

Bus Terminal

Beach days only

No stop on the Bus Tracker map, either.

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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.

I took the bus over to 31st st beach yesterday, but I was on the #35 route heading there. But while turning east on 31st I did see the artic hybrid, and it was #4324. For where it turns around, it doesnt travel to McCormick Place to turn around. At the bus stop near the beach, after it departs it turns onto the LSD freeway enterance but before you enter LSD, there's a small turnaround back onto the Inner LSD Roadway and the bus turns back south to 31st. But what I don't understand is why the bus for beach service only travels between 35th St/Cottage Grove & the beach. I know it suppose to be select trips, but I thought it would be on the full route service between the beach & Cicero/24th pl. I mean what's the point?
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Surprisingly, though, the schedule brochure has not been updated since Dec. 22, 2013.

The only clue in the stop list is

17961

31st Street Beach

Northbound

Bus Terminal

Beach days only

No stop on the Bus Tracker map, either.

So, no ideas on when the summer schedules are released?

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.... I mean what's the point?

Maybe Juniorz had the point that it was like the 111A--they wanted to get something going before the pick. Thus, the question will be whether the shuttle continues after the pick.

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Well, the extension to the 31st beach was well known since 2013 when the CTA released the 31st Street Corridor Analysis Booklet that clearly explained the whole reasoning why a 31st Street Stand alone route wasn't feasible and that a extension to the 31st Beach extension was expected in 2014. The extension began May 24th and will end on September 1st (via Official CTA Customer Service Email). I'm sure this extension will be detailed soon in the Summer Picks and the July 2014 Bus & Rail Map

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CTA has always run shuttles on the beach extensions (including 78, 72 and 63) between Memorial Day weekend and the start of the summer pick. Same thing for Labor Day weekend as well.

This true and at the start of the summer picks, those shuttles would get folded into the full trip runs during the 9 to 9 beach service hours.

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This true and at the start of the summer picks, those shuttles would get folded into the full trip runs during the 9 to 9 beach service hours.

So im guessing thats why its unannouced? Announcing it while there are just shuttle runs might confuse riders that think the whole route is from their respective ends all the way to the beach. Imagine the people paying cash fare... A $4.50-6 round trip by ventra card/single ride ticket becomes $9 because they'd end up having to pay another $2.25 to get on the beach shuttles :/

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So im guessing thats why its unannouced? Announcing it while there are just shuttle runs might confuse riders that think the whole route is from their respective ends all the way to the beach. Imagine the people paying cash fare... A $4.50-6 round trip by ventra card/single ride ticket becomes $9 because they'd end up having to pay another $2.25 to get on the beach shuttles :/

There isn't even a customer alert. One would wonder if this is an oversight, or, as you suggest, an intentional con.

At least the 63 page has a notation "Service is extended to 63rd Street Beach on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and daily from mid-June thru August, 9:00am to 9:30pm." Nothing similar on the 35 page.

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So im guessing thats why its unannouced? Announcing it while there are just shuttle runs might confuse riders that think the whole route is from their respective ends all the way to the beach. Imagine the people paying cash fare... A $4.50-6 round trip by ventra card/single ride ticket becomes $9 because they'd end up having to pay another $2.25 to get on the beach shuttles :/

There isn't even a customer alert. One would wonder if this is an oversight, or, as you suggest, an intentional con.

At least the 63 page has a notation "Service is extended to 63rd Street Beach on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, and daily from mid-June thru August, 9:00am to 9:30pm." Nothing similar on the 35 page.

Actually unless the ride on the 35 itself was the third ride in any one way trip, and it's too many ways to make that not be the case, a round trip would still be $4.50 to $6 using a Ventra ticket or Ventra card. So I'm not seeing the intentional con theory.

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Actually unless the ride on the 35 itself was the third ride in any one way trip, and it's too many ways to make that not be the case, a round trip would still be $4.50 to $6 using a Ventra ticket or Ventra card. So I'm not seeing the intentional con theory.

I guess you didn't read Sam's post before quoting it.

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Actually unless the ride on the 35 itself was the third ride in any one way trip, and it's too many ways to make that not be the case, a round trip would still be $4.50 to $6 using a Ventra ticket or Ventra card. So I'm not seeing the intentional con theory.

I meant people living along the 35 that chose to pay cash. They'd have to pay another $2.25 to switch to the 35 beach shuttle runs making a one way trip alone $4.50. Now if they used ventra of course it would be the regular $4.50-6 lol
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I meant people living along the 35 that chose to pay cash. They'd have to pay another $2.25 to switch to the 35 beach shuttle runs making a one way trip alone $4.50. Now if they used ventra of course it would be the regular $4.50-6 lol

Ok Gotcha Sam. lol....

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I meant people living along the 35 that chose to pay cash. They'd have to pay another $2.25 to switch to the 35 beach shuttle runs making a one way trip alone $4.50. Now if they used ventra of course it would be the regular $4.50-6 lol

Did 78 shuttle yesterday (will again today) - official policy is let them change to/from mainline for free, with "emergency transfer". In reality, tell driver you got off the shuttle. Also, in reality, doing 27 trips in 9 hours, got two (2) riders from beach, zero to beach.

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Based on what I just read, there isn't a shuttle between 35th/Cottage and 31st St Beach, but all buses will run the entire route and to the beach during the hours listed. I never saw a 63rd St "shuttle" to the beach, all 63rd buses went from Midway to the beach during the hours it was supposed to run to the beach. :

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Did 78 shuttle yesterday (will again today) - official policy is let them change to/from mainline for free, with "emergency transfer". In reality, tell driver you got off the shuttle. Also, in reality, doing 27 trips in 9 hours, got two (2) riders from beach, zero to beach.

Probably why beach service on the 78 was always restricted to weekends after CTA added beach service to that route. They seemed to already know that the 78 wouldn't draw too much bus traffic to and from Montrose beach in numbers that would suggest doing the service on a weekday is feasible like on the 63 and 72 when the summer pick in the time that summer pick is in effect.

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