New Flyers (1000) In Service.

[Busjack]

Probably Kedzie. They have over 120 5300s to get rid of first.

[jajuan]

Kedzie has quite a few 1000s already. On Friday I rode 1115 on the 12 Roosevelt route. 1118 was operating westbound on the same route. As stated before 1114 was on 12 the night before. If 1120 was on 82 earlier in the week, then Kedzie has at least four or more 1000s already. Finally Kedzie is truly getting some new equipment to work with and not hand me downs as happened with the 5300s when the NOVAs started arriving.

[ryanbytes]

Bus 1099 had a broken destination sign. I was wondering how long it would take before I saw a new bus with the piece of paper taped to the window.

[Busjack]

As it stands now, the dividing line between the Archer-assigned 1000's and the Kedzie-assigned 1000's is roughly bus number 1112, seeing that 1110 has been confirmed to be assigned to the Archer Garage, while Route #12 (the one that I saw 1114 on) is a Kedzie Garage-controlled route.

With 450 buses now on order, that would confirm the prior pattern of 4 garages getting the new buses, similar to the breakdown of the Novas. However, you have Archer getting two lots, so at the moment it doesn't quite work out.

I went downtown today and saw up to 1049. 1045 was on 127 and had the wrong signs programmed: <span style='font-family:Arial'>127 NW MADISON {flip} McCORMICK PL</span> instead of <span style='font-family:Arial'>127 MADISON ROOSVLT {flip} CIRCULATOR</span> and then either <span style='font-family:Arial'>MEDICAL DISTRICT</span> OR <span style='font-family:Arial'>DOWNTOWN</span>. Of course it had a paper sign.

Also, where do the counterclockwise 127 bus signs flip? I saw a couple westbound on Madison that still said to DOWNTOWN.

Here are a couple of pictures of 1126 on 127 clockwise route with the correct signs (although a bit sun blown).

Also, I noticed a 10 Museum of Science and Industry running with an articulated. That seems to be a bit of overkill.

[jesi2282]

Yesterday I saw a New Flyer with a broken sign that said: GO S OX, And a very strange sighting of a New Flyer running on the #X9 Ashland Express.

[Busjack]

Yesterday I saw ... a very strange sighting of a New Flyer running on the #X9 Ashland Express.

The oracle (not the software) operates again. A transfer to make up a short, or training for 74th getting some?

[kendo26]

I seen 1129 operating on #12 Roosevelt this afternoon. I didn't know that route operated from the Kedzie garage.

[sw4400]

This didn't take long... I saw #1025 on the #49 route today and it already has graffiti on it.

On another note, I saw a 1000 Series on #50 Damen this afternoon.  The bus number is kind of eluding me right now, but I think it was 1110 or 1119.

[rmadisonwi]

Kedzie's New Flyers start at, IIRC, 1112, and run up through 1140-something. I've seen up to either 1147 or 1149 in service.

As for the route 127, its signs actually don't change. The system changes the destination signs at terminals, and the 127 only has one terminal: Roosevelt Station. This could change in the future (possibly this winter), if the 127 is scheduled to have a "dummy" terminal somewhere else, just for the system to change signs.

[Busjack]

As for the route 127, its signs actually don't change.  The system changes the destination signs at terminals, and the 127 only has one terminal:  Roosevelt Station.  This could change in the future (possibly this winter), if the 127 is scheduled to have a "dummy" terminal somewhere else, just for the system to change signs.

Undoubtedly correct, but dumb. Since the clockwise bus says "Medical District," the sign should change somewhere around there (the Blue Line station?). Obviously, a westbound bus on Madison isn't going downtown.

However, I remember in the old days with roll signs, CTA didn't handle it so well on circular or semicircular routes such as 64 Foster Lawrence and 96 Lunt Touhy, either.

[Chi-town Kid]

I have two interesting sightings of 1000 series buses, both on routes out of the Kedzie garage. One was on the #156 and the other was on the #129. You still don't see a lot of 1000's on these routes.

[rmadisonwi]

Unless I'm thinking of a different route, I believe 129 is operated out of Archer.

[Chi-town Kid]

I stand corrected. The #129 is out of Archer. However, the #156 sighting confirms that Kedzie is getting new buses.

[rmadisonwi]

I didn't realize there was any question that Kedzie had already received new buses. They've had them for about a month now, and have up to bus 1154.

[Busjack]

The 156 might be interesting in that it was running 7600s.

[Chi-town Kid]

I'm not sure if this covered, but I saw bus 1116 on the #151 operating downtown on Adams. I'm pretty sure the #151 is out of North Park. If it is, this is a new development.

[Busjack]

1116 is a Kedzie bus, that I previously saw on 127. At one point all of the 151 short turns to and from Belmont were from Kedzie, although that may have been cut back somewhat.

[RJL6000]

I'm not sure if this covered, but I saw bus 1116 on the #151 operating downtown on Adams. I'm pretty sure the #151 is out of North Park. If it is, this is a new development.

Actually, those Monday-through-Saturday daytime #151 runs which get short-turned at Belmont are run out of Kedzie, while those #151 runs going all the way to Devon/Clark are run out of North Park.

[rmadisonwi]

Actually, those Monday-through-Saturday daytime #151 runs which get short-turned at Belmont are run out of Kedzie, while those #151 runs going all the way to Devon/Clark are run out of North Park.

Don't forget Sunday. There are Sunday runs on the 151 out of Kedzie as well.

[Chi-town Kid]

Actually, those Monday-through-Saturday daytime #151 runs which get short-turned at Belmont are run out of Kedzie, while those #151 runs going all the way to Devon/Clark are run out of North Park.

This I did not know. Now all of this makes sense. I definately was a bit surprised to see 1000-series buses operating out of North Park all ready.

[MetroShadow]

There are no 1000-series buses out of NP. They're out of Kedzie.

[trainman8119]

I was down at the Kedzie garage today and saw 1162 facing north inside of the doors of the garage. It covered about 3 bay doors. Anyway, looks like it had just got there and was being prepped by maintenance people. I got the impression it had just arrived because the destination sign read:

"Chicago (flip) My Kind of Town"

I would imagine they come out of the factory with that destination sign to indicate where the buses are being delivered.

[Busjack]

500 had that sign (Except it was MY KIND OF TOWN/CHICAGO IS) when it was unveiled on TV. (No, I didn't tape it.)

BTW, it appears that the buses are being delivered directly from the factory to the garages, instead of sitting a while at 77th near Perry, like the 6400s and 7500s did.

[Busjack]

I see CTA is playing the numbers game again. Prior announcements were for 450 New Flyers (265 base order and 185 options), but the Capital Needs report says 467 (on page 6).

P.S., As usual this wasn't a detailed list of projects, but a plea for $8 billion. Level of detail was that in the next 4 years they will need $180 million for buses (which would be about 500 of them), which is currently unfunded (page 17).

[cta_44499_NP]

This I did not know. Now all of this makes sense. I definately was a bit surprised to see 1000-series buses operating out of North Park all ready.

actually....there are several North Park runs that end at Belmont/Halsted, Belmont/Sheridan, and Diversey.  Its not all just Kedzie.  I had a tripper a few weeks ago that pullout out to Belmont and Halsted, to Union Station, north to BelHal and then pulled in.

What you will NOT see, however, is a Kedzie garage bus operating any further than Belmont on the #151.