Weird Destination Sign.

[jesi2282]

I was walking on Michigan Ave. today, and I saw a New Flyer (5800) on the 151 route, the destination sign said something weird, it said : 151 SHERIDAN (flip) 151 HOWARD/RED LINE (flip) A1 MESSAGE 2, (half of the A1 Message 2 sign was cut off) what does this mean? Another weird thing was the bus said to howard - red line, I saw this bus on a weekday not a sunday.

[Busjack]

About a year or two ago, a lot of them did that. I thought those were fixed with the rebuildings, but maybe not. Also, if it was while 147 was also running, the destination should have been Devon/Ashland or Devon/Clark. The question of course, is whether the control on the sign itself, or the Clever Devices device was out of order.

[Busjack]

On 1/26/2023 at 8:37 PM, Mr.cta85 said:

I’m not a fan of those newer destinations signs you can include 1249 with them as well. They’re must slower as far as what the destination says. The older signs are faster lol.

IMO, the signs on 146 and 147 now have too much information to comprehend them at the speed they flip. I assume that the 2-line signs are ADA compliant, but 146 is overkill with 146 Inner Lake Shore Mich Express [flip] 146 Museum Campus Field-Adler-Shedd [flip] 146 via Soldier Field (if I comprehended it properly).

[artthouwill]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

IMO, the signs on 146 and 147 now have too much information to comprehend them at the speed they flip. I assume that the 2-line signs are ADA compliant, but 146 is overkill with 146 Inner Lake Shore Mich Express [flip] 146 Museum Campus Field-Adler-Shedd [flip] 146 via Soldier Field (if I comprehended it properly).

I get what. You're saying.  The only problem is the 10 shares most of the same routing downtown and CTA probably figured it needed to differentiate the Museum Campus from the Museum of Science and Industry.   Maybe tourists would assume that the MSI is part of the Museum Campus.  Maybe that's why the 146 spells out which museums it serves.  But that IS a lit to try to read.  Perhaps the better destination would be Soldier Field/Museums.  I would think the website and other apps would tell tourists and others which bus to take.  It shouldn't be necessary to spell out every museum.  It wasn't before.   

If this is an ADA compliance issue,  then the AUDIO  announcement when the doors open can list all of the museums.

The 6 us also an alternative to the 10 since the 10 has limited service and the 6 has daily year round service.

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I get what. You're saying.  The only problem is the 10 shares most of the same routing downtown and CTA probably figured it needed to differentiate the Museum Campus from the Museum of Science and Industry.   Maybe tourists would assume that the MSI is part of the Museum Campus.  Maybe that's why the 146 spells out which museums it serves.  But that IS a lit to try to read.  Perhaps the better destination would be Soldier Field/Museums.  I would think the website and other apps would tell tourists and others which bus to take.  It shouldn't be necessary to spell out every museum.  It wasn't before.   

If this is an ADA compliance issue,  then the AUDIO  announcement when the doors open can list all of the museums.

The 6 us also an alternative to the 10 since the 10 has limited service and the 6 has daily year round service.

Maybe you are harkening back to the days when any museum destination was MUSEUM, including into the 1970s with 55 MUSEUM, but 55 to 57th MUSEUM isn't much better (although I assume people riding 55 know where it is going).

It looks like 36 no longer goes to State-Polk. While LaSalle Metra Station looks like overkill, it shows that CTA is now recognizing that other service boards exist. The timepoint on the schedule is Financial Place/Ida B Wells, which would be a bigger mess than 147 Ida B Wells/Mich.

[jajuan]

On 2/6/2023 at 1:36 PM, artthouwill said:

I get what. You're saying.  The only problem is the 10 shares most of the same routing downtown and CTA probably figured it needed to differentiate the Museum Campus from the Museum of Science and Industry.   Maybe tourists would assume that the MSI is part of the Museum Campus.  Maybe that's why the 146 spells out which museums it serves.  But that IS a lit to try to read.  Perhaps the better destination would be Soldier Field/Museums.  I would think the website and other apps would tell tourists and others which bus to take.  It shouldn't be necessary to spell out every museum.  It wasn't before.   

If this is an ADA compliance issue,  then the AUDIO  announcement when the doors open can list all of the museums.

The 6 us also an alternative to the 10 since the 10 has limited service and the 6 has daily year round service.

 

On 2/6/2023 at 4:58 PM, Busjack said:

Maybe you are harkening back to the days when any museum destination was MUSEUM, including into the 1970s with 55 MUSEUM, but 55 to 57th MUSEUM isn't much better (although I assume people riding 55 know where it is going).

It looks like 36 no longer goes to State-Polk. While LaSalle Metra Station looks like overkill, it shows that CTA is now recognizing that other service boards exist. The timepoint on the schedule is Financial Place/Ida B Wells, which would be a bigger mess than 147 Ida B Wells/Mich.

You both are reinforcing my own suspicions that the present day signs have something to do with Chicago being a much bigger tourist draw than years back. Back in the days of the Americanas, TMCs and NF 5800s, we'd see that '146 to MUSEUMS' or '146 MUSEUMS/SOLDIER' and knew where those buses were going. Today we get the full spiel of museum names completely spelled out. 

[Busjack]

Looks like CTA can't make up its mind on 147. It has gone from Michigan/Congress to Ida B Wells/Michigan to Michigan/Balbo. Any real world difference?

[Policeman]

9 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Looks like CTA can't make up its mind on 147. It has gone from Michigan/Congress to Ida B Wells/Michigan to Michigan/Balbo. Any real world difference?

The michigan/balbo trips are deadheads to the garage or another SB run

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, Policeman said:

The michigan/balbo trips are deadheads to the garage or another SB run

Thanks. The schedule is somewhat strange in that there are some southbound B trips; also some SB trips that start at Devon, but all NB trips go to Howard.

[artthouwill]

5 hours ago, Policeman said:

The michigan/balbo trips are deadheads to the garage or another SB run

It would seem that having a Michigan/Balbo terminal is completely unnecessary since a trip ending at Ida B Wells/Michigan can still use the same routing.   Or better yet, name all the signage read Michigan/Harrison.   Buses returning NB continue to use the current ro.uting and buses heading to NP use Balbo to Lake Shore Drive. 

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

4 hours ago, Busjack said:

Thanks. The schedule is somewhat strange in that there are some southbound B trips; also some SB trips that start at Devon, but all NB trips go to Howard.

not ALL NB trips……PM NB trips start at the plaza or randolph and the randolph trips end at devon/broadway the plaza trips end at howard 

[Busjack]

10 hours ago, artthouwill said:

It would seem that having a Michigan/Balbo terminal is completely unnecessary since a trip ending at Ida B Wells/Michigan can still use the same routing.   Or better yet, name all the signage read Michigan/Harrison.   Buses returning NB continue to use the current ro.uting and buses heading to NP use Balbo to Lake Shore Drive. 

In a sense it is, but maybe they are indicating that the buses go directly to DLSD, while the others circle Congress Plaza and then take IBW to State.

9 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1279 said:

not ALL NB trips……PM NB trips start at the plaza or randolph and the randolph trips end at devon/broadway the plaza trips end at howard 

I was looking only at the Saturday schedule, as I saw the Balbo sign on Saturday. Also, there were several buses queued at Foster/Sheridan.

[strictures]

14 hours ago, Busjack said:

Thanks. The schedule is somewhat strange in that there are some southbound B trips; also some SB trips that start at Devon, but all NB trips go to Howard.

I've ridden many NB 147s that start at Randolph & only go to Devon.  What's weird about them is some turn south at Broadway & some turn south at Clark, but the drivers won't let you ride to Clark!

[artthouwill]

55 minutes ago, strictures said:

I've ridden many NB 147s that start at Randolph & only go to Devon.  What's weird about them is some turn south at Broadway & some turn south at Clark, but the drivers won't let you ride to Clark!

I'm assuming that the 147 signs only say to Devon or Devon/Broadway.   Therefore these vyses aren't using the Ckark/Arthur  turnaround.   Hence, drivers are deadheadinf back to the garage.  Some are using Broadway to Foster white others use Clark and Ashland to Foster.  If @YoungBusLover says drivers have a prescribed deadhead route to the garage, then which route is the prescribed one?  My guess would be Broadway,  which could explain why drivers who use Clark wouldn't let anyone ride to Clark.  That and safely issues.   

[YoungBusLover]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

In a sense it is, but maybe they are indicating that the buses go directly to DLSD, while the others circle Congress Plaza and then take IBW to State.

I was looking only at the Saturday schedule, as I saw the Balbo sign on Saturday. Also, there were several buses queued at Foster/Sheridan.

13 hours ago, artthouwill said:

It would seem that having a Michigan/Balbo terminal is completely unnecessary since a trip ending at Ida B Wells/Michigan can still use the same routing.   Or better yet, name all the signage read Michigan/Harrison.   Buses returning NB continue to use the current ro.uting and buses heading to NP use Balbo to Lake Shore Drive. 

You're correct, All operators terminating at Mich/balbo are deadheading heading back on LSD or Columbus towards storage. 

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

I'm assuming that the 147 signs only say to Devon or Devon/Broadway.   Therefore these vyses aren't using the Ckark/Arthur  turnaround.   Hence, drivers are deadheadinf back to the garage.  Some are using Broadway to Foster white others use Clark and Ashland to Foster.  If @YoungBusLover says drivers have a prescribed deadhead route to the garage, then which route is the prescribed one?  My guess would be Broadway,  which could explain why drivers who use Clark wouldn't let anyone ride to Clark.  That and safely issues.   

You're correct, As far as the 147 is concerned trips going to Devon/Broadway are deadheading back to the garage, now some may be nice enough to take customers to Clark but required to since they're technically OOS. 

 

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

3 hours ago, strictures said:

I've ridden many NB 147s that start at Randolph & only go to Devon.  What's weird about them is some turn south at Broadway & some turn south at Clark, but the drivers won't let you ride to Clark!

if they turn south on broadway they head to foster and hit LSD to downtown again “SOME” buses will deadhead to garage from there rest of the trips go to clark and garage

[rotjohns]

What's with the weird destination signs on CTA buses?  Lately, I've seen all buses on the south and west sides with the route name in small letters right next to the number, then flipped to the destination, which some of them also appear smaller than normal.  Example:  Route 79 has 79th right next to the number instead of centered like it normally is.

[YoungBusLover]

Found an article explaining the reasoning behind the signage update. I understand it but then again I don't. https://chi.streetsblog.org/2023/07/05/cta-is-moving-digital-destination-signs-led-info-on-front-of-bus-above-windshield-to-left-side-of-screen?fbclid=IwAR0ojERfY-pgS6jAZmNXXUY94t1QDPIizmYG25wdIKUgkXRffbQA1kgegt8

[Busjack]

4 minutes ago, YoungBusLover said:

Found an article explaining the reasoning behind the signage update. I understand it but then again I don't. https://chi.streetsblog.org/2023/07/05/cta-is-moving-digital-destination-signs-led-info-on-front-of-bus-above-windshield-to-left-side-of-screen?fbclid=IwAR0ojERfY-pgS6jAZmNXXUY94t1QDPIizmYG25wdIKUgkXRffbQA1kgegt8

At least explanation. However, I don't see how something like the 93 NB I described yeaterday is any more legible.

4 also demonstrates a problem both ways. Although the number of 4s to 95th has been cut back, Michigan Ave. has 3, 4, and X4 to 95th/STATE.

 

[Tcmetro]

I'm not a fan of the new destination signs, and the left-aligned text is something that I haven't seen in any other city.

At a minimum, I think they need a wider space between the route number and the text, it looks like it all runs together from a distance.

[jajuan]

36 minutes ago, YoungBusLover said:

Found an article explaining the reasoning behind the signage update. I understand it but then again I don't. https://chi.streetsblog.org/2023/07/05/cta-is-moving-digital-destination-signs-led-info-on-front-of-bus-above-windshield-to-left-side-of-screen?fbclid=IwAR0ojERfY-pgS6jAZmNXXUY94t1QDPIizmYG25wdIKUgkXRffbQA1kgegt8

I also found that same article yesterday. (Thanks guys for rediscovering the more appropriate thread for this by the way). I understand the rationale as well, but it still looks like there's room for tweaks and improvements. 

23 minutes ago, Busjack said:

At least explanation. However, I don't see how something like the 93 NB I described yeaterday is any more legible.

4 also demonstrates a problem both ways. Although the number of 4s to 95th has been cut back, Michigan Ave. has 3, 4, and X4 to 95th/STATE.

 

A similar conundrum to what you saw for the 93 NB can be seen on the 12 WB. The 'TO CENTRAL/HARRISON' destination display is scrunched together on one line instead of the previous being displayed on two. I don't see how that would be more legible than simply shifting those two lines to the left.

[YoungBusLover]

1 hour ago, Tcmetro said:

I'm not a fan of the new destination signs, and the left-aligned text is something that I haven't seen in any other city.

At a minimum, I think they need a wider space between the route number and the text, it looks like it all runs together from a distance.

Yeah you're not kidding, I hate the way this update has turned these signs. 

[Shannoncvpi]

2 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah you're not kidding, I hate the way this update has turned these signs. 

They most definitely look weird I bet cta will also say thst it will save money not using the entire sign & make it last longer some goofy ???

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, Shannoncvpi said:

They most definitely look weird I bet cta will also say thst it will save money not using the entire sign & make it last longer some goofy ???

But they are wearing out the left side.?

[cta5658]

Question, does this fix the SB 34 South Michigan signs as they've been saying 34 95/RED LINE since around 2017 or 2018 even though they're heading south to 131st/Ellis?