More New Flyers

[sw4400]

Due to the expected icy conditions, none of the artics (either 4000s or 4300s) are on the road today. All of the routes that are usually operated with artics are operated entirely with 40-footers today. This was done as a precaution.

Thankfully, this ice storm is occuring on a Sunday, not a weekday, that might allow them to use 40' buses exculsively. I wonder if the CTA would keep the artics off the road then if this was a work week storm where a lot of the 40' roster is on the road servicing routes.

Also, I wonder if they have a contingency plan in place for the Lake Shore Drive bus routes to avoid another nightmare on the Drive(e.g: buses rerouted to work off LSD, 40' buses only assigned on threatning winter weather days).

[Mr.cta85]

Thankfully, this ice storm is occuring on a Sunday, not a weekday, that might allow them to use 40' buses exculsively. I wonder if the CTA would keep the artics off the road then if this was a work week storm where a lot of the 40' roster is on the road servicing routes.

Also, I wonder if they have a contingency plan in place for the Lake Shore Drive bus routes to avoid another nightmare on the Drive(e.g: buses rerouted to work off LSD, 40' buses only assigned on threatning winter weather days).

Yea we do have an alternate route In case LSD is too dangerous to drive on and it's for all the routes that use LSD of course, and basically what happens is routes like the J14 and 26 instead of them turning right on LSD at 67th and Jeffery they would turn on 67th and head west to stony island and go the same way as the 6 do and once you get to 47th and lake park you would then head west on 47th till you get to Michigan and just ride Michigan till you get downtown.

[jajuan]

Due to the expected icy conditions, none of the artics (either 4000s or 4300s) are on the road today. All of the routes that are usually operated with artics are operated entirely with 40-footers today. This was done as a precaution.

Probably the first time the roads had little or no artics since the time the NABIs were suddenly pulled off the roads.

[Busjack]

...

Also, I wonder if they have a contingency plan in place for the Lake Shore Drive bus routes to avoid another nightmare on the Drive(e.g: buses rerouted to work off LSD, 40' buses only assigned on threatning winter weather days).

Emanuel also said that if buses get stuck on the north side LSD, there are now openings in the dividers so traffic can take a U turn.

[artthouwill]

Thankfully, this ice storm is occuring on a Sunday, not a weekday, that might allow them to use 40' buses exculsively. I wonder if the CTA would keep the artics off the road then if this was a work week storm where a lot of the 40' roster is on the road servicing routes.

Also, I wonder if they have a contingency plan in place for the Lake Shore Drive bus routes to avoid another nightmare on the Drive(e.g: buses rerouted to work off LSD, 40' buses only assigned on threatning winter weather days).

I concur that Sunday makes it easier to not operate any artics. Yet considering how many more artics CTA is ordering, what will their plans be if a major storm hits during the workweek? There aren't enough 40 ft buses to cover everything ( as evidenced the day the NABIs were pulled). I don't even want to count those Optima buses.

As far as contingency routing, if it were me, I would rather just cancel the express runs and strongly suggest rail service, especially for the North Side. The Red Line has such a high frequency that all of the NB trains currently are not packed to the gills. Even the Purple Line expresses could be made to stop at stations north of Granville.

The J14 and 26 would probably have to run alternate routes, though I would think it better to put those riders on Metra Electric and ask Metra to honor riders that normally take the 2, 6, J14, 26, and 28. ME certainly has the capacity to handle the load. (Forgive me for actually thinking that the service boards could help each other out in an emergency). Also, the Green Line would be a viable option with transfers at 47th, 51st, and Garfield and has the capacity to handle the extra crowd.

Minnesota's Metro has alternate routing in such cases.

[jajuan]

I concur that Sunday makes it easier to not operate any artics. Yet considering how many more artics CTA is ordering, what will their plans be if a major storm hits during the workweek? There aren't enough 40 ft buses to cover everything ( as evidenced the day the NABIs were pulled). I don't even want to count those Optima buses.

As far as contingency routing, if it were me, I would rather just cancel the express runs and strongly suggest rail service, especially for the North Side. The Red Line has such a high frequency that all of the NB trains currently are not packed to the gills. Even the Purple Line expresses could be made to stop at stations north of Granville.

The J14 and 26 would probably have to run alternate routes, though I would think it better to put those riders on Metra Electric and ask Metra to honor riders that normally take the 2, 6, J14, 26, and 28. ME certainly has the capacity to handle the load. (Forgive me for actually thinking that the service boards could help each other out in an emergency). Also, the Green Line would be a viable option with transfers at 47th, 51st, and Garfield and has the capacity to handle the extra crowd.

Minnesota's Metro has alternate routing in such cases.

If we're talking about if this type of ice storm or any other one for that matter were to occur on a weekday, then there is absolutely no way they can cancel all express runs on the buses and cram everyone into the trains. Even if the Red Line isn't cram to the gills as much anymore, with the increased number of buses on what's left of the north side express bus service, that plan just doesn't work. They'd probably have to move the buses to available adjacent streets off the Drive but canceling the runs altogether is a no go. What if the storm hit in time for the afternoon rush? How do you expect to get everyone from out of downtown if they currently feel the ridership levels on the buses are at the point that just about all the express runs on the north end of the Drive, save 4 or 5 runs at most covered by 40 footers, are done with artic buses during the PM rush?

[Busjack]

If we're talking about if this type of ice storm or any other one for that matter were to occur on a weekday, then there is absolutely no way they can cancel all express runs on the buses and cram everyone into the trains. Even if the Red Line isn't cram to the gills as much anymore, with the increased number of buses on what's left of the north side express bus service, that plan just doesn't work. They'd probably have to move the buses to available adjacent streets off the Drive but canceling the runs altogether is a no go. What if the storm hit in time for the afternoon rush? How do you expect to get everyone from out of downtown if they currently feel the ridership levels on the buses are at the point that just about all the express runs on the north end of the Drive, save 4 or 5 runs at most covered by 40 footers, are done with artic buses during the PM rush?

The last time, after the buses clogged up LSD because they couldn't make the incline, didn't they just tell all the others to use Broadway or the like?

[artthouwill]

The last time, after the buses clogged up LSD because they couldn't make the incline, didn't they just tell all the others to use Broadway or the like?

It would seem like Clark, Broadway, Halsted are already clogged arterials in rush hour. I suppose you could send these artics that way but considering how clogged these streets are already in normal weather, and you want to add more vehicles to those streets? You can also forget about any salting/plowing because no one would be going anywhere.

[Busjack]

It would seem like Clark, Broadway, Halsted are already clogged arterials in rush hour. I suppose you could send these artics that way but considering how clogged these streets are already in normal weather, and you want to add more vehicles to those streets? You can also forget about any salting/plowing because no one would be going anywhere.

In that there was no way to get the buses stuck on LSD during the Ground Hog Day 2011 storm off LSD for a couple of days (remember the pictures of snow drifts inside the buses), Clark and Broadway would certainly be quicker than that. Also, IIRC, after everything came to a standstill, the LSD ramps were closed.

So, like Chicago politics, it is all relative.

[jajuan]

It would seem like Clark, Broadway, Halsted are already clogged arterials in rush hour. I suppose you could send these artics that way but considering how clogged these streets are already in normal weather, and you want to add more vehicles to those streets? You can also forget about any salting/plowing because no one would be going anywhere.

Well as Busjack pointed out, they got buses in and out of downtown somehow after the monster superstorm until Lake Shore Drive was finally reopened. But they sure as heck didn't cancel any of the express routes as you suggest. That same argument can be made of State Street and/or Michigan Avenue but more so State. Yet somehow every summer for the huge events that close Columbus and parts of the Drive in the loop south side rides are asked to endure all their express routes getting removed from the Drive for the duration of said event and relevant cleanup.

[sw4400]

Looking back at the press release for the New Flyer D40LF 'Gut Rehab' due to begin this Spring, Cummins N-Power was awarded two contracts of no more than 105.1 million to rebuild 629 buses, which I would guess is 1000-1629(minus 1005). However, the remaining 400, which would mean 1630-2029, will be done by New Flyer for no more than 57.5 million. I wonder why the Cummins ISM powered buses will be rebuilt by Cummins N-Power and the Cummins ISL powered ones will be rebuilt by New Flyer instead of just one company doing all 1,029 buses.

[Busjack]

Looking back at the press release for the New Flyer D40LF 'Gut Rehab' due to begin this Spring, Cummins N-Power was awarded two contracts of no more than 105.1 million to rebuild 629 buses, which I would guess is 1000-1629(minus 1005). However, the remaining 400, which would mean 1630-2029, will be done by New Flyer for no more than 57.5 million. I wonder why the Cummins ISM powered buses will be rebuilt by Cummins N-Power and the Cummins ISL powered ones will be rebuilt by New Flyer instead of just one company doing all 1,029 buses.

Again fairly easy. There were two requests, and apparently two successful bidders.

If you want to fish further, there were 3 winners of the Pace contract. At least those specs said rebuilding the engine, rebuilding the tranny, and installing the rebuilt parts were 3 jobs.

[ChicagoNova]

I kinda wonder what will happen when it comes time to replace the 1000 Series buses.

[Busjack]

I kinda wonder what will happen when it comes time to replace the 1000 Series buses.

You are going to have to wonder until at least 2018 (maybe 2017 for the bidding process).

However, you raise the issue about which Frank thought in about 1999, i.e. the original plan was to replace about 175 buses a year so that they wouldn't all come to the end of the life cycle at the same time. The only manifestation of that is that while 6400 to 6708 came in one bunch, there was a delay until about March 2002 for 6709 up. While, obviously, it took a couple of years to deliver all of the 1000s, they weren't staggered over 6 years, for such reasons as the President's Report saying that both the price and the production schedule would be locked in if the last two options were then exercised.

[ChicagoNova]

Well looks like 4319 is back in service. It's on #6 Jackson Park Express.

[RJL6000]

Not new buses per se, but an unusual sighting:

One 800-series bus and one 900-series bus are on the #126 this Saturday afternoon. Usually, the CTA reserves those experimental 40-foot hybrids for weekday use only.

In the past couple of weeks, Kedzie received buses numbered in the 4340s (4340-4342, 4344 and 4347) while 103rd received 4320, 4323, 4326, 4335, 4337, 4339, 4350 and 4351. When the dust settles, 103rd will have had nearly all of the hybrids while it looks like the 4340s on up will alternate between Kedzie and 103rd.

[BusHunter]

Not new buses per se, but an unusual sighting:

One 800-series bus and one 900-series bus are on the #126 this Saturday afternoon. Usually, the CTA reserves those experimental 40-foot hybrids for weekday use only.

In the past couple of weeks, Kedzie received buses numbered in the 4340s (4340-4342, 4344 and 4347) while 103rd received 4320, 4323, 4326, 4335, 4337, 4339, 4350 and 4351. When the dust settles, 103rd will have had nearly all of the hybrids while it looks like the 4340s on up will alternate between Kedzie and 103rd.

#4348 was out for the last two days on the #6, but I never saw it on Bustracker. #4338's new today to 103rd, (no ads in the ad racks on the outside of the bus, or any ad signs on the bus.) #4352 was on yesterday's #6. Probably they wanted 103rd to have some extra buses for the shuttle they have running from Water Tower to Mccormick Place which is using #4300's. Probably alot of the diesels 103rd has will migrate to Kedzie and 103rd will have all the hybrids. So far I haven't seen #4313, #4322, #4330, #4332, #4345, #4346, #4349 out of the first 53 buses.