Dan Ryan Track Renewal Project

[artthouwill]

In other words, Everything's going to go back to normal.

I remember when Howard-Englewood (,63/Ashland) was normal, before 1993.

[KedziePink]

So I guess it's safe to assume that the Green Line Loop/Roosevelt rush hour short runs will be discontinued?

[Juniorz]

So, can we say some of the Green Line Line Rush Hour Features may become permanent

[Sam92]

As normal as normal is.

Then the next question will be where all the articulated buses on R routes are going to go and how many Novas meet The Crusher (and I don't mean Dick the Bruiser's tag team partner).

Also, if travel times will really improve.

As far as artics go... there gonna be massivse shuffling nonetheless. NP and K should be long done increasing their number of artics. In fact those 2 along with 103rd should each shed between 15-20 artics each to 77th to create a more even distribution of artics across the city leaving new totals at:

NP-110

K-55

103rd-70

77th- 73

This will add artics to southern routes that really need them

[Busjack]

So, can we say some of the Green Line Line Rush Hour Features may become permanent

Only that they won't undo the track repairs, although they probably won't last long.

The Alert says:

Green Line trains will resume normal service between Harlem/Lake and 63rd Street, alternating between the Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove terminals.

Nothing there about not serving Ashland/63 or short turning at wherever.

[artthouwill]

Funny, but the announcements on the 35th bus still say, ",Starting May 19th, the CTA Red Line will be closed for construction...." I suppose they have to continue this until the Dan Ryan line reopens. There is signage at every rail station I've been to, Blue Line included.

[Busjack]

Funny, but the announcements on the 35th bus still say, ",Starting May 19th, the CTA Red Line will be closed for construction...." I suppose they have to continue this until the Dan Ryan line reopens. There is signage at every rail station I've been to, Blue Line included.

At least for once, CTA was telling the truth.

I'm sure Mr. CTA will be reloaded effective Oct. 20. Probably also the destination sign programs, too.

[jajuan]

As far as artics go... there gonna be massivse shuffling nonetheless. NP and K should be long done increasing their number of artics. In fact those 2 along with 103rd should each shed between 15-20 artics each to 77th to create a more even distribution of artics across the city leaving new totals at:

NP-110

K-55

103rd-70

77th- 73

This will add artics to southern routes that really need them

NP actually is already down to 118 artics as of last month according to the rosters thread so they would only drop about eight if they were to actually come down to the total you hypothesize. And I think some CTA higher up involved with bus assignments would probably question if 77th and 103rd really need 70-plus artics each even with the routes I could probably guess popped in your head for some form of artic use.

[Busjack]

NP actually is already down to 118 artics as of last month according to the rosters thread so they would only drop about eight if they were to actually come down to the total you hypothesize. And I think some CTA higher up involved with bus assignments would probably question if 77th and 103rd really need 70-plus artics each even with the routes I could probably guess popped in your head for some form of artic use.

In that the announced justification (instead of the real one) was to replace Novas, they are going to have to go somewhere, and the real confluence of oldest Novas with overcrowded routes is 77th.

The real question will be where the ones from 103 assigned to routes like R95 are going to go.

[MetroShadow]

So, can we say some of the Green Line Line Rush Hour Features may become permanent

So I guess it's safe to assume that the Green Line Loop/Roosevelt rush hour short runs will be discontinued?

I don't think the Rail Picks have been out as of yet. The Bus picks, are.

[jajuan]

In that the announced justification (instead of the real one) was to replace Novas, they are going to have to go somewhere, and the real confluence of oldest Novas with overcrowded routes is 77th.

The real question will be where the ones from 103 assigned to routes like R95 are going to go.

All true but I was thinking more it could be someone might decide a 60-some each split between K, 77th and 103rd is a better balance. Remember 12 and 82 were seeing extra artics during the rush periods and some evening hours before the big shifts and remaining deliveries to the south side to accommodate artic use on six out of the seven original R routes. Also the rush hour K trips on 62 and 66 were done with artics during the same period.

[sw4400]

I think while some Novas will be retired after the Red Line South Reconstruction concludes on the 20th, I wouldn't look for a big dropoff until 2014 when Nova LFS Generation II starts rolling in(Series-TBA). When that happens, these buses will practically cease to exist. I figure you'll see Nova LFS Generation I running in some capacity at a handful of garages or perhaps just one garage until Summer 2014 when there should be enough Generation II Novas to replace without a major loss of 40' buses in the fleet.

Another thing that plays into why waiting until 2014 is also the New Flyer D40LF's are going through "gut" rehabs or should be(although I don't know/haven't heard if any are rolling that look, feel, seem almost brand new with LED interior lighting, a rebuilt Cummins engine and transmission and any other amenities added to them).

[Juniorz]

So, When are the 1st, Last time arrivals for the Red Line Switch

[Sam92]

All true but I was thinking more it could be someone might decide a 60-some each split between K, 77th and 103rd is a better balance. Remember 12 and 82 were seeing extra artics during the rush periods and some evening hours before the big shifts and remaining deliveries to the south side to accommodate artic use on six out of the seven original R routes. Also the rush hour K trips on 62 and 66 were done with artics during the same period.

Forgot K's extra artics for R22 came at the cost of running them on the 66 in the rush. However it does still manage to run the 12, and 62 rush hour runs with artics. Plus 82's back to being run with artics despite the R22 still running. I got my math based off of:

1- 103rd's (which is holding 92 artics) extra artics deffinately don't need to go to NP or K at this point as they have more than enough. That only leaves 77th (currently at 28 artics) as an option. Shedding 22 artics to 77th would put 77th at 50. NP and K might shed a few of the extra artics to.the south as well seeing as the 66 had artic runs from day one of decrowding (before extra artics even touched Kedzie). So if both garages shed even nothing but 7 artics each that would leave the artic assignments around the same number I predicted for the south.

2- South side really expanded artic use from what it was before when the 4300's were available as extras and they really helped out where they were used.

From 77th, artics have been seen on routes: 2, 3, 4, 8, 79, 87 (these routes all use at least 30 buses so even if you were to go 50/50 with artics on these routes that still adds up to 12-15 for each route. 12-15 x 6(the number of artic worthy routes) =70+ for 77th.

103rd has held 65 artics back in 2010 which were put to use on Dan Ryan feeder routes, occasionally the 26, 28, and 29. This time they were able to use 70 artics to knock down crowds on the same routes mentioned plus school runs to Carver, Kenwood, and Hyde Park academy. Plus further relieve crowds on the 26 and 28 by mixing 50/50 artics with the 1000's.

[BusHunter]

Well they have been working on Chicago and 74th working to get those garages artic capable. I think this is a good time to start up a new garage with artics. Really when you look at artic totals, all garages that presently have them have too many to keep them after the Dan Ryan/Red line comes back. They should try 25 buses at each garage as a startup or 50 at one garage. Then when more artics come from future orders they can expand on this idea.

Speaking of the next generation Novas, one thing that supposed to happen in 2014, is that they are supposed to deliver the complete order of 300 buses in the year 2014. That is something that is unheard of or rare in the transit industry. If you figure 52 weeks to a year, that would be about 6 buses a week. I remember when the #6400's came in they came in just as fast, but I don't know if they delivered 300 in a year. (I'll have to check the #6400 Nova delivery list on here.) Probably they'll start on the south side garages and head north. At the end of next year we still should have about 80 #6400 Novas left.

I don't know how Novabus can assemble that many buses that fast. They must be building some now, and maybe when they start delivery the order is already 1/2 to 3/4 built.

[Juniorz]

Well, The Countdown Clock has returned to the redlinesouth.com

[mkohut]

Well they have been working on Chicago and 74th working to get those garages artic capable. I think this is a good time to start up a new garage with artics. Really when you look at artic totals, all garages that presently have them have too many to keep them after the Dan Ryan/Red line comes back. They should try 25 buses at each garage as a startup or 50 at one garage. Then when more artics come from future orders they can expand on this idea.

Speaking of the next generation Novas, one thing that supposed to happen in 2014, is that they are supposed to deliver the complete order of 300 buses in the year 2014. That is something that is unheard of or rare in the transit industry. If you figure 52 weeks to a year, that would be about 6 buses a week. I remember when the #6400's came in they came in just as fast, but I don't know if they delivered 300 in a year. (I'll have to check the #6400 Nova delivery list on here.) Probably they'll start on the south side garages and head north. At the end of next year we still should have about 80 #6400 Novas left.

I don't know how Novabus can assemble that many buses that fast. They must be building some now, and maybe when they start delivery the order is already 1/2 to 3/4 built.

It depends on the size of the assembly plant and if it operates 24/7.

With the artics I think they are going to need some maintenance with the amount of use they have gotten.I don't expect anything major.

[Busjack]

Well they have been working on Chicago and 74th working to get those garages artic capable.....

One of the curiosities of the August Construction Report is that 74th is not listed in any of the 3 phases of the hoist project.

The other curiosity is the Budget Report, where the only reference to the R routes is that the free ride comparison to last year "Excludes Red Line South." Yet the Budget Report states 44 million rides, which matches the June Ridership Report, which does include R routes.

In short, late posting of Board Presentations and more fudging of the numbers.

[BusHunter]

I was looking at the Bombardier test facility on googlemaps and they appear to have about 30 cars in the testing phase, if that's any indication as to whether the assembly plants are working ahead or not. I thought I might have read somewhere a bus can get assembled in a days time, but they would practically have to work days and nights constantly to fill the order and they have orders from other cities to fill.

[BusHunter]

Back to the topic, it appears CTA is putting up advertising along the red line announcing the return of Hodar Oct 20th. Nice to see hodar again. We haven't seen him in 20 years!!

[Juniorz]

Where is Hodar located

[Busjack]

Where is Hodar located

Howard-Dan Ryan.

Unless you mean that Ho, Darlene. Related to E.L. Jack.

[Juniorz]

Like, Where is his advertisment located

[jajuan]

Where is Hodar located

As mentioned, HoDar is CTA's made up character meant to represent Howard/Dan Ryan, the 1990's alternate name of the Red Line after the February 1993 realignment that saw the Dan Ryan leg connected to the Howard L and the Englewood/Jackson Park leg connected to the Lake Street L. HoDar was part of the advertising campaign CTA did in 1992, starting summer of that year, to promote the realignment. The other cartoon character in that campaign was L.E. Jack for Lake-Englewood/Jackson Park, the Green Line's alternate name after that realignment.

[jajuan]

Forgot K's extra artics for R22 came at the cost of running them on the 66 in the rush. However it does still manage to run the 12, and 62 rush hour runs with artics. Plus 82's back to being run with artics despite the R22 still running. I got my math based off of:

1- 103rd's (which is holding 92 artics) extra artics deffinately don't need to go to NP or K at this point as they have more than enough. That only leaves 77th (currently at 28 artics) as an option. Shedding 22 artics to 77th would put 77th at 50. NP and K might shed a few of the extra artics to.the south as well seeing as the 66 had artic runs from day one of decrowding (before extra artics even touched Kedzie). So if both garages shed even nothing but 7 artics each that would leave the artic assignments around the same number I predicted for the south.

2- South side really expanded artic use from what it was before when the 4300's were available as extras and they really helped out where they were used.

From 77th, artics have been seen on routes: 2, 3, 4, 8, 79, 87 (these routes all use at least 30 buses so even if you were to go 50/50 with artics on these routes that still adds up to 12-15 for each route. 12-15 x 6(the number of artic worthy routes) =70+ for 77th.

103rd has held 65 artics back in 2010 which were put to use on Dan Ryan feeder routes, occasionally the 26, 28, and 29. This time they were able to use 70 artics to knock down crowds on the same routes mentioned plus school runs to Carver, Kenwood, and Hyde Park academy. Plus further relieve crowds on the 26 and 28 by mixing 50/50 artics with the 1000's.

I got your thinking last night and still think 70-plus at 77th is little bit of a stretch. I did picture all the routes you mentioned though except maybe 29 for 103rd. That one I think folks would be glad to see the Dan Ryan reopened and would quite likely gravitate back away from the bus unless they need to get off at a side street or main street between rail stations. That route saw few artics before the shutdown even with the extra artics available so I don't see that one becoming as big an artic user after the Dan Ryan reopening.