CTA Service Adjustments

[sw4400]

My guess is no. If anything, someone should start an Optima 500 Retirement Thread. Considering the Decrowding cuts to 90 N,64, 69, 170, 171, 172 which are all Optima operated routes, there aren't very many routes left that could use them Route 43 will still use them and it will still operate out of 77th. Besides, Kedzie has no room now, not even for an Optima.

I wonder if thr Optimas have.an FTA service life of 10.years. If so, they will ne ready to retire next year.

All buses have an FTA life service life of 12 years. The Optimas are 2006 models, so they are only 6 years old currently, or half the FTA service life requirement. Why not have an 11B Lincoln Route which runs from the Western Brown Line south to the Fullerton Brown/Red/Purple Line station? It would give these vehicles some more service life and keep Lincoln complete, so to speak. I have rode Optimas on Lincoln before.

By the time the Optimas reach retirement(2018), the CTA should have enough extra 40' buses to maintain this short 11B route. I doubt they'll order any more 30' or 35' buses by then, but who knows.

[jajuan]

I would think the 103rd Optimas would go somewhere with no U of C service. Probably 74th would be a good choice for the #55A, #55N, #63W, #165 but currently some of those interline with the eastern service. (#59, #55, #63) They have some of the same issues like the #90N does up north, because it interlines most of the time. It may have been smarter to run the #39 and #35 through 74th, this way they could've had more routes to run Optimas on. For some reason Optimas at Kedzie seem out of place.

Well I would say they would be out of place at Kedzie even with Kedzie said to take on 35 and 39. Outside of 39, Kedzie would have no routes where these buses are really appropriate. You couldn't really put them on what's left behind from the 120-123 routes or 125 because those are interlined with something else also and otherwise run with what's on hand downtown from serving something else of much higher ridership.

[Busjack]

All buses have an FTA life service life of 12 years. The Optimas are 2006 models, so they are only 6 years old currently, or half the FTA service life requirement. Why not have an 11B Lincoln Route which runs from the Western Brown Line south to the Fullerton Brown/Red/Purple Line station? It would give these vehicles some more service life and keep Lincoln complete, so to speak. I have rode Optimas on Lincoln before.

By the time the Optimas reach retirement(2018), the CTA should have enough extra 40' buses to maintain this short 11B route. I doubt they'll order any more 30' or 35' buses by then, but who knows.

As I mentioned earlier, they could sell them to some other transit authority, or say that they were replaced with local funds. In the NYMTA case of the Grummans, both rationales were used, and apparently Huberman was trying to make some deal to settle the FTA interest in the NABIs.

Some of us derived from the Press Releases on the 450 buses that an intent was to retire the Optimas when those arrive.

Thinking that this gives CTA some reason to shoehorn your goals seems off, especially since the main expense is labor. Unless you develop a way for the Optimas to drive themselves...

[renardo870]

Hey guys, any idea of the new route names for the bus routes as of 12/16/12? Such as 1 Indiana/Michigan, 28 Stony Island Local or 28E Stony Island Express(rush hrs trip only, 148 Clarendon/Marine Express.

[Busjack]

Hey guys, any idea of the new route names for the bus routes as of 12/16/12? Such as 1 Indiana/Michigan, 28 Stony Island Local or 28E Stony Island Express(rush hrs trip only, 148 Clarendon/Marine Express.

In fact, other than 1 becoming Indiana (it hasn't been near Hyde Park Blvd. in ages), they don't need new names. In effect they are eliminating the distinction between 28 and X28, and 148 is on Clarendon [it just becomes 148 Clarendon Michigan Exp to Marine Dr.-Foster]. If nothing else, 145 Wilson Michigan was misnamed, as most rush hour trips didn't make it to Wilson (but only to Mark Grace St.).

I noted a couple of days ago that I would put 60 on the misnamed list, as there isn't much of Blue Island Ave. left, and the bus bypasses Blue Island Ave. to serve Benito Juarez school, and also why there wasn't a Commercial Ave. route name, even though 26 and 71 are primarily that.

[BusHunter]

All buses have an FTA life service life of 12 years. The Optimas are 2006 models, so they are only 6 years old currently, or half the FTA service life requirement. Why not have an 11B Lincoln Route which runs from the Western Brown Line south to the Fullerton Brown/Red/Purple Line station? It would give these vehicles some more service life and keep Lincoln complete, so to speak. I have rode Optimas on Lincoln before.

By the time the Optimas reach retirement(2018), the CTA should have enough extra 40' buses to maintain this short 11B route. I doubt they'll order any more 30' or 35' buses by then, but who knows.

Our luck they will decide to put the Optimas on what's left of the #11. I think the ridership is going to be hurt on that anyway, maybe eventually leading to the whole route disappearing. They could always make FG do the #11 and #96 and they could run more Optimas out of there, but that's probably not what drivers want to hear, those buses like to lurch forward and the drivers don't particularly like them anyway. It probably is better off for CTA just to get rid of them, but that's not happening to my understanding until the second bus order arrives.

[BusHunter]

Well I would say they would be out of place at Kedzie even with Kedzie said to take on 35 and 39. Outside of 39, Kedzie would have no routes where these buses are really appropriate. You couldn't really put them on what's left behind from the 120-123 routes or 125 because those are interlined with something else also and otherwise run with what's on hand downtown from serving something else of much higher ridership.

I don't know how the #120's are going to turn out. There going to be massively overcrowded. They probably would need artics for those now, but I don't think that's possible on lower Wacker. Probably alot of riders will just flock to the #151 or #125 or #157. Maybe they should look into making certain #151's run express through the lower loop. It would speed those up and ease an overcrowding mess. Of course the other direction would be all local go to/from union station.

[Busjack]

I don't know how the #120's are going to turn out. There going to be massively overcrowded. They probably would need artics for those now, but I don't think that's possible on lower Wacker. Probably alot of riders will just flock to the #151 or #125 or #157. Maybe they should look into making certain #151's run express through the lower loop. It would speed those up and ease an overcrowding mess. Of course the other direction would be all local go to/from union station.

There is, of course, the misnamed BRT project on Madison and Washington, encompassing 60 and 157, among others.

Otherwise, the only difference between the present 120-123 and what is proposed for 120 and 121 is that they won't serve Navy Pier or Illinois Center, but will serve the NW Memorial Hospital area.

[ChicagoNova]

There is, of course, the misnamed BRT project on Madison and Washington, encompassing 60 and 157, among others.

Otherwise, the only difference between the present 120-123 and what is proposed for 120 and 121 is that they won't serve Navy Pier or Illinois Center, but will serve the NW Memorial Hospital area.

I'm kinda thinking they should combine routes 120 and 121 together to serve both Ogilvie and Union Stations on one express route while running express along Wacker.

[Busjack]

I'm kinda thinking they should combine routes 120 and 121 together to serve both Ogilvie and Union Stations on one express route while running express along Wacker.

Didn't this come up once before (by someone who didn't understand the definition of decrowding) that it doesn't do any good if the bus is packed at Union Station?

[ChicagoNova]

Didn't this come up once before (by someone who didn't understand the definition of decrowding) that it doesn't do any good if the bus is packed at Union Station?

You also have #157 that serves Union and Ogilvie Stations and the Streeterville area. So that would be two option.

[jajuan]

In fact, other than 1 becoming Indiana (it hasn't been near Hyde Park Blvd. in ages), they don't need new names. In effect they are eliminating the distinction between 28 and X28, and 148 is on Clarendon [it just becomes 148 Clarendon Michigan Exp to Marine Dr.-Foster]. If nothing else, 145 Wilson Michigan was misnamed, as most rush hour trips didn't make it to Wilson (but only to Mark Grace St.).

I noted a couple of days ago that I would put 60 on the misnamed list, as there isn't much of Blue Island Ave. left, and the bus bypasses Blue Island Ave. to serve Benito Juarez school, and also why there wasn't a Commercial Ave. route name, even though 26 and 71 are primarily that.

As far as the 145 goes the argument could be made that while peak direction rush hour 145 buses don't operate on Wilson, the off peak direction become or come from the current 148 route (depending on time of day and therefore direction served by 148), the 'Wilson/Michigan Express' was still justified. They at least got around that by changing the destination signs to display '145 EXPRESS' flip '145 to GRACE/LAKE SHORE'. But yes the 1 still being 1 Indiana/Hyde Park is long overlooked given the South Lake Shore restructuring that created the 15 and cut the 1 back to 51st/Drexel as a rush hour only service was almost a decade ago. I would imagine the 28 would be 28 Stony Island in off peak hours and 28 Stony Island Express during rush hour. There is a history for that from 6, 62, 145, and 146 all having one route number for both local and express service during the periods express and local routing existed for those routes before becoming just one or the other. Heck they may even just leave it as 28 Stony Island regardless of if it's the time for express service or time for the local given that the 10 is technically an express route but doesn't have the official 'express' designation nor the red lettering of one on the bus stop signs where the route operates.

[Busjack]

...Heck they may even just leave it as 28 Stony Island regardless of if it's the time for express service or time for the local ...

In that seemed to be all that they accomplished by the proposal, I don't see the point to it.

[renardo870]

Effective December 16 Kedzie is losing 8 Halsted and 62 Archer is go to 74th Street and K is getting 35 35th and 39 Pershing and #37 Sedgwick.

Is the new #1 Indiana going to Kedzie as well?

[renardo870]

Any information on the hours of operations for the routes as of 12/16/12 and any additional garage switches?

[jajuan]

Any information on the hours of operations for the routes as of 12/16/12 and any additional garage switches?

No one knows until December 16th comes close and CTA gives their usual preview of schedules when they do minor or major schedule changes in a new pick.

[BUSANGEL#1]

Any information on the hours of operations for the routes as of 12/16/12 and any additional garage switches?

Several routes will get some later or early services restored. 6,J14,18, 50, 70, 75, 92, 111, 115 are the routes that I remember. 6 will end at 1am instead of 12:30, J14 will start at 4a.m instead of 4:30 and end at 11:30 instead of 10:30. 18 will end at 7p.m instead of 6p.m. 50 will end at 11 instead of 10:30p.m. 70 will end at 11p.m instead of 10:30p.m. 75 will end at 11:30p.m instead of 10:30. 92 will have later weekend service ending at 10:30 and 11p.m on weedays. #111/115 will both end at 11p.m instead of 10:30.

[sht6131]

Several routes will get some later or early services restored. 6,J14,18, 50, 70, 75, 92, 111, 115 are the routes that I remember. 6 will end at 1am instead of 12:30, J14 will start at 4a.m instead of 4:30 and end at 11:30 instead of 10:30. 18 will end at 7p.m instead of 6p.m. 50 will end at 11 instead of 10:30p.m. 70 will end at 11p.m instead of 10:30p.m. 75 will end at 11:30p.m instead of 10:30. 92 will have later weekend service ending at 10:30 and 11p.m on weedays. #111/115 will both end at 11p.m instead of 10:30.

Any mention of 72 going 24HR again?

[Zol87]

I was reading over the plans for bus cuts and I don't understand why the #1 route is not completely eliminated. It basically runs down Michigan from downtown along with the #4 and there will only be a half mile left of northbound only service on Indiana from 31st-35th. Southbound remains on Michigan. Aside from connecting Bronzeville to Union Station, there is a lot of duplication, so what is the point of this route?.

[Zol87]

Out of all the privately own routes i can only see the 10 and probably the 33, 132 abd 169 surviving

Isn't the X98 Avon Express also a contract route? It operates only at shift changes between the Irving Park Blue Line and the Avon facility in Morton Grove at Golf/Waukegan.

[qwantae]

Several routes will get some later or early services restored. 6,J14,18, 50, 70, 75, 92, 111, 115 are the routes that I remember. 6 will end at 1am instead of 12:30, J14 will start at 4a.m instead of 4:30 and end at 11:30 instead of 10:30. 18 will end at 7p.m instead of 6p.m. 50 will end at 11 instead of 10:30p.m. 70 will end at 11p.m instead of 10:30p.m. 75 will end at 11:30p.m instead of 10:30. 92 will have later weekend service ending at 10:30 and 11p.m on weedays. #111/115 will both end at 11p.m instead of 10:30.

J14 should extend to 12am or later daily, especially it would help Red Line South side riders during shut down.

[mkohut]

Several routes will get some later or early services restored. 6,J14,18, 50, 70, 75, 92, 111, 115 are the routes that I remember. 6 will end at 1am instead of 12:30, J14 will start at 4a.m instead of 4:30 and end at 11:30 instead of 10:30. 18 will end at 7p.m instead of 6p.m. 50 will end at 11 instead of 10:30p.m. 70 will end at 11p.m instead of 10:30p.m. 75 will end at 11:30p.m instead of 10:30. 92 will have later weekend service ending at 10:30 and 11p.m on weedays. #111/115 will both end at 11p.m instead of 10:30.

Where is the information comeing from?

[Busjack]

Isn't the X98 Avon Express also a contract route? It operates only at shift changes between the Irving Park Blue Line and the Avon facility in Morton Grove at Golf/Waukegan.

They said it was. Whatever the organization was that was subsidizing it complained that CTA wanted to double its rates (according to News Radio 780).

[renardo870]

Several routes will get some later or early services restored. 6,J14,18, 50, 70, 75, 92, 111, 115 are the routes that I remember. 6 will end at 1am instead of 12:30, J14 will start at 4a.m instead of 4:30 and end at 11:30 instead of 10:30. 18 will end at 7p.m instead of 6p.m. 50 will end at 11 instead of 10:30p.m. 70 will end at 11p.m instead of 10:30p.m. 75 will end at 11:30p.m instead of 10:30. 92 will have later weekend service ending at 10:30 and 11p.m on weekdays. #111/115 will both end at 11p.m instead of 10:30.

What about the 2 Hyde Park Express, 4 Cottage Grove*, 8 Halsted*, 24 Wentworth, 26 South Shore Express, 28 Stony Island*, 29 State*, 54 Cicero*, 65 Grand*, 72 North Ave, 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express* 147 Outer Drive Express*, 152 Addison*? * (Later evening or owl service)

[CURRENTZ_09]

Isn't the X98 Avon Express also a contract route? It operates only at shift changes between the Irving Park Blue Line and the Avon facility in Morton Grove at Golf/Waukegan.

yes it is, the reason why i say that & probably the 33 wont make it through dec 16 is because alot of industrial businesses that contract with local transit agencies have pulled out of their contracts when they end to save money. This has been happening in an increasing rate since 2008