What's left for the Optima Opus' (#500 - #544)/ Lifetime assignments, in service dates, retirements

[BusHunter]

That's presuming CTA only makes the contract for 50 artics. If they go toward the higher end of the spectrum, 150, I think they'll want two new artic-capable garages. 150 artics at 74th sounds like extreme overkill. North Park definitely has enough, Kedzie has enough and 103rd has enough for it's assigned heavy-ridership routes. I would look for Chicago or Forest Glen to be artic-capable before the full contract can be awarded.

There's always 77th, but CTA seems to be hesitant to put artics there in any great number. It should be interesting to see if they keep most or some of the artics they have after the Ryan shutdown. Seems like they use alot of them for the shuttles and never have used them all at the same time for the fixed route service. I see them receiving the Novas first when they come in. If they do go ahead with 150 artics, they'll most likely split the order 50-50 and 50 to 74th, Chicago and maybe 77th. If not they could always go 75 and 75.

[Sam92]

There's always 77th, but CTA seems to be hesitant to put artics there in any great number. It should be interesting to see if they keep most or some of the artics they have after the Ryan shutdown. Seems like they use alot of them for the shuttles and never have used them all at the same time for the fixed route service. I see them receiving the Novas first when they come in. If they do go ahead with 150 artics, they'll most likely split the order 50-50 and 50 to 74th, Chicago and maybe 77th. If not they could always go 75 and 75.

With a new artic lift and the fact that it holds some of the south side's heaviest routes, I don't see why 77th wouldn't get any after the shutdown. In fact it should have more than its ever had at this point. With all the 4300's here, say even if NP were to keep all 120-130 artics it has, along with Kedzie keeping 60 and 103rd hypothetically keeping 65, there are STILL at least 50 left for 77th to use and use very well. I seriously doubt anymore artics are going to go to NP and Kedzie at this point (unless they do plan on giving some of Fg's heaviest routes to some artic garages to help with crowds) so who else DOES that leave beside 77th and 103rd. Artic assignments in the weeks leading up to the shutdown were pretty ideal until the last few days when an extra 20 were sent to 103rd. After the shutdown, if they do decide to keep NP at 120, then there are still enough artics to split among all artic garages with say:

NP-120-130 artics

K-60

103rd-65-70 (for use on the 6, 14 PLUS much needed help for rush hour trips to/from the Dan Ryan, carver, 26, 28 and 29.

77th- 50-60 ( we all know this shoulda been done years ago. The artics that were there never needed to leave in the first place).

If CTA does decide to go with the contract those artics can go straight to 74, and Chicago without having to take from another garage. If it turns out 74th and Chicago don't need that many, then another 20 can go to 77th with Chicago and 74th getting 65 each. Chicago along with 77th both handle the city's busiet routes so they need a pretty sizable fleet. They got the 20, 53, 65, 66 and 72. With 74th the 9 alone could use a pretty hefty amount (60 buses in the rush really???) and not to mention the 49, 55, 63. They may not have a lot of artic worthy routes but what they do have is pretty heavy. At some point I can maybe see Chicago handling some of Fg's other heavy routes that NP isn't running artics on. Or a trade of NP's Evanston routes in exchange for some of the busier routes to run those surplus artics it has along with Chicago to help cover those runs.

[BusHunter]

It's hard to say what's going to happen. Fg does have the lowest and oldest fleet of all the garages. They may just end up running routes like the #77 and #152 out of other garages, but they would have to run routes like the #93 out of Fg or else they have a garage with under 200 buses. They could just make Fg share with Chicago on many of it's routes and that would beef up the garage total.

As far as artics, I wonder if there are space limitations at 74th for 70 artics? If they get the Ashland BRT going they will also have those artics. That could bring CTA over 500 artics. This is going to be a tricky purchase, if you think about the future.

It's hard to say if 103rd would keep 92 artics after the Ryan shutdown, I think they could manage with 75. Regardless there is going to be a big artic shift after the shutdown is over.

[Sam92]

It's hard to say what's going to happen. Fg does have the lowest and oldest fleet of all the garages. They may just end up running routes like the #77 and #152 out of other garages, but they would have to run routes like the #93 out of Fg or else they have a garage with under 200 buses. They could just make Fg share with Chicago on many of it's routes and that would beef up the garage total.

As far as artics, I wonder if there are space limitations at 74th for 70 artics? If they get the Ashland BRT going they will also have those artics. That could bring CTA over 500 artics. This is going to be a tricky purchase, if you think about the future.

It's hard to say if 103rd would keep 92 artics after the Ryan shutdown, I think they could manage with 75. Regardless there is going to be a big artic shift after the shutdown is over.

I'm not banking on 103rd keeping all 92. The point with that was, with NP at 120-130 and K at their all time highs, only place that 103rd should shed those excess artics to is 77th. NP and K should be done gaining artics at this point. It's time for the south to get their share. Pace2322 even said 103rd could use around 60 because of a lack of artics available for pullouts. There are enough artics now for NP and K to keep what they have (although Kedzie does have extras for the R22 that might go somewhere else) and STILL give 103rd and 77th 60 artics a piece where they can fill in other crowded areas beside what they serve now.

[jajuan]

With a new artic lift and the fact that it holds some of the south side's heaviest routes, I don't see why 77th wouldn't get any after the shutdown. In fact it should have more than its ever had at this point. With all the 4300's here, say even if NP were to keep all 120-130 artics it has, along with Kedzie keeping 60 and 103rd hypothetically keeping 65, there are STILL at least 50 left for 77th to use and use very well. I seriously doubt anymore artics are going to go to NP and Kedzie at this point (unless they do plan on giving some of Fg's heaviest routes to some artic garages to help with crowds) so who else DOES that leave beside 77th and 103rd. Artic assignments in the weeks leading up to the shutdown were pretty ideal until the last few days when an extra 20 were sent to 103rd. After the shutdown, if they do decide to keep NP at 120, then there are still enough artics to split among all artic garages with say:

NP-120-130 artics

K-60

103rd-65-70 (for use on the 6, 14 PLUS much needed help for rush hour trips to/from the Dan Ryan, carver, 26, 28 and 29.

77th- 50-60 ( we all know this shoulda been done years ago. The artics that were there never needed to leave in the first place).

If CTA does decide to go with the contract those artics can go straight to 74, and Chicago without having to take from another garage. If it turns out 74th and Chicago don't need that many, then another 20 can go to 77th with Chicago and 74th getting 65 each. Chicago along with 77th both handle the city's busiet routes so they need a pretty sizable fleet. They got the 20, 53, 65, 66 and 72. With 74th the 9 alone could use a pretty hefty amount (60 buses in the rush really???) and not to mention the 49, 55, 63. They may not have a lot of artic worthy routes but what they do have is pretty heavy. At some point I can maybe see Chicago handling some of Fg's other heavy routes that NP isn't running artics on. Or a trade of NP's Evanston routes in exchange for some of the busier routes to run those surplus artics it has along with Chicago to help cover those runs.

I reread this particular post and it's not too hard to believe that 74th needs that many buses for the 9 in rush hour given when the X routes got eliminated it reclaimed its title of longest bus route in the system from the X49. Remember this route used to be a shared route back in the days Limits garage still existed. But I do still agree with you that it makes perfect sense to keep artics at 77th since one, it had them before losing them to 103rd after the 6 returned to 103rd and two, there would be good use of them on 2, 3, 4, 8 and 79 even if it's only partial coverage mixed in with 40 foot buses since we also have to remember artics can't go everywhere.

[Kimball401]

Me niether I can't wait till they get rid of them completely I drove that bus once in training and thank God that was the only time lol.

Thats how you feel lol . (Give them some credit ) lmao

[trainman8119]

516 (the silly Ventra Bus) was roaming the streets downtown today, north of the loop. I saw it at least 4 times on Wabash, Michigan and Clark along the Gold Coast.

[dann]

I saw that bus too. Is that merely a rolling billboard for ventra or is the driver supposed to stop and sell cards?

[Busjack]

I saw that bus too. Is that merely a rolling billboard for ventra or is the driver supposed to stop and sell cards?

It was supposed to be to distribute information (as when it was at the Taste of Chicago), but the question is whether it stopped to do so recently.

[jajuan]

Not surprised that the bus would be out yesterday since the complete rollout of Ventra to the rest of the public is Monday.

[Amtrak41]

I visited Chicago last week.

I saw the Optimas on the 54A and 206. Not on the 68 this time. Lots of Novas at Jeff Park.

[BusHunter]

According to this ordinance, the Cook County Sheriff wants to buy two Optimas for a dollar. What a Deal!!

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ordinances/014-10.pdf

[garmon757]

According to this ordinance, the Cook County Sheriff wants to buy two Optimas for a dollar. What a Deal!!

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ordinances/014-10.pdf

GET OUTTA HERE!!! ONE DOLLAR??? Hell, can I buy all of them for under $50??? LOL

[wordguy]

Speaking of Optimas, I believe there's a possibility that they now be history. As far as I know, not one has appeared on BusTracker anywhere since last week.

By my reckoning, the real canary in the coal mine is the #111A Pullman Shuttle. Since Monday, its single run has been filled by 40-footers every day. Prior to this week, it was the only route in the system to use Optimas exclusively.

Not being a CTA insider, I have no official documentation: just a gut feeling. We'll see.

[Busjack]

According to this ordinance, the Cook County Sheriff wants to buy two Optimas for a dollar. What a Deal!!

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ordinances/014-10.pdf

Not such a deal, as Olive Harvey got Novas for a $1 (which is perfunctory anyway). The thing I question is whether they are "fully depreciated," but that may be "code" for what wordguy said, as opposed to what we assume is 12 year depreciation.

[Busjack]

GET OUTTA HERE!!! ONE DOLLAR??? Hell, can I buy all of them for under $50??? LOL

You, like Olive Harvey and Tom Dart, would probably have to be a government to enter into an intergovernment agreement. You'll also note all the indemnify stuff (based on a Boston case), that you indemnify CTA if something goes wrong and you get hurt.

As I mentioned before with respect to people wanting to buy old buses as a hobby, my mother has the expression "the gift that keeps on costing."

The real issue is that the Kruesi administration appears to have again thrown away taxpayer money in buying useless junk, but since in this case it is state taxpayer money, there really isn't recourse.

[sw4400]

The TMC's to Peoria were more expensive than the Novas and Optimas... they went for $100/bus(10 buses for $1,000), and they were much older at the time CityLink took them.

[Busjack]

GET OUTTA HERE!!! ONE DOLLAR??? Hell, can I buy all of them for under $50??? LOL

On rereading it, it was both for a $1. Hence it probably was under $20, but you would have to become a government agency first.

And, apparently, from sw's post, Peoria got taken.

[sw4400]

On rereading it, it was both for a $1. Hence it probably was under $20, but you would have to become a government agency first.

And, apparently, from sw's post, Peoria got taken.

That's an understatement, Busjack... Peoria was gipped. They paid $1,000 for the ten TMC's, broken down as follows...

• Four TMC's were operational. One used daily, two were spares, one needed a transmission(I doubt it ever got it)
• Four TMC's were for special events/miscellaneous reasons
• Two TMC's were parts buses only.
• Peoria spent $2,000 for new shocks and other minor repairs to the functional TMC's(I don't think this included a new/rebuilt transmission for the TMC that needed it).

They actually spent more than what they paid to keep four TMC's on the road for transit use.

I would link the Peoria article about it, but the link goes to a modern news page now.

[Busjack]

That's an understatement, Busjack... Peoria was gipped. They paid $1,000 for the ten TMC's, broken down as follows...

• ...Peoria spent $2,000 for new shocks and other minor repairs to the functional TMC's(I don't think this included a new/rebuilt transmission for the TMC that needed it).

...

Undoubtedly the contract, like this ordinance, said they were taking it as is, so they assumed the risk of repairs.

Definitely, the taxpayers of Cook County have, if Dart discovers that he bought some problems.

[mikeymc77]

GET OUTTA HERE!!! ONE DOLLAR??? Hell, can I buy all of them for under $50??? LOL

But you are not a corrupt politician. So as the contestants used to tell Howie Mandel: "NO DEAL"

[Mr.cta85]

Yeah so It looks like the optima's are about to be retired or something cause Its about 5 of them parked behind each other at 103rd. But the interesting thing about it they didn't have bike racks on them anymore which answers my questions about a few bike racks I saw lying in a section of the garage. So soon we'll say farewell to the optima's. I got a chance to drive them a few times on the 30 last summer of all routes lol. I won't miss them at all even though they are only like 8yrs now they were in worse shape than some of the Novas. 103rd last year had 500-517 and each one I got had some type of problem to them if it wasn't one thing it was another. So I won't miss them at all and hopefully cta in the future won't buy anymore 30fters again..

[jajuan]

At the very least not models built on top of a van chassis as the Optimas were. But that's what happens when you put up specs for a 30 foot bus that has to be narrow in width like the 4900s and 4915s were. Otherwise they could have gotten 30 foot buses built by New Flyer or some other manufacturer that builds a decent 30 foot bus.

[Busjack]

At the very least not models built on top of a van chassis as the Optimas were. But that's what happens when you put up specs for a 30 foot bus that has to be narrow in width like the 4900s and 4915s were. Otherwise they could have gotten 30 foot buses built by New Flyer or some other manufacturer that builds a decent 30 foot bus.

Except they weren't (99" instead of 96") and if there really were a 96" 40 foot bus, that would have been more compatible with what they were replacing. One still wonders what they were thinking in buying 45 instead of the 15 needed for the 170s, and especially having options for up to 125. At least they didn't exercise those.

[Mr.cta85]

Yeah so It looks like the optima's are about to be retired or something cause Its about 5 of them parked behind each other at 103rd. But the interesting thing about it they didn't have bike racks on them anymore which answers my questions about a few bike racks I saw lying in a section of the garage. So soon we'll say farewell to the optima's. I got a chance to drive them a few times on the 30 last summer of all routes lol. I won't miss them at all even though they are only like 8yrs now they were in worse shape than some of the Novas. 103rd last year had 500-517 and each one I got had some type of problem to them if it wasn't one thing it was another. So I won't miss them at all and hopefully cta in the future won't buy anymore 30fters again..

Ok I was wrong about what I said about all the optima's having their bike racks removed. It was only bus 505 that no longer had it. Also I there are only 4 optima's at 103rd.