Random Pace

[Busjack]

33 minutes ago, krzysiu221322 said:

I noticed these "Service Group" listings on the webpage of Pace bus routes on RTAMS.

https://rtams.org/services/pace/routes?items_per_page=All&combine=

• Commuter Links
• CTA Connector
• Express Service
• Intra-community
• On Demand
• Suburban Links
• Seasonal

What do they represent? Different route types?

 

Yep. CTA Connectors connect with CTA. One would expect different ridership on the different types.

[krzysiu221322]

2 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Yep. CTA Connectors connect with CTA. One would expect different ridership on the different types.

How do these differ from one another?

• Commuter Links
• Intra-community
• Suburban Links
   

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, krzysiu221322 said:

How do these differ from one another?

• Commuter Links
• Intra-community
• Suburban Links
   

It should be fairly obvious, and even more so if you had read the route names and numbers:

• 182 North Naperville Evening Service (Suspended)Naperville FSCommuter Links--in short a feeder (also some Amazon buses)
• 410 East Niles LocalVillage of NilesIntra-community--in one community (here within Niles, some collar county cities)
• 234 Wheeling - Des PlainesNorthwest Division GarageSuburban Links--runs between suburbs

I'm sure some change categories, i.e. 471 Highland Park became Suburban Links  because it goes into Deerfield. 355 became Commuter Links when it was cut back to the South Shore.

Interestingly, most routes with Express in their names are classified as something else.

 

[John7]

Can’t confirm but apparently a pace bus caught fire last night. And judging by the location, it’s probably from the south division. 

[artthouwill]

4 hours ago, John7 said:

Can’t confirm but apparently a pace bus caught fire last night. And judging by the location, it’s probably from the south division. 

I tried to find a news item  about this but didn't.   It probably was hot brakes or something.  I think an actual fire would have been newsworthy.   Considering that South buses are CNG, a fire could become a problem very quickly 

  So the fire department was called out if an abundance of caution.  This was only two blocks from the Harvey Transport Center.

[MetroShadow]

On 2/8/2023 at 2:01 PM, krzysiu221322 said:

I noticed these "Service Group" listings on the webpage of Pace bus routes on RTAMS.

https://rtams.org/services/pace/routes?items_per_page=All&combine=

• Commuter Links
• CTA Connector
• Express Service
• Intra-community
• On Demand
• Suburban Links
• Seasonal

What do they represent? Different route types?

 

I wrote the standards before I left at the end of 2015, and Jack is right, save for some semantics.

The way that planners and analysts need to compare service levels, the last time was in 2003 (and I was a senior in high school at the time). The objective of rewriting the whole thing was (1) improve how we compare service levels since the dynamics of the routes vary, (2) proper analysis (intra-Community) of the Satellite Cities (it's unfair to lump them all together and determining that the bottom 5 would be at Joliet, when in actuality, they should be across the networks), (3) Suburban Links are suburb to suburb routes, some might be core routes; (4) CTA connectors are likely the core network, but mostly connecting with CTA; (5) On-Demand is self-explanatory, (6) Improves how the agency does with Title VI, not necessarily with the FTA purposes but more than performative assessment of how we/they offer service in the future without leaving behind important (or needed) riders.

 

> Express Service was separated into two/three levels (seasonal, premium/BOS, Connector), but I see have merged to what you're looking at now.

[artthouwill]

Yesterday I saw a training bus at Forest Park Blue line station.  There were about a dozen trainees in the vus, nor counting the driver.

[Railguy]

Driving Innovation includes developing new service standards 

[John7]

It’s been about a year since I last rode on pace and I was greeted by vinyl seats. Bus #6534

[artthouwill]

43 minutes ago, John7 said:

It’s been about a year since I last rode on pace and I was greeted by vinyl seats. Bus #6534

There are some 65xx and some 67xx buses that have them.  In fact, there's now a 244xx bus that has vinyl seats as well ( i forgot the number).  There was a 244xx bus that had some torn cloth seat pads.  I don't know if that's the same bus and they just replaced the seats with vinyl ones.

[strictures]

8 hours ago, artthouwill said:

There are some 65xx and some 67xx buses that have them.  In fact, there's now a 244xx bus that has vinyl seats as well ( i forgot the number).  There was a 244xx bus that had some torn cloth seat pads.  I don't know if that's the same bus and they just replaced the seats with vinyl ones.

they look like that crap on some of the CTA 4150 & up artics.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

On 5/6/2023 at 11:53 AM, John7 said:

It’s been about a year since I last rode on pace and I was greeted by vinyl seats. Bus #6534

A lot of Pace West's Eldorados are getting those seats too. Also XD40's are getting the same type of seat cover too

[urbanguy0508]

There’s only one Pace route that offers late night service (352 Halsted).

https://www.pacebus.com/route/352

What other routes do you think should continue running through the night? Maybe the Pulse routes?

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, urbanguy0508 said:

There’s only one Pace route that offers late night service (352 Halsted).

https://www.pacebus.com/route/352

What other routes do you think should continue running through the night? Maybe the Pulse routes?

You left out all the 3 a.m. UPS routes. Other than that, someone can pay for TNC, as was done in Harvey and O'Hare Cargo.

 

[urbanguy0508]

A web map showing Pace's existing and planned Pulse routes.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1M9KZTV92pazmNsLFOxVDrLhrbQFGouM&usp=sharing

[artthouwill]

It looks Iike Pace is falling behind in staffing again

  Lately there have been a bunch of blown trips on Pace West routes .  Not only are thee driver shortages. But tjee has been an uptick on breakdowns,  especially with the New Flyers though the Eldorado buses have also had some problems.   It looked so promising when I would see the training buses.   But I I haven't seen  any Lately. 

 

  

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, YoungBusLover said:

On the contrary we are currently at the max as far as operators are concerned at 77th, There is hardly any overtime to obtain these days with the influx of rookies we've gotten over the spring and summer months this year. Generally when we get pulled for runs to help out of 103rd they generally take a run off the #2 on the south end to do a tripper on the #192, if it's northern end sometimes an operator working the #1, #3 or #4 may get pulled to cover the #J14 or #192. It all depends on if the operator knows the route along with being able to get back in place once completing the assignment. I've rarely seen 74th operators run on our routes unless it's a dire situation. I'm still in utter disbelief that were helping out with the BL Shuttles to save on the mileage with these #8500s, I get that they're new but sheesh release them all for revenue service for god sake. 

 

On 9/14/2023 at 4:02 PM, artthouwill said:

It looks Iike Pace is falling behind in staffing again

  Lately there have been a bunch of blown trips on Pace West routes .  Not only are thee driver shortages. But tjee has been an uptick on breakdowns,  especially with the New Flyers though the Eldorado buses have also had some problems.   It looked so promising when I would see the training buses.   But I I haven't seen  any Lately. 

 

  

I need Pace to pick off some of the CTA drivers from 77th for Pace West.  Despite all of the recruiting Melinda Metzger says Pace is doingbut Pace West is still struggling.   I heard one rider say that FOUR successive 313 buses in a row were no shows.  FOUR BUSES IN A ROW  on one route?  A busy one at that.

[pudgym29]

On 9/18/2023 at 11:57 AM, artthouwill said:

 

I need Pace to pick off some of the CTA drivers from 77th for Pace West. Despite all of the recruiting Melinda Metzger says Pace is doing but Pace West is still struggling. I heard one rider say that FOUR successive 313 buses in a row were no shows. FOUR BUSES IN A ROW on one route? A busy one at that.

You must have missed the post where I remarked about waiting for 90 minutes for a northbound #311 bus at Oak Park and Stanley at 4:45 pm on a Friday (intending to go from Flapjack Brwg. to Elmhurst Brwg. via the #311 and the #309). I wound up walking west to Harlem Ave. I never got to Elmhurst Brwg. that night. ?

Here are Pace's recent attempts to hire bus operators.

[artthouwill]

55 minutes ago, pudgym29 said:

You must have missed the post where I remarked about waiting for 90 minutes for a northbound #311 bus at Oak Park and Stanley at 4:45 pm on a Friday (intending to go from Flapjack Brwg. to Elmhurst Brwg. via the #311 and the #309). I wound up walking west to Harlem Ave. I never got to Elmhurst Brwg. that night. ?

Here are Pace's recent attempts to hire bus operators.

I'm not sure how the other Pace Divisions are faring.  I know there have been hiring events across the area.  I haven't heard of any recent complaints about service from other Divisions.   I have literally seen full training buses on Pace West routes, but recently the amount of shortages have been glaring and alarming considering the number of trainees that I have seen, even training in revenue service.   I certainly hope no other Pace Division is suffering the lack of service that is being suffered by Pace West riders .

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I'm not sure how the other Pace Divisions are faring.  I know there have been hiring events across the area.  I haven't heard of any recent complaints about service from other Divisions.   I have literally seen full training buses on Pace West routes, but recently the amount of shortages have been glaring and alarming considering the number of trainees that I have seen, even training in revenue service.   I certainly hope no other Pace Division is suffering the lack of service that is being suffered by Pace West riders .

I'm not timing buses or using trackers, but the overlapping parts of NW and NS seem to be operating o.k. A couple of months ago, NW said it was short, but apparently not short enough to keep the kickoff of Pulse in December. NS can't be short, because it suspended 12 routes.

[Tcmetro]

Pace 307 is being changed to end at Grand & Nordica instead of the Elmwood Park Village Hall. This has already been implemented, but will now be permanent.

https://www.pacebus.com/notice/route-307-service-change

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, Tcmetro said:

Pace 307 is being changed to end at Grand & Nordica instead of the Elmwood Park Village Hall. This has already been implemented, but will now be permanent.

https://www.pacebus.com/notice/route-307-service-change

It makes sense.  It eliminates delays caused by backups approaching the MD-W tracks on Grand.   It also makes connections to the 319, 74 and 65 easier and direct.   

[rotjohns]

Translation:  Pace Plainfield still needs drivers?

https://www.pacebus.com/notice/routes-834-850-851-and-855-temporary-modified-schedule-alert

[OneofthewillsNW]

On 9/22/2023 at 5:03 PM, Busjack said:

I'm not timing buses or using trackers, but the overlapping parts of NW and NS seem to be operating o.k. A couple of months ago, NW said it was short, but apparently not short enough to keep the kickoff of Pulse in December. NS can't be short, because it suspended 12 routes.

having started driving on my own by may I now have 43 drivers under me on the seniority list. though to be fair, 1 started on the same day and 3 with in 2 weeks

[OneofthewillsNW]

today at work, I met an angry bus.