If I ran Transit for one day...

[Tcmetro]

I know such an idea isn't (politically) feasible, but since this is the "If I Ran Transit For One Day", I thought I'd post it.

And, yeah I just moved here to Chicago. I've been becoming accustomed to the transit system and I guess the political environment too.

[Komplex]

I would make a NorthWest side Night bus just like the south shore N5 bus. 

 

Make it go from Jeff Park, central,  Irving park, harlem, grand to the grand Laramie terminal.

[Busjack]

I would make a NorthWest side Night bus just like the south shore N5 bus. 

 

Make it go from Jeff Park, central,  Irving park, harlem, grand to the grand Laramie terminal.

​Since the northwest side is not as transportation dependent as the southeast side, I think you would have to identify if there were any hospitals or similar 1-4 a.m. employers in the proposed area. Heck, they had to pull out one Central bus, just to get the late shift workers from the Forest Glen garage to Jeff Park.

[NewFlyerMCI]

​Since the northwest side is not as transportation dependent as the southeast side, I think you would have to identify if there were any hospitals or similar 1-4 a.m. employers in the proposed area. Heck, they had to pull out one Central bus, just to get the late shift workers from the Forest Glen garage to Jeff Park.

​Maybe the sparse few janitors and guards the Brickyard and Harlem-Irving would provide, since Wright College & the two or other high schools won't be open, but other than that, there is nothing. Unless there are people at the graveyard working the graveyard shift 

[Komplex]

Combine 85A and 84 together. The bus could start at Jefferson park and go the direction that 85A took but instead of going back down to Jefferson park, it will go down Peterson. The other way from Redline it will go vise - versa to Jeff Park.

[artthouwill]

Combine 85A and 84 together. The bus could start at Jefferson park and go the direction that 85A took but instead of going back down to Jefferson park, it will go down Peterson. The other way from Redline it will go vise - versa to Jeff Park.

And the purpose of this is?

[MetroShadow]

Combine 85A and 84 together. The bus could start at Jefferson park and go the direction that 85A took but instead of going back down to Jefferson park, it will go down Peterson. The other way from Redline it will go vise - versa to Jeff Park.

​​For our new guests, our eligibility guidelines...

[Komplex]

Reason for it they could save some money by not having much buses on that route together since both low people on those routes. Make it easier to get around in the upper north areas between central to pulaski.

[Busjack]

Reason for it they could save some money by not having much buses on that route together since both low people on those routes. Make it easier to get around in the upper north areas between central to pulaski.

​Would have the reverse result as it only takes one bus on 85A, but would more than that involve the number of buses diverted off 84. With the lack of demand on 85A, it was suggested just scrap it in favor of Pace 225/226, or some other kind of Pace service out of Village Crossing.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Sorry for the long, long absence. Had studying to do for my cert. Anyways, I was thinking, is it feasible for the 55A and 55N to be combined. According to CTA, Austin doesn't need the same amount of service as Naragnasett, but both routes are short and a loop service doesn't seem too farfetched. Also, I'm thinking it might save 1 or 2 buses, although I'm not sure about that part. Same thing with 62H and 63W, and 63W portion could possibly be moved to 65th due to coverage on 63rd by Pace 386, albeit limited stop coverage.

[Busjack]

Sorry for the long, long absence. Had studying to do for my cert. Anyways, I was thinking, is it feasible for the 55A and 55N to be combined. According to CTA, Austin doesn't need the same amount of service as Naragnasett, but both routes are short and a loop service doesn't seem too farfetched. Also, I'm thinking it might save 1 or 2 buses, although I'm not sure about that part. Same thing with 62H and 63W, and 63W portion could possibly be moved to 65th due to coverage on 63rd by Pace 386, albeit limited stop coverage.

CTA had a proposal to combine 55A and 55N and run it only to 59th to avoid the railroad crossing, basically making it a west 59th bus, but it went nowhere. Someone posted here that the alderman made a stink, and apparently the 23rd ward had more clout than the 47th. See starting about http://chitransit.org/topic/1653-june-14th-changes/?do=findComment&comment=22826

The Crowd Reduction Plan already gave 1/3 of the 63W afternoon trips to 386, so that has already been coordinated. Again, see starting about at http://chitransit.org/topic/2976-pace-responds-to-ctas-crowd-reduction-plan/?do=findComment&comment=40301. The current CTA schedule, showing the 63W and 386 trips is here.

 

[NewFlyerMCI]

How about this?

#44 is truncated to Halsted/Root. #1 is rerouted via Cermak, Canal, 26th, Wallace to Halsted/Root. Service on the #1 can still be served by the #4 and the #1 gets a larger passenger base. If #44 passengers still need a L connection, #44 can be routed via 47th to Red Line or (if space is an issue since 2 buses layover there and another 2 serve the station) via #39 or #35 routing to Red Line. This way, riders along the Wallace corridor (where the #44 has less ridership) won't have to be as dependant on a longer bus route which can result in a lesser frequency of buses and the 1 can access a slightly larger passenger base. Downside to that is, at least during the weekdays, the #1 might have to adopt a midday schedule. This might also open opportunities for interlining, although between what routes is outside my field of knowledge. I'll leave that up to the more experienced people on the forum. Reason for this was because 2 of my friends who live along the Wallace portion of the route frequently complain that service is terrible and that more often than not, they have to walk to Root or Pershing respectively to catch a bus to the Red Line.

[Busjack]

How about this?

#44 is truncated to Halsted/Root. #1 is rerouted via Cermak, Canal, 26th, Wallace to Halsted/Root. Service on the #1 can still be served by the #4 and the #1 gets a larger passenger base. If #44 passengers still need a L connection, #44 can be routed via 47th to Red Line or (if space is an issue since 2 buses layover there and another 2 serve the station) via #39 or #35 routing to Red Line. This way, riders along the Wallace corridor (where the #44 has less ridership) won't have to be as dependant on a longer bus route which can result in a lesser frequency of buses and the 1 can access a slightly larger passenger base. Downside to that is, at least during the weekdays, the #1 might have to adopt a midday schedule. This might also open opportunities for interlining, although between what routes is outside my field of knowledge. I'll leave that up to the more experienced people on the forum. Reason for this was because 2 of my friends who live along the Wallace portion of the route frequently complain that service is terrible and that more often than not, they have to walk to Root or Pershing respectively to catch a bus to the Red Line.

I don't see a point of messing with direct service to the Halsted Orange Line, and I basically don't see the point of retaining #1. I also suppose that if the service standards were applied, Wallace isn't entitled to any service, because it is 2 blocks from Halsted.

Update: I seem to remember some JARC proposal to extend 44 to provide better service to the Roosevelt-Jefferson business area.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Busjack

[NewFlyerMCI]

I don't see a point of messing with direct service to the Halsted Orange Line, and I basically don't see the point of retaining #1. I also suppose that if the service standards were applied, Wallace isn't entitled to any service, because it is 2 blocks from Halsted.

Update: I seem to remember some JARC proposal to extend 44 to provide better service to the Roosevelt-Jefferson business area.

Fair points for sure. My belief was that the CTA must still need the #1 in some form because that route has been truncated 3-4 times, which is more for any other route I can remember off the top of my head, except maybe the 11.

If service standards were applied, the #44 might actually be ending at 35th or 47th ?. Also assuming that had those funds gone thru, there might have been another bus ? at Desplaines/Harrison. Thanks anyhow

 

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[artthouwill]

I would suggest extending the 53 north to the Pink Line.   There is a built-in  bus turnaround at the Pulaski Pink Line station.   Also riders south of 31st have a single ride access to 26th street shopping and this would alleviate congestion in the 31st bus turnaround. 

[jajuan]

On 7/18/2016 at 1:18 PM, artthouwill said:

I would suggest extending the 53 north to the Pink Line.   There is a built-in  bus turnaround at the Pulaski Pink Line station.   Also riders south of 31st have a single ride access to 26th street shopping and this would alleviate congestion in the 31st bus turnaround. 

From the context, I take it you meant to say 53A.

[Busjack]

On 7/18/2016 at 1:18 PM, artthouwill said:

I would suggest extending the 53 north to the Pink Line.   There is a built-in  bus turnaround at the Pulaski Pink Line station.   Also riders south of 31st have a single ride access to 26th street shopping and this would alleviate congestion in the 31st bus turnaround. 

 

5 hours ago, jajuan said:

From the context, I take it you meant to say 53A.

The 53/53A split is obviously a throwback from the streetcar and then the trolley bus, not revisited with the west side restructuring about 9 years ago.

On one hand, 53A gets the benefit of the Anne Burke Orange Line station. On the other, the Pink Line bus terminal, intended for Ogden, isn't being used for anything.

[Pace831]

10 hours ago, Busjack said:

There at least got 356, 386, and C&R.

I call this the "Joliet and Tinley Park area restructuring proposal". These changes would not require fleet expansion, and the slight increase in net service hours would be offset by higher ridership. It would improve regional travel by creating new routes that connect suburbs while continuing to serve established local travel patterns. The focal point is a new transfer location at the 80th Avenue Metra station, served by 5 fixed routes and a Call-n-ride to act as a distributor to nearby businesses.

356 Harvey-Homewood-Tinley Park
- Reduce service to every 60 minutes throughout the day due to low ridership.
- Terminates at 80th Avenue Metra station instead of DeVry/West Creek. Routing via 183rd-80th.

357 Lincoln Highway
- Extend most trips to 80th Avenue Metra station via Lincoln Hwy and 80th Ave. Improves suburb-to-suburb connections and provides new service to Frankfort Square.

366 Park Forest-Chicago Heights
- Combine with 367 for streamlined routing. Runs hourly throughout the day.

367 University Park
- Combine with 366 for streamlined routing. Runs hourly throughout the day.

368 Tinley Park-Orland Square (New route)
- Operates hourly between 80th Avenue Metra station and Orland Square Mall.
- Routing: 179th-Moraine Valley-94th-159th-Ravinia-West-153rd-LaGrange-151st-Orland Square
- Major destinations: 80th Ave Metra, Moraine Valley SW Campus, Walmart, Costco, Palos Medical Office Bldg, Orland Sq.
- Replaces parts of routes 595 and 832 and improves suburb-to-suburb connectivity.

386 South Harlem
- Terminates at 80th Avenue Metra station instead of DeVry/West Creek. Routing via Oak Park-Timber-Harlem-175th-80th.

501 West Jefferson
- Shorewood trips serve JJC instead. Reduces crowding on JJC trips by improving frequency to 30 minutes and eliminates unproductive service to Shorewood.
- All Saturday trips serve JJC for more convenient service.

504 South Joliet
- Midday frequency reduced to 60 minutes due to low ridership.
- Laraway Crossing and Preston Heights branches served every 2 hours.

506 Joliet-New Lenox (New/restored route)
- Operates hourly between Joliet transfer area and New Lenox Walmart.
- Routing: Downtown Joliet loop-Richards-2nd-Boulder-Washington-US 30-Gougar-Haven-Vine-US 30-Walmart
- Some AM EB and PM WB trips serve Cherry Hill Business Park
- Major destinations: Residential areas in Joliet and New Lenox, Walmart, New Lenox and Joliet Metra stations, Cherry Hill Business Park, Providence Catholic High School.
- Replaces part of route 508.
- Provides a direct connection to shopping at Walmart for East Joliet residents, and provides new service to New Lenox.

507 Plainfield Road
- Midday frequency increases to 30 minutes to relieve crowding.

508 East Joliet
- Discontinued. Productive segments replaced by new routes 506 and 839.

509 Joliet-Fairmont
- Operates on Cass instead of Jackson to serve businesses on Cass. Jackson served by new route 839.

512 Stateville Prison Shuttle (New route)
- Consists of one weekday evening trip to shuttle released inmates to Joliet Metra station. Meets the 7:10 PM inbound train.
- Replaces part of route 832.
- Utilizes equipment from an existing 834 deadhead.

595 Tinley Park Call-n-Ride
- Timed stops at 80th Avenue Metra station to connect with routes 356, 357, 368, 386, and 839.
- Service to Moraine Valley SW Campus and Orland Square replaced by new route 368.

832 Joliet-Orland Square
- Discontinued due to low ridership.
- Orland Park local segment replaced by new route 368, which connects with new route 839 for service to Joliet.
- Stateville Prison served by new route 512.
- Service between Joliet and Lockport continues to be provided by 834.

839 Joliet-Tinley Park (New route)
- Operates hourly between Joliet transfer area and 80th Avenue Metra station.
- Routing: Downtown Joliet loop-Collins-Jackson-Walnut-Cass-Briggs-Belmont-Parkwood-US 6-Silver Cross Hospital-US 6-Cedar-US 30-US 45-191st-80th.
- Major destinations: Metra stations, residential areas in East Joliet, VA Clinic, Silver Cross Hospital, shopping centers in New Lenox and Frankfort.
- Replaces parts of routes 508 and 832.
- Improves suburb-to-suburb connectivity, provides new service to New Lenox and Frankfort, improves service to areas currently served by route 508.

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

357 Lincoln Highway
- Extend most trips to 80th Avenue Metra station via Lincoln Hwy and 80th Ave. Improves suburb-to-suburb connections and provides new service to Frankfort Square.

Depends on whether there is any ridership in Frankfort and Mokena.

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

366 Park Forest-Chicago Heights
- Combine with 367 for streamlined routing. Runs hourly throughout the day.

At least on weekends it was interlined. Main issue on 367 is meets with the Metra Electric.

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

368 Tinley Park-Orland Square (New route)

Not necessary with the C&R.

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

506 Joliet-New Lenox (New/restored route)

508 was supposed to be that, but the only real generator was the new Silver Cross Hospital.

4 hours ago, Pace831 said:

512 Stateville Prison Shuttle (New route)

Elwood Blues provides that service in a Mt. Prospect Cawp Car.

Most of the rest covered by the C&R. I really don't think there is that much demand in Tinley Park. Nobody complained when 364 was rerouted from Brementown/Tinley Park to Orland Square. Most of the Tinley Park routing is because of the mental hospital that is no longer there.

 

[Pace831]

19 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Depends on whether there is any ridership in Frankfort and Mokena.

I think Frankfort Square would attract some ridership, as that area is fully developed with single family homes. That segment might do well as a Metra feeder to both the RI and Electric, but the main reason for the extension is the transfer opportunities at 80th Av. Also, 357 and 839 would allow for east-west travel roughly following Rt. 30, an unmet need that Pace has identified before.

23 minutes ago, Busjack said:

At least on weekends it was interlined. Main issue on 367 is meets with the Metra Electric.

It looks like it also is interlined weekday middays, but AM and PM peak has 2 buses on 366 and 1 on 367. While I can understand the scheduling issues that would arise by trying to have timed connections on both ends of the route, the route would still be able to mostly connect with trains in a reasonable amount of time. If some trips had to bypass GSU to make the connection times work, it wouldn't be too consequential because GSU has their own shuttle to the Metra station.

30 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Not necessary with the C&R.

The C&R only goes to Orland Square 3 times a day, and doesn't make local stops along the way. I don't even know who those trips are supposed to be for, other than perhaps a temporary measure as a precursor to something like 368. At first I thought they were for driver reliefs based on the timing, but I've since seen the bus go speeding past the stop at the mall on several occasions, not even slowing down to see if someone actually wants to board.

34 minutes ago, Busjack said:

508 was supposed to be that, but the only real generator was the new Silver Cross Hospital.

508 barely enters New Lenox, and the only part of the original 506 that it replaced is west of Briggs/Washington within Joliet. Silver Cross is in a totally different part of town than where 506 went, so I thought it was misleading to advertise 508 as replacing 506 to New Lenox. If someone thought New Lenox didn't have much potential ridership based on the old 506, they were wrong because the real problem was that the routing was so inconvenient. However, limited resources was probably the main reason New Lenox didn't get replacement service. The "restoration" of 506 that I proposed would have a more streamlined routing, and also serve the Walmart that didn't exist yet in 2008.

42 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Elwood Blues provides that service in a Mt. Prospect Cawp Car.

I wasn't quite sure whether to include 512, as inmates currently get kicked out the door right where 832 conveniently stops, but I suppose cutting 832 would force IDOC to arrange alternate transportation.

44 minutes ago, Busjack said:

I really don't think there is that much demand in Tinley Park.

All the routes going to Tinley Park would basically go there because it's the best place to establish a transfer location. The C&R takes care of the workers in the office/warehouse district that it serves, but I'd expect the rest of the people on those routes to be passing through on their way to somewhere else.

[Busjack]

9 hours ago, Pace831 said:

as that area is fully developed with single family homes.

Which is the first problem already. People don't buy single family homes in the boondocks if they don't have cars, and usually not even are discretionary riders. The RTA learned that the 1970s (such as in McHenry County) before it went bankrupt and had to be restructured.

9 hours ago, Pace831 said:

so I thought it was misleading to advertise 508 as replacing 506 to New Lenox

 

No, the restructuring just took a different direction, as they often do as a result of input.

9 hours ago, Pace831 said:

I wasn't quite sure whether to include 512, as inmates currently get kicked out the door

Does IDOC really kick people out the door and tell them to wait at the bus stop? That would be like riding in Chicago. You got some guy who just got his condom back from the property clerk and wants to use it..

 

9 hours ago, Pace831 said:

All the routes going to Tinley Park would basically go there because it's the best place to establish a transfer location.

Which gets to the essential point: Pace would have to build a turnaround there. Pace had to build one in Highland Park, even though it basically serves only 3 30 foot buses (formerly 4). Usually the municipality does not want buses tearing up its parking lot. You are putting more traffic into that station than at the Lake-Cook station, which also has a bus terminal, whether built by Pace or Metra.

Lisle has a designated bus lane, and most Naperville buses stop on streets around the square south of the station, not the parking lot north of it.

Also, as I implied in connection with 364, there is no indication that Tinley Park wants that much unnecessary bus traffic through its neighborhoods to its small downtown.

[Pace831]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Which is the first problem already. People don't buy single family homes in the boondocks if they don't have cars, and usually not even are discretionary riders. The RTA learned that the 1970s (such as in McHenry County) before it went bankrupt and had to be restructured.

Maybe the extension would have to be rush only, but the map on page 157 of the Metra state of the system report shows that many people in that area are already commuting to the 80th Ave station. A few more are also going to the Electric, according to page 174. The extension would also improve job access for people living along the existing portion of the route.

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

No, the restructuring just took a different direction, as they often do as a result of input.

In 2008, Silver Cross was in the process of moving from its Joliet campus to the new facility in New Lenox. 508 originally terminated at Parkwood with the understanding that it would be extended when the hospital opened. When the extension happened, I noticed that Pace statements emphasized "New Lenox" just as much as "Silver Cross", which is misleading because the route barely enters NL. The bus destination signs have both "SILVR CROSS" and "NEW LENOX". I got the impression all the references to New Lenox were to downplay the loss of 506 to that town.

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Does IDOC really kick people out the door and tell them to wait at the bus stop?

Based on what they have said while riding the bus/train, it sure sounds like it. Most of them have no idea how to get where they're going. Prisons are supposed to work with inmates to plan their lives post-release, but Stateville apparently doesn't even write down which transit routes they need to take to get home.

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Which gets to the essential point: Pace would have to build a turnaround there. Pace had to build one in Highland Park, even though it basically serves only 3 30 foot buses (formerly 4). Usually the municipality does not want buses tearing up its parking lot. You are putting more traffic into that station than at the Lake-Cook station, which also has a bus terminal, whether built by Pace or Metra.

Lisle has a designated bus lane, and most Naperville buses stop on streets around the square south of the station, not the parking lot north of it.

Also, as I implied in connection with 364, there is no indication that Tinley Park wants that much unnecessary bus traffic through its neighborhoods to its small downtown.

The existing Kiss n' ride area on the north side of the station could become a bus turnaround without major modifications. They could then restripe about 20 parking spaces nearby for the kiss n' ride. There's enough parking capacity there that they can afford to lose 20 spaces, especially if that many people start taking 357 and 368 instead.

Only 386 would run through downtown, as it does now. The remainder of the routes would stay on major roads that can handle bus traffic.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Hey-o! I've been gone some time and I come back to see one of my favorite threads active. Thusly, I decided to contribute something!

1: Redo of the L train (new stations mostly, Orange/Brown combo)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11V_8XpPUz0LGw67Dd81JLPQgQOg

2: Creation of a "Link" system (CDOT & CTA)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WSScFDVNFW5f3sOisXBxkAxQDZc&usp=sharing

 

[Busjack]

2 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

2: Creation of a "Link" system (CDOT & CTA)

I don't see the  point of this. The 127 Circulator didn't work, and there are already a number of shuttles to and from the train stations, including on the official Loop Link.

[NewFlyerMCI]

13 hours ago, Busjack said:

I don't see the  point of this. The 127 Circulator didn't work, and there are already a number of shuttles to and from the train stations, including on the official Loop Link.

Oh, I vaguely remember that? Why didn't that work? Also, what are some of the shuttles?