The people just wont ride them and the drives wont drive them

[pace2322]

Hey guys this is kind of funny. We have 2309 and 2325 at south and ohh boy. To me and some othere drives there the best buses we have at south.So ok whe u get man are the peple mad about them all there do is B***h about how there have to walk up the step and how old there are.Some people call in that why the run has there bus.And now the drives Well run 125 gets on alot well lets just say he loves getting them and 218 takes over.If 125 gets one of them the drive will not drive them at all he said there to old and i get pay to drive a new bus lol.So now he takes his own bus and yes its allways a 6100 nabi or 6200.IT just show u how some people are there dont think well we have the bus to ride no there just b***h about there have to ride on the old bus whats up with that? And some drives will go home sick if there get one just think if there had to work at like nothwest lol i know i wish we had the northwest 2300s down at south.

[Busjack]

This raises an issue that Bus Repairman discussed in connection with CTA. I know that there are certain constraints on assigning buses, such as, at North Shore, that some Orion Is and El Dorados are stored in a locked fenced area at the Lake Cook Metra station for the Shuttle Bug. However, I frequently see that on Route 422, Run 503 usually has a 6600 and Run 204 usually has a 6262, and while you may see an Orion I or Nova Classic on either, the blue and white NABIs are not interchanged. Is it just that the first driver on those runs in the morning prefers that type of bus, and if it is available, the garage gives it to him or her?

[Busjack]

With regard to the people, a lot of those who ride the bus in the northern suburbs are somewhat mobility impaired, either elderly or have trouble walking, but are not at the wheelchair or walker stage. The kneeler on a high floor bus doesn't do much to help them, but the one on a low floor does. I know someone who says she won't ride the Pace bus because of the stairs, notwithstanding that I told her that in the Northwest area, 2/3rds of the buses are low floor, and nearly all on the weekend. (But this may be just a way to beg a car ride.)

[pace2322]

The way it work at south is if the run need a mci it tells u.The assign the bues in the am buy whats bus in in the line next so lets say u have run 125 for 5 days. U might get a 2400 one day and a 6000s nabi the other four something like that.But id the driver kiss up to whos gaveing the buses out u can get what bus u like.But like the runs that need a mci allways get a mci and theres some runs that have make on it 35 ft buses.

But the only only buses there keep in there own bay is the mci. For the rest of them fleet there just park them for what bus comes in 1st.I hope i help u guys out a bit.

[Busjack]

Might it be different at other divisions that have more different types of equipment? South basically is all NABI, except for the MCIs, which are separately assigned, but North Shore, even though it is a small division, has 35 and 40 foot Orion Is, 35 and 40 foot NABIs, Nova Classics and ElDorados.

There was also a time when route assignments were more separate:

• 2340s on 213
  
• 8900s on 215
  
• 2272s on Wilmette routes
  
• 2120s on 626
  

However, things are more mixed now.

[pace2322]

Well back in 2001 when we have 6116 to 6146 2309 to 2325 and and the 2400s and the 8700s. the 8000s where used one any run that did 364 or 355 and thats it .As for the othere it was the same if 2321 was next in line that the bus u will get and so on.I think thats the same for about everone.Like on some saturday and sundays there tell u take want u want but just dont take a 2300 or a 6900 so.Hers how it is there have a list of what bus is park where, So there go down the line of buses.So when i come in u know what bus u are going to have right when u sign in.

[Buslover88]

The CTA I think does that too because I saw it on Connections one Time

[trainman8119]

Unfortunately, what people want doesn't count. If it did, there would be more front facing seats on both buses and L trains.

Assignments are based on order of the buses lined up in the garage. In some cases it may depend on whether a bus has a passenger counter on it. Some have special equipment which is used to track ridership...and if a route or specific run is up for a review, a bus might be assigned to that route. Some are based on mileage and when certain maintenence issues arise.

Sometimes, in the case of the Shuttle Bugs at North Shore or the 801 in Elgin, a route may be able to use smaller equipment, in which case El Dorado's or perhaps a 35 footer vs a 40 footer will be assigned.

And, of course, some depend on whether or not Low Floor equipment is required on a specific route (as in the old days when either a route was accessible or not).