Pulse (Milwaukee Avenue Route)

[NewFlyerMCI]

22 minutes ago, MetroShadow said:

Having worked there myself (different unit), from the planning/analysis side (and having taken 270 a lot), I was often frustrated with the concept that the local was slower. Not everyone is going to take the route from stop to stop; and if there's ridership between the transfer points, then great. Bus speeds are important too. The existing 270 is slow because of congestion and that lower bus speeds costs money (say $78/operating hour). The more time you spend on the road, the more it costs to operate (and those numbers add up). Remember that we can only go as fast as the idiot in front of you.

The rapid/local hybrid with 10/30 overlay makes sense if your destination is a transfer point or the end of the lines. Local riders, less so. Take for example when I worked at Samtrans briefly. The ECR route (evolved from a 390/391 clusterfunk) is a 2.5 hour jaunt (3.0 hours plus in peak) running time one-way. Yes, that's a core route (several attempts to break that up, even after I left) where it is the spine of the network. The Rapid was put in place (Daly City BART to Redwood City TC/ Caltrain) to speed up trips between the two (it's faster even without TSP - and don't get me started on that). Now, the Rapid overlay is different (20 minutes peak/30 weekends) compared to Local (15 minutes all day/20 weekends). Maybe that could be the guidepost for future service (VTA 22/522 and 23/523) has similar overlays to 270/Pulse M.

And I always thought that Pace was the bastard stepchild for the RTA compared to the other agencies. For us to do more, great, but also not at the risk of losing more riders.

So in your opinion, what would the ideal frequency before each service?

[MetroShadow]

15 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

So in your opinion, what would the ideal frequency before each service?

10 (Pulse)/30 (Local)

Edited July 31, 2019 by MetroShadow
I didn’t look at the schedule close enough.

[Tcmetro]

Some of the stops are quite far from each other. I tend to believe that a 1/3-1/4 stop distance is reasonable. 

The problem here is that CTA needs to reintroduce the 56A for city riders. 

[NewFlyerMCI]

6 hours ago, Tcmetro said:

Some of the stops are quite far from each other. I tend to believe that a 1/3-1/4 stop distance is reasonable. 

The problem here is that CTA needs to reintroduce the 56A for city riders. 

Why have 56A, 270 & Pulse all on the same route?

[Tcmetro]

Again, it goes back to the stops. Pulse means local service on Milwaukee is dropping to 60 mins. CTA originally cut the 56A because the 270 had decent service levels. 

Now in-city riders will have to contend with low service levels or 1-mile stop spacing. While I don't expect CTA to bring the 56A back, a coordinated schedule with the 270 (similar to the 63A/386 coordination) would at least allow for adequate local service. 

North of Touhy the impact is not as bad because Pulse stops are approximately every 1/2 mile. 

[west towns]

or increase 270 to 30 min in rush hour

[artthouwill]

13 minutes ago, west towns said:

or increase 270 to 30 min in rush hour

That's what I said  earlier.  I think with enough complaints, that will eventually become a reality. 

[west towns]

On 7/30/2019 at 7:43 AM, trainman8119 said:

As far as I am concerned, it is a terrible money wasting idea. Pace has been on this band wagon for 20+ years.

You watch, just like the CTA x routes, these buses will be empty or close to it. Once again, the bread and butter

riders get the shaft. This is one type of reason I left Pace many many years ago now...and the new ED fits the mold

so well ☹️ 

 

Rocky Donohue was so against taking care of the little guy or the grandma who needed to go shopping

or something. He was more into smoozing politicians. I see that nothing has really changed.

I really disliked it when he became my supervisor.

what service should pace operate? only paratransit and not fixed route?

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

6516 and 6520 wrapped so far (not pictured:6520) 

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

6518 also wrapped 

[NewFlyerMCI]

I get the feeling Pace hates having to paint buses. I remember when they wrapped buses in the new scheme instead of sending them for painting

[MetroShadow]

2 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I get the feeling Pace hates having to paint buses. I remember when they wrapped buses in the new scheme instead of sending them for painting

Cheaper. ??‍♂️

[mel bernero]

8 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

6518 also wrapped 

Here is a photo of 6518

[trainman8119]

19 hours ago, west towns said:

what service should pace operate? only paratransit and not fixed route?

Yes, by all means fixed route. But this Pulse stuff goes away from the fixed route concept and creates a whole

new animal. To the average rider, this is a service CUT not an improvement. To the joe on the road or the

intersecting bus routes, it creates the possibility of more traffic gridlock. And for an agency with supposed money

troubles, you have this desire for these grand service stops instead of a bus stop on a corner and have to have specialty

looking buses for the service...again more cost, at least at the start. Pace has gotten away from your standard fixed routes

in the past with subscription service, corporate (ie. UPS) funded routes and express movement only via highway (with special lanes

and specially designed buses...again more cost put out in other ways). Am I a fan, NO, and if I was a 270 rider stuck in the middle,

I probably wouldn't be any more.

 

And by the way....has anyone ridden on one of those 6500 Pulse buses? They are the darkest, most depressing bus I have 

ever been on. Aside from great a/c they aren't the most comfortable bus to ride on (although better than the newer Novas CTA has)

and they rattle an awful lot

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

6 hours ago, mel bernero said:

Here is a photo of 6518

I was on the 68 at the time that bus was there and I saw a dude taking a picture of it I didn’t know who it was until now 

[artthouwill]

2 hours ago, trainman8119 said:

Yes, by all means fixed route. But this Pulse stuff goes away from the fixed route concept and creates a whole

new animal. To the average rider, this is a service CUT not an improvement. To the joe on the road or the

intersecting bus routes, it creates the possibility of more traffic gridlock. And for an agency with supposed money

troubles, you have this desire for these grand service stops instead of a bus stop on a corner and have to have specialty

looking buses for the service...again more cost, at least at the start. Pace has gotten away from your standard fixed routes

in the past with subscription service, corporate (ie. UPS) funded routes and express movement only via highway (with special lanes

and specially designed buses...again more cost put out in other ways). Am I a fan, NO, and if I was a 270 rider stuck in the middle,

I probably wouldn't be any more.

 

And by the way....has anyone ridden on one of those 6500 Pulse buses? They are the darkest, most depressing bus I have 

ever been on. Aside from great a/c they aren't the most comfortable bus to ride on (although better than the newer Novas CTA has)

and they rattle an awful lot

No different than any other Eldorado Axxess bus in Pace's fleet.   If not for the horrendous suspensions and now failing a/cs, the NABIs would be my absolute preference.  The Axxess has a quirer engine and better suspension,  butthe engine struggles at high speeds with a lot of outside air and road noise and uncomfortable seating. 

[west towns]

On 7/30/2019 at 7:43 AM, trainman8119 said:

As far as I am concerned, it is a terrible money wasting idea. Pace has been on this band wagon for 20+ years.

You watch, just like the CTA x routes, these buses will be empty or close to it. Once again, the bread and butter

riders get the shaft. This is one type of reason I left Pace many many years ago now...and the new ED fits the mold

so well ☹️ 

 

Rocky Donohue was so against taking care of the little guy or the grandma who needed to go shopping

or something. He was more into smoozing politicians. I see that nothing has really changed.

I really disliked it when he became my supervisor.

what service should pace operate? only paratransit and not fixed route?

[west towns]

i like the Pulse buses been on them going to cubs game the response from others who were much younger  was 'fun' so maybe this is the new market of transit

[NewFlyerMCI]

On 7/30/2019 at 10:43 AM, trainman8119 said:

As far as I am concerned, it is a terrible money wasting idea. Pace has been on this band wagon for 20+ years. You watch, just like the CTA x routes, these buses will be empty or close to it. Once again, the bread and butter riders get the shaft. This is one type of reason I left Pace many many years ago now...and the new ED fits the mold so well

The CTA "X" routes that were popular enough that 2 were brought back and many more still want to return (I know I'd kill for X3, X4 to come back)

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

6517 wrapped 6521 has no numbers on the sides or back it’s getting wrapped soon only 6 more days ???? Can’t wait 

[west towns]

opens sunday aug 11th.   anyone going to be out there?  has anyone heard if Pace is having events on Sunday?

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

5 hours ago, west towns said:

opens sunday aug 11th.   anyone going to be out there?  has anyone heard if Pace is having events on Sunday?

Ima be out if you wanna meet up shoot me a dm on here

[chicagocubs6323]

7 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

Ima be out if you wanna meet up shoot me a dm on here

yikes lol

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

1 hour ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

yikes lol

What? “Lol”

[strictures]

On 8/1/2019 at 6:27 PM, NewFlyerMCI said:

The CTA "X" routes that were popular enough that 2 were brought back and many more still want to return (I know I'd kill for X3, X4 to come back)

If they bring back the X4, then it needs to stop at 58th St, not 59th, which is where it did.  58th is where all of the U of Chicago's Hospitals & clinics are.