Pulse (Milwaukee Avenue Route)

[west towns]

Just saw the pace website now has a link to Pulse rapid transit. It seems to be its own website with pages for the Pulse system and milwaukee. Anyone know when this went up?

[Busjack]

Just saw the pace website now has a link to Pulse rapid transit. It seems to be its own website with pages for the Pulse system and milwaukee. Anyone know when this went up?

The icon was there a couple of days ago, but linked to paratransit. I think you are the first to have found it working.

[BusHunter]

The icon was there a couple of days ago, but linked to paratransit. I think you are the first to have found it working.

A few interesting things flipping through the FAQ's I found were:

buses are slated to be Axess' (without the chance of an Orion) so I wonder if NW will be all Axess by then with exception of the eldorkos.

Buses will have their own Wi Fi, USB outlets to charge phones etc. and have digital display maps onboard the buses.

Dempster/O'Hare is slated to be the 2nd ART line followed by Golf and Harlem.

#270 local service mapping is unchanged; service frequency schedules however may change.

And the buses will have their own unique branding which we still haven't seen yet.

[Busjack]

A few interesting things flipping through the FAQ's I found were:

buses are slated to be Axess' (without the chance of an Orion) so I wonder if NW will be all Axess by then with exception of the eldorkos.

...

And the buses will have their own unique branding which we still haven't seen yet.

I thought the new branding was obvious, given all the web page banners, as well as a drawing of the bus under FAQ #14. [However, that bus is not going to be 2609, as the number is already taken.]

They also made it clear that the intent is 270 is only the Glenbrook Hospital trips, and the basic rationale that 93% of the passengers board near the stations. Hence, I guess I can give up on their prior statements that the Niles Free Bus was the last mile and that it was the Niles Free Bus ART restructuring.

[BusHunter]

I thought the new branding was obvious, given all the web page banners, as well as a drawing of the bus under FAQ #14. [However, that bus is not going to be 2609, as the number is already taken.]

They also made it clear that the intent is 270 is only the Glenbrook Hospital trips, and the basic rationale that 93% of the passengers board near the stations. Hence, I guess I can give up on their prior statements that the Niles Free Bus was the last mile and that it was the Niles Free Bus ART restructuring.

I'm almost afraid to look at the livery. According to site colors, the Pulse colors are purple with green lettering. "A barney bus with a touch of green" or maybe the colors of a Dr Suess book. I thought Pulse was red. Now that would have been cool and is it also highly visible like a fire truck and it also says clear the way in so many words.

[Busjack]

I'm almost afraid to look at the livery. According to site colors, the Pulse colors are purple with green lettering. "A barney bus with a touch of green" or maybe the colors of a Dr Suess book. I thought Pulse was red. Now that would have been cool and is it also highly visible like a fire truck and it also says clear the way in so many words.

If, as the drawing indicates, they aren't covering the whole bus, the purple seems to clash with the blue.

Barney does have a green stomach.

[west towns]

What blue?

[BusHunter]

If, as the drawing indicates, they aren't covering the whole bus, the purple seems to clash with the blue.

Barney does have a green stomach.

Where is this drawing at? I looked up FAQ #14 and i didn't see it.

[BusHunter]

Where is this drawing at? I looked up FAQ #14 and i didn't see it.

Alright i got it. This is it (wasn't showing up in Firefox so I got it with windows explorer)

That's not too bad. With those colors it could be alot worse. The problem with that is it looks too much like a regular Pace bus. They needed something different like a Red, Yellow or Orange bus. Something bright.

[west towns]

It does look different from a regular pace bus whats the problem?

[west towns]

Zooming in can see the pace logo maybe the blue top brings it into the connection with the family of services pace has talked about in the past

[west towns]

It also looks as if each service is called a line not a route or corridor. So its the Milwaukee Line. Is this to make it like a train line? Ie red line blue line etc?

[Tcmetro]

Looks like they're gonna wrap the windows... ew.

[BusHunter]

It does look different from a regular pace bus whats the problem?

Once the blue fades on a regular bus it will look just like that plus the top of the bus is blue so if you don't catch the pulse name on the side it could get mistaken for the other bus. I don't care for the window wrapping either. I wonder why they couldn't just go with the green bus like the hybrid buses in Highland Park? Especially if they were CNG buses? It's almost like a two for one livery.

[Busjack]

It also looks as if each service is called a line not a route or corridor. So its the Milwaukee Line. Is this to make it like a train line? Ie red line blue line etc?

Drawing only shows PACE in the right destination sign, so your guess is as good as mine.

However, if Pace planning ahead for 24 Pulse lines (even though I doubt that more than a fraction will be funded) colors are not going to work. CTA is sort of straining it with 7 colors now.

Once the blue fades on a regular bus it will look just like that plus the top of the bus is blue so if you don't catch the pulse name on the side it could get mistaken for the other bus. I don't care for the window wrapping either. I wonder why they couldn't just go with the green bus like the hybrid buses in Highland Park? Especially if they were CNG buses? It's almost like a two for one livery.

1. I'm not sure about your Firefox problems. Is it because you have it on a device instead of a PC, or do you have something like scripts or images turned off?

2. A purple bus isn't going to look like a blue bus, that much, especially with all that wrapping. The wrapping will probably also be on the front, except for the windshield, like the BOS wrapping is. If nothing else, I argued that since 240 and 241 generally use buses similar to those on the Niles Free Bus,that was too confusing already, even though the Niles buses (except transfers like 2601) have Niles lettering. I suppose that if we can infer anything from the drawing, it is not going to be a CNG bus, or they would have depicted one with the roof hood and "Keeping the Pace with Natural Gas" logo.

3. The 6262s are 10 years old, and it doesn't look like the blue is fading (at least not at NS).

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Alright i got it. This is it (wasn't showing up in Firefox so I got it with windows explorer)

PulseBrandedElDoradoAxxess.png

That's not too bad. With those colors it could be alot worse. The problem with that is it looks too much like a regular Pace bus. They needed something different like a Red, Yellow or Orange bus. Something bright.

Woah. That sure is a purple bus.

I'm not a fan of the window wrapping, but without it, I don't know how they'd effectively convey the information that the bus is a Pulse bus. They'd have to shrink the Pulse letters and place them below or something.

[BusHunter]

Drawing only shows PACE in the right destination sign, so your guess is as good as mine.

However, if Pace planning ahead for 24 Pulse lines (even though I doubt that more than a fraction will be funded) colors are not going to work. CTA is sort of straining it with 7 colors now.

1. I'm not sure about your Firefox problems. Is it because you have it on a device instead of a PC, or do you have something like scripts or images turned off?

2. A purple bus isn't going to look like a blue bus, that much, especially with all that wrapping. The wrapping will probably also be on the front, except for the windshield, like the BOS wrapping is. If nothing else, I argued that since 240 and 241 generally use buses similar to those on the Niles Free Bus,that was too confusing already, even though the Niles buses (except transfers like 2601) have Niles lettering. I suppose that if we can infer anything from the drawing, it is not going to be a CNG bus, or they would have depicted one with the roof hood and "Keeping the Pace with Natural Gas" logo.

3. The 6262s are 10 years old, and it doesn't look like the blue is fading (at least not at NS).

The Firefox is on a PC, but it's probably not a big deal, just needs updating or something. I tend to shy away from updating unless I have to after I lost my paste function on a computer for months only to mysteriously get it back.

Why wouldn't they have CNG buses? The startup is in 2017 and the NW garage is in a build stage and it's slated to become CNG. Notice most future routes with maybe the exception of harlem will be coming out of that garage at least initially. Does the south CNG order have options or can they alter existing options to change the spec? It would seem to me that if they wanted to add USB's and digital map signs on the bus they may have to order NW a few buses or they could taylor the last 15 buses from south's order to be those buses. They will need additional buses anyway so they might as well be new ones!! That would compliment a new service.

One final thought. If they want to have USB's, wouldn't they then have to have upscale seating like the #6378's because if that was per person wouldn't they need like a console to plug this up. like the light switches they had on the Novas. I don't see how else it could be done.

[west towns]

Bus jack I believe from what the site days is pulse is the entire network and each service is a line. So all buses will be the purple pulse with the Milwaukee line dempster line golf line halsted line etc. Maybe their going with diesel to start until the new nw garage is built as cng?

[strictures]

Looks like they're gonna wrap the windows... ew.

I hate wrapped windows. It's difficult enough to see out of the filthy, salt covered windows that aren't wrapped right now.

Then the wrap makes it hard to see out the windows during daylight, but at night, it's almost impossible, especially in the suburbs where there aren't many streetlights & Pace's announcement system just gives out the major intersections, not every street stop like the CTA does.

[west towns]

But with art there are only posted stops

[Busjack]

But with art there are only posted stops

On 270, there are only posted stops, too. The difference with ART is that it stops only at the stations, and the station design is also depicted on the website.

Only difference seems to be that in Niles, the posted 270 stops are about 1/4 mile apart, while the stations are about 1/2 mile apart.

[BusHunter]

The Firefox is on a PC, but it's probably not a big deal, just needs updating or something. I tend to shy away from updating unless I have to after I lost my paste function on a computer for months only to mysteriously get it back.

Why wouldn't they have CNG buses? The startup is in 2017 and the NW garage is in a build stage and it's slated to become CNG. Notice most future routes with maybe the exception of harlem will be coming out of that garage at least initially. Does the south CNG order have options or can they alter existing options to change the spec? It would seem to me that if they wanted to add USB's and digital map signs on the bus they may have to order NW a few buses or they could taylor the last 15 buses from south's order to be those buses. They will need additional buses anyway so they might as well be new ones!! That would compliment a new service.

One final thought. If they want to have USB's, wouldn't they then have to have upscale seating like the #6378's because if that was per person wouldn't they need like a console to plug this up. like the light switches they had on the Novas. I don't see how else it could be done.

The March 11th edition of the Northwest Side Press says Pace will be getting new buses for PULSE. Pace spokesman Pat Wilmot is reported as saying in the paper

"They will feature technology that will be linked to computers that regulate traffic signals on Milwaukee. When the buses are running late, a request to lengthen a green light or shorten a red light will be transmitted to the transportation department's control center and approval will depend on whether the change will have a adverse affect on traffic congestion."

My question is how will IDOT know what is congested and what isn't unless they plan to install cameras and monitor the intersections.

[Busjack]

The March 11th edition of the Northwest Side Press says Pace will be getting new buses for PULSE. Pace spokesman Pat Wilmot is reported as saying in the paper

"They will feature technology that will be linked to computers that regulate traffic signals on Milwaukee. When the buses are running late, a request to lengthen a green light or shorten a red light will be transmitted to the transportation department's control center and approval will depend on whether the change will have a adverse affect on traffic congestion."

My question is how will IDOT know what is congested and what isn't unless they plan to install cameras and monitor the intersections.

This seems to be jargon for the usual Transit Signal Priority system, now in use on 322 and in the Harvey area and slated for the Gurnee area.

As was explained in connection with those projects, the bus has a strobe light that activates a device on the yardarm of a traffic signal, the same as fire trucks have, except that the IBS is set up that the bus sends the signal only if the bus is late.

Obviously, Pace needs permission to install something on IDOT property, but I think that the reference to "approval" is probably B.S., unless IDOT is installing other smart traffic technology on Milwaukee Ave. But there must be some reason why some traffic signal poles (in other locations) have what look like television antennas and cameras on them, so maybe they are communicating timing information.

On expressways in Illinois, the "23 minutes on the Edens" information is communicated by pavement sensors, while on the Tollway it is based on how fast an I-Pass reaches the next toll station. Since pavement sensors usually activate left turn lights, I suppose they can also be installed to determine if traffic is flowing in the straight ahead lanes.

[BusHunter]

Yeah I really don't get the "being approved" either aspect. Then there's CDOT intersections in this plan, there not all IDOT and those intersections typically don't have cameras. I don't get it, what are they afraid of someone abusing the right to jump traffic? I'll tell you already from what I've seen at 5PM on Milwaukee, there's going to be some longer lights for Milwaukee because the traffic stacks up for a good two blocks at certain locations like Devon SB or Oakton SB so they should experiment with a longer light at those locations and see what they can get away with before the opposing traffic backs up. Unfortunately WB Devon gets just as bad as Milwaukee with up to two block waits, I'd widen Devon and give them a dual left turn lane there and that would solve alot of that stacking there.

[Busjack]

Yeah I really don't get the "being approved" either aspect. Then there's CDOT intersections in this plan, there not all IDOT and those intersections typically don't have cameras....

I think Emanuel made it pretty clear with respect to other bus TSP suggestions that someone else is going to have to pay to upgrade traffic signals in the city. Good luck with Milwaukee, Foster, and Central.