Chicago Transit Forum: Bugs, Feedback, Questions

[Shannoncvpi]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

As I explained to others, that really isn't a solution, if there is another topic on point, because nobody else can find the post in the future. Illustrating that today was someone asking today about West Devon, which was discussed somewhere else. It's just not a way to stay organized.

Most of what you post could be classified under The Breakdown Thread, More Bus Moves, CTA Bus Garage Rosters,  or the individual series. These are pinned to the top of the list because they are important, and thus were made easy to find.

Today's examples stuck in my craw because I had just created the Bus Priority Zones and Labor shortage, missing buses and trains, and inaccurate trackers topics, but someone decided to mess them up, but the principle exists nonetheless.

If a reply goes off point, one can click the + next to Quote, and insert the quote box in a different topic.

But thank you for recognizing the issue. ☺️

Bet bro 

[Busjack]

I noted that when using a screen shot clipping tool (here in the Windows 11 version of Firefox) and paste the image into this site's edit box, I get two images, as below. No big deal, but I have to delete one of the attachments.

 

[Kevin]

Sorry about the recent downtime. I've setup some alerting mechanisms so that I'll hopefully get immediately notified the next time there's a problem.

[busfan2847]

14 hours ago, Kevin said:

Sorry about the recent downtime. I've setup some alerting mechanisms so that I'll hopefully get immediately notified the next time there's a problem.

Thanks for getting it back up. After a week without access I realize how much I rely on this forum to keep up to date with transit happenings in the greater Chicagoland area.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

On 10/4/2020 at 8:37 PM, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

When I search a 3-digit number (like 307 or 804 etc.), the search bar says there were no search results for that but I'm sure some people have said those three digit numbers sometime. I wanted to see what y'all talked about with 804 in one search bar but that doesn't work so make sure to fix that so we can search 3 digit numbers

I don't think anyone noticed this reply but I still can't search up the 3 digit numbers apparently so it hasn't been fixed, unless the search system doesn't allow 3 digit words/numbers or less.

[Busjack]

13 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

I don't think anyone noticed this reply but I still can't search up the 3 digit numbers apparently so it hasn't been fixed, unless the search system doesn't allow 3 digit words/numbers or less.

I don't think it ever did. What I do is use Google and search for site:chitransit.org 804 (or something like that).

 

 

[Kevin]

The forum has been moved to a new server and the software itself has been upgraded to the latest version. Please post here if anything doesn't seem to be working correctly.

[artthouwill]

33 minutes ago, Kevin said:

The forum has been moved to a new server and the software itself has been upgraded to the latest version. Please post here if anything doesn't seem to be working correctly.

So far I don't see if there are any notifications such as quotes, mentions, messages.

[Busjack]

Unless I'm missing something, this version doesn't have the clickable hierarchy that the last one did, such as

Home->All Activity->Unread Content

Home->Chicago Transit Authority->CTA Bus->More Bus Moves

Useful if one only wants to go back one step to, say, 8350 series.

[YoungBusLover]

I can't seem to upload any photos on the website that are JPEGs or PNGs. (Error code: -200) Is what I'm receiving on my end. The sizes have been between 1 MBs to 5 MBs. I've had this issue on multiple browsers/mobile devices this morning.

[Kevin]

On 2/14/2024 at 7:41 AM, YoungBusLover said:

I can't seem to upload any photos on the website that are JPEGs or PNGs. (Error code: -200) Is what I'm receiving on my end. The sizes have been between 1 MBs to 5 MBs. I've had this issue on multiple browsers/mobile devices this morning.

This has been fixed. Thanks for reporting.

[Kevin]

On 2/12/2024 at 12:09 PM, Busjack said:

Unless I'm missing something, this version doesn't have the clickable hierarchy that the last one did, such as

Home->All Activity->Unread Content

Home->Chicago Transit Authority->CTA Bus->More Bus Moves

Useful if one only wants to go back one step to, say, 8350 series.

This should be still there, at least if the browser window is wide enough.

[Busjack]

30 minutes ago, Kevin said:

This should be still there, at least if the browser window is wide enough.

 

It worked when I went full screen. Maybe my having increased the magnification had an effect. Thanks.

[YoungBusLover]

1 hour ago, Kevin said:

This has been fixed. Thanks for reporting.

Thank you! 😁

[Busjack]

This may be a bit premature, but in light of the impending NITA takeover, reorganization of forum topics may become necessary, as typified by the "New Ventra" topic. From "regional planning being an oxymoron," to NITA taking over the following functions, such distinctions as "Pace electric buses" and "CTA electric buses" may no longer work (especially since a joint contract has been solicited).

The functions I have in mind (with citations to 70 ILCS 3615/2.01(a)):

• adopt plans (i).
• budget and allocate capital and operating funds (iv).
• coordinate operations and investments to enhance integration (vi).
• set fares and integrate a fare collection system (vii).
• service and capital planning (viii).
• design and construction oversight of capital projects (ix).
• promote transit-oriented development (x).

On the other hand, the Service Boards are responsible for providing service in accordance with NITA's plans, and may enter into purchase of service agreements, but ultimate responsibility lies with NITA. This means Pace can continue making contracts with MV or Niles, and Metra with BNSF.

I haven't thoroughly thought it out, but the hierarchy should be something like:

1. Northern Illinois Transit Authority
   1. General Matters
   2. Planning and Budget
   3. Construction
   4. Procurement and Equipment
2. CTA
   1. General Matters
   2. Bus
   3. Rail
3. Pace
4. Metra

[Kevin]

On 8/12/2026 at 8:02 PM, Busjack said:

I haven't thoroughly thought it out, but the hierarchy should be something like:

1. Northern Illinois Transit Authority
   1. General Matters
   2. Planning and Budget
   3. Construction
   4. Procurement and Equipment
2. CTA
   1. General Matters
   2. Bus
   3. Rail
3. Pace
4. Metra

Good suggestions. We'll start with a NITA General Discussion and then expand out from there as needed over time.

[Busjack]

On 9/1/2026 at 2:23 AM, Kevin said:

Good suggestions. We'll start with a NITA General Discussion and then expand out from there as needed over time.

I concur with what you did (including leaving new topics under NITA for future development. However, I think something more than renaming the group from Regional Transit Planning to NITA is over-inclusuve. I can see including things tangental to NITA, such as CTA/Metra joint projects, the former RTA, or People Before Parking. However, I think there should be a separate "Other Chicago Region Initiatives", probably under "Everything Else" covering things proposed by other agencies and advocates. The following would be moved to that category:

O’Hare Express Trains

Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Program

Fair Transit South Cook Pilot

Midwest Regional Rail Plan

CMAP Regional Sidewalk Inventory

Mini Gilligs Nortwestern

CMAQ grants

Will County Long-Range Transportation Plan

Cook County Transportation Plan

Transit Future Plan

In addition, The End Of Rail Transit??? (As We Know It)  should be moved to General Transit Discussion because it is Chinese.

Thanks.

[Busjack]

7 hours ago, pudgym29 said:

• You know, this forum has a function called "Ignore". I've used it. I suspect some people use it on me. I have to live with it. Anyhow, it is up there in the top right corner where you click on your forum name. 

If you had used it on our banned teenager, and he got no responses to his singular line posts (although I espy other registered users on this forum also performing similarly, with 'replies' like "Bet", but they aren't chastized for it), he would have caught on and left.

I wonder if you can remember what you were like when you were 15. 

Nah, You probably can't remember what you had for dinner twenty-six days ago. But it wouldn't stun me if what you did was worse than he did here. 

1. When I was 15, i don't think we even had post-it-notes. I don't think I could afford 25 cents for a Xero copy. Maybe I could find someone to run a ditto machine. There wasn't any Internet to pollute.
2. I thought about being a bus driver at about 8 years old. If he were really 15, he has problems.
3. I pmed him about it, and his reply was "you hate me." He was 98% nonresponsive to any reply on the forum. That's enough.

[Busjack]

8 hours ago, Sam92 said:

... what we did at 15 as a straw man argument to defend? That just tells me we should raise the age minimum to join the forum TBH. ...

Although this isn't an "adult-oriented site," we usually deal with bus operators, who have to be 21, or with policy matters. So some 15 year old that posts like an 8 year old really can't comment on such things as whether a bus is retired. Usually people like this expose themselves by admitting that they rely on some tracker, or saying that they got it off TikTok. IDK what @Bus1807 personally knows about him, and will leave it at that.

@nitro was a similar case. He apparently had other problems and was kicked off elsewhere.

But on the question of children, about 20 years ago we had Timmy, who posted that he was a driver who was stuck on a broken down bus for a couple of hours, but couldn't answer why he couldn't call the control center. However, he soon fessed up and asked good questions about bus turnarounds and Pace contract operators. So, I don't have any problem with a youngster who acts responsibly.

BTW, I requested that the moderators move all this stuff in the 7900s thread, because it has nothing to do with 7900s.

[Bus1807]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Although this isn't an "adult-oriented site," we usually deal with bus operators, who have to be 21, or with policy matters. So some 15 year old that posts like an 8 year old really can't comment on such things as whether a bus is retired. Usually people like this expose themselves by admitting that they rely on some tracker, or saying that they got it off TikTok. IDK what @Bus1807 personally knows about him, and will leave it at that.

@nitro was a similar case. He apparently had other problems and was kicked off elsewhere.

But on the question of children, about 20 years ago we had Timmy, who posted that he was a driver who was stuck on a broken down bus for a couple of hours, but couldn't answer why he couldn't call the control center. However, he soon fessed up and asked good questions about bus turnarounds and Pace contract operators. So, I don't have any problem with a youngster who acts responsibly.

BTW, I requested that the moderators move all this stuff in the 7900s thread, because it has nothing to do with 7900s.

I only know stuff about him because @vexleaked his TikTok a week ago or something. I’m also requesting that all the stuff in the 7900’s thread gets moved that isn’t on topic.