Return of the X, Rapid, BRT-Lite, Limited Stop Routes (was X9, X49) Thread

[jajuan]

33 minutes ago, garmon757 said:

Thanks for the heads up!

No problem. I spotted that this morning when riding on Ashland. So I figure it should be that way for Western too both local and express.

[Busjack]

32 minutes ago, jajuan said:

No problem. I spotted that this morning when riding on Ashland. So I figure it should be that way for Western too both local and express.

I was wondering how 1/3 were from NP if half terminated at Berwyn.

[Busjack]

11 hours ago, BusHunter said:

 

By contrast my trip on #X49 was delightful, I did Cermak to Addison in 30-40 minutes, not bad. Now if only CTA would bring this concept to more routes we'd really have something good.

 

Shows what can be done when CTA is run by someone other than a complete political hack. Carter must have learned something somewhere.

[jajuan]

50 minutes ago, Busjack said:

I was wondering how 1/3 were from NP if half terminated at Berwyn.

I think that comes from doing a route progress snapshot from BusTracker for each direction and counting out what we know to be NP buses from those we know are 74th's. I did it that way and got a similar result.

21 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Shows what can be done when CTA is run by someone other than a complete political hack. Carter must have learned something somewhere.

True. I was thinking the same thing. I had a similar experience with X9 yesterday. I got from Roosevelt to Irving Pk/Clark in about 30 mins. That same trip used to easily hit 40-45 mins before.

[Busjack]

4 minutes ago, jajuan said:

I think that comes from doing a route progress snapshot from BusTracker for each direction and counting out what we know to be NP buses from those we know are 74th's. I did it that way and got a similar result.

...

That wasn't to what I was referring. It was based on the x49 schedule not looking like the X9 schedule. On the X9, there are 9 trips at the end of each rush hour going to 74th. There is none of that on the X49 schedule.

Now, from wherever you got the 1/3:2/3 number, 11 buses end at Berwyn, but only 7 are NP buses. That means that 4 have to go back local.* Probably more interlines, though.

________________

*Last bus leaves either terminal at 5:30 and arrives at 6:54, so any bus arriving after 5:25 is not going back express. Using that formula, 10 end at Berwyn. I'm assuming a total of 22 buses.

Approximate numbers, of course.

[jajuan]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

That wasn't to what I was referring. It was based on the x49 schedule not looking like the X9 schedule. On the X9, there are 9 trips at the end of each rush hour going to 74th. There is none of that on the X49 schedule.

Now, from wherever you got the 1/3:2/3 number, 11 buses end at Berwyn, but only 7 are NP buses. That means that 4 have to go back local.* Probably more interlines, though.

________________

*Last bus leaves either terminal at 5:30 and arrives at 6:54, so any bus arriving after 5:25 is not going back express. Using that formula, 10 end at Berwyn. I'm assuming a total of 22 buses.

Approximate numbers, of course.

They didn't really time it so buses are near their respective garages after the last trips. Buses from both garages were at both ends at that time and leaving as locals.

[Busjack]

And, for the mystery of the day, anyone know why there are two route progress charts for the same termini?

 

[jajuan]

One thing I have observed with Ashland is in some cases the locals get slowed down still in spots. So that ends up creating cases of 3 or 4 express buses passing before a local comes instead CTA's plan of 1or 2 then a local. I saw happen yesterday afternoon. I missed an express when coming back north. But another was only 5 mins away which I caught, and a local was supposed to behind both express. Well somehow the next express caught with and passed that local that was following us because when I was waiting to switch to a #22, that next express has reached Irving Park/Clark next instead of what should have been a local. That meant the folks at local stops who were already frustrated to see my bus being tge second express passing by were even more agitated seeing that third express before getting the local bus that was behind instead of in front of it.

[Busjack]

53 minutes ago, jajuan said:

That meant the folks at local stops who were already frustrated to see my bus being tge second express passing by were even more agitated seeing that third express before getting the local bus that was behind instead of in front of it.

Since there theoretically wasn't bus bunching, it gets down to CTA's theory that if you want an express, you'll walk another couple of blocks. One has to decide whether to spend the time walking or waiting for a bus that comes every 15 minutes if on time.

There was, of course, an elitist on the CTA Tattler, who assumed that everyone had a smart phone and access to BusTracker.

[jajuan]

48 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Since there theoretically wasn't bus bunching, it gets down to CTA's theory that if you want an express, you'll walk another couple of blocks. One has to decide whether to spend the time walking or waiting for a bus that comes every 15 minutes if on time.

There was, of course, an elitist on the CTA Tattler, who assumed that everyone had a smart phone and access to BusTracker.

No it wasn't technically bus bunching. It was a display as you alluded to with CTA's theory that you come out better using express stops if you're able to walk to them. 

[jajuan]

I noticed CTA reposted notices along Ashland at intersections that eliminated stops are located reminding riders buses no longer stop at those locations. There must have been a good number of issues with eliminated stops the prior 3 wks since X9 and X49 returned.

[BusHunter]

21 minutes ago, jajuan said:

I noticed CTA reposted notices along Ashland at intersections that eliminated stops are located reminding riders buses no longer stop at those locations. There must have been a good number of issues with eliminated stops the prior 3 wks since X9 and X49 returned.

Putting those sneeze guards to good use most likely too!!

[Juniorz]

3 hours ago, jajuan said:

I noticed CTA reposted notices along Ashland at intersections that eliminated stops are located reminding riders buses no longer stop at those locations. There must have been a good number of issues with eliminated stops the prior 3 wks since X9 and X49 returned.

Those signs might also be reposted due to increasing theft of the temporary signs too! I saw take a picture, i'll last longer

[andrethebusman]

X9 and X49 were started by DIVERTING buses from 9 and 49. Total changed by only a couple if at all, since 9 and 49 ended up with longer rush headways. In addition, 9 and 49 lost nearly 50% of their stops, which resulted in a shorter terminal to terminal schedule.

[jajuan]

7 minutes ago, andrethebusman said:

X9 and X49 were started by DIVERTING buses from 9 and 49. Total changed by only a couple if at all, since 9 and 49 ended up with longer rush headways. In addition, 9 and 49 lost nearly 50% of their stops, which resulted in a shorter terminal to terminal schedule.

Diverting off the locals and the locals losing stops was only a partial element of reinstating X9 and X49. It can't be the whole story, otherwise 74th would not have gained approximately 15 extra buses without giving up some itself to elsewhere. No other route corridors saw an expansion/enhancement, so what other explanation for bloating 74th's bus count by 15?

[Busjack]

19 minutes ago, andrethebusman said:

X9 and X49 were started by DIVERTING buses from 9 and 49. Total changed by only a couple if at all, since 9 and 49 ended up with longer rush headways. In addition, 9 and 49 lost nearly 50% of their stops, which resulted in a shorter terminal to terminal schedule.

We established that it 4 buses were added per street. Only question is from where those 8 buses  (and any spares) came.

[BusHunter]

2 hours ago, jajuan said:

Diverting off the locals and the locals losing stops was only a partial element of reinstating X9 and X49. It can't be the whole story, otherwise 74th would not have gained approximately 15 extra buses without giving up some itself to elsewhere. No other route corridors saw an expansion/enhancement, so what other explanation for bloating 74th's bus count by 15?

Precisely what I've been asking for months!!

[Mr.cta85]

Speaking of the X9 and X49 I been hearing rumors that those 2 routes are going to 77th Garage. I don't believe it but hey they only have 13 routes so a few more wouldn't hurt lol.

[jajuan]

42 minutes ago, Mr.cta85 said:

Speaking of the X9 and X49 I been hearing rumors that those 2 routes are going to 77th Garage. I don't believe it but hey they only have 13 routes so a few more wouldn't hurt lol.

I kind of doubt it, since those two are interlined to the respective local routes. Those two aren't going anywhere without moving 9 and 49. Heck, 49/X49 is shared between NP and 74th, so how is 77th going to handle the load? 77th only has 13 routes because at least half of those are heavy routes in their own rights in terms of number of buses used.

[strictures]

I rode the reconstituted X9 today at about 3:10PM & it was a pleasure to go from the Medical Center all the way north to Irving Park & Clark. But while having a long, long wait for a NB 22, there were three more X9s, before a 9 came.

I also looked at my phone while on the bus at Ashland/Cortland & the next 9 was 20 minutes behind. I don't think they have the numers of each correct yet.

[Busjack]

25 minutes ago, strictures said:

I rode the reconstituted X9 today at about 3:10PM & it was a pleasure to go from the Medical Center all the way north to Irving Park & Clark. But while having a long, long wait for a NB 22, there were three more X9s, before a 9 came.

I also looked at my phone while on the bus at Ashland/Cortland & the next 9 was 20 minutes behind. I don't think they have the numers of each correct yet.

Schedules have every 14-15 minutes for 9 and abou8 minutes for X9, the 9 was late, but not by that much.

One thing I note here is that there haven't been any complaints.

[strictures]

14 hours ago, Busjack said:

Schedules have every 14-15 minutes for 9 and abou8 minutes for X9, the 9 was late, but not by that much.

One thing I note here is that there haven't been any complaints.

I have to add that I waited about 7-8 minutes for the X9, having just missed one & we never passed a 9 the entire way.                                

The X9 I was on must have been running early, as the driver sat through two light changes at Milwaukee.

[Busjack]

18 minutes ago, strictures said:

I have to add that I waited about 7-8 minutes for the X9, having just missed one & we never passed a 9 the entire way.                                

The X9 I was on must have been running early, as the driver sat through two light changes at Milwaukee.

The TSP is not installed  yet, according to the schedule in the Press Release.

[jajuan]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

I saw that also. On the 9.  I wasn't happy that my X9 got passed up by a local 9 and couldn't get back in front of him. 

In a way that's what makes a ride on the X49 somewhat better sometimes than on the X9. I rarely experience an X49 getting stuck behind a local 49 compared to how often that scenario can happen on Ashland.

[jajuan]

On 9/23/2016 at 0:44 PM, Busjack said:

July 2016 Ridership Report doesn't even mention 11 Lincoln among the changes. Only indication is that average weekday ridership on #11 is up from 1,689 to 1,899, or 12.4%.

YTD rides were down 1.7%, so we have to assume that any growth in July was on the extension (unless CTA is going to release the GPS passenger counter data).

Start was June 21, so this is the first complete month.

I guess that the other frame of reference is that in the May report (last full month before the extension), current year average weekday was 1720.

Well the local 9 and 49 saw big drops over last year in weekday ridership with a big chunk of those lost riders reported on the express routes. That's no big surprise in general. However, looking at the added totals of the express plus locals compared against last year still show decreases of almost 2000 weekday riders on those stretches. Quick side note, from X9 and X49. It seems a trend that's playing out in bus ridership is 10% and higher drops in Sunday ridership over last year at the same point of the year.