Pace831 Posted October 7, 2017 Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 The proposed 2018 budget includes a fare increase and service cuts. Budget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcmetro Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 Direct link to the service cuts: https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/communications/handout_8.5x11_proposedservicechanges_2018_003.pdf Rock Island: Evening service consolidated to 90 min frequency. One PM reverse peak Joliet express and Beverly local are combined. Southwest Service: 1 weekday round trip starts/ends at 179th instead of Manhattan. North Central Service: The two skip-stop trains at peak are consolidated into one trip Milwaukee District - North: Two Sat. and one Sun. round trip eliminated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Tcmetro said: Direct link to the service cuts: https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/communications/handout_8.5x11_proposedservicechanges_2018_003.pdf Rock Island: Evening service consolidated to 90 min frequency. One PM reverse peak Joliet express and Beverly local are combined. Southwest Service: 1 weekday round trip starts/ends at 179th instead of Manhattan. North Central Service: The two skip-stop trains at peak are consolidated into one trip Milwaukee District - North: Two Sat. and one Sun. round trip eliminated. RI: Also the last round trip gets eliminated. And inbound #526 gets eliminated and replaced with a new train about two hours later. I don't know how many ride the 12:30 outbound currently, but most of them could probably leave earlier to get on the 11:45 (if they don't miss the train because of drunkenness). SWS: From personal observation, hardly anyone rides these trains beyond 179th, so this cut isn't surprising. It isn't unusual for the train to be completely empty. Interestingly, Manhattan will now have more service on Saturday than weekdays. NCS: This isn't really a service reduction, as long as the combined train doesn't become overcrowded. But I'd bet there is enough capacity. MDN: The "limited stop" trips are the ones being cut. There's no need for that level of service on weekends. Conclusion: None of these cuts are very drastic so the decision to save money makes a lot of sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 2 hours ago, Pace831 said: SWS: From personal observation, hardly anyone rides these trains beyond 179th, so this cut isn't surprising. It isn't unusual for the train to be completely empty. Interestingly, Manhattan will now have more service on Saturday than weekdays. I don't know if your reference was just to particlar trains, or to the SWS, generally, but if the latter, kills the rationale for the extension. 2 hours ago, Pace831 said: NCS: This isn't really a service reduction, as long as the combined train doesn't become overcrowded. But I'd bet there is enough capacity. The rationale for the split train was that Metra promised a certain number of trains, and the addition of stations in the Franklin Park area made service too slow. The question will be whether riders in the Buffalo Grove area will complain again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 30 minutes ago, Busjack said: I don't know if your reference was just to particlar trains, or to the SWS, generally, but if the latter, kills the rationale for the extension. I was referring specifically to ridership at Laraway Road and Manhattan on the trains that are being cut. Some specific observations about those trains: A few years ago I took a joyride to Manhattan and back. There were no passengers going to Laraway and one going to Manhattan, who mentioned she was going home early for a medical appointment. On the return trip, no one else boarded at either stop. Another time I got on inbound at Laraway with two other people. Even rush hour isn't that great. I once watched the two evening trains stop at Laraway. 20 people got off the first one and 3 got off the second. The parking lots tend to have a dozen or so vehicles during the day. Saturdays are bad too. The two stops combined might get 5 or 6 riders for the day. I was at first surprised they didn't try to cut back Saturday service too, but union jobs/rules might complicate that. On the midday round trip that is being cut, the crew changes inbound at 179th. Laraway Road is treated as a flag stop although not listed as such in the timetable. The extension to Manhattan opened in 2006, when population growth estimates for the area were unrealistically high. The types of development that would attract Metra riders seem to have been mostly stagnant since then. There was a slight population increase, but not enough to significantly boost ridership. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richii0909 Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 31 minutes ago, Pace831 said: I was referring specifically to ridership at Laraway Road and Manhattan on the trains that are being cut. Some specific observations about those trains: A few years ago I took a joyride to Manhattan and back. There were no passengers going to Laraway and one going to Manhattan, who mentioned she was going home early for a medical appointment. On the return trip, no one else boarded at either stop. Another time I got on inbound at Laraway with two other people. Even rush hour isn't that great. I once watched the two evening trains stop at Laraway. 20 people got off the first one and 3 got off the second. The parking lots tend to have a dozen or so vehicles during the day. Saturdays are bad too. The two stops combined might get 5 or 6 riders for the day. I was at first surprised they didn't try to cut back Saturday service too, but union jobs/rules might complicate that. On the midday round trip that is being cut, the crew changes inbound at 179th. Laraway Road is treated as a flag stop although not listed as such in the timetable. The extension to Manhattan opened in 2006, when population growth estimates for the area were unrealistically high. The types of development that would attract Metra riders seem to have been mostly stagnant since then. There was a slight population increase, but not enough to significantly boost ridership. **Semi un-related** I wanted to add that the Electric district rider ship has been less than normal since the schedule adjustment. Also, a few riders have complained to me that the schedule change is not well coordinated with the PACE bus schedules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted October 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 10 minutes ago, richii0909 said: **Semi un-related** I wanted to add that the Electric district rider ship has been less than normal since the schedule adjustment. Also, a few riders have complained to me that the schedule change is not well coordinated with the PACE bus schedules. Which Pace routes are they riding and at what times? A quick glance at the schedules indicates generally longer transfer times in Harvey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richii0909 Posted October 10, 2017 Report Share Posted October 10, 2017 14 hours ago, Pace831 said: Which Pace routes are they riding and at what times? A quick glance at the schedules indicates generally longer transfer times in Harvey. These were customers at the 211th stop. General time is now the 9:55am formerly 10:05am weekday and weekend now 1:47pm formerly the 1:57pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted October 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2017 5 hours ago, richii0909 said: These were customers at the 211th stop. General time is now the 9:55am formerly 10:05am weekday and weekend now 1:47pm formerly the 1:57pm. Usually Pace makes changes after Metra does, but 357 also has the Chicago Heights pulse point that requires coordination. The new schedule did mess up the connection, with the westbound bus arriving two minutes after the train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richii0909 Posted October 11, 2017 Report Share Posted October 11, 2017 15 minutes ago, Pace831 said: Usually Pace makes changes after Metra does, but 357 also has the Chicago Heights pulse point that requires coordination. The new schedule did mess up the connection, with the westbound bus arriving two minutes after the train. Oh ok yes... customers were very upset and I believe because of the metra change now the ridership is low... those passengers would have to wait around an hour for next train which would be pointless. Also, I've noticed less people at usual stops than before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pace831 Posted January 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2018 Service changes take effect February 5. This includes the opening of Romeoville station. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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