600-series Proterra BE40/ZX5 - Updates

[BusGuy248]

15 hours ago, rl12383 said:

Looks like the permits been issued for the charging station on the 66 route

I'd sure hope so, the turn around at Chicago and Austin has been under construction for weeks.

[BusHunter]

Yeah it would be rather embarrassing to receive the buses and not be able to charge them. The idea is to try and run these day and night. Dont know how that will work in time because they will be in high demand and the 66 serves alot of riders. I suppose they could run those out of the garage charging them old school like the 700s but that's not the intention of the contract. There was a 700 rehab contract that was out awhile ago. I wonder if possibly they could get the 700s to charge at charging stations like the proterras but they really don't need to. As long as the buses can run a standard day they should be alright. It's not like chicago garage is miles from the route. 

[andrethebusman]

These are becoming very similar to the old wire-dependent trolley buses, you notice? Can only run on certain routes with chargers. 

[NewFlyerMCI]

2 minutes ago, andrethebusman said:

These are becoming very similar to the old wire-dependent trolley buses, you notice? Can only run on certain routes with chargers. 

Which is part why I preferred that the chargers be place at terminals where the buses could run on multiple routes (Midway, 95th, Cicero/24th Pl, Union Station, 47th Red, etc) but I think part of the reason is long-distance, high-performing routes is where they want to see if the buses could perform

[ajm522]

Sorry if this has been established, but 124 is going from K to C? My understanding is that routes can’t change garages unless their is a system pick. 

[NewFlyerMCI]

1 hour ago, ajm522 said:

Sorry if this has been established, but 124 is going from K to C? My understanding is that routes can’t change garages unless their is a system pick. 

If Fall 2019 pick is September, it'll probably move then, I don't see electrics starting up before that, especially since there's no word on construction at Navy Pier, we have no idea about chargers at Chicago and the buses aren't even here yet

[fg.mark]

If the electric buses perform well and are more cost efficient than diesel buses, CTA would probably regret that Forest Glen is not an indoor garage.  If it were, about sixty electric buses could go there in the distant future because the garage is less than one mile away from the Jefferson Park transit center.  Then the 56 Milwaukee, 68 Northwest Highway, 81 Lawrence, 81W West Lawrence, 85 Central, 91 Austin, and 92 Foster could all be electric.  It would be something which could be very appealing, at least from a financial standpoint.

[BusOps]

On 6/10/2019 at 3:39 AM, fg.mark said:

If the electric buses perform well and are more cost efficient than diesel buses, CTA would probably regret that Forest Glen is not an indoor garage.  If it were, about sixty electric buses could go there in the distant future because the garage is less than one mile away from the Jefferson Park transit center.  Then the 56 Milwaukee, 68 Northwest Highway, 81 Lawrence, 81W West Lawrence, 85 Central, 91 Austin, and 92 Foster could all be electric.

I doubt you would ever see electric buses on those routes since the end terminals aren’t actual CTA property or bus turn arounds. Those routes sit on the streets for their layovers. Except for 81W which layovers at Cumberland Blueline. 

[artthouwill]

8 minutes ago, BusOps said:

I doubt you would ever see electric buses on those routes since the end terminals aren’t actual CTA property or bus turn arounds. Those routes sit on the streets for their layovers. Except for 81W which layovers at Cumberland Blueline. 

While I agree with you,  I think his premise was based on the charging stations being at the FG garage and/or the Jefferson Pk terminal.

[NewFlyerMCI]

12 hours ago, BusOps said:

I doubt you would ever see electric buses on those routes since the end terminals aren’t actual CTA property or bus turn arounds. Those routes sit on the streets for their layovers. Except for 81W which layovers at Cumberland Blueline. 

The point was picking a location where routes could complete a roundtrip, thus not needing a charger at the other end, which is why I've always been an advocate for Midway & 95th. Potentially, the 68, 81W, 85A & 88 and maybe the 81 & 92, could all be candidates for that type of operation.

 

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

19 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

The point was picking a location where routes could complete a roundtrip, thus not needing a charger at the other end, which is why I've always been an advocate for Midway & 95th. Potentially, the 68, 81W, 85A & 88 and maybe the 81 & 92, could all be candidates for that type of operation.

 

The charging station construction at Austin/Chicago is moving slowly no progress has been made they just dug up the surface 

[NewFlyerMCI]

1 hour ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

The charging station construction at Austin/Chicago is moving slowly no progress has been made they just dug up the surface 

It's been exactly one week and we don't know their operational schedule

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

It's been exactly one week and we don't know their operational schedule

It’s been a couple weeks not just 1 week I ride the 91 Austin everyday 

[Mr.cta85]

I wonder once the all electric buses come to 74th and Chicago garage will they give up a few Novas in exchange. Those 2 garages also have the most Novas out the current 5 garages that do have them. 

[YoungBusLover]

13 hours ago, Mr.cta85 said:

I wonder once the all electric buses come to 74th and Chicago garage will they give up a few Novas in exchange. Those 2 garages also have the most Novas out the current 5 garages that do have them. 

If you want buses with bad A/C come take 74ths 8000's, they'll keep 103rd nice and toasty all summer. 

[Mr.cta85]

13 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

If you want buses with bad A/C come take 74ths 8000's, they'll keep 103rd nice and toasty all summer. 

??? I drove those 8000's from 74th from 2016 to 18 so unless they been mishandled since then that wouldn't be a problem at all for me lol.

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

2 hours ago, Mr.cta85 said:

??? I drove those 8000's from 74th for from 2016 to 18 so unless they been mishandled since then that wouldn't be a problem at all for me lol.

74th and 77th mishandle their buses every time I see a flyer downtown on the 3 it’s so dirty and other stuff same goes with the 7900’s and 8000’s

[chicagocubs6323]

48 minutes ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

74th and 77th mishandle their buses every time I see a flyer downtown on the 3 it’s so dirty and other stuff same goes with the 7900’s and 8000’s

I'm pretty sure I've heard weird noises on 74th's D40LFs

[Mr.cta85]

59 minutes ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

74th and 77th mishandle their buses every time I see a flyer downtown on the 3 it’s so dirty and other stuff same goes with the 7900’s and 8000’s

You're absolutely right about 77th for sure lol ??

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

2 hours ago, Mr.cta85 said:

You're absolutely right about 77th for sure lol ??

And they mess their buses up the shops are right there they still don’t do anything it’s unbel they should send the 6400’s 6500’s 6600’s and them over there give us the flyers we will repair em

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

2 hours ago, chicagocubs6323 said:

I'm pretty sure I've heard weird noises on 74th's D40LFs

They mishandle them like crazy it’s sad 

[BusHunter]

There is currently a proterra at LaSalle metra on financial place it's the prototype from chicago. Could it be doing a #36????

[sht6131]

I also saw it downtown yesterday turning from west to north. Do not remember the intersection. (senior monent). Could not see if there were passengers and the driver did not look like CTA

[BusHunter]

You know the #36 layover at LaSalle metra it was there. No destination sign lined up between 2 artics. 

[Mr.cta85]

If the 45 electric buses are going to both Chicago and 74th that will most likely mean those garages will be giving up buses and that'll probably mean Novas since they have the most out the 4 that currently have them.