Random CTA

[Sam92]

19 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I see some of what you're saying, but you're just not going to convince me that one of the ten busiest routes in the city (and consistently so for the last 20 years) is a "support route" lol. Being close to the 4 is one thing, but it's not like the 29 or SSML are comparatively heavy hitters. Also, all 3 trips went downtown, at least by when I was born and started riding (1999-2003), the difference was going past congress plaza or not (although, as I am now finding out, I didn't realize/remember alternate trips ending at 79th)

The trips you're thinking of operated between Mercy/Reese and 79th/81st up till a few years after the 2003 Lake Shore Restructuring. Ironically 3 was counted as "key" initially when should've been counted as support back then since North of 35th #4 helped provide the frequency between there and downtown before being rerouted (only difference 3 provided was a one seat ride to mag mile) thus was only heavy from bronzeville to the south; of course that all changed when 3 had to pick up the 4's slack. If we were going by frequency I'd count 29 as support and 3 as key but I think of it like this. Half mile streets are mainly support cause they support not having to walk as far as you would have to if buses only ran on main streets lol

[Busjack]

Man shot after declining to buy cannabis on CTA Blue Line train in West Loop

[artthouwill]

Today I observed a 9 and X9 traveling northeast on Ogden by the Blue Line Illinois Medical District.   Another bus ( route unknown) was traveling southwest but turned east on Congress.  That bus was an artic.  There was a lot of traffic doing the same.  This was around 8 this morning  

[Sam92]

22 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

Today I observed a 9 and X9 traveling northeast on Ogden by the Blue Line Illinois Medical District.   Another bus ( route unknown) was traveling southwest but turned east on Congress.  That bus was an artic.  There was a lot of traffic doing the same.  This was around 8 this morning  

IDOT construction on Ashland. 

[EasyMoney]

which garage has the most routes?

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, EasyMoney said:

which garage has the most routes?

Go to the Garages page of chicagobus.org and count them on your fingers.

[Busjack]

Tribune: Man speaks out at hearing over fatal CTA stabbing: ‘I didn’t want to kill him. Other euphemisms: the accused is "a 66-year-old man from Broadview accused of fatally stabbing a fellow CTA Blue Line train passenger who asked to share his cigarette," and "CTA personnel identified both [the accused] and the victim ... as “continuous riders,” often seen riding back and forth on the trains." I doubt they were railfans. 

[pokemonprime]

Bus 1967 still has an older "No smoking, littering, eating or radio playing" sticker
it also has the new Ventra reader, but it's not yet active.

[Shannon tahoeppv]

This flex over on 89th & Woodlawn only has 52 miles when cta this bus was build in dec of 90 so its a 91 cta took it & drove it around a bit then parked it over here 

[Shannon tahoeppv]

All the buses here over on 89th & Woodlawn 

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, Shannon tahoeppv said:

This flex over on 89th & Woodlawn only has 52 miles when cta this bus was build in dec of 90 so its a 91 cta took it & drove it around a bit then parked it over here 

Probably a prototype that never saw service like the original #1000. I grew up around the corner but it was hard to tell what really goes on in there the way it's in a cut 😅

[Shannon tahoeppv]

4 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Probably a prototype that never saw service like the original #1000. I grew up around the corner but it was hard to tell what really goes on in there the way it's in a cut 😅

It's training place train for all positions. The og 1000 only have 126 miles on it 

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

4 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Probably a prototype that never saw service like the original #1000.

that is the original #1000 the 2nd 1000 is a instruction bus now at chicago ave 

[Bus1883]

Wish they kept the original 6400. The bus had no more than 5000 miles on, credits to @YoungBusLover. It is now in the boneyard awaiting scrap with the rest of its fellow novas. 

[jtrussel]

Do any of those busses run? If so is it possible they can be added to the heritage fleet especially that flxible 

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, jtrussel said:

Do any of those busses run? If so is it possible they can be added to the heritage fleet especially that flxible 

Why did you ask twice?

They are there for mechanics' training purposes. As implied, that facility is the training center, until it moves to Lake and Pulaski.

[Shannon tahoeppv]

4 hours ago, jtrussel said:

Do any of those busses run? If so is it possible they can be added to the heritage fleet especially that flxible 

The others ones thats not 4300 the flex or the prototype 1000 & 8350 yea if they get sent back the garage

[jtrussel]

16 hours ago, Busjack said:

Why did you ask twice?

They are there for mechanics' training purposes. As implied, that facility is the training center, until it moves to Lake and Pulaski.

Mistake on my part apologize 

[pudgym29]

If I remember correctly, and I exclude Authority vehicles with full body wraps, the last time I recall seeing a station or vehicle interior advertisement for a beer was probably 1970. Oops, hold on. There were "L" station adverts for the Heineken-backed Amstel-brand extensions [the beers were unsuccessful] in the 2000s. Anyhow, Three Floyds Brwg., of Munster, IN. has undertaken an extensive program of adverts on "L"-car interiors and stations. This is an advert at Jackson on the Blue Line, which I know also costs more than stations outside the Loop. https://freeimage.host/i/FWtEMkF

On last Thursday, I was heading for the Revolution Brwy. on N. Kedzie Ave. I alighted from an eastbound route #77 Belmont bus at Kedzie, and viewed this paean of "bus bunching" for westbound buses. Four, count 'em, four buses {with one a 60-footer heading for Kedzie garage} bunched up in the late stages of the PM rush. With a likely 18-minute gap for eastbound buses. One would perceive the Authority should do something to prevent this much bus bunching. 

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[Sam92]

12 hours ago, pudgym29 said:

If I remember correctly, and I exclude Authority vehicles with full body wraps, the last time I recall seeing a station or vehicle interior advertisement for a beer was probably 1970. Oops, hold on. There were "L" station adverts for the Heineken-backed Amstel-brand extensions [the beers were unsuccessful] in the 2000s. Anyhow, Three Floyds Brwg., of Munster, IN. has undertaken an extensive program of adverts on "L"-car interiors and stations. This is an advert at Jackson on the Blue Line, which I know also costs more than stations outside the Loop. https://freeimage.host/i/FWtEMkF

On last Thursday, I was heading for the Revolution Brwy. on N. Kedzie Ave. I alighted from an eastbound route #77 Belmont bus at Kedzie, and viewed this paean of "bus bunching" for westbound buses. Four, count 'em, four buses {with one a 60-footer heading for Kedzie garage} bunched up in the late stages of the PM rush. With a likely 18-minute gap for eastbound buses. One would perceive the Authority should do something to prevent this much bus bunching. 

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Instead of being quick to cut supervisors in favor centralized dispatch/technology they need to redistribute some of these guys to repeat problem areas like 77, 22, 4 and other heavy routes. Seems like back in the day even though bus bunching was bad at least more supervisors were out on the street to redirect buses and fill in gaps quicker

[strictures]

2 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Instead of being quick to cut supervisors in favor centralized dispatch/technology they need to redistribute some of these guys to repeat problem areas like 77, 22, 4 and other heavy routes. Seems like back in the day even though bus bunching was bad at least more supervisors were out on the street to redirect buses and fill in gaps quicker

Many years ago, I & a dozen others were waiting for a southbound #4 at Jackson & Michigan.  We were waiting for half an hour & none came & also, more importantly, none were going north either. There was a supervisor then at that corner & when he walked back across Michigan to his little booth, we told him.  He checked his sheets, called the control center & the next #3 he turned into a #4. Our bus was standing room & packed by 16th St.  By the time we got to 58th, there were five #4s right behind us. 

Another time a #22 driver forced us all off a NB Clark at Clark/Rosemont, because it was the end of her shift, her run ended at Devon but she didn't want to go to the terminal at Arthur to turn around as she wanted to immediately turn west on Devon to return to North Park.  I got her run number, told the supervisor at Clark/Devon what happened the next day, as this happened after he went off his shift & he said he wouldn't happen again.  I got her bus again a few days later & this time she took us all to the terminal & then went to North Park. 

Other things would happen at the Howard L bus terminal & the supervisors there would correct things. 

So bring the street corner supervisors back!

[Busjack]

49 minutes ago, strictures said:

So bring the street corner supervisors back!

I'm not so sure that would now make any difference. Unless the tracker is grossly inaccurate, the control center has all the real time information and would not need to wait for a supervisor to "call it in."

CTA has said for 10 years that it has cured bus bunching, but hasn't. I think the real problem, as reflected in the run guides posted by some drivers, is that frequency is so low and the lines are so interlined that it can't. For those of you relying on nostalgia, a 10-minute Frequent Network is nothing on lines that used to run every 3 minutes, and now CTA is running many short and branch routes (do you send a Cottage Grove bus scheduled for 95th to 115th?).

[strictures]

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

I'm not so sure that would now make any difference. Unless the tracker is grossly inaccurate, the control center has all the real time information and would not need to wait for a supervisor to "call it in."

CTA has said for 10 years that it has cured bus bunching, but hasn't. I think the real problem, as reflected in the run guides posted by some drivers, is that frequency is so low and the lines are so interlined that it can't. For those of you relying on nostalgia, a 10-minute Frequent Network is nothing on lines that used to run every 3 minutes, and now CTA is running many short and branch routes (do you send a Cottage Grove bus scheduled for 95th to 115th?).

The control center doesn't seem to do anything with the bus tracking info it already has.  Does the control center also know approximately how many people are on a specific bus?  because when they are bunched, the first one is always jammed with people & the followers aren't.  If they do have approximate numbers, what I wish they would do is instruct the driver of the overcrowded bus to not stop at the actual bus stops, but on the opposite corners, so they just drop off people, speed up that run & let the followers pickup the new passengers.

[YoungBusLover]

11 hours ago, Sam92 said:

Instead of being quick to cut supervisors in favor centralized dispatch/technology they need to redistribute some of these guys to repeat problem areas like 77, 22, 4 and other heavy routes. Seems like back in the day even though bus bunching was bad at least more supervisors were out on the street to redirect buses and fill in gaps quicker

7 hours ago, Busjack said:

I'm not so sure that would now make any difference. Unless the tracker is grossly inaccurate, the control center has all the real time information and would not need to wait for a supervisor to "call it in."

CTA has said for 10 years that it has cured bus bunching, but hasn't. I think the real problem, as reflected in the run guides posted by some drivers, is that frequency is so low and the lines are so interlined that it can't. For those of you relying on nostalgia, a 10-minute Frequent Network is nothing on lines that used to run every 3 minutes, and now CTA is running many short and branch routes (do you send a Cottage Grove bus scheduled for 95th to 115th?).

8 hours ago, strictures said:

Many years ago, I & a dozen others were waiting for a southbound #4 at Jackson & Michigan.  We were waiting for half an hour & none came & also, more importantly, none were going north either. There was a supervisor then at that corner & when he walked back across Michigan to his little booth, we told him.  He checked his sheets, called the control center & the next #3 he turned into a #4. Our bus was standing room & packed by 16th St.  By the time we got to 58th, there were five #4s right behind us. 

Another time a #22 driver forced us all off a NB Clark at Clark/Rosemont, because it was the end of her shift, her run ended at Devon but she didn't want to go to the terminal at Arthur to turn around as she wanted to immediately turn west on Devon to return to North Park.  I got her run number, told the supervisor at Clark/Devon what happened the next day, as this happened after he went off his shift & he said he wouldn't happen again.  I got her bus again a few days later & this time she took us all to the terminal & then went to North Park. 

Other things would happen at the Howard L bus terminal & the supervisors there would correct things. 

So bring the street corner supervisors back!

3 hours ago, strictures said:

The control center doesn't seem to do anything with the bus tracking info it already has.  Does the control center also know approximately how many people are on a specific bus?  because when they are bunched, the first one is always jammed with people & the followers aren't.  If they do have approximate numbers, what I wish they would do is instruct the driver of the overcrowded bus to not stop at the actual bus stops, but on the opposite corners, so they just drop off people, speed up that run & let the followers pickup the new passengers.

 

They do but I remember stating this years ago that the amount of coverage they have to monitor at certain times of the day is difficult to manage at times. The head manager of supervision will occasionally have supervisors do special checks for upwards of 30 mins to an hour on key routes that have numerous service delays. Normally for the #22 they'll sit at North Ave and Clark and turn buses around to either deadhead NB to the relief point or continue in service NB from North Ave , for the #77 they'll sit between Halsted and the Blue Line, for the #4 they'll sit at 35th/King Dr and or 79th.  There's only so much the Control Center can do along with supervision. I'll put quite a bit of the blame on certain operators that bus bunch on purpose behind there leader that is delayed, some operators don't know how to operate the streets properly which then causes more delays. This is what the control center will send to us at times during the course of a work day. We have so much going on 24/7 and there are times when certain individuals aren't team players which in return makes it harder on everyone else.  

 

 

[Busjack]

14 hours ago, strictures said:

Does the control center also know approximately how many people are on a specific bus? 

There is a counter at each door of the bus, which has the count for each stop. The Clever Devce has plus or minus how many minutes the bus is off schedule. And unlike you still stuck in 1968, there's also a radio the operator can use. A supervisor in a booth at State and Grand is not going to know that the crowd got on at Washington.

 

@YoungBusLover adequately illustrated what the control center does.