Random CTA

[Tcmetro]

I attempted to take the Blue Line after midnight a while ago, and between the O'hare cleaning, single tracking, multiple police activity notices, and operator shortage, I waited way too long before giving up and getting an Uber.

[Shannoncvpi]

On 11/26/2021 at 8:46 AM, Sam92 said:

They’re that bad? 

Yes them CVT trans are junk they put em in the cars junkie Nissans in maxima's & the most hated car a altima like its hard to get a trans for them shops a rather rebuild them 

[Shannoncvpi]

23 hours ago, NovaBusFan said:

Sadly most of the Flxibles look a little torn up just like most of the survived Fishbowls, C40LFs and DE40LFs, while #804 still looks in descent shape despite the missing drivers side window. I thank god that all of the #900s are not fully gone because #905 is still kicking it back there while most of the windows are completely stripped and the interior is jacked.

Yea 905 is dust parts straight gone 804 still in good shape for now

[Shannoncvpi]

22 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah I got cussed out so much last night while operating on Halsted. At one point I was the only bus out there and it wasn't a snooze fest as far as picking up passengers go. I'm not mad at my fellow coworkers taking off for the holidays but as I've stated in the past before normally before the winter pick you'll see a dip in service all across the system. 

 

22 hours ago, artthouwill said:

 

So did the people who depend in public transportation to get to their families or to get to and from work.   These same drivers ir operators would be furious ismf a package they were expecting was delivered late or a store was out if stock for something they needed.   No one forced them people to take a job ar CTA.  There should have gone to work at a post office or a van.  Just because a day is designated a holiday doesn't mean you are entitled to be off.   What if the police took off,  what if firefighters took iff,  what if hospitals  closed in holidays?  People are incredibly selfish  

Well I took off yesterday was helping my parents move into their new house Thursday I worked in the morning so I could go enjoy food in the evening & if the police took off bro it wouldn't make a difference cuz they dont protect & serve the real Chicago no way it a only be a issue downtown & in the rich white up north areas if CFD took off now that a be bad seen a few fires on thanksgiving day but cta needs to learn how to improvise they got alot of operators alot of part timers they can bully into working grab them but they don't cause alot of the people who dont do nothing supervisors on up took off also 

[Shannoncvpi]

On 11/26/2021 at 8:49 AM, Policeman said:

People wanted to spend time with family ??

 

On 11/26/2021 at 8:38 AM, rl12383 said:

There were waits of an hour plus last night (Thanksgiving) on the Blue line... And CTA alerts mentioned delays on most lines. Guess no one showed up to work. was not fun standing out in the cold for that long...

Bro we are slownas hell on normal days holidays we are even slower imma just shoot it straight 

[Shannoncvpi]

23 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah I got cussed out so much last night while operating on Halsted. At one point I was the only bus out there and it wasn't a snooze fest as far as picking up passengers go. I'm not mad at my fellow coworkers taking off for the holidays but as I've stated in the past before normally before the winter pick you'll see a dip in service all across the system. 

Exactly bro I got cussed out Thursday morning Thursday I was the only driver out heading eastbount on the 12 it was 2 other driver but they was heading west ive seen 2 people stanfing at him an & roosevelt while heading east & they was still there when I came back west & I was on time that morning 1 more bus came but before I left it was only 3 of us out on the 12 

[Shannoncvpi]

On 11/26/2021 at 10:34 AM, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah I got cussed out so much last night while operating on Halsted. At one point I was the only bus out there and it wasn't a snooze fest as far as picking up passengers go. I'm not mad at my fellow coworkers taking off for the holidays but as I've stated in the past before normally before the winter pick you'll see a dip in service all across the system. 

Exactly bro I got cussed out Thursday morning Thursday I was the only driver out heading eastbount on the 12 it was 2 other driver but they was heading west ive seen 2 people stanfing at him an & roosevelt while heading east & they was still there when I came back west & I was on time that morning 1 more bus came but before I left it was only 3 of us out on the 12 

[Shannoncvpi]

8040 is sitting over in C training lot

[NovaBusFan]

6 hours ago, Shannoncvpi said:

8040 is sitting over in C training lot

Spending a little time at C?

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

9 minutes ago, NovaBusFan said:

Spending a little time at C?

its used for training.

[NovaBusFan]

23 minutes ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

its used for training.

Oh ok, I’m shocked they ain’t using #6488 as much.

[Mr.NewFlyer1051]

3 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

its used for training.

all the #6400 they turned into instruction buses and training buses and they decide to use a damn #7900 from 74th??C got plenty extra buses laying around on the weekends im suprised they didn’t use em

[YoungBusLover]

33 minutes ago, Mr.NewFlyer1051 said:

all the #6400 they turned into instruction buses and training buses and they decide to use a damn #7900 from 74th??C got plenty extra buses laying around on the weekends im suprised they didn’t use em

They use a majority of there 8100s on the weekends that's why #8040 was up there. Another reason why the instruction buses aren't getting used much is simply because they're phasing that series of bus out. Doesn't make much sense to train new operators on something that won't be here going into next year. Now before the pandemic in late 2019 when things were normal the original plan CTA had was to use them since the availability for buses during the AM rush was limited.

[Shannoncvpi]

7 hours ago, NovaBusFan said:

Spending a little time at C?

Yea

[Shannoncvpi]

2 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

They use a majority of there 8100s on the weekends that's why #8040 was up there. Another reason why the instruction buses aren't getting used much is simply because they're phasing that series of bus out. Doesn't make much sense to train new operators on something that won't be here going into next year. Now before the pandemic in late 2019 when things were normal the original plan CTA had was to use them since the availability for buses during the AM rush was limited.

I was thinking the same

[NewFlyerMCI]

21 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

That is a gold mine right now that CTA and the city need to tap back into.

I was on the M14 SBS in New York yesterday, on 14th St that had the bus lanes and the heavily restricted car traffic, and I've never been on a faster bus in NYC. The buses had cameras all over the sides for enforcement and I think the revenue is split btwn MTA and the city.

This also reminds me of the center running bus lanes recently debuted in Boston for a busy bus corridor for three routes, similar to Loop Link here. I'd like to see this program expanded in Chicago, but I don't think there are a lot of applicable areas/corridors outside of downtown (mostly due to street size), but combo'd with dedicated camera enforcement, it could work in select areas. Clark btwn Diversey & Division is a good example.

[artthouwill]

31 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I was on the M14 SBS in New York yesterday, on 14th St that had the bus lanes and the heavily restricted car traffic, and I've never been on a faster bus in NYC. The buses had cameras all over the sides for enforcement and I think the revenue is split btwn MTA and the city.

This also reminds me of the center running bus lanes recently debuted in Boston for a busy bus corridor for three routes, similar to Loop Link here. I'd like to see this program expanded in Chicago, but I don't think there are a lot of applicable areas/corridors outside of downtown (mostly due to street size), but combo'd with dedicated camera enforcement, it could work in select areas. Clark btwn Diversey & Division is a good example.

The reason why bus lanes don't work here is because the lanes don't promote speed.  You mentioned the Sekect Bus Service,  which is a limited stop service in New York.    When you factor in right turns * which would have to be eliminated in those zones unless the bus needs to go righr), traffic lights *which need signal priority), and the infinite amount of stop signs,  school zones, and speed bumps, not to mention the regular bus stop pattern, no time is really saved.

Businesses along Ashland,  Western would cry if those streets had dedicated bus lanes although they would be perfect.  They already have no parking zones during rush hours in the peak direction and both streets have X routes which would benefit.  However,  since both are major arteries, not having right turn access severely limits the functionality of those arterial streets.  I suppose that right turns could be made if those bus stops are far side stops,  which could allow buses to maneuver around turning vehicles

[Shannoncvpi]

13 hours ago, artthouwill said:

The reason why bus lanes don't work here is because the lanes don't promote speed.  You mentioned the Sekect Bus Service,  which is a limited stop service in New York.    When you factor in right turns * which would have to be eliminated in those zones unless the bus needs to go righr), traffic lights *which need signal priority), and the infinite amount of stop signs,  school zones, and speed bumps, not to mention the regular bus stop pattern, no time is really saved.

Businesses along Ashland,  Western would cry if those streets had dedicated bus lanes although they would be perfect.  They already have no parking zones during rush hours in the peak direction and both streets have X routes which would benefit.  However,  since both are major arteries, not having right turn access severely limits the functionality of those arterial streets.  I suppose that right turns could be made if those bus stops are far side stops,  which could allow buses to maneuver around turning vehicles

Bus lanes dont work no way bro to be straight with you it looks good on paper it says it will be in the real world it dont cuz people still have to wait 20 mins for the next bus just like they did before the bus lanes so it dont work its a waste of time &  money but thats what these crooked cities do waste tax payers dollars

[YoungBusLover]

13 hours ago, artthouwill said:

The reason why bus lanes don't work here is because the lanes don't promote speed.  You mentioned the Sekect Bus Service,  which is a limited stop service in New York.    When you factor in right turns * which would have to be eliminated in those zones unless the bus needs to go righr), traffic lights *which need signal priority), and the infinite amount of stop signs,  school zones, and speed bumps, not to mention the regular bus stop pattern, no time is really saved.

Businesses along Ashland,  Western would cry if those streets had dedicated bus lanes although they would be perfect.  They already have no parking zones during rush hours in the peak direction and both streets have X routes which would benefit.  However,  since both are major arteries, not having right turn access severely limits the functionality of those arterial streets.  I suppose that right turns could be made if those bus stops are far side stops,  which could allow buses to maneuver around turning vehicles

4 minutes ago, Shannoncvpi said:

Bus lanes dont work no way bro to be straight with you it looks good on paper it says it will be in the real world it dont cuz people still have to wait 20 mins for the next bus just like they did before the bus lanes so it dont work its a waste of time &  money but thats what these crooked cities do waste tax payers dollars

The best streets to do bus lanes on are South Pulaski, Stony Island, North Ave, Irving Park and maybe sections of Roosevelt in my honest opinion. Having bus lanes would work I don't care what anyone says because when the headways are actually 7-12 minutes consistently without the traffic the wait doesn't seem as long and this is without manpower issues. As far as Ashland/Western corridors are concerned businesses on the northside would be effected by bus lanes but to what degree though? If they're only used during peak rush there's not much to complain about as long as enforcement is done properly to keep things running smoothly. The CTA and the City needs to create some sort of plan to help educate the public better on how bus lanes are very beneficial to certain corridors during peak rush hour which is 5 am - 9 am and 3 pm - 7:30 pm. That isn't a bad time slot for some businesses to bare the weight of. 

 

[NewFlyerMCI]

14 hours ago, artthouwill said:

The reason why bus lanes don't work here is because the lanes don't promote speed.  You mentioned the Sekect Bus Service,  which is a limited stop service in New York.    When you factor in right turns * which would have to be eliminated in those zones unless the bus needs to go righr), traffic lights *which need signal priority), and the infinite amount of stop signs,  school zones, and speed bumps, not to mention the regular bus stop pattern, no time is really saved.

Businesses along Ashland,  Western would cry if those streets had dedicated bus lanes although they would be perfect.  They already have no parking zones during rush hours in the peak direction and both streets have X routes which would benefit.  However,  since both are major arteries, not having right turn access severely limits the functionality of those arterial streets.  I suppose that right turns could be made if those bus stops are far side stops,  which could allow buses to maneuver around turning vehicles

While what you're saying is true, to an extent, what I was talking about wasn't an application of curbside bus lanes, but center running bus lanes (that also preserved left hand turns). However, I acknowledged that Chicago doesn't have a lot of areas outside downtown where they could effectively be placed (such as the Mag Mile), due to lack of routes (not many stretches with more than one route) and street width. Clark btwn Diversey & Division was one of the few examples I had. Here is the project I was referencing.

[NewFlyerMCI]

55 minutes ago, Shannoncvpi said:

Bus lanes dont work no way bro to be straight with you it looks good on paper it says it will be in the real world it dont cuz people still have to wait 20 mins for the next bus just like they did before the bus lanes so it dont work its a waste of time &  money but thats what these crooked cities do waste tax payers dollars

I and others have reiterated to you time and again that the issue you have with bus lanes is not tied to their effectiveness, but one of man power and scheduling. No bus lane is going to fix or assist a route with 20 minute headways, scheduled or not, and a bus lane hasn't been proposed as a solution for that. Moreover, saying "bus lanes don't work" every time this topic is brought up, when there is empirical data out there saying that they do (adjusting for various factors ofc) just makes you look contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. If you're going to say that, at least be specific about why it wouldn't work in a given area or what not, b/c saying it as a general statement isn't true

[NewFlyerMCI]

56 minutes ago, YoungBusLover said:

The best streets to do bus lanes on are South Pulaski, Stony Island, North Ave, Irving Park and maybe sections of Roosevelt in my honest opinion. Having bus lanes would work I don't care what anyone says because when the headways are actually 7-12 minutes consistently without the traffic the wait doesn't seem as long and this is without manpower issues. As far as Ashland/Western corridors are concerned businesses on the northside would be effected by bus lanes but to what degree though? If they're only used during peak rush there's not much to complain about as long as enforcement is done properly to keep things running smoothly. The CTA and the City needs to create some sort of plan to help educate the public better on how bus lanes are very beneficial to certain corridors during peak rush hour which is 5 am - 9 am and 3 pm - 7:30 pm. That isn't a bad time slot for some businesses to bare the weight of. 

 

Peak bus lanes seem to the best implementation. It's been rare for me to see people not obeying the Jeffery bus lanes. I think South Halsted would also be an interesting case study for center running bus lanes. 123rd or 119th to 95th with stops every 4 blocks.

I think what the 14th St project in NYC proved is that losing street parking directly in front of the business doesn't really harm that business. Any loss is usually made up by the increase in foot traffic from the now more reliable and consistent buses. I've never really agreed with that talking point anyway, because street parking directly in front of a business is only 1-2 spots anyway. It was already next to impossible to find parking directly in front of where you were trying to go anyway, especially on commercial corridors like Clark or Ashland. Even East 79th with all its vacant storefronts still seems to have a dearth of parking.

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

Peak bus lanes seem to the best implementation. It's been rare for me to see people not obeying the Jeffery bus lanes. I think South Halsted would also be an interesting case study for center running bus lanes. 123rd or 119th to 95th with stops every 4 blocks.

I think what the 14th St project in NYC proved is that losing street parking directly in front of the business doesn't really harm that business. Any loss is usually made up by the increase in foot traffic from the now more reliable and consistent buses. I've never really agreed with that talking point anyway, because street parking directly in front of a business is only 1-2 spots anyway. It was already next to impossible to find parking directly in front of where you were trying to go anyway, especially on commercial corridors like Clark or Ashland. Even East 79th with all its vacant storefronts still seems to have a dearth of parking.

Wow so you can do center running and not even need double sided artics? Back to Chicago I feel loop link is pretty good compared to before 

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

I and others have reiterated to you time and again that the issue you have with bus lanes is not tied to their effectiveness, but one of man power and scheduling. No bus lane is going to fix or assist a route with 20 minute headways, scheduled or not, and a bus lane hasn't been proposed as a solution for that. Moreover, saying "bus lanes don't work" every time this topic is brought up, when there is empirical data out there saying that they do (adjusting for various factors ofc) just makes you look contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. If you're going to say that, at least be specific about why it wouldn't work in a given area or what not, b/c saying it as a general statement isn't true

 

2 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

While what you're saying is true, to an extent, what I was talking about wasn't an application of curbside bus lanes, but center running bus lanes (that also preserved left hand turns). However, I acknowledged that Chicago doesn't have a lot of areas outside downtown where they could effectively be placed (such as the Mag Mile), due to lack of routes (not many stretches with more than one route) and street width. Clark btwn Diversey & Division was one of the few examples I had. Here is the project I was referencing.

I’d say Illinois and Grand Ave would probably help with getting riders from Navy Pier to whatever Line in the loop they plan on switching to or would help 66 buses move to Chicago Ave faster. I dont think 20 min headways on schedule diminishes effectiveness…. However 20 min headways on a route that’s on paper supposed to be every 4-10 on the other hand would affect it but thats more cause within that 20 min 2-3 buses were supped to come before that one that never did so now you got some serious dwell times. There are actually some streets that could’ve used some lanes but were turned to bike lanes instead (Lawrence bumped to one lane). Heck half these bikers wouldn’t need all this protection if they biked predictably and didn’t blow lights. Even if full on bus or BAT lanes aren’t a possibility on Michigan at least a queue jump may help considering the bus stops are positioned to not be where cars turn right so after loading up, soon as the light changes you can let any buses go first to eliminate merging time and such. Honestly Mag Mile would probably be a perfect candidate for off board payments and all door boarding. 

[Sam92]

Another thing that may help is converting routes to drop off only when another route that is jsut starting overlaps. Example, 4 would only drop off passengers north of Roosevelt since the 3 is in the same area, 3 would drop off only north of wacker once the 146, 147 and 151 transition to Michigan, etc. that way you help buses get in position for a return trip faster by separating boarding and alighting patterns a bit more.