Spring 2024 Bus Pick

[Elkmn]

The CTA put out a press release about new schedules for 30 routes where service on some routes will return to near pre-covid levels. 

I found that it wasn't too much, usually adding an extra 1 or 2 buses on the route, but some routes received drastic changes, like the 50, which went from every 15 minutes during peak to every 8-12 minutes, and the 77 which went from every 12 minutes on Saturdays (midday) to every 8 minutes. Shame, those used to be my 2 most used bus routes, now I'm stuck with the unreliable, slow and infrequent mess of the 78 (better than the 22 I guess). Something that I found odd was the CTA not advertising or even mentioning the addition of every 20 minute weekday midday service on the 85A. It's also good that they boosted service on the 111 and 115, so the far south side now has more choice for frequent (in retrospect...) bus services outside of the south Michigan and south Halsted corridors.
Here's the new schedules: https://www.transitchicago.com/travel-information/service-updates/advance-timetables-for-march-2024/

Here's the press release: https://www.transitchicago.com/more-cta-bus-service-coming-soon/

[renardo870]

The 35 31st/35th, 63 63rd, 72 North Ave and 78 Montrose routes have added the Spring/Summer Beach weekend service on this pick. 

[jajuan]

1 hour ago, renardo870 said:

The 35 31st/35th, 63 63rd, 72 North Ave and 78 Montrose routes have added the Spring/Summer Beach weekend service on this pick. 

Not too much of a surprise given that they made adding the beach services during the start of Spring pick instead of Memorial Day weekend a thing during last year's spring pick change.

[jajuan]

3 hours ago, Elkmn said:

The CTA put out a press release about new schedules for 30 routes where service on some routes will return to near pre-covid levels. 

I found that it wasn't too much, usually adding an extra 1 or 2 buses on the route, but some routes received drastic changes, like the 50, which went from every 15 minutes during peak to every 8-12 minutes, and the 77 which went from every 12 minutes on Saturdays (midday) to every 8 minutes. Shame, those used to be my 2 most used bus routes, now I'm stuck with the unreliable, slow and infrequent mess of the 78 (better than the 22 I guess). Something that I found odd was the CTA not advertising or even mentioning the addition of every 20 minute weekday midday service on the 85A. It's also good that they boosted service on the 111 and 115, so the far south side now has more choice for frequent (in retrospect...) bus services outside of the south Michigan and south Halsted corridors.
Here's the new schedules: https://www.transitchicago.com/travel-information/service-updates/advance-timetables-for-march-2024/

Here's the press release: https://www.transitchicago.com/more-cta-bus-service-coming-soon/

The changes may not seem like much for some routes, but it's still a step in the right direction especially given how much of a hit that public perception of reliability has taken after the driver shortage got bad enough to force them into a schedule change system wise meant to more realistically reflect their actual staffing levels but still had very noticeable changes in rush hour service frequency.

[sht6131]

19 hours ago, jajuan said:

The changes may not seem like much for some routes, but it's still a step in the right direction especially given how much of a hit that public perception of reliability has taken after the driver shortage got bad enough to force them into a schedule change system wise meant to more realistically reflect their actual staffing levels but still had very noticeable changes in rush hour service frequency.

The 82 Kimball Homan Sunday SB schedule indicates late evening terminal is 31st & Komensky which is correct. Weekday and Saturday indicates all day and evening to 31st & Central Park. Also SB Sunday 13 to 16 min. indicates to 31st & Central Park instead of from LTC.