CTA Fall 2024 Bus Pick 8/25/24 🚌

[renardo870]

Good day good people. Aside from the #9 Ashland extension to Lawrence/ Ravenswood and the return of seasonal school trippers, are there other new changes happening?

[Tcmetro]

One of the recent press releases said that they will be restoring bus service towards pre pandemic levels in the fall and winter picks.

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-updates-rail-timetables-to-reflect-increased-weekday-service-/

[YoungBusLover]

Night cars seem to be a thing of the past for the Fall Pick as a small chunk of AM/PM runs have crossed over into the Night Car time slots. Some runs start after 7 and end around 3/4 am. While others begin around 2 am. It's quite surprising to say the least. 

[renardo870]

3 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Night cars seem to be a thing of the past for the Fall Pick as a small chunk of AM/PM runs have crossed over into the Night Car time slots. Some runs start after 7 and end around 3/4 am. While others begin around 2 am. It's quite surprising to say the least. 

That's gonna be wild to see an AM run X001 or a PM X450 on the street at 0230 but on what route? It's only so many Night Car runs on the street. N4, N5, N9, N20, N22, N34, N49, N55 N60, N62, N63, N66, N77, N79 & N81 & N87. Definitely intriguing.

[Busjack]

26 minutes ago, renardo870 said:

That's gonna be wild to see an AM run X001 or a PM X450 on the street at 0230 but on what route? It's only so many Night Car runs on the street. N4, N5, N9, N20, N22, N34, N49, N55 N60, N62, N63, N66, N77, N79 & N81 & N87. Definitely intriguing.

The question is how much interlining there is now and will be after the pick. For instance, N5 came off of 95. Starting at 2 a.m. sounds weird, but maybe it is a way to cut down on split runs. Does this affect the old transit rule that the day starts at 4 a.m.?

[renardo870]

On 8/11/2024 at 4:55 PM, Busjack said:

The question is how much interlining there is now and will be after the pick. For instance, N5 came off of 95. Starting at 2 a.m. sounds weird, but maybe it is a way to cut down on split runs. Does this affect the old transit rule that the day starts at 4 a.m.?

I believe that each transit day starts @0300

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

There are operators that are supposed to come at 2:00 am on the new picks, they pull a bus out around 2:30, so yeah it seems like they’re trying to get the night car buses away

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

I am looking at the new schedules on TransSee, and it appears they are trying to slow down on reliefs on some routes. For example, on 90 Harlem, the first bus of the day does 3 round trips down Harlem. The second trip does two trips on Harlem and the 88/56. Third trip is normal length, but apparently a lot of the afternoon runs are pullouts and pullins that one driver can keep, so it does appear they are trying to stop so much reliefs and do a lot of pull outs and pull ins.

[sht6131]

2 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

I am looking at the new schedules on TransSee, and it appears they are trying to slow down on reliefs on some routes. For example, on 90 Harlem, the first bus of the day does 3 round trips down Harlem. The second trip does two trips on Harlem and the 88/56. Third trip is normal length, but apparently a lot of the afternoon runs are pullouts and pullins that one driver can keep, so it does appear they are trying to stop so much reliefs and do a lot of pull outs and pull ins.

Where on TransSee is this Info?

 

[artthouwill]

3 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

I am looking at the new schedules on TransSee, and it appears they are trying to slow down on reliefs on some routes. For example, on 90 Harlem, the first bus of the day does 3 round trips down Harlem. The second trip does two trips on Harlem and the 88/56. Third trip is normal length, but apparently a lot of the afternoon runs are pullouts and pullins that one driver can keep, so it does appear they are trying to stop so much reliefs and do a lot of pull outs and pull ins.

It sounds like they are trying to be more efficient with street reliefs at least at Forest Glen.  A driver doing a relief on the 90 at Harlem Blue Line requires a ride on the 85 AND a ride either on the Blue Line or the 88.  It's more efficient to do a 90/88 interline with a Jefferson Park lunch and a round trip on the 56.   Perhaps they are trying to somewhat emulate what 103rd does at 95th/Red Line.   

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

18 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

It sounds like they are trying to be more efficient with street reliefs at least at Forest Glen.  A driver doing a relief on the 90 at Harlem Blue Line requires a ride on the 85 AND a ride either on the Blue Line or the 88.  It's more efficient to do a 90/88 interline with a Jefferson Park lunch and a round trip on the 56.   Perhaps they are trying to somewhat emulate what 103rd does at 95th/Red Line.   

So based on what I see it appears drivers that complete their first half on Harlem will have their lunch near the blue line station, but the drivers who finish their second half will get to take the bus they are on to the garage, that is what I see. Drivers who do not go on Harlem for their other half or have a split run will take their bus to the garage.

 

55 minutes ago, sht6131 said:

Where on TransSee is this Info?

 

Search the route schedules but set the date to August 26

[Sam92]

36 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

It sounds like they are trying to be more efficient with street reliefs at least at Forest Glen.  A driver doing a relief on the 90 at Harlem Blue Line requires a ride on the 85 AND a ride either on the Blue Line or the 88.  It's more efficient to do a 90/88 interline with a Jefferson Park lunch and a round trip on the 56.   Perhaps they are trying to somewhat emulate what 103rd does at 95th/Red Line.   

 

16 minutes ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

So based on what I see it appears drivers that complete their first half on Harlem will have their lunch near the blue line station, but the drivers who finish their second half will get to take the bus they are on to the garage, that is what I see. Drivers who do not go on Harlem for their other half or have a split run will take their bus to the garage.

 

Search the route schedules but set the date to August 26

Wait I thought drivers get relieved at 95th/Jefferson Park but go to the garage for break?

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

3 hours ago, Sam92 said:

 

Wait I thought drivers get relieved at 95th/Jefferson Park but go to the garage for break?

90 is not a jefferson park route. Not every route does this but it appears some routes do. I noticed one trip on the 36 Broadway goes down to lasalle metra station during the night then has to take that bus to the garage to pull in

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

90 is not a jefferson park route. Not every route does this but it appears some routes do. I noticed one trip on the 36 Broadway goes down to lasalle metra station during the night then has to take that bus to the garage to pull in

There are always deadheads, and @Erin Mishkin Jr. said some were interlined with 88.

I also wonder if any of the 90 issues relate to the bus bridge at Harlem-Higgins having been demolished for reconstruction.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

29 minutes ago, Busjack said:

There are always deadheads, and @Erin Mishkin Jr. said some were interlined with 88.

I also wonder if any of the 90 issues relate to the bus bridge at Harlem-Higgins having been demolished for reconstruction.

the early deadheads are normal for all routes that do not stop directly in front of the garage like the 93 or 85, not just 90 in particular. The bridge should not affect anything because the buses are rerouted onto quiet streets to turn around so that shouldn't affect anything.

[Sam92]

12 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

90 is not a jefferson park route. Not every route does this but it appears some routes do. I noticed one trip on the 36 Broadway goes down to lasalle metra station during the night then has to take that bus to the garage to pull in

 

8 hours ago, Busjack said:

There are always deadheads, and @Erin Mishkin Jr. said some were interlined with 88.

I also wonder if any of the 90 issues relate to the bus bridge at Harlem-Higgins having been demolished for reconstruction.

Yeah I know 90 isn't at the Jeff lol. I just didn't know Jeff Park route drivers stayed there for lunch vs the garage 

[Tcmetro]

The press release says which routes are getting improvements:

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-adds-additional-bus-service-across-city/

The following routes will see weekday increase in service:

#21 Cermak

#22 Clark

#24 Wentworth

#53A South Pulaski

#62 Archer

#77 Belmont

#87 87th

#94 California

#146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express

#152 Addison*

#156 LaSalle

*The #152 Addison will also receive Saturday service increase.

[renardo870]

5 hours ago, Tcmetro said:

The press release says which routes are getting improvements:

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-adds-additional-bus-service-across-city/

The following routes will see weekday increase in service:

#21 Cermak

#22 Clark

#24 Wentworth

#53A South Pulaski

#62 Archer

#77 Belmont

#87 87th

#94 California

#146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express

#152 Addison*

#156 LaSalle

*The #152 Addison will also receive Saturday service increase.

Aside from the 65 Grand, what were the additional routes that received improved service in the June 2024 pick? 

[Tcmetro]

11 hours ago, renardo870 said:

Aside from the 65 Grand, what were the additional routes that received improved service in the June 2024 pick? 

From my notes, the June 2024 improvements were on the 12-Roosevelt, J14-Jeffery Jump, 37-Sedgwick, 49-Western, 49B-North Western, X49-Western Exp, 56-Milwaukee (Saturdays), 63-63rd, 65-Grand, 73-Armitage, 74-Fullerton, 76-Diversey, 78-Montrose (Weekdays & Saturdays), 91-Austin, 92-Foster, 95-95th, 126-Jackson, 134-Stockton/LaSalle Exp, 147-Outer DLSD Exp (Weekdays & Saturdays), 148-Clarendon/Michigan Exp.

[renardo870]

8 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

From my notes, the June 2024 improvements were on the 12-Roosevelt, J14-Jeffery Jump, 37-Sedgwick, 49-Western, 49B-North Western, X49-Western Exp, 56-Milwaukee (Saturdays), 63-63rd, 65-Grand, 73-Armitage, 74-Fullerton, 76-Diversey, 78-Montrose (Weekdays & Saturdays), 91-Austin, 92-Foster, 95-95th, 126-Jackson, 134-Stockton/LaSalle Exp, 147-Outer DLSD Exp (Weekdays & Saturdays), 148-Clarendon/Michigan Exp.

Thanks @Tcmetro! I was looking for the press release for the Summer schedule improvements but I only came across the 65 Grand. 

Edited August 24 by renardo870

[Tcmetro]

The press release said that bus service is at 98% of pre-covid service levels. There might be a few routes that are still outstanding service restoration, but I'd imagine that the bulk of restorations yet to happen are on the downtown & DLSD express routes. Will be interesting to see if CTA restores service on those in the December pick.

[andrethebusman]

On 8/19/2024 at 7:43 AM, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

There are operators that are supposed to come at 2:00 am on the new picks, they pull a bus out around 2:30, so yeah it seems like they’re trying to get the night car buses away

Actually more like going back to pre-1970s practice when there were "night cars" that started around 2am and worked to almost 11 am. Pulaski had one like that. 

Additionally, until 1960s runs were numbered according to end time. Night cars were first runs of the day, so for instance 421 on Pulaski would be the first night car, then 422, 423, 424, then 425 first am, etc. Sounds like going back to that setup.

[andrethebusman]

Just now, andrethebusman said:

Actually more like going back to pre-1970s practice when there were "night cars" that started around 2am and worked to almost 11 am. Pulaski had one like that. 

Additionally, until 1960s runs were numbered according to end time. Night cars were first runs of the day, so for instance 421 on Pulaski would be the first night car, then 422, 423, 424, then 425 first am, etc. Sounds like going back to that setup.

This also brings up a bit of trivia  - in 1950s when streetcar routes started getting weekend buses, the first buses would come out about 2am or so as the first work of Saturday, while last streetcars pulled in about 2am. Sunday night, first streetcars came out a out 2am, last buses went in about 2am .

First few weekend conversions were a bit different, as Monday morning night cars used buses, but this resulted in a couple of buses out in the AM rush along with streetcars, so the scenario above was implemented after a short while.

[jajuan]

On 9/18/2024 at 2:51 PM, andrethebusman said:

Actually more like going back to pre-1970s practice when there were "night cars" that started around 2am and worked to almost 11 am. Pulaski had one like that. 

Additionally, until 1960s runs were numbered according to end time. Night cars were first runs of the day, so for instance 421 on Pulaski would be the first night car, then 422, 423, 424, then 425 first am, etc. Sounds like going back to that setup.

That explains why the early N9 I sometimes observe went from being numbered 609x to 607x. As I recall, the 607x run numbers in earlier picks used to be those evening runs on Ashland that pulled in after their final round trips towards the end of the evening as the N9 runs started pulling out and taking up the Ashland service.