MetroShadow Posted December 25, 2025 Report Posted December 25, 2025 46 minutes ago, 18thalek said: isn’t 290 touhy a pace route? maybe ten years ago or so i saw the cta running the 290 route at night and got super confused. what’s up with that? Up until the 2000s, they were pull-ins (or extra capacity for Lincolnwood). 1 1
Sam92 Posted December 25, 2025 Report Posted December 25, 2025 2 hours ago, 18thalek said: isn’t 290 touhy a pace route? maybe ten years ago or so i saw the cta running the 290 route at night and got super confused. what’s up with that? Since touhy used to be a deadhead route back to NP from Howard CTA was helping out on the way back by running these in service. Since CTA doesn't have a Touhy bus and it doesn't make sense to create a route and number for deadheads using 290 was the only way to do this. You've probably also seen CTA and Pace share 204 for similar reasons. Cta didn't want to run the service on Sat but pace did until the restructuring
Elkmn Posted December 25, 2025 Report Posted December 25, 2025 On 12/24/2025 at 4:42 AM, Sam92 said: This NP?? I know it was big but damn. But then 77th is just as big but the layout makes it look smaller than it is 🤣 NP doesn't look too big but it goes really far back, and they got a cool old building on foster next to the McDonalds.
ajm522 Posted December 27, 2025 Report Posted December 27, 2025 I wonder why Kedzie no longer does arrive on the weekends for 12 & 21. I know 12 is frequent but 21 isn’t.
Sam92 Posted December 27, 2025 Report Posted December 27, 2025 26 minutes ago, ajm522 said: I wonder why Kedzie no longer does arrive on the weekends for 12 & 21. I know 12 is frequent but 21 isn’t. So what is Kedzie doing with its artics on weekends? Even though 12 is frequent it's really the only route that has the infrastructure to help artics (bus lanes, multiple lanes) especially since 151 is only getting rush hour help from K now. They might as well go to 21 to make up for the lack of frequency if they won't up it plus I'm sure North Riverside is still a busy mall.
Elkmn Posted December 28, 2025 Report Posted December 28, 2025 11 hours ago, ajm522 said: I wonder why Kedzie no longer does arrive on the weekends for 12 & 21. I know 12 is frequent but 21 isn’t. Really?! I thought Roosevelt and Cermak were the "heartland" of Kedzie Garage's operations!
Sam92 Posted December 28, 2025 Report Posted December 28, 2025 10 hours ago, Elkmn said: Really?! I thought Roosevelt and Cermak were the "heartland" of Kedzie Garage's operations! He meant why don't they use artics. As far as the bulk of K operations I'd say K is a mostly ex limts and archer. Hard to track what I did before that with all the garage closings
cta5658 Posted December 28, 2025 Report Posted December 28, 2025 52 minutes ago, Sam92 said: He meant why don't they use artics. As far as the bulk of K operations I'd say K is a mostly ex limts and archer. Hard to track what I did before that with all the garage closings Don't forget Lawndale too
Sam92 Posted December 28, 2025 Report Posted December 28, 2025 3 hours ago, cta5658 said: Don't forget Lawndale too When did Lawndale go from being a main garage to mainly substituting for other garages under construction? That, K, North Ave and Archer seem like a lot so I'm guessing one of the 70s or 80s cuts? Was Lawndale a mix of what would later be K, C and Archer routes? I saw 18, 37 and some lower/near West ran out of there during some rebuilds
Busjack Posted December 28, 2025 Report Posted December 28, 2025 1 hour ago, Sam92 said: When did Lawndale go from being a main garage to mainly substituting for other garages under construction? That, K, North Ave and Archer seem like a lot so I'm guessing one of the 70s or 80s cuts? Was Lawndale a mix of what would later be K, C and Archer routes? I saw 18, 37 and some lower/near West ran out of there during some reburted showing up on K ilds 1973. or so. Had 1972 buses about 1260 to 1299, which started to show up on K routes when the Roosevelt trolley bus ended. Lawndale prim arily had 21, 25, 50, and I guess 58 and 60. The first 3 were noticeable because it ran CMC old look GMCs and 1961 new look GMCs.
cta5658 Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 1 hour ago, sht6131 said: I think 82 was there also When created (replacing the 82 Kimball and 82A Kedzie-Homan), the 82 was originally shared by NP and Lawndale and in December 1973, Lawndale sent it's portion to Kedzie until 1979 when the original Kedzie Garage closed and that portion went back to Lawndale and when the current Kedzie Garage opened in 1984, Lawndale's portion of the 82 returned to Kedzie for 2 years before heading back to Lawndale and in 1994, with the opening of Chicago Ave and the closing of Lawndale, the 82 was completely moved to Kedzie where it has been since even though NP did runs in the rush between 2010 and 2012. 2
sht6131 Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 I was a patrol boy in 1946 at the corner of Kimball and Beach Avenue. I watched the the buses go by. I think Kimball Rte 82A was new. Was named Kimball-Central Park and was operated from Lawndale barn. Operated between Lawndale and 31st and Kimball and Wrightwood. They operated from the last couple of the east streetcar bays at at that time. I rode my bike many times to that barn. Still had street cars than, so Lawndale goes way back doing 82. NP still does school runs on the 82. Lived through all the changes you described. You have a good memory as I could not keep up with the changes. 1
busfan2847 Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 20 hours ago, Sam92 said: When did Lawndale go from being a main garage to mainly substituting for other garages under construction? That, K, North Ave and Archer seem like a lot so I'm guessing one of the 70s or 80s cuts? Was Lawndale a mix of what would later be K, C and Archer routes? I saw 18, 37 and some lower/near West ran out of there during some rebuilds Lawndale closed as a main garage on 12/16/1973. It reopened 9/2/1979 to 6/29/1984 while Kedzie was being rebuilt and 9/7/1986 to 7/3/1994 while North Ave garage was replaced by a new Chicago Ave garage. The building was demolished in 1999.
Sam92 Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 26 minutes ago, busfan2847 said: Lawndale closed as a main garage on 12/16/1973. It reopened 9/2/1979 to 6/29/1984 while Kedzie was being rebuilt and 9/7/1986 to 7/3/1994 while North Ave garage was replaced by a new Chicago Ave garage. The building was demolished in 1999. Ahh so one of those major restructurings... It kinda looks like Lawndale was in a better spot then Kedzie. Especially for 18, 21, 60, 37(now 157), 54B. In retrospect I would have invested whatever went into K into Lawndale and some upgrades To Archer giving it 125, 156, 130. I'm sure the reliability of 21, 54B, 60 and 37/157 in particular would have benefited from the shorter relief and pull-outs.
artthouwill Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 2 hours ago, Sam92 said: Ahh so one of those major restructurings... It kinda looks like Lawndale was in a better spot then Kedzie. Especially for 18, 21, 60, 37(now 157), 54B. In retrospect I would have invested whatever went into K into Lawndale and some upgrades To Archer giving it 125, 156, 130. I'm sure the reliability of 21, 54B, 60 and 37/157 in particular would have benefited from the shorter relief and pull-outs. Back then there were many more bus routes. Also, the 37 at that time ended at Taylor and Damen, so more than likely the Ogden route would have been a 58A Ogden/Randolph or a 98 Ogden. Lawndale would have been expendable because route like the 13 and 32 were cut. Today there are only 7 garages. The Twin Cities have 7 garages. Three of our 7 need to be replaced and there's no sign of an 8th garage returning anytime soon. When Lawndale existed the population was still over 3 million people. Today it's 2 6 million and declining. This certainly will affect future orders and CTA may not need as many artics as it currently has Also, NITA may fundamentally change how city and regional transit oprrates.
Sam92 Posted December 29, 2025 Report Posted December 29, 2025 3 minutes ago, artthouwill said: Back then there were many more bus routes. Also, the 37 at that time ended at Taylor and Damen, so more than likely the Ogden route would have been a 58A Ogden/Randolph or a 98 Ogden. Lawndale would have been expendable because route like the 13 and 32 were cut. Today there are only 7 garages. The Twin Cities have 7 garages. Three of our 7 need to be replaced and there's no sign of an 8th garage returning anytime soon. When Lawndale existed the population was still over 3 million people. Today it's 2 6 million and declining. This certainly will affect future orders and CTA may not need as many artics as it currently has Also, NITA may fundamentally change how city and regional transit oprrates. Yeah I know it was an extra, I was saying from what it could have relieved it would have seemed better to keep Lawndale over Kedzie. Didn't the budget mention an 8th garage down the line?
Javi75 Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 With the 53 Pulaski going to Ford City what’s going to happen when the mall closes & gets demolished? What would happen to the terminus of every route that turns around there?
andrethebusman Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 On 12/28/2025 at 12:41 PM, Busjack said: 1973. or so. Had 1972 buses about 1260 to 1299, which started to show up on K routes when the Roosevelt trolley bus ended. Lawndale prim arily had 21, 25, 50, and I guess 58 and 60. The first 3 were noticeable because it ran CMC old look GMCs and 1961 new look GMCs. 1264-1297 specifically.
andrethebusman Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 56 minutes ago, Javi75 said: With the 53 Pulaski going to Ford City what’s going to happen when the mall closes & gets demolished? What would happen to the terminus of every route that turns around there? 76/Kostner is nowhere near Ford City main entrance. Like many malls, buses relegated to edge of parking lot. Pace just goes by on Cicero. Not what you call "convenient".
YoungBusLover Posted January 11 Author Report Posted January 11 2 hours ago, Javi75 said: With the 53 Pulaski going to Ford City what’s going to happen when the mall closes & gets demolished? What would happen to the terminus of every route that turns around there? If CTA is smart they'll have the 53 terminate at the orange line and have some short liners go to the pink line or 31st. 81st isn't capable of holding 2+ buses at a time during layover. Now if CTA and Daley College can agree on a possible terminal somewhere on the campus then problem solved. The CTA also needs to bring the X54 back having it terminate at the Midway Orange line. Solo Cup employees can use pace to reach that general area or just take Pulaski straight over there. 1
Tcmetro Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 The 81st & Pulaski turnaround could be used, or the city could build a new terminal within the right of way of 76th or 77th St near Ford City - both roads are far larger than they need to be. Daley College also has a lot of excess land. 2
YoungBusLover Posted January 11 Author Report Posted January 11 8 hours ago, Tcmetro said: The 81st & Pulaski turnaround could be used, or the city could build a new terminal within the right of way of 76th or 77th St near Ford City - both roads are far larger than they need to be. Daley College also has a lot of excess land. No more than 2 buses can fit in that turn around at 1 time. The best alternative is Daley College.
MetroShadow Posted January 16 Report Posted January 16 On 1/10/2026 at 6:48 PM, andrethebusman said: 76/Kostner is nowhere near Ford City main entrance. Like many malls, buses relegated to edge of parking lot. Pace just goes by on Cicero. Not what you call "convenient". I'd pay for real estate and make a terminal at Cicero. Enough for layover space and room for passengers to wait and safely transfer. 3
Busjack Posted January 17 Report Posted January 17 7 hours ago, MetroShadow said: I'd pay for real estate and make a terminal at Cicero. Enough for layover space and room for passengers to wait and safely transfer. If depends on what property rights CTA obtained to build the terminal at Ford,City Clearly CTA can't build o someone else's property and that terminal is also needed for 67 and 79.
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