The Grievances of the 22 Clark Bus

[pudgym29]

Depending on local circumstances (the 1987 Chevrolet Sprint is in a repair shop at Addison & Milwaukee awaiting a new battery which Rock Auto reports won't get there until the 8th, my satchel is in a leather repair shop at Western & Wilson and could be ready any day now), for Tuesday, 7 April 2026 - "National Beer Day", I'm going to Hopleaf at Clark & Devon. I'm going to take a seat in the south extension of the pub, which looks out at N. Clark St., and write down all the times a route #22 bus gets to the intersection, starting at approximately 16:30 [utc-6]. I should be there for four-to-six hours. I haven't yet decided whether to note which vehicles are 60-footers.
[N.B.: The back door to get to Hopleaf is the route #50 Damen bus, which has a northbound stop on the northeast corner of Ashland & Devon.]

[Bus fanatic30]

I was a frequent rider of Clark( I live off Ridge and Fargo)for a few years before I started back driving. Morning rush hour on Clark is a breeze, minimum traffic not much cars double parking up and down Clark. Towards and doing Evening rush is where the problem begins. That’s when I’ll take the redline( which get treated like a red headed step child waiting 15/25min just to get into Howard) or the purple line depending on time. You’ll see 2/3 buses bunching up in either direction on bus tracker. There’s not much CTA can do about Clark cause there’s to many factors that make that route unreliable doing evening rush hour 

[artthouwill]

On 4/4/2026 at 12:33 PM, pudgym29 said:

Depending on local circumstances (the 1987 Chevrolet Sprint is in a repair shop at Addison & Milwaukee awaiting a new battery which Rock Auto reports won't get there until the 8th, my satchel is in a leather repair shop at Western & Wilson and could be ready any day now), for Tuesday, 7 April 2026 - "National Beer Day", I'm going to Hopleaf at Clark & Devon. I'm going to take a seat in the south extension of the pub, which looks out at N. Clark St., and write down all the times a route #22 bus gets to the intersection, starting at approximately 16:30 [utc-6]. I should be there for four-to-six hours. I haven't yet decided whether to note which vehicles are 60-footers.
[N.B.: The back door to get to Hopleaf is the route #50 Damen bus, which has a northbound stop on the northeast corner of Ashland & Devon.]

It's a miracle that a Chevrolet Sprint is still in existence.   I had a 1988 5 speed model.  It lasted about 8 years.  I think after 88, it was rebranded the Geo Metro.

Back to Clark Street,  there's nothing that can fix the 22 in its current form other than making it a bus only thoroughfare or taking buses off Clark altogether. 

 

[YoungBusLover]

3 hours ago, Bus fanatic30 said:

I was a frequent rider of Clark( I live off Ridge and Fargo)for a few years before I started back driving. Morning rush hour on Clark is a breeze, minimum traffic not much cars double parking up and down Clark. Towards and doing Evening rush is where the problem begins. That’s when I’ll take the redline( which get treated like a red headed step child waiting 15/25min just to get into Howard) or the purple line depending on time. You’ll see 2/3 buses bunching up in either direction on bus tracker. There’s not much CTA can do about Clark cause there’s to many factors that make that route unreliable doing evening rush hour 

Finally someone gets it, say it louder for those who don't seem to understand it all the way in the back.

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, Bus fanatic30 said:

I was a frequent rider of Clark( I live off Ridge and Fargo)for a few years before I started back driving.  ...That’s when I’ll take the redline( which get treated like a red headed step child waiting 15/25min just to get into Howard) or the purple line depending on time. ...

I would have taken the Purple Line to Howard and just walk, except the neighborhood around Popeye's has become too dicey. 22, even if would run properly, doesn't seem to do much except to let you off at Rogers. Maybe if the 201 extension south of Howard ever gets implemented, it might do you some good.

[Bus fanatic30]

On 4/5/2026 at 8:04 PM, Busjack said:

I would have taken the Purple Line to Howard and just walk, except the neighborhood around Popeye's has become too dicey. 22, even if would run properly, doesn't seem to do much except to let you off at Rogers. Maybe if the 201 extension south of Howard ever gets implemented, it might do you some good.

Sorry for the late reply, I usually do take the purple line if it’s after 3pm. But whenever there’s a problem on the trains, taking the bus is the only option. And tbh Clark isn’t the only route that bad doing evening rush, Damen is horrible and 49b to be a short route is horrible also. Clark just gets a bad rep for whatever reason.

[Elkmn]

9 minutes ago, Bus fanatic30 said:

Clark just gets a bad rep for whatever reason.

It's the bunching! 

[jtrussel]

On 4/5/2026 at 8:04 PM, Busjack said:

I would have taken the Purple Line to Howard and just walk, except the neighborhood around Popeye's has become too dicey. 22, even if would run properly, doesn't seem to do much except to let you off at Rogers. Maybe if the 201 extension south of Howard ever gets implemented, it might do you some good.

More like the east end of howard is more dicey I used to live on howard and wolcott. While it had its moments its alot better than the east side of the redline

[Busjack]

5 hours ago, jtrussel said:

More like the east end of howard is more dicey I used to live on howard and wolcott. While it had its moments its alot better than the east side of the redline

Some of the violence spilled out from the community center at about Ashland into the Popeye's parking lot.