Optima Opus Now In Service.

[Guest]

That might have been a N5 route if you saw an Opus near 69th/State. Its possible that N5 use those buses @night.

Thats to give you an idea of how more and more incompetent CTA mangement is. They dont have a clue on how to staff the right equipment for the right job. All they care about is that they placed a bus out there on the street without regard as to the type of equipment they have running or the job is has to complete. Huberman has to be the worst pick for the CTA. CTA is imploding on itself and it seems city management dosent care. They dont have transit professionals running the system. Like I said in previous messages, CTA managment, oh yes that Huberman guy too! They probably couldnt tell you what a "6000" is or what a "Green Hornet" is. Probably not even a "trolley coach"! How sad it is, Chicago has a chance to shine should we win the Olympics. But our transit system has to now set the bar to be ready in time should the Olympics come to Chicago. If this downward spiral continues, this system will not, by a long shot be ready to run efficient should the Olympics come here. CTA cant wait until 2016 !

[Busjack]

While I have criticized Huberman's qualifications before, I don't think there is enough in this thread to indict him here. I refer back to posts on how the CTA at 103rd Garage and Pace South assign particular buses to a run, with some more commentary on how CTA does it in the Pace thread. Obviously, it is those people who either mess up or do as best they can.

[qwantae]

Last Friday Evening,

I've seen a Optima #506 on #28 Stony Island by 75th going southbound for the first time and I was laughing.

[qwantae]

Because they are separate organizations that do separate procurement with separate specifications. Orion VIs don't meet the Standard Bus Procurement Guidelines followed by CTA. Maybe you want to write your legislators and ask them to merge procurement activities in the RTA as part of the bill they are not passing. Other than that, Pace would have to offer them for sale and CTA would have to buy them (as happened with the 4915s). Pace certainly doesn't need the Optimas in return; they have plenty of EZ Riders (especially if the contingency plan goes into effect). Our friend in South Division certainly doesn't want them.

Also, as correctly noted in Tribune Mess Up, 151 is not the CTA's busiest route, it is 11th.

As an aside, I saw Saturday that Hammond was running one of the old Thomases instead of an Optima; maybe it needs one, but not the other 44.

Then what is the CTA's busiest Route?

[Busjack]

According to CTA Monthly Ridership Reports, it is 79th, as was indicated in the quoted link (if you had read it, rather than just copied it).

[renardo870]

B)

Last Friday Evening,

I've seen a Optima #506 on #28 Stony Island by 75th going southbound for the first time and I was laughing.

I have seen a few 500 buses going into 47th/Lake Park turnaround as 28 Stony Island. Is the#28 that short on buses (no pun intended) or is ridership that low that it requires a 30ft bus to serve that street? Maybe since the U of C routes are running a summer schedule, I guess that 103rd feels that the buses need to run somewhere. I guess that they will put them on the #2,#14, #15, #26, #X28 or the #169 next. Has anyone else seen these buses on heavy routes like the 30, 34, 111, 119? I wonder if they would try to use them on the #128 when the Bears play?

[Busjack]

I have seen a few 500 buses going into 47th/Lake Park turnaround as 28 Stony Island. Is the#28 that short on buses (no pun intended) or is ridership that low that it requires a 30ft bus to serve that street?

The Ridership Report (to which I previously alluded) indicates that 28 is down 1300 on average weekly boardings year to year, although X28 is up about 1500. Thus, a chunk of riders have migrated away from the 28 to the X28. Also, the prior post indicated that the Optima was sighted in the evening; you didn't mention what time of day you saw the buses in the turnaround.

Demographically, Stony Island isn't what it once was. I remember when it was narrower north of 69th and there were apartment buildings on both sides up to 67th, and on the west side up to Hyde Park HS. That is certainly not the case today.

30 can't be that heavy of a route, as the report has about 3400 riders, and a productivity of 27.2.

Obviously, one can't tell at the terminal whether an Optima would be overloaded further on in the route. Also, with all the junk at 103rd (i.e. unreplaced 5300s and the like), one doesn't know if the Optimas are being assigned out of necessity.

[trainman8119]

30 can't be that heavy of a route, as the report has about 3400 riders, and a productivity of 27.2.

Maybe 30 isn't that heavy of a route, but I have seen NABI's on the route during afternoon rush hour (like 3-5 pm). That would make sense....Optimas on heavy routes and NABI's on light ones.

[busfan4022]

I have seen a few 500 buses going into 47th/Lake Park turnaround as 28 Stony Island. Is the#28 that short on buses (no pun intended) or is ridership that low that it requires a 30ft bus to serve that street? Maybe since the U of C routes are running a summer schedule, I guess that 103rd feels that the buses need to run somewhere. I guess that they will put them on the #2,#14, #15, #26, #X28 or the #169 next. Has anyone else seen these buses on heavy routes like the 30, 34, 111, 119? I wonder if they would try to use them on the #128 when the Bears play?

Those buses are always on the 28, and so was the Orions. 103rd doesn't even bother to put the NABIs back on that line. Mostly the only thing you will catch is a TMC, Flxible, and maybe a Optima (Weekends there littered on it, and Weekdays there rare.) But waiting 30 mins for a bus too appear on that route, is not even worth trying too ride the Optima. >_>

Hahahaha #14 route? Impossible.

#15-They would do it, seeing as it goes near Hyde Park anyway (or through I forgot).

EDIT: The route 30? Nobody rides it really, I don't see why it hasn't been cut.

[cta5658]

505 Was On The #103 West 103rd @ 95th Terminal

[BUSANGEL#1]

505 Was On The #103 West 103rd @ 95th Terminal

I BELIEVE YOU, I RODE A OPTIMA ON THE #34 sOUTH mICHIGAN, #512

AND ONTHE #106 EAST 103RD, #509

[qwantae]

Maybe 30 isn't that heavy of a route, but I have seen NABI's on the route during afternoon rush hour (like 3-5 pm). That would make sense....Optimas on heavy routes and NABI's on light ones.

Around 11pm last week, I believe it was a last run on Rt#30 from 69th Red Line. Few times, Ive seen an NABI was swithing from #169 UPS drop-off to #30. So the mostly NABI on #30 connects to #169 UPS.