NITA Budget and Capital Improvement Plan

[Busjack]

NITA has the responsibility for a region-wide Budget and Capital Improvement plan, and the 2027 proposal is posted here.

Some highlights:

• CTA is purchasing 150 new hybrid-electric buses ... with deliveries expected to begin in 2027.  {I said they were not going for a new procurement, so hello Gilligs, IMO.}
  • Pace has contracts for several types of vehicles that are expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028.
• CTA is planning to install bathrooms at several bus turnarounds to improve conditions for operators.
• Pace: Cermak/22nd Street Pulse; New Suburban Passenger Facility in DuPage County
• Pace: New electric buses for the North Division Garage in Waukegan; Fully electric North Division Garage
• Pace: New coach buses to operate on I-55 out of Plainfield; new Hybrid buses operating from the Heritage garage serving routes in Joliet {I guess the 25514s were not the last.}
• CTA Forest Park Branch Kedzie and Cicero Station Design

• CTA Forest Park Branch Central Station Design: Design of a new Central Ave Station that will be fully ADA accessible and fills a gap on the Forest Park Blue Line. {Again, whatever the Act said, it's Central.}

• CTA Green Line Racine Station Reopening Design:
  • CTA Bus Reliability Improvements: Automated bus lane enforcement and priority zone painting to improve bus speed and reliability.
• NITA Regional Signage Program: CTA will install Digital Bus Stop Signs at key locations that can provide real time information including data from Metra and Pace at transfer locations.
• Bus Garage Study: Study to determine the needs and site for a potential new bus garage that could be used by CTA and Pace.
• 103rd Bus Garage Electrification: CTA’s 103rd garage will be the city’s first fully electric garage, benefiting an area that historically has seen higher levels of pollution compared to other parts of the region. 

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Bus Garage Study: Study to determine the needs and site for a potential new bus garage that could be used by CTA and Pace.

So, for the first piece of speculation: Where do you think a garage that could be used by CTA and Pace would be? Probably not in DuPage County. My vote is for somewhere around Forest Glen (which eventually has to be replaced), especially with the number of Pace routes going into Jefferson Park under the reVision draft.

[Furious Law]

The California station on the Forest Park Blue line also deserves a reprieve 

[Sam92]

7 hours ago, Furious Law said:

The California station on the Forest Park Blue line also deserves a reprieve 

From a development standpoint I don't think anything changed to justify that compared to say Damen Green or suggestions for Madison Pink. At least those have massive growth or future growth in the surrounding areas; 20 and the Green Line can handle whatever 94 riders that need to make the trip east.