Destination Signs

[trainman8119]

sw4400 Wrote:

The second time I was waiting for a Kimball bound "L" train at Addison. For those who ride the Brown Line, you know this line uses the 3200's

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It is a sign (no pun) of the times. With the advent of single man operation and electronic destination signs, any time there might be an equipment shortage someplace, there is the potential for some off the wall equipment to be in a foreign place. In fact that is part of the reason we have electronic signs on buses now, so that the buses can be easily interchanged between garages. It is a very easy process to get 2400's from Skokie/Howard Street over to the Ravenswood (sorry modern types...I still think of it as that, I hate that color stuff) if the need arises. In fact now that I think of it, the Ravenswood has 3200's assinged to the route, but how many Budd cars do you see there now....quite a few.

[Busjack]

With the advent of single man operation and electronic destination signs, any time there might be an equipment shortage someplace, there is the potential for some off the wall equipment to be in a foreign place. In fact that is part of the reason we have electronic signs on buses now, so that the buses can be easily interchanged between garages.

The electronic signs were never a prerequisite. In the old days, they would frequently shift buses for emergency reasons, such as a 77th barn bus to 55-Garfield, and just display EAST TERMINAL and WEST TERMINAL signs. (Where was West Terminal?) But maybe that didn't happen as often as now, in that most barns kept their buses in series number order, while you don't see that so much any more.

BTW, the L signs are not electronic, although there is a limited number of roller sign groups, and several lines on one roll.

[geneking7320]

Does anyone know if the L signrolls carry enough signs for all the routes?

[trainman8119]

I believe the rolls do have all the routes on them, including the Orange Ford City sign.

[Kevin]

Does anyone know if the L signrolls carry enough signs for all the routes?

Roll signs only carry a maximum of 15 signs. I'm guessing there's at least two or three roll sign types that are used.

[Busjack]

One set has Red, Brown, Purple (and maybe Orange). Green and Blue are definitely on another set.

[MetroShadow]

I'm curious about the destination signs for routes 3 and 29 both served by the 77th Garage. The southbound King Dr. local needs two messages:

      3 KING DR

      3   TO 95TH

Whereas the southbound State St. bus needs only this:

      29 STATE - 95

If you can get the message in one viewing it's a plus.

That's where the consistency, as per the map, suggests. You'd have to rely on the announcements of where the bus is going, if its even accurate at all.

The 3 should suggest as:

3 KING DR

3 to 95th/CHGO ST

Then 29 as:

29 STATE

29 95/RED LINE

29 STATE

29 to GRAND/RED LINE

Sure, its easier to put it all there at once, but where's the fun in predicting the route's destination? :P

[trainman8119]

29 State-Grand Red Line would be cool, and probably how the CTA would display the route, since the northbound State route actually ends at Navy Pier.

[Busjack]

Today I saw a sign on 309 "ELMHURT METRA." Maybe Dutch Elm Disease has hit and the tree fell on the tracks.

[Buslover88]

I also saw a #68 Northwest Highway Bus pulling into the Jefferson Park

Terminal Yesterday. It said:68 NW HYW (filp) Park Ridge CNW. And I also saw a #56 Milwaukee,this is what it said:5 6 M i l w a u k e e

5 6 t o W a b a s h/ J a c k s o n. The Sign was really Messed up! The 56 Milwaukee does even end at Wasbash/Jackson. It ends at Washington/Michigan. And around 5:00am this Morning,i saw a 76 Diversey,it said this:76 Diversey

76 to Logan Sqaure

76 via Central Park/Belmont

First,i know the buses only go to Logan Square at 5:00am because i jog around there,and,Second i live in Logan Sqaure,Thrid,76 Diversey does not operate Central Park/Belmont.Everyone was confused & Really Mad. And there was no Mention of the Blue on Destination Sign or the Sign Inside. It said:Milwaukee+Kedzie when it should say:

"Logan Square Blue Line"

[venom_20]

Well, i've only been to chicago a few times. Your complaints are completely right. Me being a person that doesn't live in your city it's really hard to get around without having to ask drivers or other people which bus i should catch or where they are going.

It seems like they need to do what they do here in pittsburgh. Our signs show up to four destinations. sometimes two will be stacked in small capitols, and others will show up after that. the first line is usually the route name then, up maybe two areas that the bus goes to, finally which major street or area it goes to to get there. Also, when the doors open, there is a voice that calls out what route it's on, and which direction it's going in.

I'll give you a sample of one bus route and all of the information it says on the destination signs.

61A:East Pittsburgh-Wilkinsburg(route name)

Downtown(where it's going)

via Oakland(what major neighborhood it goes through)

The only problem i see with our busses are the 2005 gillig low floors. The destination signs blank out for a long period of time and sometimes you can't tell which route the bus is on.

[Buslover88]

Do you have any Pics of the Pittsburgh Busses?

[cta1060]

I seen dest. signs that have nothing. It's either paper signs taped on the window or ask the driver where its going.

The worst ones were the MAN 4000s.

The "L" trains still use roll signs. That's nice.

[Busjack]

Looks like at least Pace Northwest is going away from the two line signs, although not consistently. Destinations are now ROSEMNT CTA, CUMBLD CTA, JEFF PK CTA, and GLENBK HOSP, instead of ROSEMONT CTA STATION, CUMBERLAND CTA STATION, etc. (Excuse me if I included or left out a wrong letter). The ones leaving Rosemont still had the 2 line signs, such as 223 ELK GROVE {over} WEST ROUTE.

Also, it seems to be the current trend to leave out "via," such as 208 SCHAUMBURG {flip} 208 DES PLAINES instead of the former 208 SCHAUMBURG {flip} 208 NW TRANSP {flip} VIA DES PLAINES. 270 EXPRESS is a flip, rather than a second line on the JEFF PK CTA and GLENBK HOSP signs.

[pace2322]

Yep all of Pace in going to that. There said the signs last longer that way.

[cta6085]

The 119 Michigan/119th Message Should Say: 119/MICHIGAN 119th Instead Of 119 MICH/119th. I've Seen It on 4400's,5300's And 6000's

[Busjack]

The 119 Michigan/119th Message Should Say:                                                                                                                                                                                                            119/MICHIGAN 119th Instead Of 119 MICH/119th. I've Seen It on 4400's,5300's And 6000's

It's news to CTA and Pace if they can't abbreviate; they have been doing so since the electronic signs first appeared in the mid 1980's (cf. the infamous Dear/Kinzie sign mentioned in post #1). And, as I noted in post #39, Pace is using abbreviations instead of two line signs. It looks at least like CTA is consistent, and the Clever Devices controller isn't setting the wrong sign.

There [They?] said the signs last longer that way.

Since some of the signs on the Orion VIs are still flipping, I don't see how making them one line or eliminating "via" preserves them, except maybe the pixels near the edges. Seems to be an ADA or style thing. The abbreviations may cut down flipping signs on Orion Is, but not on the VIs.

Let us know when South converts.

[RJL6000]

Pace West Division has converted, as well.

For example, on the 6200's front destination sign for Route #303, it went from these:

Westbound: 303 MADISON STREET {flip} TO 9TH & NORTH AVE

Some school-day WB trips: 303 MADISON ST {over} TO 19TH/NORTH

Eastbound: 303 MADISON STREET {flip} TO FOREST PARK L

to these:

Westbound: 303 MADISON ST {flip} 303 9TH/NORTH

Some school-day WB trips: 303 MADISON ST {flip} 303 19TH/NORTH

Eastbound: 303 MADISON ST {flip} 303 FOR PK CTA

[Busjack]

Pace West Division has converted, as well.

Two questions:

[*]Did West do away with the centered numbers when the route name was too long, such as:

[align=center]330

MANNHEIM-LA GRANGE

TO O'HARE ?[/align]

[*]Did West generally retain route names? Northwest generally didn't have them before, and the signs for those routes still don't. Were the route names retained on those not based on streets, such as 304 Cicero-Lagrange?

• , as it originally was when 2120s were assigned. This might indicate an effort to conform them to the formatting of the 1990-1993 era signs, even though the 6200s can display variable size fonts.

[RJL6000]

Two questions:

[*]Did West do away with the centered numbers when the route name was too long, such as:

[align=center]330

MANNHEIM-LA GRANGE

TO O'HARE  ?[/align]

Yep, Pace West did away with the centered numbers.

[Busjack]

A few new weird ones:

270 GLENBK HOSP {flip} a bus icon EXPRESS. Probably the second is a public service sign, since there was the symbol for a bus instead of the route number.

208 EASTBOUND {flip} 208 EVANSTON and 208 WESTBOUND {flip} 208 SCHAUMBURG on some buses while

208 DES PLAINES {flip} 208 EVANSTON {flip} 208 DAVIS CTA and 208 DES PLAINES {flip} 208 SCHAUMBURG on others. Other than at Golf Mill, the direction should be obvious (but maybe this was done because both come to the same stop at Golf Mill at almost the same time). Note, no effort to display the route name 208 GOLF.

[cta6085]

Well I See 34 South Michigan Or 119 Buses:

34 S MICHIGAN

34 ALTGELD GARDENS

119 MICH/119

119 TO 95/RED LINE

But When The 6000's Got The LED Signs They Said

34 SOUTH MICHIGAN

34 TO 95/RED LINE

119 MICH/119/ST.

119 TO WESTERN

[jesi2282]

A month ago I saw a 103rd Flxible (5300) on #173 with a blue flip-dot destination sign, is this the only one with a blue sign?

[Busjack]

Comparing Pace's apparent attempt to standardize signs and get somewhat away from the two line ones, it seems like CTA is not similarly compelled. For instance X20 is being run with Novas, including both those with the green back lit flip dot signs and those with the orange LED ones. The green ones are WASHINGTON {over} MADISON {flip} EXPRESS, while the orange front ones are something like X20 WASHNGTN/MADISON {flip} EXPRESS. (The side orange ones had Washington over Madison, however).

Is there some ADA reason for not using the two line legends with the LED signs?

P.S. I liked the "GO WITH THE / GO LANE" on the back signs of the 1100s, even though the lines aren't aligned.

[jesi2282]

Why do the #86 buses continue to say : 86 NARRGANSETT (flip) 86 WRIGHT COLLEGE, why doesen't say Millwaukee/Imlay?