Pace Service Cuts

[Busjack]

OT, Busjack: Why do you keep bringing this up in most of your conversations concerning Springfield?

1. Why did you quote a month and a half one?
   
2. The politicians there prove that they are less capable than the Springfield on TV, and couldn't even win The Simpsons Movie premiere contest. It went to Springfield, Vt. However, I started this when Springfield Ill. was still in the running (and people said on the radio, yes, win a contest to be the town run by a plutocrat, a mayor who is a womanizer, and typical of the townspeople's intellect is a person says "d'oh," and is the safety inspector at a nuclear power plant).
   
3. This also shows that in the two months of overtime, the politicians still haven't come through with the transit bill discussed in this forum starting a month and a half ago. Now they are promising Thursday.
   

OT: Only because you asked. :rolleyes:

[trainman8119]

With regard to the political nature of the service cuts, see from Moving into the Future, received today:We encourage you--along with friends and family--to share your concerns about the impact that fare increases, the elimination of all weekend service and Metra feeder service, and reduced paratransit service would have on you. ... Share your story--your Pace service depends on it! For more information on this legislation, please contact Rocky Donahue.

As time goes on with all of this nonsense, I still have to scratch my head and keep asking one burning question:

If all of these characters are the politicians they claim they are (as that all Rocky Donahue is), why is it they can't convince their buddies they need $$$ and are constantly begging all for cards and letters. If these characters are oh so powerful, then they should be able to save their own skins !!!!!!

(If anyone cares, I have a dislike for Rocky...he was in charge of the demise of customer service in Arlington Heights and was a main reason I left. A nice guy in general, all he cared about then was the politics and couldn't give a damn about the average joe. So any begging he would do when it comes to contact your congressman should be thrown back in his face...he is nothing but a lobbyist...and apparently is not a real good one).

[Busjack]

Thanks. I figured that there was a consistent, inside story.

[cta_44499_FG]

Looking at the list, it seems as though Pace is following in the CTA's footsteps in making cuts without really analyzing what they are cutting. The difference here is that they seem to be flat out cutting out any weekend service...and if it doesn't run on a weekend, then it is cut out all together (similar to CTA Sunday scenario).

just like you said... they do it without analyzing it. Basically, in the log run CTA is throwing free money in the trash (ie. X98, 169, 171, etc)., which is very very foolish in a time of need. As with Pace. If anything, worse comes to worse the routes that CTA DOES pay to operate and only serve to please a handful of people (such as the #64 Foster/Canfield or #200 Main Shuttle), should be cut. That does not mean I WANT to see them cut, but if those routes are proving to be the most baggage weight to operate...than that is what needs to go.

Anyone else have an opinion on that?

[Busjack]

just like you said... they do it without analyzing it. Basically, in the lo[n]g run CTA is throwing free money in the trash (ie. X98, 169, 171, etc)., which is very very foolish in a time of need. ... If anything, worse comes to worse the routes that CTA DOES pay to operate and only serve to please a handful of people (such as the #64 Foster/Canfield or #200 Main Shuttle), should be cut.

Anyone else have an opinion on that?

Your first part makes sense. As to the second, under the current scenario, 64 and 200 would be cut because they don't run on Sunday. What I have questioned under the CTA plan (assuming that only routes running on Sunday survive) is that certain areas lose all service, while duplicative service is not necessarily eliminated.

Something that was left unattended from the 1997 Booz-Allen report is that something other than 40 foot buses is needed to run feeders on the far NW and SW sides. The doomsday response would be to cut all service, instead of instituting paratransit or the like. However, how are riders supposed to get to the Midway Orange Line station, for instance?

[Busjack]

Pace has its contingency plan on its site, with a reduced list of Poorly performing routes scheduled for elimination. The feeder and weekend cuts were put off, but not eliminated. Thus, there is some indication that Pace listened at the hearings. Also the cognitive dissonance I previously mentioned about eliminating 208 on both Sunday and the weekend apparently had a point--the Sunday one doesn't meet service standards, and, under this plan, would be killed before other weekend service. Apparently a part of the North Shore Restructuring that did not work as well as the planners thought.

Another thing I noted is that kill 422 entirely was deleted from the proposal, but the current plan has kill 422 and 423 on Saturday. One thing that possibly correlates with that and what I said previously about not all of Pace needing a 40 foot bus is that for the last month or so, the 422/423 interlined weekend service has been run entirely with 2600s.

Also, as far as my comment about the legislature having to get off its collective duff (no sw, I'm not repeating the parenthetical comment), something will kick in on Sept. 1 unless SB572 passes and gets signed.

[Guest metralink]

This website home page should be changed, its not only the CTA cuts on Sept 16th but Pace. They have already begun. Pace cuts will be deeper than the CTA due to the limited amount of coverage and the Paratransit services.

The budget issue is taking its death knoll, when will it stop? Will it stop before service really gets cut in October and there is no way to bring it back.

Route 835 RIP 8/17

Bears Service RIP

Route 426 hearing 8/20

Fare increases 9/1

Service cuts non productive routes 10/1

All Feeder routes 12/1

all weekend service 1/6

Is anyone else worried? they seem to be serious

[Busjack]

According to a Tribune article "Even if legislators approve an 11th-hour funding measure, the 23 [poorly performing] Pace routes will not be restored, Pace spokeswoman Judi Kulm said ...." Also note that the article says that "Recently, Route 835's eight daily express runs have been carrying only about 50 riders per day, down from about 68 in 2006. Route 835 essentially duplicates service on Metra's SouthWest Line, which doubled its commuter rail service last year." That would be 6 or 7 riders a trip and also mean an empty deadhead between downtown and the SW division in Bridgeview. Thus, there is no justification for keeping 835. I would like to see the numbers on other routes, such as 208 on Sunday. In any event, it looks like Pace is using this process to "prune the tree," and a lot of routes are not coming back even if there is a bill.

It also appears that by now, it is too late for a bill to pass and be signed to avoid the cuts. If you want to get into a more detailed discussion on that, see Sick Transit Chicago, including such as this post.

Also, it seems like the link I previously posted about the final list of low performing routes is not obvious from the Pace home page.

Finally, while the hearings may be mandated by law, I find it odd if Pace thought that general public passengers (as opposed to those with Northwestern U passes) would ride 426. Maybe that is something else they had to say under the law. The notice was perfunctory--a Friday press release for a Monday hearing.

[BusExpert32]

This website home page should be changed, its not only the CTA cuts on Sept 16th but Pace. They have already begun. Pace cuts will be deeper than the CTA due to the limited amount of coverage and the Paratransit services.

The budget issue is taking its death knoll, when will it stop? Will it stop before service really gets cut in October and there is no way to bring it back.

Route 835 RIP 8/17

Bears Service RIP

Route 426 hearing 8/20

Fare increases 9/1

Service cuts non productive routes 10/1

All Feeder routes 12/1

all weekend service 1/6

Is anyone else worried? they seem to be serious

We're all worried, but the service cut that will affect the most people is the weekend service and of course the fare increases. So many people ride Pace on the routes that run on weekends that it doesn't even compare to route 835, the Bears Shuttle, route 426, the non productive routes, or the Feeder routes.

Route 835 has been getting a decrease in passengers every year, over the past few, so very little riders are affected. The Bears Shuttle can be eliminated and those passengers can take other buses/trains to get to the city. No general public riders ride the 426, only the Northwestern students do and they can take the CTA from Evanston to downtown or a charter bus provided by Northwestern University. The low performing Feeder routes can go and the non productive routes are well... non productive so they can go too. But all weekend service, come on, that just can't go out of service.

[Busjack]

The weekend cuts in the west division are starting, effective October 6, and because of interlining are affecting the schedules on other routes. See a typical Passenger Notice. 348 Weekend and all 831 service also bites it about that time. (See, I was correct, that in any event 831 and 835 would be gone.)

[BusExpert32]

The weekend cuts in the west division are starting, effective October 6, and because of interlining are affecting the schedules on other routes. See a typical Passenger Notice. 348 Weekend and all 831 service also bites it about that time. (See, I was correct, that in any event 831 and 835 would be gone.)

Well, 831 and 835 would have to go because of the dissapointing low ridership on these routes. But good opinion ahead of time though.

[Guest]

Well, 831 and 835 would have to go because of the dissapointing low ridership on these routes. But good opinion ahead of time though.

With some routes now getting the axe, does anyone think that Pace may reshuffle equipment to other areas?

I personally would like to see the Nova Classics replace some of the more worn out Orions at Academy or at least a couple of them be assigned to us since we have 3 routes that require freeway operation.

[Busjack]

First inclination would be that Pace would first get rid of the remaining Ikarus buses in West Division. No inside information, but that is the pattern of how Pace usually operates. For instance, 2 6200s could move from Joliet to West.

Also, I probably shouldn't mention that Academy is slated to lose 2 routes, so that probably puts it about 7 buses over (won't need about 5 6600s to run 699, for instance).

[BusExpert32]

First inclination would be that Pace would first get rid of the remaining Ikarus buses in West Division. No inside information, but that is the pattern of how Pace usually operates. For instance, 2 6200s could move from Joliet to West.

Also, I probably shouldn't mention that Academy is slated to lose 2 routes, so that probably puts it about 7 buses over (won't need about 5 6600s to run 699, for instance).

The rush hour cuts don't really matter to me, but if they remove any of the current weekend service, I will be done with being a Pace bus fan.

[Busjack]

The rush hour cuts don't really matter to me, but if they remove any of the current weekend service, I will be done with being a Pace bus fan.

Well, they have already started, as you acknowledged by quoting my post to that effect, so good bye.

[BusExpert32]

Well, they have already started, as you acknowledged by quoting my post to that effect, so good bye.

No weekend service has been removed yet so nothing has started. The weekend service cuts at West Division are scheduled to start on October 6, 2007, today is August 31, 2007, so I am still hoping for some luck with the Legislation. By the way, thank you for reminding me that I quoted your post.