Incorrectly Programmed Destination Signs

[BusExpert32]

You still have 22 CLARK//22 to DEVON, and 151 SHERIDAN//151 CLARK/DEVON though the actual terminal is at Arthur and Ashland around the corner. The odd thing is on the older busses, the 36 BROADWAY signs read to DEVON/CLARK, and the 1000s read to DEVON/ASH. The reasoning probably that most people know where Devon is, but not Arthur, so go witha street people have heard of.

There are others of course:

56 MILWAUKEE// 56 to WASH/MICHIGAN (terminus is on the street on Madison)

57 LARAMIE// 57 to GRAND (terminus is at Latrobe/Grand)

62 ARCHER// 62 to HARLEM (terminus is at Neva)

65 GRAND// 65 to LARAMIE (terminus is at Latrobe)

73 ARMITAGE// 73 to LARAMIE (terminus is at Latrobe/Grand)

76 DIVERSEY// 76 to HARLEM (terminus is at Neva)

77 BELMONT// 77 to HARLEM (terminus is at Octavia, for the short trips of course)

78 MONTROSE// 78 to WILSON/MARINE (terminus is on the street at Montrose and Marine WB)

80 IRVING PARK// 80 to LAKE SHORE (as well as X80, terminus is at Broadway WB)

90N NORTH HARLEM// 90N to TOUHY (route travels about six blocks west to Overhill)

any others?

Also, there are those circular routes that show a terminus on the destination sign, but there truely isn't one since it will just return to its starting point without another terminus: the 85A to Touhy/Lehigh, the 64 to Foster/Canfield, and the 69 to Lawrence/East River.

[jajuan]

Also, there are those circular routes that show a terminus on the destination sign, but there truely isn't one since it will just return to its starting point without another terminus: the 85A to Touhy/Lehigh, the 64 to Foster/Canfield, and the 69 to Lawrence/East River.

The 85A isn't a circular route like the 64 or 69. It just has a big loop that comprises half the route on it's northern end.

[cta_44499_FG]

Also, there are those circular routes that show a terminus on the destination sign, but there truely isn't one since it will just return to its starting point without another terminus: the 85A to Touhy/Lehigh, the 64 to Foster/Canfield, and the 69 to Lawrence/East River.

Actually the signs do show it returns to the start point with the exception being 85A.

64 FOSTER/CANFIELD// 64 HARLEM/BLUE LINE

69 CUMB/E RIVER// 69 to BLUE LINE

[Busjack]

You still have 22 CLARK//22 to DEVON, and 151 SHERIDAN//151 CLARK/DEVON though the actual terminal is at Arthur and Ashland around the corner. The odd thing is on the older busses, the 36 BROADWAY signs read to DEVON/CLARK, and the 1000s read to DEVON/ASH. The reasoning probably that most people know where Devon is, but not Arthur, so go witha street people have heard of. ...

Which probably explains most of the others you listed. The others are explained by the fact that CTA made many signs less descriptive when it went from rolls to electronics (trainman's pet peeve being Peterson to Central instead of to Caldwell and Central.

Rest assured that very few know the side streets where the bus loops are, but do know where Devon or Harlem are.

Although Devon/Clark and Devon/Ash are the same place, I have wondered about the inconsistency.

And if the goal were to show where the lines feed the L, the sign on 155 eastbound should be Morse-Red Line, not Ash-Morse. The latter seems a throwback to when the 155 went to Howard-Western (pre-1973) and was cut back to Morse.

[jajuan]

Which probably explains most of the others you listed. The others are explained by the fact that CTA made many signs less descriptive when it went from rolls to electronics (trainman's pet peeve being Peterson to Central instead of to Caldwell and Central.

Rest assured that very few know the side streets where the bus loops are, but do know where Devon or Harlem are.

Although Devon/Clark and Devon/Ash are the same place, I have wondered about the inconsistency.

And if the goal were to show where the lines feed the L, the sign on 155 eastbound should be Morse-Red Line, not Ash-Morse. The latter seems a throwback to when the 155 went to Howard-Western (pre-1973) and was cut back to Morse.

If I'm not mistaken the 96 does get it right though and shows Morse/Red Line.

[Busjack]

any others?

To get technical, the sign on 11 Lincoln Sedgwick is Howard-Ked, while the loop and schedule point is McCormick.

[cta_44499_FG]

To get technical, the sign on 11 Lincoln Sedgwick is Howard-Ked, while the loop and schedule point is McCormick.

Then you could argue these too:

85 CENTRAL// 85 to BRYN MAWR and not being to BRYN MAWR/ELSTON

86 NARRAGANSETT//86 to GREEN LINE when the busses actually sit at Lake/Cuyler first, and the running times have now been adjusted to reflect that. Also, the fact that the bus runs down Ridgeland, but then you are bringing in 3 lines of text, which CTA seems to avoid other than the 77 BELMONT to//77 NATURE MUSEUM//77 FULLERTN/CANNON reading.

A confusing one I've always loved is the display for the early morning trip on the 201 Central/Ridge that terminates at Crawford. The display reads

201 CENTRAL// 201 to CRAWFORD. This makes it look like an 85 bus, though a person from Evanston would have sense to figure it out, someone from out of town may not.

[Busjack]

Then you could argue these too:

...

86 NARRAGANSETT//86 to GREEN LINE ...

A confusing one I've always loved is the display for the early morning trip on the 201 Central/Ridge that terminates at Crawford. The display reads

201 CENTRAL// 201 to CRAWFORD. This makes it look like an 85 bus, though a person from Evanston would have sense to figure it out, someone from out of town may not.

Compare the Naragansett Green Line to the 90 Harlem one, which is something like 90 Harlem {{flip}} Harlem-Lake{{flip}}Green Line. Maybe the second sign is the station name rather than the intersection (remember the controversy here that the station is actually on North Blvd., a block or so south of Lake).

As far as Central/Crawford, I think people can figure out that Evanston has a different street naming system (what else would you call it?). More confusing to me Pace's inconsistent determination whether to use the route name; "290 Central Ave." looks more like a Central Ave. bus to me than a Touhy one to Central Ave (and that is the one at 5600 West).

To add on: I had asked when 127 started when the sign changed from Medical District to Downtown or vice versa, and was told it never did. The other day, I saw that it just said 127 Madison Roosevelt Circulator, with no destination. But since it is now dead, anyway....

[jajuan]

Saw 1676 operating on the 12 Roosevelt with an EB 18 16th/18 destination sign. What told me it was a 12 was the run number, K630. Plus I double checked the CTA website and there are no temporary reroutes listed for the 18 at this time.

[qwantae]

You still have 22 CLARK//22 to DEVON, and 151 SHERIDAN//151 CLARK/DEVON though the actual terminal is at Arthur and Ashland around the corner. The odd thing is on the older busses, the 36 BROADWAY signs read to DEVON/CLARK, and the 1000s read to DEVON/ASH. The reasoning probably that most people know where Devon is, but not Arthur, so go witha street people have heard of.

There are others of course:

56 MILWAUKEE// 56 to WASH/MICHIGAN (terminus is on the street on Madison)

57 LARAMIE// 57 to GRAND (terminus is at Latrobe/Grand)

62 ARCHER// 62 to HARLEM (terminus is at Neva)

65 GRAND// 65 to LARAMIE (terminus is at Latrobe)

73 ARMITAGE// 73 to LARAMIE (terminus is at Latrobe/Grand)

76 DIVERSEY// 76 to HARLEM (terminus is at Neva)

77 BELMONT// 77 to HARLEM (terminus is at Octavia, for the short trips of course)

78 MONTROSE// 78 to WILSON/MARINE (terminus is on the street at Montrose and Marine WB)

80 IRVING PARK// 80 to LAKE SHORE (as well as X80, terminus is at Broadway WB)

90N NORTH HARLEM// 90N to TOUHY (route travels about six blocks west to Overhill)

any others?

Here are the others I concerned:

4- Cottage Grove to 95th on some buses, (terminus is at 94th)

8- Halsted// 8 to Broadway (Ternimus is at Waveland) I guess it makes sence for Braodway because Broadway is on the east of the terminal)

N60- 26/Blue Island // N60 to BLUE LINE (Terminus is at 54/Cermak as PINK LINE), I'll suggest to change it to "54/Cermak"

65- Grand// 65 to Harlem (Terminus is at Nordica), Does 319 Grand pace bus meet there?

[jajuan]

Here are the others I concerned:

4- Cottage Grove to 95th on some buses, (terminus is at 94th)

8- Halsted// 8 to Broadway (Ternimus is at Waveland) I guess it makes sence for Braodway because Broadway is on the east of the terminal)

N60- 26/Blue Island // N60 to BLUE LINE (Terminus is at 54/Cermak as PINK LINE), I'll suggest to change it to "54/Cermak"

65- Grand// 65 to Harlem (Terminus is at Nortica), Does 319 Grand pace bus meet there?

319 meets there for early morning weekday trips. Most trips terminate at Fullerton/Narrangansett just south of the remodeled shopping area where the Brickyard Mall used to be. It operates via Grand, Narangansett and Fullerton back to Grand.

[CircleSeven]

Here are the others I concerned:

4- Cottage Grove to 95th on some buses, (terminus is at 94th)

8- Halsted// 8 to Broadway (Ternimus is at Waveland) I guess it makes sence for Braodway because Broadway is on the east of the terminal)

N60- 26/Blue Island // N60 to BLUE LINE (Terminus is at 54/Cermak as PINK LINE), I'll suggest to change it to "54/Cermak"

65- Grand// 65 to Harlem (Terminus is at Nortica), Does 319 Grand pace bus meet there?

I remember back in the 90s when northbound 8 destination sign always used the Broadway sign. I didn't know when they started using the Waveland sign. But when those Flx-6000s went with a major overhaul, which included replacing the old flip-dot signs to the Amber-led signs, all those buses state Broadway. Only the TMCs display Waveland, but before that, the TMCs displayed "8 to Broadway" in big letters.

[qwantae]

319 meets there for early morning weekday trips. Most trips terminate at Fullerton/Narrangansett just south of the remodeled shopping area where the Brickyard Mall used to be. It operates via Grand, Narangansett and Fullerton back to Grand.

Thanks, Man I miss the old Brickyard Mall last time I've been there was 1999, I remember the old Kmart on Diversey.

[jajuan]

Here are the others I concerned:

4- Cottage Grove to 95th on some buses, (terminus is at 94th)

8- Halsted// 8 to Broadway (Ternimus is at Waveland) I guess it makes sence for Braodway because Broadway is on the east of the terminal)

N60- 26/Blue Island // N60 to BLUE LINE (Terminus is at 54/Cermak as PINK LINE), I'll suggest to change it to "54/Cermak"

65- Grand// 65 to Harlem (Terminus is at Nordica), Does 319 Grand pace bus meet there?

The N60 sign is a remnant of the when the Douglas L service was still part of the Blue Line service and the Pink Line didn't exist. It was as much of a concern before April because technically it was still correct even though the Blue Line only operated through there rush periods only. Now though the signs should be updated. The 65 sign has been saying that for over 20 years for as long as buses with electronic destination signs have operated on Grand. The Americanas even had this when the 65 was still a Kedzie route before Chicago garage was opened. The only reason I can think of that the signs have this might have to do with the 90 terminating here before the West Side Study reroutings.

[Busjack]

For that matter, mentioning whatever color line on the N60 doesn't make sense, since it is a substitute for that line, which doesn't run at night, rather than a feeder to it. However, I suppose that the folks in that area know it as the 54/Cermak station.

[jajuan]

Back before Kedzie got its first NFs, the destination signs on Kedzie's TMCs, 5300s, and 6000s were programmed to display WB Roosevelt signs showing '12 ROOSEVELT/12 to AUSTIN' even though the west terminal is at Roosevelt/Monitor. When the 6000s got LED signs, the signs went back to displaying '12 TO MONITOR' and the NFs always had the correct signs. What TMCs Kedzie had left this year were still displaying the signs that said to Austin.

[Busjack]

The 65 sign has been saying that for over 20 years for as long as buses with electronic destination signs have operated on Grand. The Americanas even had this when the 65 was still a Kedzie route before Chicago garage was opened. The only reason I can think of that the signs have this might have to do with the 90 terminating here before the West Side Study reroutings.

This gets back to the philosophy of what the signs should denote. It appears that there are some here that are advocating the obscure location of a turnaround, when CTA apparently made the decision back around 1976 to have the next major cross street. I admit that 12 has been treated somewhat inconsistently.

For that matter, 8A doesn't make it to 79-Red Line--the loop is short of Perry. Besides pointing up the inaccuracy of the sign, maybe there should be a demonstration for making those south siders walk a block to the train. :lol:

[trainman8119]

The 65 sign has been saying that for over 20 years for as long as buses with electronic destination signs have operated on Grand. The Americanas even had this when the 65 was still a Kedzie route before Chicago garage was opened. The only reason I can think of that the signs have this might have to do with the 90 terminating here before the West Side Study reroutings.

The 65 goes back even farther than that. Back in the trolley bus days, when there were "real" destination signs (curtains), the sign read "65 Grand-Harlem Center", referencing the old neighborhood shopping area there. About the time of the helvetic signs and the 74 extension there, signage reflected the Nordica Terminal. For whatever reason in today's current inaccurate version of sign designation, it has gone back to being Harlem, with out the "center".

[CircleSeven]

Back before Kedzie got its first NFs, the destination signs on Kedzie's TMCs, 5300s, and 6000s were programmed to display WB Roosevelt signs showing '12 ROOSEVELT/12 to AUSTIN' even though the west terminal is at Roosevelt/Monitor. When the 6000s got LED signs, the signs went back to displaying '12 TO MONITOR' and the NFs always had the correct signs. What TMCs Kedzie had left this year were still displaying the signs that said to Austin.

I remember when they started changing those signs from 12 to MONITOR to 12 to AUSTIN for the TMCs and Flxs in the summer of 2003.

On a little side note, when they first brought the first NFs in '06, they had the Eastbound 12 signs state "TO MUSEUM/SOLDIER FIELDS". Later they dropped the S from Field.

[jajuan]

I remember when they started changing those signs from 12 to MONITOR to 12 to AUSTIN for the TMCs and Flxs in the summer of 2003.

On a little side note, when they first brought the first NFs in '06, they had the Eastbound 12 signs state "TO MUSEUM/SOLDIER FIELDS". Later they dropped the S from Field.

Yes. I remember that. I thought it was kind of funny. They did manage to correct that within a month or so.

[Busjack]

I remember when they started changing those signs from 12 to MONITOR to 12 to AUSTIN for the TMCs and Flxs in the summer of 2003.

On a little side note, when they first brought the first NFs in '06, they had the Eastbound 12 signs state "TO MUSEUM/SOLDIER FIELDS". Later they dropped the S from Field.

Especially since Mayor Daley says it is Soldiers Field. :P

[Busjack]

For those complaining about 22 CLARK HOWARD/{flip}22 RED LINE, you have the same thing with 97 SKOKIE HOWARD/{flip}97 RED LINE.

201 shows that you can get HOWARD/RED LINE on one sign with smaller letters, but, as others have noted, it is 201 CHICAGO ST.{flip}201 HOWARD/RED LINE on the NFs, even though the route has been Central-Ridge for about 5 years.

[ryanbytes]

This evening I was at Jefferson Park and a bus had a destination sign reading something like "CTA PROGRAM 3/22/09" Are there any route changes coming up on that day?

[Zol87]

This evening I was at Jefferson Park and a bus had a destination sign reading something like "CTA PROGRAM 3/22/09" Are there any route changes coming up on that day?

Yeah, I saw that same message on the Irving Park bus. Does it have to do with the upcoming experiment about increasing service on the X49, X55, X80. I guess so. CTA Press Release

[jajuan]

This evening I was at Jefferson Park and a bus had a destination sign reading something like "CTA PROGRAM 3/22/09" Are there any route changes coming up on that day?

Yes the new enhancements for X49, X55 and X80 would be it. That would involve creating new runs that have to be programmed into the CD, which indirectly involves the destination signs since the bus operators sign into the Clever Device/Luminator systems in part with the run number and their badge numbers. Putting their run number affects what's displayed on the destination sign.