What Routes Have The NABI's

[Archon]

What routes have the NABI's buses on them I want to ride one They would have to be on a route at night and in a area that is ok to ride in. and on the north or downtown area

[trainman8119]

What routes have the NABI's buses on them I want to ride one They would have to be on a route at night and in a area that is ok to ride in. and on the north or downtown area

It would be safe to say the easiest routes to find them on would be the following:

6, 14, 145, 146, 151 (some), 156.

14, 145, 146 and 156 are almost exclusive NABI's (although the 14 will occasionally downsize sometimes during the evening hours).

[geneking7320]

It would be safe to say the easiest routes to find them on would be the following:

6, 14, 145, 146, 151 (some), 156.

14, 145, 146 and 156 are almost exclusive NABI's (although the 14 will occasionally downsize sometimes during the evening hours).

Don't forget the #147 Outer Drive Express . :)

[Guest]

Don't forget the #147 Outer Drive Express .

What I dont get is how undermaintained the newer buses are. The NABIs for example are so beat up already and this after only three years of service. You look at them closely all the wear and exterior damage that these buses are showing. They look as though theyre ready for an overhaul. The Novas dont seem to look as bad but the NABIs look bad already. Theyre bad image is further compounded by the lack of cleaning of these buses. You look at some of the wheels theyre so badly crud covered because they were once the inside hubs but when theyre rotated and placed on the outside they look so bad. CTA needs to take a little more initiative to keep the buses clean and dirt free.

[BusExpert32]

It would be safe to say the easiest routes to find them on would be the following:

6, 14, 145, 146, 151 (some), 156.

14, 145, 146 and 156 are almost exclusive NABI's (although the 14 will occasionally downsize sometimes during the evening hours).

The 6 and 14 wouldn't count since Archon specifically asked for buses on the North Side or Downtown. But the 6 and 14 do go to downtown, but what's the point of riding on one of them if you don't go further south down Lake Shore Drive. Riding on a Nabi for a few minutes wouldn't make me happy if I really wanted to ride on one so badly.

[RIPTA42]

82-Kimball/Homan has NABIs on weekday afternoons/evenings.

[qwantae]

What I dont get is how undermaintained the newer buses are. The NABIs for example are so beat up already and this after only three years of service. You look at them closely all the wear and exterior damage that these buses are showing. They look as though theyre ready for an overhaul. The Novas dont seem to look as bad but the NABIs look bad already. Theyre bad image is further compounded by the lack of cleaning of these buses. You look at some of the wheels theyre so badly crud covered because they were once the inside hubs but when theyre rotated and placed on the outside they look so bad. CTA needs to take a little more initiative to keep the buses clean and dirt free.

I've saw 4 of them breakdown already on the south side. Sometimes when I ride them, especially 7500s on Rt 14 rides like they are falling apart. I wouldnt think that those NABIs arent going to make it by 2010 as Pace NABIs 2400s.

[Guest]

I've saw 4 of them breakdown already on the south side. Sometimes when I ride them, especially 7500s on Rt 14 rides like they are falling apart. I wouldnt think that those NABIs arent going to make it by 2010 as Pace NABIs 2400s.

The biggest disappointment with the NABIs is that they are actually good looking buses, I really like the design. The CTA NABIs, Pace NABIs, Rockfords NABIs really grab my attention, Its a shame they dont operate well. I was trying out the Pace NABIs at Academy again and I was having so much trouble just trying to get the bus to go in gear. When I finally had it in reverse I backed it out when I wanted to shift it to Drive, it wouldnt shift, the air pressure was good and here I am blocking the lane, thankfully other buses werent behind me. It took about 5 minutes for me to finally get the bus to go in gear, It was a bit annoying.

[busfan4022]

I blame the NABIs condition on the people who take care of them. NABIs are very high maintenance buses and if neglected for X amount of time, you are bound to get problems.

[geneking7320]

I blame the NABIs condition on the people who take care of them. NABIs are very high maintenance buses and if neglected for X amount of time, you are bound to get problems.

Many of CTA's NABI artics serve on Lake Shore Drive routes. I have traveled the north and south sections of LSD by auto but only the north section by CTA bus. It seems that the south section of LSD is smoother which would make me think that NABI's from 77th Garage or 103rd Garage might be in better condition. I can certainly tell you that on route 147 those buses rattle like all get out! It seems as though CTA's maintenance efforts need to be expanded given the bad streets the buses run on.

Gene King

[Busjack]

It seems that the south section of LSD is smoother which would make me think that NABI's from 77th Garage or 103rd Garage might be in better condition.

The south side LSD was rebuilt within the past two years or so. However, the 103rd NABIs don't look that great, and one was torched.

With the plastic seats and other interior parts, any bus is a rattletrap, and having a flex in the middle doesn't help. Nonetheless, the suspensions in the NABIs have been frequently criticized.

[BusExpert32]

I think that Nabis and all of the others buses in the CTA fleet just don't have the correct engine power and other key elements to operate at high speeds non-stop such as down Lake Shore Drive. I would say that all of these buses were made to serve city streets and some side streets, not any high speed zones. Seeing a TMC on North Lake Shore Drive or a 5300 Flxible on South Lake Shore Drive made me really stick to my opinion. Those buses are getting ruined operating like this every day.

[CircleSeven]

I remember when the Nabi's first came to Kedzie, they were using it on the 12 Roosevelt. But since it doesn't fit on the Monitor turnaround, they turn around like the 91 Austin does via Austin, Fillmore, Mason & back to Roosevelt. I could rarely see the Nabi's going straight west on Roosevelt because many of those drivers are part-time drivers that do the 12 Roosevelt Shuttle trips from State to Museum Campus if Soldier Field have a game or Northerly Island have a concert held.

Also at around late 2004, I frequently seen 126 Jackson having NABIs. I dunno if they still use NABI's frequently since many Flyers are on the street.

A couple of times, I seen 79th Street using the Artics on that street. Even though IMHO, they need a good number of those buses during they day. But since the Flyers have came to 77th, I haven't seen any artics on that street since I last saw the Artic at 79th and Western. Yet, in July of 2006 I did rode a NABI bus on a 79th Street Night Car. It was run #498, bus #7711. That was the only time I rode the artic on 79th Street and the bus was filed because those are most of the passengers catch that #169 west to UPS.

Other bus routes I spot them using Artics just to name a couple:

3 King Drive

4 Cottage Grove

7 Harrison

15 Jeffery Local - (highly during school trips)

22 Clark - (I seldomly see those buses on this street)

29 State - (sometimes, but whenever there's a special event, most NABI's come out of 103rd)

52 Kedzie-California

87 87th Street

92 Foster - (When North Park buses do afternoon school trips going eastbound to Berwyn and Broadway and become a 146 Michigan Express)

106 East 103rd - (When they do Jeffery Express runs in the mornings, they might start the route and do 1 or 2 trips on the 106 and change up and do a round trip on the 14 using an artic. I remembered asking that question last year why 106 had artics on the street. This is why.)

151 Sheridan (Belmont-Halsted Trips/Kedzie Only) - I dunno if they continue to use the NABI's since they have the flyers.

[cta_44499_FG]

What routes have the NABI's buses on them I want to ride one They would have to be on a route at night and in a area that is ok to ride in. and on the north or downtown area

A good place to start looking if your trip is starting on the north side would be:

#134 Stockton/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#143 Stockton/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#144 Marine/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#145 Wilson/Michigan Express

#146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express

#147 Outer Drive Express

#148 Clarendon/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

Some others, but not as often tend to be:

#82 Kimball/Homan (PM hours)

#151 Sheridan (rare, but more common on weekends on the Kedzie runs from Belmont/Halsted to downtown)

#152 Addison (school dismissals in the PM)

[Danielsmusic]

A good place to start looking if your trip is starting on the north side would be:

#134 Stockton/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#143 Stockton/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#144 Marine/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

#145 Wilson/Michigan Express

#146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express

#147 Outer Drive Express

#148 Clarendon/Michigan Express (Mon-Fri AM southbound/PM northbound rush)

Some others, but not as often tend to be:

#82 Kimball/Homan (PM hours)

#151 Sheridan (rare, but more common on weekends on the Kedzie runs from Belmont/Halsted to downtown)

#152 Addison (school dismissals in the PM)

151 artics have become common on Belmont on weekdays

156 has artics on approximately all but two runs a day (which have New Flyer 1000's)

South Side:

2 (Hyde Park Express)

6 (Jackson Park Express)

14 (Jeffery Express)

15 (Jeffery Local)

26 (South Shore Express) - only when there are any left at 103rd

X28 (Stony Island Express) - only when there are any left at 103rd