Bustracker's buses

[sht6131]

Oh no. I was referring to the 'Run Times' thread on this forum in reference to a question about an afternoon run of the 70 that starts at Western and Division westbound and then after that run becomes a 20 Madison.

Thanks Jajuan.

Question for anybody. Worked 2 years in schedule and 8 years in traffic planning for cta.

During my time, all runs went in sequence from first to last with the last 2 or 3 being the owl runs.

I never heard of block or part time runs until I joined this group.

What is the difference?

Thanks

[Busjack]

Thanks Jajuan.

Question for anybody. Worked 2 years in schedule and 8 years in traffic planning for cta.

During my time, all runs went in sequence from first to last with the last 2 or 3 being the owl runs.

I never heard of block or part time runs until I joined this group.

What is the difference?

Thanks

Bill V. had the explanation, but I see that when he got forced to the new ISP, he referred back to chicagobus.org, but basically:

Part time is for part time operators who are limited to less than approximately 30 hours a week.

Block runs were basically tried at 74th and NP, in that someone would get a block of work that was guaranteed to be about 40 hours. The union got it killed, apparently because it limited overtime. A bus driver recently posted here that he had a different run every day.

Interesting, with respect to block runs (called rostering), Google has a reference which is no longer on the CTA site, but has cached an HTML version.

[rmadisonwi]

Bill V. had the explanation, but I see that when he got forced to the new ISP, he referred back to chicagobus.org, but basically:

Part time is for part time operators who are limited to less than approximately 30 hours a week.

Block runs were basically tried at 74th and NP, in that someone would get the same run (say 6523) for five work days. The union got it killed. A bus driver recently posted here that he had a different run every day.

Interesting, with respect to block runs (called rostering), Google has a reference which is no longer on the CTA site, but has cached an HTML version.

Block Runs are actually used at all eight garages, and refer to four-day work weeks with 10-hour runs. Those runs are rostered, so if a driver picks one, his/her entire work week is preselected. What was tried at 74th and North Park a few years ago was rostering all runs, so that all operators, regardless of whether they worked a four-day week or a five-day week, had the entire week packaged together.

[sht6131]

Block Runs are actually used at all eight garages, and refer to four-day work weeks with 10-hour runs. Those runs are rostered, so if a driver picks one, his/her entire work week is preselected. What was tried at 74th and North Park a few years ago was rostering all runs, so that all operators, regardless of whether they worked a four-day week or a five-day week, had the entire week packaged together.

Thanks guys

[Busjack]

Block Runs are actually used at all eight garages, and refer to four-day work weeks with 10-hour runs. Those runs are rostered, so if a driver picks one, his/her entire work week is preselected. What was tried at 74th and North Park a few years ago was rostering all runs, so that all operators, regardless of whether they worked a four-day week or a five-day week, had the entire week packaged together.

So there was a distinction between block runs and rostering a garage. Thanks for the update.

[jajuan]

From checking out Bustracker late this morning and again after work, looks like 147 was operated without using any arctics at all today. All the buses used were NF 40 footers.

[wordguy]

From checking out Bustracker late this morning and again after work, looks like 147 was operated without using any arctics at all today. All the buses used were NF 40 footers.

True, likewise the 146. In fact I used the 146 between Lawrence Avenue and the Loop. Inbound and outbound, most seats were occupied but no one was left standing. So the NF 40-footers did the job nicely.

[Buslover88]

1308 is on #20 Madison right now, going eastbound, at Hamlin. It's on BusTracker.

[Busjack]

Here's a strange one from Breaking News: Norwegians get off on Bus Tracker.

Now, if they were Swedish, I would understand the interest in 22 Clark.

Maybe we should see if Oslo has a BusTracker. :lol:

[Busjack]

Looking at the ctatattler, they pointed out that the next group of routes is on the Bus Tracker site:

Apparently the technical problems are over with 22 and 36, and for those of you waiting for 82, now you have it.

For those who want to speculate about omissions on the CTA site, the red notice with the additional routes is not on the Bus Tracker home page at the moment.

Also, for those of you that were speculating why most Chicago Garage routes weren't on the list, most 103 routes aren't either.

[Zol87]

Additional routes that will be available starting January 26, are: 3, X3, 4, X4, 22, 36, 49B, 82, 93, 96 and 97

Fianlly the 97 will be online, it has been running late or missing trips lately. 22 & 36 could really use bustracker but they run so often you wont have to wait long. 93 and will be good as well when I need to go to my volunteer work at a food pantry near Devon Ave. :)

[Busjack]

For those who want to speculate about omissions on the CTA site, the red notice with the additional routes is not on the Bus Tracker home page at the moment.

At least the Press Release says it is happening, even if the site doesn't.

[BusHunter]

At least the Press Release says it is happening, even if the site doesn't.

It would be nice if the digital displays at "L" stops would tell the arrival times for all buses intersecting with that station. At night it would be nice to know when the bus is coming. Or even to just patch in to bustracker for a few seconds on a fixed location around your "L" stop to show you the buses, so you can make an informed decision on what gets you where you need to go quickest.

[Kevin]

It would be nice if the digital displays at "L" stops would tell the arrival times for all buses intersecting with that station. At night it would be nice to know when the bus is coming. Or even to just patch in to bustracker for a few seconds on a fixed location around your "L" stop to show you the buses, so you can make an informed decision on what gets you where you need to go quickest.

That is the plan, and I recall hearing that it's already the case at 47th but I haven't been out there to confirm that.

[nflyer22]

6662 a.k.a 2367 is on #62 right now .

Yep. Bustracker shows 6662 as 2367 all the time according to others here.

This could be even harder to spot, seeing 77th only has 3 routes as of today on the Tracker, but bus #1 is out on the 79 79th right now!

[Busjack]

That is the plan, and I recall hearing that it's already the case at 47th but I haven't been out there to confirm that.

There is a request relating to Real Time Information Signs at Bus Stops.

[Buslover88]

This could be even harder to spot, seeing 77th only has 3 routes as of today on the Tracker, but bus #1 is out on the 79 79th right now!

That is some WEIRD stuff .

[Busjack]

That is some WEIRD stuff .

Not if you are dealing with computer programming, unless the inference was that something like CTA's Evanston 1 bus came back, but that would have involved about 30 years before your time. :unsure:

[pudgym29]

For those denizens who thought they would never see this day.

It also appears to me that the colors associated with many of the BusTracker routes were amended.

[Busjack]

It also appears to me that the colors associated with many of the BusTracker routes were amended.

They sure are more intense.

Also, before 55 and X55 were both about the same. Now they are different.

[jajuan]

For those denizens who thought they would never see this day.

It also appears to me that the colors associated with many of the BusTracker routes were amended.

The new colors definitely makes it easier to distinguish between downtown routes. It annoyed the heck out me that 125, 126, 145, 146, 147, 148, 151, 156 and 157 among some others all previously had that same dull pale grayish blue color.

[PACE 834]

I'm thinking this might be an error but on the#8 Route on Bustracker,they show bus#1 on the map.I wasn't aware the CTA had a bus# that low on their roster.Any thoughts anyone?

[Busjack]

I'm thinking this might be an error but on the#8 Route on Bustracker,they show bus#1 on the map.I wasn't aware the CTA had a bus# that low on their roster.Any thoughts anyone?

Others saw it on 79 earlier (I did too). Obviously, a programming error in the CD.

[nflyer22]

Others saw it on 79 earlier (I did too). Obviously, a programming error in the CD.

Perhaps a loan from 77th? Since we all have seen it on the #79 (out of 77th), but it's on the #8 currently, which is out of Kedzie.

[sht6131]

Perhaps a loan from 77th? Since we all have seen it on the #79 (out of 77th), but it's on the #8 currently, which is out of Kedzie.

Its on 82 this mornong