Bustracker's buses

[jajuan]

Hmm. Is there a place that is one block further from Division than from North Avenue??? Hmmm. Is that a difficult riddle, or the easiest thing in the world?

No, no, you're absolutely right. I shouldn't assume people here have common sense and can do basic math using numbers of 4 and lower. I'm going to follow your suggestion. You'll see that I've used an asterisk down below to indicate out a place where common sense is needed, and to suggest further options for those who just can't figure it out.

So, first of all, nobody here has said bustracker will be useful to EVERYONE. I certainly never expressed an opinion along those lines, let alone stating it as fact. So you don't gain a lot of points by saying that that part of my argument is opinion and not fact. It's not part of my argument. Don't put words in my mouth.

I agree with you that the tracker will not solve bus bunching. I think it'll be more useful to passengers than to the supervisors, personally.

The only solutions to bus bunching are unpalatable and unproductive. You've either got to send the leader express for a few blocks to skip some passengers and get back on schedule, or you've got to turn the follower early and make it the new leader on the return trip. Both create operational difficulties and a host of problems for riders. And of course, there is the palliative of letting a follower that happens to catch up go in front of its leader to help with the load. This won't get the leader back no schedule, but it does end the vicious cycle, and the leader often makes it to terminal to start its next run on time, rather than having the problem again for the next hour.

Huberman's thought of holding buses at the terminal of origin isn't even worth the time to talk about, it's so poorly thought out. The only thing that will do is ensure that slow buses get slower and slower and slower, till eventually, you'll actually have significantly fewer runs made on the day, each absolutely crammed with passengers and creeping along the road, since the follower, held at the terminal will never catch up and help with the overflow.*

NOTES:

* The thought expressed in the final two paragraphs probably requires a certain amount of common sense math ability. People will need to understand that as a bus gets behind schedule, the number of riders waiting for it grows larger, meaning that it gets slower, meaning the number waiting grows, etc. This is the vicious circle of public bus service. Once a bus is a certain degree behind schedule, there is no way for it to get back on schedule unless it skips some stops, or the bus behind it pulls ahead and takes some of the load. Responders should be forewarned that they should exercise their common sense before ranting that I'm wrong. If they still don't understand, they should ask for an explanation. It's understood here that some posters are lacking in common sense and in basic math abilities, and may need special assistance.

If I put words in your mouth, on that point I will apologize. And only that point. But I'm not going to respond to the sarcasm and childish behavior of insulting anyone's intelligence or questioning anyone's intelligence levels. I know we can feel strongly about our own respective side of an argument. However, as adults we should be able to make that argument without stooping to level of grade children.

[Buslover88]

When I loaded Bustracker up right now, the map came up, but the info where the yellow writing is was empty. Are they updating it?

[Kevin]

When I loaded Bustracker up right now, the map came up, but the info where the yellow writing is was empty. Are they updating it?

Your countless hours of viewing Bus Tracker have overloaded the servers and now you've broke it!

Actually, I'm getting some server errors now and nothing is working. Something apparently went wrong with the system.

I know there's supposed to be some sort of "major announcement" from CTA tomorrow, but I don't believe it's Bus Tracker related.

[Buslover88]

Your countless hours of viewing Bus Tracker have overloaded the servers and now you've broke it!

I was starting to think that myself

I'm getting some server errors now and nothing is working. Something apparently went wrong with the system.

I'm now getting errors myself.

I know there's supposed to be some sort of "major announcement" from CTA tomorrow, but I don't believe it's Bus Tracker related.

Thank you for giving me that information.

[Buslover88]

I see that Bustracker's working again.

[Busjack]

Also, on my slow response comment, it appears that using Space Odyssey 2.0 and cleaning out the java cache seems to help. Or it may just be coincidence. The arrival time at one bus stop is also available via a text link.

[Buslover88]

I have a question: I just saw #6665 on Bustracker and it said it was going Eastbound from Halsted and my question is why is this bus starting at Halsted and Madison?

[nflyer22]

I think this came up earlier that Archer wasn't getting bus tracker until later, well now New Flyers 1001 and 1016 are on 20 Madison (since they were transferred from Archer to Chicago, don't recall the reason though).

[Kevin]

A minor update to the Bus Tracker map I noticed today: Color-coded route lines have been added for routes out of Forest Glen and Archer. However, only buses on the #20 continue to be available to the public.

[Buslover88]

A minor update to the Bus Tracker map I noticed today: Color-coded route lines have been added for routes out of Forest Glen and Archer. However, only buses on the #20 continue to be available to the public.

I haven't seen it, so i'll go look.

[MetroShadow]

A minor update to the Bus Tracker map I noticed today: Color-coded route lines have been added for routes out of Forest Glen and Archer. However, only buses on the #20 continue to be available to the public.

Saw the color coding last night, but anticipating the release for the other routes.

[cta5658]

just letting evertbody know 74th has bus tracker

[nextstopchicago]

just letting evertbody know 74th has bus tracker

I guess you mean supervisors there have access to it. Which is good. Sigh. I thought you meant the public now had access to trackers for buses from that garage.

They said summer 07. Then Fall 07. Then they said February. Then February was changed to March. While I haven't actually heard them admit they're going to blow the February prediction, I did see something at another site where Noelle Gaffney is quoted saying "Spring." And of course, last year's deadlines were to bring the program systemwide. The latest blown deadlines are just to add a single garage worth of routes.

Not good.

[Busjack]

just letting evertbody know 74th has bus tracker

The RedEye article sort of confirms this:

"When things like the GPS tracking on buses started, operators felt bad and thought it was a way for the agency to spy on them," Martin said of reaction to the technology introduced at her garage three months ago. "Now, we are explaining--and they are accepting--that this is about safety and being accountable. It's about staying in business." (emphasis added regarding the date)

Also, since a prior article quoted a CTA PR person about not installing equipment in buses soon to be retired, one can make one's inferences about 74th's 6000s.

[nextstopchicago]

The RedEye article sort of confirms this:

Also, since a prior article quoted a CTA PR person about not installing equipment in buses soon to be retired, one can make one's inferences about 74th's 6000s.

Thanks for the link. Two questions about the RedEye article:

1) the garage manager says that there is a new attitude and openness to change because of the fear that routes (and staff) were very nearly cut during the doomsday time. Do any of you CTA employees feel that's true or not true?

2) the writer says that the tracker allowed them to see "where drivers didn't stack up" on the 8 Halsted.

I'm willing to believe that drivers cause some problems, and that better supervision will fix some of them. But I'm skeptical that there are specific routes where "drivers" are significantly worse than on other routes. And the fix described, changing operating procedures so more drivers are on the 8 all day rather than swapping from another bus, makes it sound like previously MANAGEMENT was slacking off, by not noticing that a procedure they decreed was causing the problem.

I'm not in general a union guy against the bosses, nor vice versa. This just seemed like an unfair slam in Redeye. Anybody else have thoughts on that situation?

[tobuadantoq]

buses on 103rd Garage has not installed bustracker yet. North Park has not installed as well.

[Buslover88]

I guess you mean supervisors there have access to it.

Yeah, because I didn't see any 74th routes on it. lol.

buses on 103rd Garage has not installed bustracker yet. North Park has not installed as well.

Kedzie doesn't have it either.

[BusHunter]

The RedEye article sort of confirms this:

Also, since a prior article quoted a CTA PR person about not installing equipment in buses soon to be retired, one can make one's inferences about 74th's 6000s.

74th has also starting installing these black boxes I talked about before for Bustracker. #6263 has one, also with the influx of Forest glen #6000's, which already had this installed, that should give them a decent start on installing the equipment. Most likely 103rd and Np would not get Bustracker until they receive there shares of the NF's. CTA forces most likely will not install Bustracker on TMC's and Flx's that are slated to be retired anyway. Some of the #6000's will still be here even after the #600's are received. That could be why they are receiving this. I wonder if all the #6000's would be receiving Bustracker or just a part of them. It would make sense to do only around 100 of them, because the rest should be novas or newer by late 2009.

[Busjack]

BTW, the display shown on the Channel 9 noon news had a lot of Archer and 77th buses on it. Not on the live version for the public, yet, though.

[Busjack]

Also, despite reports that the equipment was not going to be installed on buses that are soon to be retired, 5569 and 5766 showed up on BusTracker on 20.

[nextstopchicago]

There are currently 38 buses serving Western and Western Express.

And if you were at the corner of 37th and Western at the time I was looking, you'd have been within 3 blocks of 11 buses (on 4 streets - 35th, 39th, Western and Archer).

In a minute, I'll be heading to a coffeeshop to do some work, and then heading south. Since I'll be near western at the coffeeshop, I'll be using tracker see whether it's worth skipping a local to wait on an express at the time I get there. I'll let you know my experience.

[trainman8119]

Also, despite reports that the equipment was not going to be installed on buses that are soon to be retired, 5569 and 5766 showed up on BusTracker on 20.

Sounds to me like, perhaps, there will not be the rush to retire these buses as soon as indicated. Could also be that crack planning staff at the CTA putting things in places they don't belong.

[trainman8119]

In a minute, I'll be heading to a coffeeshop to do some work, and then heading south. Since I'll be near western at the coffeeshop, I'll be using tracker see whether it's worth skipping a local to wait on an express at the time I get there. I'll let you know my experience.

With the amount of buses on Western at any given time, I still question the worth of the toys. Get out to the corner and get on a bus.

[BusHunter]

Also, despite reports that the equipment was not going to be installed on buses that are soon to be retired, 5569 and 5766 showed up on BusTracker on 20.

Hi Busjack, remember me. Chicago garage is the exception to that rule. Although I'm not sure if the recent influxes from Kedzie like #5602 have BusTracker. BTW, if we still have any problems feel free to PM me.

[Kevin]

Chicago garage is the exception to that rule. Although I'm not sure if the recent influxes from Kedzie like #5602 have BusTracker.

Correct, I believe that Chicago's 5300s were getting Bus Tracker before it was decided to no longer install it on those vehicles.