New Bus Route Proposals- (with a funding solution)

[renardo870]

just a little info from RTA funding program.....enjoy

Job Access Reverse Commute / New Freedom

(JARC/NF) Program

JARC/NF targets operating and capital projects that enhance mobility

for older adults, individuals with low incomes, persons with

disabilities, and it addresses reverse commute markets and access

to jobs in the region.

CTA #1 Indiana/Hyde Park Service Expansion. This project

expands service from morning and evening rush hours (6-9 a.m.

and 1-7 p.m.) to all day service running from to 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.,

thus increasing access to jobs for low income individuals working

non-traditional and/or extended hours in the corridor. (JARC)

CTA 31st Street - New Bus Route. New fi xed route service

along the 31st street corridor between Cicero Avenue and King

Drive operating 7 days a week from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. The route

will improve mobility and access to an employment center, rail

lines, and other bus routes for low income individuals, seniors,

and the disabled. (JARC)

CTA #44 Wallace/Racine – Bus Route Extension and Service

Expansion. Through the expansion of this bus route by 2

miles and the extension of weekend service hours from 7 p.m. to

11 p.m., this project will provide greater accessibility to a rapidly

growing retail corridor along Roosevelt Rd. from State to Clinton

resulting in increased access to jobs for low income individuals,

seniors, the disabled, and other residents. (JARC)

CTA #54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. – Midday Service.

New midday service operating weekdays between the hours of 10

a.m. and 2 p.m. between Irving Park/Pulaski (Blue Line) and Westfi

eld Old Orchard Shopping Center/Cook County Courts in Skokie.

The service will allow additional access to jobs and medical appointments

for low income individuals. (JARC)

CTA #67 67th/69th/71st St. – Bus Route Extension. Expansion

of this route from its present terminal at 71st St. & Pulaski to

the Ford Center Shopping Center improves access to major retail

and industrial establishments that provide job opportunities for

low income individuals. (JARC)

CTA East 83rd Street – New Bus Route. New fi xed route

service connecting the retail district at 92nd/Commerical to 83rd

Street providing service from east 83rd Street to the 79th Street

Dan Ryan Red Line station. This service will also provide linkages

to jobs for low income individuals into the Chicago Central Business

District, employment centers in Hyde Park, and other retail

districts accessible via the rail system. (JARC)

CTA #92 Foster – Late Night Weekend Service. Extension

of weekend service from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. between Jefferson Park

and Berwyn Red Line station providing access to a major medical

center and retail establishments for low income individuals and the

disabled. (JARC)

[Zol87]

just a little info from RTA funding program.....enjoy

Job Access Reverse Commute / New Freedom

(JARC/NF) Program

JARC/NF targets operating and capital projects that enhance mobility

for older adults, individuals with low incomes, persons with

disabilities, and it addresses reverse commute markets and access

to jobs in the region.

CTA #1 Indiana/Hyde Park Service Expansion. This project

expands service from morning and evening rush hours (6-9 a.m.

and 1-7 p.m.) to all day service running from to 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.,

thus increasing access to jobs for low income individuals working

non-traditional and/or extended hours in the corridor. (JARC)

CTA 31st Street - New Bus Route. New fi xed route service

along the 31st street corridor between Cicero Avenue and King

Drive operating 7 days a week from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. The route

will improve mobility and access to an employment center, rail

lines, and other bus routes for low income individuals, seniors,

and the disabled. (JARC)

CTA #44 Wallace/Racine – Bus Route Extension and Service

Expansion. Through the expansion of this bus route by 2

miles and the extension of weekend service hours from 7 p.m. to

11 p.m., this project will provide greater accessibility to a rapidly

growing retail corridor along Roosevelt Rd. from State to Clinton

resulting in increased access to jobs for low income individuals,

seniors, the disabled, and other residents. (JARC)

CTA #54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. – Midday Service.

New midday service operating weekdays between the hours of 10

a.m. and 2 p.m. between Irving Park/Pulaski (Blue Line) and Westfi

eld Old Orchard Shopping Center/Cook County Courts in Skokie.

The service will allow additional access to jobs and medical appointments

for low income individuals. (JARC)

CTA #67 67th/69th/71st St. – Bus Route Extension. Expansion

of this route from its present terminal at 71st St. & Pulaski to

the Ford Center Shopping Center improves access to major retail

and industrial establishments that provide job opportunities for

low income individuals. (JARC)

CTA East 83rd Street – New Bus Route. New fi xed route

service connecting the retail district at 92nd/Commerical to 83rd

Street providing service from east 83rd Street to the 79th Street

Dan Ryan Red Line station. This service will also provide linkages

to jobs for low income individuals into the Chicago Central Business

District, employment centers in Hyde Park, and other retail

districts accessible via the rail system. (JARC)

CTA #92 Foster – Late Night Weekend Service. Extension

of weekend service from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. between Jefferson Park

and Berwyn Red Line station providing access to a major medical

center and retail establishments for low income individuals and the

disabled. (JARC)

New Funding Programs

[CircleSeven]

CTA 31st Street - New Bus Route. New fi xed route service

along the 31st street corridor between Cicero Avenue and King

Drive operating 7 days a week from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m. The route

will improve mobility and access to an employment center, rail

lines, and other bus routes for low income individuals, seniors,

and the disabled. (JARC)

It's very hard to see a 31st Street Arterial running from Cicero to King without overlapping issues. Especally on Archer Avenue. Now reinstating the 31 & 32 routes would be a better option but having it as a long route would be a strong gamble.

CTA East 83rd Street - New Bus Route. New fi xed route

service connecting the retail district at 92nd/Commerical to 83rd

Street providing service from east 83rd Street to the 79th Street

Dan Ryan Red Line station. This service will also provide linkages

to jobs for low income individuals into the Chicago Central Business

District, employment centers in Hyde Park, and other retail

districts accessible via the rail system. (JARC)

This would be a good route but if they try to have the route straight down East 83rd from State/Lafayette, it would hardly difficult for buses to go down Anthony and make that long left turn to Jeffery to go back to 83rd, unless they turn left on Stony Island and head back to 83rd that way. If they do plan to have the route ending around 92nd & Commercial, that could somehow reinstate the service if they plan to have route goes down Buffalo, like the 95E use to do prior to that Booz-Allen Cuts.

CTA #44 Wallace/Racine - Bus Route Extension and Service

Expansion. Through the expansion of this bus route by 2

miles and the extension of weekend service hours from 7 p.m. to

11 p.m., this project will provide greater accessibility to a rapidly

growing retail corridor along Roosevelt Rd. from State to Clinton

resulting in increased access to jobs for low income individuals,

seniors, the disabled, and other residents. (JARC)

Now this is interesting and this might work. With all the new business are building left and right along Roosevelt Road, this could have potential. I'm thinking this route could terminate at Roosevelt & Michigan like the (12 does in some cases) and operate straight down Canal and proceed onto the current routing from 23rd & Canal.

CTA #67 67th/69th/71st St. - Bus Route Extension. Expansion

of this route from its present terminal at 71st St. & Pulaski to

the Ford Center Shopping Center improves access to major retail

and industrial establishments that provide job opportunities for

low income individuals. (JARC)

This would be another east-west option instead of 79th Street. I hope this goes through.

CTA #1 Indiana/Hyde Park Service Expansion. This project

expands service from morning and evening rush hours (6-9 a.m.

and 1-7 p.m.) to all day service running from to 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.,

thus increasing access to jobs for low income individuals working

non-traditional and/or extended hours in the corridor. (JARC)

Is this pre-8/31/03 all over again (minus the portion of the route from Drexel Sq. to 63/Stony)? I would be happy if the 1 stops going down 51st where it parallels the 15 and extends at Garfield, at least. Then again why have the 1 running on middays and you have the 29 a couple of blocks away?

CTA #54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. - Midday Service.

New midday service operating weekdays between the hours of 10

a.m. and 2 p.m. between Irving Park/Pulaski (Blue Line) and Westfi

eld Old Orchard Shopping Center/Cook County Courts in Skokie.

The service will allow additional access to jobs and medical appointments

for low income individuals. (JARC)

CTA #92 Foster - Late Night Weekend Service. Extension

of weekend service from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. between Jefferson Park

and Berwyn Red Line station providing access to a major medical

center and retail establishments for low income individuals and the

disabled. (JARC)

If these plans go through, they really need to watch this very closely. Have the 54A run 20 minutes during the midday and the 92 run 20 minutes during those times listed on the Weekends.

[jajuan]

It's very hard to see a 31st Street Arterial running from Cicero to King without overlapping issues. Especally on Archer Avenue. Now reinstating the 31 & 32 routes would be a better option but having it as a long route would be a strong gamble.

Yes there may be an overlap issue in terms of how to route buses between 31st/California and Archer/Ashland to continue on to King Drive, but since this is proposed under the JARC program I think the main idea is to get people from the residential area along 31st east of Archer to the industrial area of 31st street west of California to access job opportunities there. The more important question is have the demographics of those areas changed enough in the ten years since the last of the Booz-Allen cuts to make the gamble with a single route between Cicero and King Drive, and do enough those people living along that corridor think there is much of a transit need, especially those between Kedzie and Cicero who have no east-west transit options between 26th and 47th Streets.

This would be a good route but if they try to have the route straight down East 83rd from State/Lafayette, it would hardly difficult for buses to go down Anthony and make that long left turn to Jeffery to go back to 83rd, unless they turn left on Stony Island and head back to 83rd that way. If they do plan to have the route ending around 92nd & Commercial, that could somehow reinstate the service if they plan to have route goes down Buffalo, like the 95E use to do prior to that Booz-Allen Cuts.

I pretty much agree here.

Now this is interesting and this might work. With all the new business are building left and right along Roosevelt Road, this could have potential. I'm thinking this route could terminate at Roosevelt & Michigan like the (12 does in some cases) and operate straight down Canal and proceed onto the current routing from 23rd & Canal.

Yes this could work if it gets implemented. However, if they're trying to get people to the revitalized retail areas on Roosevelt from State to Clinton, wouldn't it be better to route buses along areas where people actually reside? Canal is mostly industrial area from 23rd to Roosevelt. For that reason why not bring the route along State and then west along Roosevelt to Clinton for a loop via Clinton, 14th Pl, and Jefferson back to Roosevelt to head back southbound. It may revive part of what was cut under Booz-Allen, but the route will at least travel where there are potential passengers. I don't see routing along Canal to Roosevelt doing that.

This would be another east-west option instead of 79th Street. I hope this goes through.

Agreed.

Is this pre-8/31/03 all over again (minus the portion of the route from Drexel Sq. to 63/Stony)? I would be happy if the 1 stops going down 51st where it parallels the 15 and extends at Garfield, at least. Then again why have the 1 running on middays and you have the 29 a couple of blocks away?

If these plans go through, they really need to watch this very closely.

Again we have to be careful not to just dismiss the idea out of hand because of cuts made some years ago. In this case, the cuts made were five years ago under the Lake Shore Corridor Study. Yet things can change a lot in five years just like it can in ten. Yes the 29 State is a short distance away, but State Street has been getting revitalized during that time while the Michigan/Indiana corridor has been allowed to decay outside of the Loop and IIT areas especially south of 35th. With State Street's revitalization has come an increase in ridership on the 29 outside of the weekday rush hour periods even before this year's increase across the board because of high gas prices bringing folks to public transit. Those buses have been operating at at least full seating capacity or more to and from downtown midday and even into late evening hours for quite a while. Restoring midday service to the 1 can maybe alleviate this, and somehow I think the planners believe it can help in restoring the Michigan/Indiana corridor since this proposal is also made under the JARC program.

[Busjack]

Yes there may be an overlap issue in terms of how to route buses between 31st/California and Archer/Ashland to continue on to King Drive, but since this is proposed under the JARC program I think the main idea is to get people from the residential area along 31st east of Archer to the industrial area of 31st street west of California to access job opportunities there. The more important question is have the demographics of those areas changed enough in the ten years since the last of the Booz-Allen cuts to make the gamble with a single route between Cicero and King Drive, and do enough those people living along that corridor think there is much of a transit need, especially those between Kedzie and Cicero who have no east-west transit options between 26th and 47th Streets.

Where the real demographic change may be is west of the river, in the Little Village/South Lawndale (or whatever you call it since Pat Sajak moved out) neighborhood. Population has really increased there. As you noted, there is no cross town service west of Central Park between 26th and 47th.

As must again be pointed out, these are merely proposals. I'm somewhat surprised that very little seems to be proposed by Pace, although it might have a role in some of the circulators.

[nflyer22]

CTA #44 Wallace/Racine – Bus Route Extension and Service

Expansion. Through the expansion of this bus route by 2

miles and the extension of weekend service hours from 7 p.m. to

11 p.m., this project will provide greater accessibility to a rapidly

growing retail corridor along Roosevelt Rd. from State to Clinton

resulting in increased access to jobs for low income individuals,

seniors, the disabled, and other residents. (JARC)

Random history question, but didn't the #44 used to go all the way to downtown way back into the early - mid '90s? Why did they cut the service up there?

[Busjack]

Random history question, but didn't the #44 used to go all the way to downtown way back into the early - mid '90s? Why did they cut the service up there?

From the streetcar era, the 44 went downtown. When the 149 was eliminated, 44 went to the Merchandise Mart.

It was cut back to the Orange Line basically as a part of the 97 cuts. There were several stages:

• Weekends were cut back to Chinatown-Red Line
  
• Weekdays were later cut back to Halsted-Orange
  
• At some later point, someone figured out to conform the two.
  

[jajuan]

From the streetcar era, the 44 went downtown. When the 149 was eliminated, 44 went to the Merchandise Mart.

It was cut back to the Orange Line basically as a part of the 97 cuts. There were several stages:

• Weekends were cut back to Chinatown-Red Line
  
• Weekdays were later cut back to Halsted-Orange
  
• At some later point, someone figured out to conform the two.
  

Wasn't weekend service already only to Cermak-Chinatown station quite some time before the 97 cuts? If I'm not mistaken, I think I remember that being the case at least back in the 80s when I was a kid and Cermak-Chinatown was part of the old Lake/Dan Ryan routing, quite some time before the lines were even color coded by name.

[kendo26]

CTA #44 Wallace/Racine – Bus Route Extension and Service

Expansion. Through the expansion of this bus route by 2

miles and the extension of weekend service hours from 7 p.m. to

11 p.m., this project will provide greater accessibility to a rapidly

growing retail corridor along Roosevelt Rd. from State to Clinton

resulting in increased access to jobs for low income individuals,

seniors, the disabled, and other residents. (JARC)

I use the 44 almost everyday. If this would go through that they will continue to feeder into the Halsted Orange Line. I agree with jajuan that the area from Archer to about 16th is just dead. Why end at Roosevelt though. I would think there would be even more riders if they extended it all the way to Union Station. That part of the loop is growing very quickly and the offices are moving farther west every year.

[Busjack]

From the link on the home page to the WBBM 780 site, it appears that since the RTA has to spend the Innovation, Coordination and Enhancement Fund, these projects have been approved.

However, the RTA Press Release indicates that the CTA bus route ones were approved under JARC.

In any event, they seem to have been approved.

[kendo26]

How long before these changes are made?

[jajuan]

From the link on the home page to the WBBM 780 site, it appears that since the RTA has to spend the Innovation, Coordination and Enhancement Fund, these projects have been approved.

However, the RTA Press Release indicates that the CTA bus route ones were approved under JARC.

In any event, they seem to have been approved.

I'm still aa little in awe that the 67 extension, which we suggested in hypothetical discussions, actually got proposed and approved. I'm sure none of us were actually expecting it to happen in reality, let alone get approval so soon.

[cta5658]

when will they go into effect

[cta_44499_FG]

)

CTA #54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd. – Midday Service.

New midday service operating weekdays between the hours of 10

a.m. and 2 p.m. between Irving Park/Pulaski (Blue Line) and Westfi

eld Old Orchard Shopping Center/Cook County Courts in Skokie.

The service will allow additional access to jobs and medical appointments

for low income individuals. (JARC)

I would support even cutting the 54A back to the mall itself during off-peak hours, and leaving the extension to Skokie Courts for the rush hour service (pre 1997 days). you already have the 205 and 208 serving that all day. It might result in an extra transfer, but how many would that be? The reason being that you have the 205 already laying over there and the 208 passing through, unless it is timed correctly....you will have two busses laying over in an already small loop, and a third bus will not be able to pass through without others moving around. This may cause more ruccus that necessary.