Spring Pick Route Moves

[Busjack]

It's not so much a need as much as satisfying a curiosity. There were members who were curious as to how different schedules would change after the garage changes, so this bit of info is more for them than anything. Not all info given or discussed has to necessarily be justified because of a 'need'.

Curiosity should also suffice.

BTW I know 63 doesn't have to do with a garage change. I included it for completeness.

I was referring to any need on my part to archive schedules.

My only point was wanting to know whether 63-Kedzie was a recent cutback.

Maybe to get back to your point, it is surprising that new schedules have not yet been posted for, for instance, 8 and 21, since they show trips starting at Halsted-74th and Kedzie-Cermak, respectively. Apparently it doesn't affect the 60 schedule, since Kedzie trips are not reflected on it.

[jajuan]

I was referring to any need on my part to archive schedules.

My only point was wanting to know whether 63-Kedzie was a recent cutback.

Maybe to get back to your point, it is surprising that new schedules have not yet been posted for, for instance, 8 and 21, since they show trips starting at Halsted-74th and Kedzie-Cermak, respectively. Apparently it doesn't affect the 60 schedule, since Kedzie trips are not reflected on it.

Ok. I apologize if it seemed if I was jumping the gun there. I was prepping for work and rushing to get a post up before I left. As for your question in hand about the 63-Kedzie short runs, it is is a new thing that started recently. I took another look at the new April 2008 system map, and under the Service Improvements section it states there is now more frequent service on the 63 east of Kedzie during weekday late mornings and late evenings.

I agree with you that it's odd that a lot of the new schedules posted are for routes that haven't changed garages while the only new schedules up for those that have are for 29, 52A, 53A/53AL, 121, 123, 125, 145 and 206. Yes the biggest surprise is 8, 21 and 50 because the old schedules show pullin and pullout trips at streets that lead to their former garages. I was going to make that same observation earlier but ran out of tie to do so.

[jajuan]

Here's a question for you guys. For those of you who ride the 8 Halsted regularly, how has it been performing since being reassigned to Kedzie? Is there still a bad bunching problem weekdays as when it was still assigned to 74th?

[BusHunter]

Here's a question for you guys. For those of you who ride the 8 Halsted regularly, how has it been performing since being reassigned to Kedzie? Is there still a bad bunching problem weekdays as when it was still assigned to 74th?

Seems to be running better since it went to Kedzie very little bus bunching. There are a few isolated cases like two pulling out at nearly the same time from the North terminal and working the street together southbound. But they have alot better buses on there now. I used to dred traveling in the Lake/Van Buren corridor because it was so slow with 74th buses, but the new buses just whiz through it. The better pick up on these are allowing the drivers to get through a few more traffic lights speeding them up, and with them all being NF's the whole street has sped up. That's one of the hang ups now on diversey. You get a 5300 out there just creeping along and most likely the Nf follower will catch him. It's not really the driver's fault it's his equipment.

[Busjack]

I see that the Halsted schedule has finally been posted, but its effective date is June 15, not March 23.

What's notable here is that there seem to be a lot of morning trips starting at the Orange Line (2600 S) or Root (4100 S). Also, while barn trips starting or ending at the Blue Line station would be expected, it appears that one of the intents was to cut evening service on the route north of that point. Thus, while cutting deadheads was one of the stated reasons for this garage shift, it also appears to facilitate cutting service at the south end in the morning and the north end in the evening.

For that matter, would it have made any difference if the timepoint had been changed from Madison to UIC-Blue Line, thus eliminating the need for all the Hs on the schedule?

Cermak and Damen still haven't been updated on the web.

[artthouwill]

Can someone PLEASE give me an explanation on why the 8 Halsted route moved to Kedzie and did not stay at 74th ???

The only explanation I can come up with was a supposed shifting of routes to "balance" out runs evenly throughout the system. I say "balance" becuase Kedzie seems to have an awful lot of routes, but NONE are owl routes. I think it is the only garage in the system to not have an owl route.

Personally, I think 8 Halsted belongs at 77th, where it originally was when it split buses on that route with the old Limits garage. Then with the closing of the 52nd/Cottage Grove garage, 77th absorbed all of its routes (1,2,6,14) except the 43rd street route (which went to Archer), so 77th gave up the 8 and 42 Halsted routes AND 71st (but eventually 71st found its way back to 77th).

Even though 74th lost the 8, it gained the 108 (a.m. rush only) 47th, 51st, 52A, and 53A

[Busjack]

Can someone PLEASE give me an explanation on why the 8 Halsted route moved to Kedzie and did not stay at 74th ???

The official explanation was that with many of the runs ending at UIC-Halsted station, there was less deadheading.

I tend not to buy that, since most of them are from 79th to UIC, and I doubt there is that much demand.

I would tend to agree with art. Also, with K buses parked on the street (as reported by jajuan) it would seem like 74th or 77th would have more room for them (especially 77th).

[jajuan]

The official explanation was that with many of the runs ending at UIC-Halsted station, there was less deadheading.

I tend not to buy that, since most of them are from 79th to UIC, and I doubt there is that much demand.

I would tend to agree with art. Also, with K buses parked on the street (as reported by jajuan) it would seem like 74th or 77th would have more room for them (especially 77th).

Unless they're speaking of the southbound deadheads which would be from Waveland/Broadway down to near UIC-Halsted instead of to 74th from Waveland. And actually only a few are parked in front of the garage, on the driveways parallel to the street. The rest of the extras are parked in the employee lot just south of the garage at the southwest end near the maintenance shops.

[Busjack]

Unless they're speaking of the southbound deadheads which would be from Waveland/Broadway down to near UIC-Halsted instead of to 74th from Waveland. And actually only a few are parked in front of the garage, on the driveways parallel to the street. The rest of the extras are parked in the employee lot just south of the garage at the southwest end near the maintenance shops.

Unless I am reading the schedule wrong,* the only night short turns are northbound, except Sunday night. In the morning, there are a number of H runs (i.e. UIC-Halsted), but they are all southbound. There are a few short turns southbound in the morning, but they end at the Orange Line.

Technically, 8 isn't owl, because of the 30 minute requirement, but given that some bus from the north side has to make the first northbound start at 3:15a from 79th indicates that a couple of runs are all night. Seems to make more sense to have the runs start from 77th garage.

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*And it has happened before.

[jajuan]

Unless I am reading the schedule wrong,* the only night short turns are northbound, except Sunday night. In the morning, there are a number of H runs (i.e. UIC-Halsted), but they are all southbound. There are a few short turns southbound in the morning, but they end at the Orange Line.

Technically, 8 isn't owl, because of the 30 minute requirement, but given that some bus from the north side has to make the first northbound start at 3:15a from 79th indicates that a couple of runs are all night. Seems to make more sense to have the runs start from 77th garage.

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*And it has happened before.

Apparently some trips are not shown in the schedule unless those last trips up to Waveland are doing 20 and 30 min layovers after arriving at the Waveland terminal. Also the SB trips making it to 79th at 2:48 and 3:18 weekdays would have to technically be all night runs by this schedule because it doesn't show a deadhead NB for these two which would be expected by them being the final two full SB trips and the 8 not supposedly an owl route.