#41 Elston

[Buslover88]

Hello everyone,how come the #41 Elston/Clybourn got cut out of Service? #41 Elston began at Van Buren/Canal to Milwaukee/

Caldwell. #41 Elston was on Clybourn until Belmont/Kimball,and then it turned on Kimball until it got to Addision/Elston.

[MetroShadow]

Service cuts of 1997.

Reviving of the route will be twofold: difficult because seeing the majority of businesses are south of Belmont, and residences are north of Belmont; but easy for that very same reason.

There has to be a more than valid reason to revive the route if the CTA is to bring it back. Although it seems that a diagonal-route may be needed here, you have to look at the demographics surrounding the areas already served. The route looks about covered from Devon and Milwaukee to Jeff Park, and from Belmont and points south. I could understand the Clybourn portion of the route, and perhaps a re-tooling of the downtown portion, but that's it. Elston seems a bit excessive.

[Buslover88]

Well,I wonder what kind of Buses they would Run on #41 Elston/Clybourn. I wonder if they would Assign the Route to Kedzie,

Chicago or North Park Garages?

[Busjack]

It was Forest Glen; that yard is on Elston and about 1/2 mile from the end of the route.

[Buslover88]

I wonder if they did bring back the route, have it turn onto Diversey until it got to Logan (Serve the Mall there), turn back on to Elston, turn onto Diversey, then go back onto Clybourn. Just a thought.

[MetroShadow]

What purpose would that serve?

[Busjack]

Another group had a thread that the reason 41 (and 20 years before, 10 Lincoln Larrabee) were cancelled is that people from 88's neighborhood wouldn't ride through Cabrini Green.

[sw4400]

I never seen the #41, so I cannot say if it is a useful CTA Bus Route or not. :(

[MetroShadow]

I've ridden the #41 before they threw it out in the mid 90's, and all I can say for it is that it'll get you where you need to go, but not many people have ridden it (and I took it in the middle of rush hour, as I recall).

The only purpose I would see to it was that it supplemented the #37 downtown, and then served Clybourn from Chicago to Belmont. Then along Belmont to the blue line, then northbound on Kimball.

Now, if you were to revive the route, the only purpose it would serve is primarily on Clybourn to Belmont because there are alot of businesses that stretch from Larabee and North Avenue, to Belmont. Unless there is alot of residential support along Elston (with support to either Downtown or Jeff Park), then service along Elston may be pointless (keyword: maybe).

Now the one thing that could make sense is the portion of Elston south of Diversey, along the commercial districts on Logan and by Fullerton (where the Circuit City is). Despite the fact that you could have service along those lines, you may have a problem getting that route through Diversey (since the Lathrop Homes are there), then cutting it through Logan, then turning it back northbound to Elston and perhaps Western in order to get service on Belmont. That could be time consuming and not very beneficial (unless you're shopping).

Only thing the 41 could be used other than to serve businesses would be a [cheaper] alternative to taking the blue line. Other than that, and I hate to say it, its pointless.

[Buslover88]

I agree. But I would like #41 Elston to be back and have the whole Route on Elston. That's just a thought. Otherwise, I agree.

[MetroShadow]

Won't work strictly on Elston.

[FatMan123]

I used to take the 41 from Van Buren to Clybourn/Cortland every day. During AM rush, it was usually more crowded than during PM rush. Neither rush period, however, seemed to give the route very full buses. It wasn't like the route was a bad idea; in fact, the Clybourn portion could easily have continued on as a route and gotten dome decent patronage. But there were two problems: 1, the Elston portion really didn't even deserve part-time service - it was never even close to crowded on the Elston portion. 2, when the bus turned North on Larrabee, everybody went and shat themselves. Because Cabrini has pretty much been taken apart, I think the route would get high ridership if reinstated - assuming, of course, that it was the #41 Clybourn, NOT the #41 Clybourn/Elston.

[paulkarnatz]

I know this is an old thread but I contacted my alderman and got a response from his director of constituant services. This person is trying to work with the CTA bus division to see if they can reevaluate their 20 year old decision to cancel the Elston bus route due to low ridership. 

Please, if you have a moment, sign this petition to let CTA know how much a bus along Elston Ave would serve our communities 

https://www.change.org/p/cta-bus-planning-division-reinstate-elston-cta-bus?recruiter=478593962&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink