Strategic Planning Committee December 4, 2008 West Side/West Suburban Service Plan Purpose of Sub-Regional Study - Increase ridership and customer satisfaction - Improve service in the West Side/West Suburban region - Improve travel times with the introduction of express routes and more direct service - Establish connections to traffic generators - Strengthen overall transit network West Side Study Area Services Bus Routes: #7 Harrison #X9 Ashland Express #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick (#37 Sedgwick/Ogden) #12 Roosevelt #X20 Washington/Madison Express #21 Cermak (#25 West Cermak) #38 Ogden/Taylor #52 Kedzie/California #52A South Kedzie #X54 Cicero Express #60 Blue Island/26th #65 Grand #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland #90 Harlem #91 Austin #127 Madison/Roosevelt Circulator Rail Lines: Pink Line & 54th/Cermak Blue Line Forest Park Blue Line Green Line #7 Harrison - Modification: Service operates to Polk Pink Line Station - Weekday evening hours extended to 10 pm - Ridership increased by 31% to 8,600/day (Map shows that route now diverts from Harrison between Wood and Ashland to Polk station via Wood, Polk, and Paulina) #X9 Ashland Express - New bus route - Improved travel times and connections to employment centers - Ridership increased by 12% to 36,200/day - Second busiest corridor in CTA system (Map shows current routing) #38 Ogden/Taylor - Modification: The #37 Sedgwick/Ogden was split into two routes - #37 Sedgwick - #38 Ogden/Taylor - #38 Ogden/Taylor operated from west Loop to Pulaski Pink Line Station - In June ‘08, route was modified to operate from west Loop to Mt. Sinai. Midday service added - Ridership increased by 92% to 3,000/day (2006-2008) (Maps show previous #37 routing and current #38 routing, and notes "Portions of previous routing were combined with #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick.") #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick - Modification: #11 Lincoln was combined with the #37 Sedgwick - Initially operated to Clinton Blue Line during rush hours only - Extended to Clinton Blue at all times on weekdays - Ridership increased by 37% to 6,300/day (2006-2008) (Maps note current routing and previous #11 and partial #37 routings before adjoinment.) #127 Madison/Roosevelt Circulator - New rush hour route tested as part of West Side experiment - Ridership grew to about 2,000/day - Analysis showed investment in #12 Roosevelt would better service customers - Service eliminated in June 2008 (Map shows former routing) #12 Roosevelt - Modification: Frequency and reliability were improved - Service hours from #127 Madison/ Roosevelt Circulator invested in #12 Roosevelt - Ridership increased by 34% to 16,100/day (Map shows current routing) #X20 Washington/Madison Express - New bus route - Improved travel times in Washington/Warren corridor - Local stops were added west of Central Park on Madison in June 2008 - Ridership increased by 4% to 26,200/day in the Madison corridor (Maps show current and previous routings) #21 Cermak - Modification: Route extended to North Riverside Park Mall at all times - Consolidated service with the #25 West Cermak - Ridership increased by 38% to 10,000/day in the Cermak corridor (Maps show current routing and previous #21 and #25 routings, highlighting all-times extension to North Riverside Park Mall at West end of route) #52 Kedzie/California - Modification: Route extended to 63rd Place at all times - Busiest portion of Kedzie (63rd Street to the Orange Line) is supplemented with extension - Ridership increased by 5% to 20,600/day in the Kedzie corridor (increase of 2,800 on #52) (Maps show current and previous routing, highlighting all-times extension to 63rd Place) #52A South Kedzie - Modification: Route terminates at Kedzie Orange Line station at all times - Improved travel in the corridor and efficiency on both #52 and #52A - Ridership increased by 5% to 20,600/day in the Kedzie corridor (decrease of 1,800 on #52A) (Maps show current and previous routing, highlighting area formerly served) #X54 Cicero Express - New bus route - Improved travel times in Cicero corridor - Improved connections to O’Hare and Midway airports for West Side customers - Ridership increased by 37% to 17,400/day in the Cicero corridor (Map shows current routing) #60 Blue Island/26th - Modification: Improved reliability - Downtown operation returned to Washington from Monroe - Ridership increased by 7% to 15,300/day (Map shows current routing) #65 Grand - Modification: Service extended until 10 pm daily. Weekend frequency improved - Improved late evening connections to employment centers - Ridership increased by 11% to 8,000/day (Map shows current routing) #86 Narragansett/Ridgeland - Modification: Service extended to Milwaukee and Imlay - Connects west/ northwest side students to Wright College and Taft High School - Ridership increased by 32% to 2,900/day (Maps show current and previous routings) #91 Austin - Modification: Service operates to Jefferson Park Blue Line station at all times - Provides consistent north terminal - Ridership decreased by 1% to 10,000/day (Maps show current and previous routings) #90 Harlem - Modification: Service extended to connect to Green Line - Connects O’Hare Blue Line and Lake Street Green Line - Provides connection to O’Hare Airport - Ridership increased by 21% to 6,200/day (Maps show current and previous routings) Rail Service - Implemented Pink Line with 54th/Cermak rush hour Blue Line service (June 2006) - Increased frequency on Forest Park Blue Line (June 2006) - Improved rush hour frequency on Green Line (March 2008) - Discontinued 54th/Cermak Blue Line service (April 2008) (Maps show current and previous routings) Ridership Trends October Ridership '05-'08 Bus Service: 14.9% West Side/West Suburban Bus routes 6.9% Non-West Side Bus Routes Rail Service: 19.4% West Side/West Suburban Rail Routes 2.9% Non-West Side Rail Routes Rail Branches: 27.0% Pink Line 21.0% Forest Park Blue Line 13.3% Lake Street Green Line 16.3% Near West Rail Stations Survey Results and Feedback - 80% of bus customers indicated they are satisfied with overall service - Over 85% of rail customers indicated they are satisfied with overall service - Over 90% of Pink Line customers indicated they are satisfied with service Public Hearing and Community Input - A public hearing was held November 13, 2008 - 34 persons attended - 12 persons spoke - 29 e-mails were received - Some requests were made for return of Blue Line to 54th/Cermak - Most comments were favorable Summary: West Side/West Suburban Study - Ridership has increased by 15% on bus routes - Ridership has increased by 19% on rail lines - Express routes additions were well received - Local bus route changes have improved connectivity to rail lines - Customer satisfaction is very high - Public hearing and FTA analyses have been completed - Staff recommends making changes permanent West Side/West Suburban Service Plan Sub-Regional Process - Define a geographic area - Collect and analyze data for study - Develop draft and present public information - Prepare final proposal based on public comment - Obtain Board approval to implement 180-day experiment - Monitor, Evaluate, Modify - Public Hearing - Board approval for permanent adoption Rail Service (Maps shown with current and previous routings) Rail Line Changes - Implemented Pink Line with Blue Line service to 54th/Cermak during rush hours (June 2006) - Increased service on Forest Park Blue Line (June 2006) - Improved rush hour frequency on Green Line (March 2008) - Discontinued 54th/Cermak Blue Line service (April 2008) Rail Line Ridership - Pink Line has increased by 27% to 16,300/day - Forest Park Blue Line has increased by 21% to 19,500/day - Lake Street Green Line has increased by 13% to 21,100/day - Near west side (Green/Pink/Blue) has increased by 16% to 19,900/day - West Side rail ridership has increased by 19% Rail ridership has increased by 3% for rest of system 05-08