8/25/06
The Chicago Transit Authority will implement a new bus route and enhance 11 existing bus routes beginning Sunday as part of efforts to improve service for CTA customers. The service changes are the result of customer feedback, as well as observation and analysis by CTA staff.
#29 State buses will provide earlier and later weekday service with all early morning and late night buses going to Navy Pier instead of the first and last hour of bus service ending at Grand and State. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
CTA is adjusting the #34 South Michigan bus route so that it operates more effectively through the Altgeld Gardens area. The #34 will operate in a clockwise loop through the area traveling eastbound along 130th to Ellis, westbound along 133rd to Langley, 131st, Eberhart and back to 130th then resume the regular route toward the Red Line 95th/Dan Ryan station. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
CTA is extending the #108 Halsted/95th from its current terminus at Carver Military Academy to the intersection of Brandon and Brainard Avenues in Hegewisch on school days only. By extending the #108, CTA is providing Carver Military Academy students traveling to and from the Hegewisch community with a direct connection, reducing student travel times by approximately two hours.
The new service will operate between the high school at 131st and Doty to 130th, Baltimore, 134th, Brandon, Brainard, then back to Baltimore and 130th for trips back to the high school. Students traveling from other areas will be able to connect to the #108 Halsted extension from CTA bus #30 South Chicago as well as the #358 Pace bus route.
Buses will leave Hegewisch from Brandon and Brainard at 7:01 a.m., 7:24 a.m. and 7:39 a.m. Buses will leave Carver High School at 2:42 p.m. and 2:48 p.m. Enhancements will begin Tuesday, September 5, the first day of class for Chicago Public Schools.
Morning service on the #134 Stockton/LaSalle Express will begin 10 minutes earlier at 6:18 a.m. instead of 6:28 a.m. Enhancements will begin Monday, August 28.
The #145 Wilson/Michigan Express will operate later weekday service with the last bus leaving at 9:21 p.m. and later weekend service with the last bus leaving at 7:10 p.m. Also, Sunday service will begin 15 minutes earlier at 8:42 a.m. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
The #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express will provide more frequent weekend service from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with buses every 10 minutes instead of every 15 minutes on Saturdays, and every 12 minutes instead of every 15 minutes on Sundays. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
Service on the #147 Outer Drive Express will begin 15 minutes earlier on weekdays at 4:30 a.m. and 15 minutes earlier on Sundays at 6:55 a.m. In addition, more frequent Sunday service will be provided from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. with buses every 12 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
University of Chicago Service Improvements Also Begin This Weekend
Last month, the Chicago Transit Board approved a new five-year contract with the University of Chicago that will bring service enhancements to bus routes serving the University of Chicago, U of C Hospitals and the Hyde Park neighborhood. The service changes will begin as a 180-day experiment.
A new #174 U of C/Garfield route will provide direct rail station connections between the University and the Hospital and the Garfield Green Line and Garfield Red Line stations. Buses will operate every 20 minutes during weekday rush periods. On Friday and Saturday nights between September and June, #174 buses will operate every 20 minutes from 7:20 p.m. until 2:20 a.m. to accommodate late night crowds making their way between U of C and downtown. Enhancements will begin Monday, August 28.
CTA will expand the existing weekday rush period only service on the #170 U of C/Midway bus route to include midday service. The route will operate weekdays every 20 minutes from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Routing of the #170 will be adjusted in the afternoon in the Jackson Park area to provide more efficient connections with Metra service.
In the morning the #170 will operate counter clockwise around the park picking up customers at the Metra South Shore Line 57th Street station on their way to U of C and in the afternoon it will operate clockwise around the park. Enhancements will begin Monday, August 28.
#171 U of C/Hyde Park will provide more frequent weekday rush period service with buses operating every 10 minutes instead of every 15 minutes; later service every day with the last bus leaving at 8 p.m. from 54th and South Shore Drive and at 8:15 p.m. from 60th and Ellis; and a route change that results in the #171 operating on University to 55th to improve the speed of trips. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
#172 U of C/Kenwood will provide later weekday service from 7 a.m. to 7:18 p.m., as well as earlier and later weekend service from 7 a.m. to 7:18 p.m. There will be more frequent midday weekday bus service every 30 minutes instead of every 45 minutes, and all day on weekends. Enhancements will begin Sunday, August 27.
In addition, #172 buses will operate on East Hyde Park Boulevard rather than traveling to Blackstone, 49th and Woodlawn.
#173 U of C/Lakeview Express will operate earlier and more frequent weekday rush period bus service from 57th and Ellis every 30 minutes from 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. In coordination with the University, buses will no longer operate during late evenings and weekends due to less demand for service at these times. Enhancements will begin Monday, August 28.
For details about CTA routes and schedules, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the CTA web site at www.transitchicago.com.
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