11/5/03
Fine Tunes Enhancements Based On CustomerFeedback and CTA Observation
Chicago Transit Board approved service adjustments to eight bus routes along South and North Lake Shore Drive today, fine-tuning the experimental route enhancements the CTA implemented over Labor Day weekend. The adjustments are in response to customer feedback and observation and analysis of the routes undertaken by CTA staff to further enhance the service provided to customers along the corridors.
The adjustments will further reduce overcrowded buses along Hyde Park Boulevard and streamline two routes that travel through Grant Park. The adjustments also benefit Uptown residents by repositioning select routes off Clarendon and provide other routes with improved connections to downtown destinations.
?We continually monitor our service and make adjustments where necessary, especially during experimental periods such as this," said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole L. Brown. ?Today's Board action affirms our commitment to our customers to provide them with ever improving levels of service. We encourage input from our customers as we move forward with service enhancements."
?Fine tuning these eight routes will further our ability to meet the needs of our customers," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. ?All along, our goal in the corridor has been to provide customers with improved travel time to and from the Loop, new express service to downtown, improved east-west service connections, expanded express service hours and fewer transfers throughout their trips."
The August 31 service changes were implemented as a 180-day experiment, with the understanding that adjustments might be made during the course of the experiment. The experiment will continue until February 26, 2004 at which time, CTA may recommend an additional experimental period, make further adjustments or recommend the changes become permanent.
CTA will implement the following adjustments beginning December 7, 2003:
South Lake Shore Corridor
#2 Hyde Park ExpressRush period buses operate in both directions throughout the morning and afternoon weekday rush periods. Morning trips originate at 60th/Cottage Grove and operate via Cornell Drive, 60th, and Cottage Grove to Drexel Square, where they travel east on Hyde Park and north on Lake Park to 47th for express trips downtown terminating at Navy Pier.
Adjustment: Southbound and northbound trips will be rerouted to operate via State and Balbo, instead of via State, Congress Parkway, Michigan and Balbo. The new routing will reduce the number of turns required, and reduce the potential for traffic delays.
#6 Jackson Park Express (formerly Jeffery Express)Buses operate on weekdays from 4 a.m. until 1 a.m. and on weekends from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. via South Shore/79th, 67th, Stony Island, 57th, Hyde Park, Lake Park, 47th and Lake Shore to downtown.
Adjustment: Southbound trips will be rerouted to operate via State and Balbo instead of via State, Congress Parkway, Michigan and Balbo. The new routing will reduce the number of turns required, and reduce the potential for traffic delays.
#15 Jeffery LocalThis new route provides local service daily between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. between 103rd/Stony Island and 47th/Red Line, via Jeffrey, 67th, Stony Island, Hyde Park, 51st, Wells and 47th.
Adjustment: Service will be rerouted to operate via Lake Park Boulevard instead of Hyde Park Boulevard between 56th and 51st Streets. The new routing will provide more efficient service for customers traveling locally through Hyde Park and to the Red Line.
#28 Stony Island ExpressThe route operates downtown from 103rd between 3:30 a.m. and 1 a.m. daily via Stony Island, 56th, Lake Park and 47th to Lake Shore. After exiting Lake Shore/Columbus at Roosevelt, #28 express buses operate north on Columbus to Balbo to Michigan and west on Adams to Union Station. Certain morning and afternoon rush hour trips operate west to the Medical District.
Adjustment: Service will be rerouted to operate via Hyde Park Boulevard instead of Lake Park Boulevard north of 56th Street. This service restructuring will improve downtown travel options for customers along Hyde Park Boulevard and further reduce overcrowding on the #6 Jackson Park Express by providing a second express route option. Additionally, trips to the Illinois Medical District will be eliminated due to very low ridership. This is expected to increase reliability on the remainder of the route, providing an improvement for the majority of customers. The last two northbound night trips will terminate at 47th and Lake Park.
North Lake Shore Corridor
#135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express (formerly Wilson/LaSalle Express)Trips start at Clarendon/Montrose and proceed over the #135 route via Clarendon, Irving Park, Inner Lake Shore to Belmont where buses enter Outer Lake Shore for express trips to East Wacker. Buses travel west on Wacker making stops at Columbus, Michigan and State, south on LaSalle and west on Adams to Wacker.
Adjustment: Service will be extended north to Wilson from Montrose in order to provide service to the LaSalle corridor from Clarendon between Montrose and Wilson.
The #136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express Operates on Clarendon between Lawrence and Montrose. Trips run express on Outer Lake Shore Drive between Irving Park and East Wacker Drive. Buses travel west on Wacker making stops at Columbus, Michigan and State, south on LaSalle and west on Adams to Wacker.
Adjustment: Service will operate on Marine Drive between Lawrence and Montrose instead of operating on Clarendon, as customers have requested that the routes revert back to their original routings on Marine Drive.
#144 Marine/Michigan Express A new rush period route, peak direction only, operates from Foster via Marine and Clarendon to Irving Park before running express on Outer Lake Shore to Oak/Michigan and making local stops on Michigan from Delaware to Washington.
Adjustment: The north terminal will be extended from Foster/Marine to the Berwyn Red Line station operating via Foster, Broadway, Berwyn, Sheridan and Foster. The south terminal will operate via Michigan, Wacker, State and Congress. This new routing will provide a faster entry point onto Lake Shore Drive for customers north of Irving Park.
#146 Inner Drive/Michigan ExpressOperates on Clarendon between Lawrence and Montrose. #146 buses enter Outer Lake Shore at Belmont for express trips to Oak/Michigan before proceeding south via Michigan and on to the Museum Campus.
Adjustment: As with the #136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express, the #146 will operate on Marine Drive between Lawrence and Montrose instead of operating on Clarendon, as customers have requested that the routes revert back to their original routings on Marine Drive.
#156 LaSalleThis route was not included in the experiment, but due to heavy customer traffic and requests from the community, an adjustment will be implemented.
The #156 LaSalle operates weekdays from 5:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. between Halsted/Belmont and Desplaines/Harrison.
Adjustment: Certain rush period, peak direction only trips will be extended to Irving Park/Marine to provide service between Inner Lake Shore Drive and LaSalle Street north of the Chicago River. This service had been provided by the #135 prior to August 31 enhancements.
For details about CTA routes and schedules, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit www.transitchicago.com.
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