The Ride

Late Buses and Bus Tracker

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:11:30 -0600

Yesterday, I saw bunches of miserable and dripping-wet kids, standing in the rain, waiting over 25 minutes for an eastbound Addison bus to take them to high school. When the bus came, it was too full to board. There were over two dozen teenagers just at the Blue Line stop, peering hopefully down the street. Lane Tech and Gordon Tech high schools reported numerous tardies. Lane has seen a lot of tardies all week. The story is here. The CTA explained that there was a disabled bus at Harlem. The CTA also noted that the first week of school is a time of adjustment for everyone.

I had a couple of questions about this, beyond what was in the story. One was -- don't any of these kids have umbrellas, or is that not cool enough for high school? The second question is , "What if before they had left the house they had gotten on the computer and used the CTA's highly touted "Bus Tracker" program? Would that have saved them some waiting time?" I suspect its usefulness in this instance would be limited -- Bus Tracker tells when the next bus is coming, approximately, but not how full the bus is.

Readers -- has anyone out there used Bus Tracker, and does it help you wait inside where it's dry?

Yellow, Orange Line Extensions

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:18:08 -0600

The CTA has extended comment periods for the Yellow and Orange Line extensions. The Orange Line comment period will now end on September 9 and the Yellow Line comment period will end on September 16. You can read about it here

Did anyone go to the public meetings, and were they productive?

95th Street Roadwork

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:02:11 -0600

Meteorological summer may be over, but it's still construction season.

Today, weather permitting, the Illinois Department of Transportation will start a resurfacing project on 95th St. from I-294 (the Tri-State Tollway) to Western Ave. in Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park.

The work, scheduled for completion at the end of October, will require daytime lane closures in both directions. IDOT advises motorists to take alternate routes to avoid delays, watch for signs and be on the lookout for workers and construction equipment in the work zone.

The contractor on the $6.5 million project is Central Black Top.

Weekend CTA work & art

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:31:22 -0600

If it's Friday, that means there's work coming on the CTA. See the details here. And as always, leave extra time.

It's not all construction all the time. On Saturday, an eight-car Orange Line train will function as a moving art gallery. For $5 between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., you can take in some art and take a ride around the Loop. See here for details.

Harlem Roadwork Coming

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:33:35 -0600

South suburbanites, watch out -- the big trucks and orange cones are coming to Harlem Avenue.

Starting Sept. 2, The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that, weather permitting, it will start a patching and resurfacing project on Harlem Ave./IL Rt. 43 from Southwest Highway/IL Rt. 7 to 159th St./U.S. Rt. 6 in Palos Heights, Orland Park, Tinley Park and Worth.

According to IDOT, the project will be carried out in two phases this fall and next spring and early summer.

This fall, the work will consist of pavement patching, removing and replacing sections of deteriorated curb and gutter and work on box culverts. Work will continue through Oct. 31, and will require daily lane closures at various times in both directions.

IDOT advises motorists to take alternate routes to avoid delays.

Yellow line extension

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:23:35 -0600

A public meeting on extending the Yellow Line will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at National Louis University in Skokie, 5202 Old Orchard Rd. An expanded Yellow Line could provide connections to Old Orchard mall and the Cook County Courthouse. See this CTA press release for more details.

Today's trivia contest-answer

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:01:01 -0600

Who was the Chicago businessman behind those wonderful old CTA and South Shore Line posters, and of what crime was he acquitted?

The answer is Samuel Insull, a former secretary to Thomas Edison, who was one of the biggest men in Chicago before the stock market crash. He took the stand in his own defense and was acquitted on fraud and other charges, but never got his position back and died in Europe. Edward Bryant was the first reader with the correct answer, and if he can send me an e-mail with his address and preferred T-shirt size, I'll send him his shirt. Thanks to everyone who played.

Going car-free

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:00:01 -0600

Today's "Ride" column features George Zrust, who decided along with his wife Nancy Sreenan to try going without their car for the summer. It's an interesting experiment to live up to your own environmental ideals and try to do without America's favorite way to travel.

CTA Weekend Work

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:29:47 -0600

It's the weekend, which means there must be construction on the CTA. See all the gory details here, and, altogether now, allow extra time.

CN Railway Meeting Sked

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:52:01 -0600

If you're curious about Canadian National Railway's proposed purchase of the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway and its effect on railway traffic in the suburbs, public meetings are being held around the Chicago area to present the findings of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board and receive public comment. Should be lively, at least occasionally...

CTA bus drivers wanted

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:17:38 -0600

The CTA is still looking for part-time bus drivers -- which can turn into a full-time job. The CTA press release is pasted below:

"Holding" parking spaces

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:01:01 -0600

It's kind of the warm-weather version of putting an old lawn chair in your shoveled-out parking space -- getting your passenger to stand in a vacant space to "hold it" while you drive around the block. I heard from one reader who said it drives him absolutely crazy when people do this. It doesn't bother me much when I see it -- but I think it's kind of a rude thing to do to your passenger. What do you think?

Bad corners for pedestrians

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:01:00 -0600

A study commissioned by the City of Chicago found that 48 intersections had 5 or more pedestrian crashes in two years. The years studied were 2003 and 2005, because that's when the University of North Carolina Research Center could get information for intersection crashes. So the data's a little dated, but still interesting. Here's the complete list:

Biking in the 'Burbs

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:05:31 -0600

Monday's "Ride" column discussed efforts being made by some suburbs to encourage bicycling. I'm curious how well this is working out. Are you a suburban bicyclist, and is your suburb trying to make things easier for you with bike lanes and bike racks? Or do you get weird looks whenever you try to ride your bike to the store?

When I lived in the suburbs, biking and walking were viewed as eccentric activities, akin to churning your own butter. People would honk at me and ask if I needed a ride -- or just honk. Is it getting better for people who choose not to use a car for every trip?

Clark Street Trivia - Answer

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:01:01 -0600

Clark Street in Chicago was named for what historic figure? The correct answer is Gen. George Rogers Clark, a Revolutionary War her who captured western territory, including Illinois, from the British. Robert Gilbert had the first correct answer. Send in your size and address and I'll send out your shirt.