Aaaand there’s my stupid mistake! 🤦♂️ In my defense, it makes a lot of sense to have a Green Line stop at Western so its weird there isn’t one. Thanks for pointing it out though!
@@karatransitfur not to pour salt in the wounds but I'd disagree on that- there's not much going on at Lake and Western, and the Damen station will be finished soon.
@@herbiecactus6687 That's fair! I mainly think there should be a stop there just to connect with the 49/X49, and have a walking connection to Metra's Western Ave. I definitely agree the walkshed isn't great, though!
@@karatransitfur good point but not a great walk from Lake Street to Hubbard from a safety standpoint, most people would avoid it. It took many many years to finally get a fill-in station for the Green Line between Ashland and California, and it officially opens next Monday. I won't live long enough to see a Western station.
This is a crazy thing to stumble upon tonight. My plans for tomorrow involved taking the green line to western and then hopping on a bus north 😂 not a normal route for me but I just assumed there would be a western stop! Thanks for the info
This is a great amateur journalism video, about my favorite type of transit no less. CROSSTOWN SERVICE. From what you told me about the plan a couple weeks ago, it seems like this is not going to just die like Ashland.
Hopefully not! Like I mentioned at the end the CTA is going to be studying the corridor, and ideally we can use what we learned from the Ashland plan to help make this one successful.
I actually think implementing BRT now is a much better plan, not only from a practicality standpoint, but also in a real time impact. Obviously train services do move quicker than BRT, but BRT is still a massive speed boost. It can be implemented much quicker, like only taking a year to implement. It also is easier to scale up service for. CTA has a massive service problem with existing L lines. Until service returns to pre covid levels, I dont even dream of new L lines. Existing service needs to improve first.
It's unlikely to happen any time soon, but I think BRT on *both* western and halsted, as major north-south transit corridors with consistently packed busses and high connectivity to important destinations and rail lines, ~1.5 miles apart, would go a great way towards bridging transit gaps and the difficulty of north-south transit that isn't on the L. Western would be higher priority because it's further from existing north-south transit (in the north side halsted is less than half a mile from the red line) and generally busier, but I would absolutely love to see either of those built. And they're more realistic dream projects than something like a circle line or a new north-south line (along, say, cicero), because they're much easier and less disruptive to build.
A great example of a successful BRT system is the Rede Integrada de Transporte system in Curitiba, the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná! First implemented in 1974, it was one of the first BRT systems in the world and contributed to one of the first successful examples of TOD! In the 1980s, they introduced elevated glass tube stations, which allow for fare prepayment and level boarding! A small ramp folds down from the bus onto the platform so there is no gap to cross to enter or leave the vehicle. All door loading and fare prepayment allows for short dwell times in stations. Inside some tube stations there are Tubotecas, or small libraries, introduced in 2013 for Curitiba's 320th anniversary. Citizens can borrow books with no need to register and return them to any other Tuboteca, any time. 20% of the stations also have passing lanes to allow for express services. Their fleet uses bi-articulated buses (split into three sections and operates only with soy-based biofuel, which reduces pollutant emissions by 50%). Based on 1991 traveler survey results, it was estimated that the introduction of the BRT had caused a reduction of about 27 million auto trips per year, annually saving about 27 million liters of fuel. In particular, 28 percent of BRT riders previously traveled by car. Compared to eight other Brazilian cities of its size, Curitiba uses about 30 percent less fuel per capita, resulting in one of the country's lowest rates of ambient air pollution. As of 2024, the system had a length of 81.4 km!
This has been a while in the making, and it's definitely not perfect, but I wanted to get this out while the iron was hot, so to speak. I know some of the audio is a bit weird, that'll be something I make sure doesn't happen for next time. Hope you enjoy, and please check out the description for credits and my bibliography.
This north-south transit problem is the same problem that Long Island faces. The LIRR excels if you're going east-west or heading to NYC since it's of course NYC-centric, but if you're going from the North Shore to the South Shore, then that's where it falls flat. Let's say I'd want to go from Patchogue on the South Shore to Cold Spring Harbor on the North Shore. If I did that during rush-hour, then it'd be easy if the Montauk Branch train uses the Central Branch and stops at Hicksville, where I can then change to a Huntington-bound train to Cold Spring Harbor. But for every other time of the day, then I'd have to go all the way to Jamaica in Queens, just to back track and take a Huntington-bound train back east. So it's up to NICE of Nassau County or SCT of Suffolk County to fill in the gaps of the LIRR, and for North Shore-South Shore travel, not many NICE nor SCT routes actually go between the two shores, usually just stopping somewhere in between. But one that does, SCT's 1 between Amityville LIRR on the South Shore and Halesite on the North Shore which also stops at Huntington LIRR and Farmingdale State College, is one of SCT's busiest routes! So to address a lack of quality affordable rental housing, a lack of that type of housing in environments in which young people want to live (like walkable downtowns), high costs of living, auto-centric transportation system with limited north-south mobility, and a scarcity of high paying jobs, Suffolk County launched the Connect Long Island plan under former Democrat county executive Steve Bellone (who was executive from 2012 to 2023) to promote transit-oriented development, build a modern transportation system and support sustainable growth. Besides TOD projects (like at Riverhead, Patchogue, Wyandanch, and Ronkonkoma; the Ronkonkoma TOD includes a new airport terminal, convention center, and life sciences hub on top of housing), improving hiking and biking networks, and introducing Bethpage Ride bikeshare in 2019 (which Patchogue, Babylon, Gilgo Beach, Lindenhurst, Huntington, the Hamptons, and Riverhead all participate in bikeshare), the plan also included redesigning the bus network, making many new routes with most routes having 30-minute headways. One of the routes kept was of course the 1. And to improve north-south corridors, part of the plan is studying BRT, specifically along Route 110 between Huntington and Amityville (the 1's route; which will also serve new TOD in East Farmingdale to coincide with the reopening of Republic station), along the Sagtikos Parkway from Babylon to Kings Park (which includes Suffolk County Community College’s Grant Campus in Brentwood, Kings Park LIRR, Heartland Town Square TOD in Brentwood, and Tanger Outlets), and along Nicolls Road from Patchogue to Stony Brook (serving Stony Brook University, Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman Campus, St. Joseph's College, Ronkonkoma LIRR, and LI MacArthur Airpor)t.
I would love a high speed rail in the Midwest. It would be so fun to do a weekend trip to other Midwest cities without needing to drive 7 hours or fly. Flying sucks.
I have family in WI (who grew up in Chicago), but the 6hr+ drive is tiring for the relatives who drive. I remember hearing something about a proposal for a train from here to somewhere in Minnesota maybe? But I don't recall if it was high speed rail or not. But it would be great to visit the WI fam more frequently and for them to visit us. Every time they come here, they hit ALL their fav food places. And they usually drive back to WI with a cooler full of Hubs gyros! ❤ (Yes, WI has decent gyros, but Hubs is HUBS).
Oh, and I must mention that every time someone brings up high speed rail for the U.S., I get Simpsons flashbacks to the Monorail musical number, complete with jazz hands and boater hats. 🤦🏻♀️ ..But that's how excited the dream makes me, because I WANTS IT!! 🎶 Monoraaail! 👐 Monoraaaaaail! 👐 Monoraaaaaaaaaaail!!! 👐 🎶
My grandfather was a conductor on the Western Avenue streetcar many years ago. He’d run the route from the north end to the south end of Western, and back, daily
Oh wow! I wish I could ride one. I'm a Xennial (Gen X-Millennial cusp) but fell in love with the time period "turn of the century through the '30s" -- primarily the music, architecture, and decor. Even though I wasn't born yet to experience Chicago's cable cars, I feel like I "miss" hearing them. I do recall hearing that there are a few places in Chicago where you can see sections of the old tracks exposed, but I haven't sought them out yet (assuming they haven't since been covered or obliterated). As far as my actual memory with Chicago transit, I have fond ones.. I had a student ID bus pass (discounted fare) in high school where all I needed was that and a token (kept in a little coin purse or a film canister). My grad class's tee featured our commonly said/heard phrases, one of which was: "Got a token?" LOL I remember the transition to flocked seats and AC. I remember baking in the heat outside, passing up the current "old bus" right in front of me so I could eventually board the "new bus" waiting behind it.. I remember the evolution of handicap-friendly accomodations -- how they got better and better. I admired them and was grateful they were there for those in various stages of mobility, including the elderly. I was so tiny and thin (and shouldering a big HEAVY backpack) and bus drivers were nice enough to "kneel" the bus for me sometimes in hs and college. I have a fused spine and freq pain (an "invisible" challenge) so this kindness was more appreciated than they knew. And I remember the orange-toned plastic seats of my childhood. The coins musically jangling into the machine as customers boarded. And the thin green-tinged transfers that the driver would hole punch.. Those papers had a particular feel and sound in the handling. I wish I still had some of those items. Public transportation is still useful. I love the info screens, the planning and tracker apps, and the ability to have a copy of the bus/train routes on our phones! I would have to use public trans again for work (and to visit museums this summer with my daughter). I'm worried about safety, especially on the trains! The train systems are far too "stabby" these days. (They shouldn't be "stabby" at all...) Anyway, if you haven't yet, you should check out Forgotten Chicago. It's a site and a Facebook group. Lots of old photos of Chicago from different eras. My favorite photo was posted in 2018 by Fred Jakubowski, titled "Art Institute 1895." Gentlemen chillin' on the Art Institute lawn in their suits and bowler hats! It's fabulous!
I just want to say, it's interesting that two of those corridors announced by "Better Streets for Buses" service very affluent neighborhoods (Fullerton-->Lincoln Park, 55th St-->Hyde Park). It's not even a bad decision, there's a huge divide between the rich white north siders, who primarily use the train, and ignore the bus system, unlike the poorer south and west sides. Having access to good and quick bus infrastructure might help get larger, city-wide support for improving that part of the CTA.
I saw some Chicago-style bus priority on Western the other day when a bus just ran a red light right in front of me before I crossed the street, good thing I looked both ways before I crossed lol.
Oh that's creepy. I'm doing a rewatch of Lost and JUST saw the episode with the beginning of Juliet's backstory (the dude at her office who wanted in on her secret successful fertility research/treatment.. Bus got him). Traffic in Chicago is rough. As a pedestrian, you have to look every which way and *assume* any random driver either doesn't know what they're doing or is inattentive/careless. The scariest ones to cross are the widest streets....and the physically long crosswalks where a diagonal street intersects with a lateral(?) one.
Stormy, this is *such* a well produced video, especially with such limited time to work on it! Fantastic job, and I really hope this gains the traction it deserves!
Chicago needs a crosstown service so so so badly. If it ever got built, it would enhance the CTA so so much and the city would grow so much because of it.
Thank you for the video! I certainly hope the Western BRT, or some other sort of Crosstown BRT, gets built. It would make my trips across western Chicago so much easier. Plus, depending on how this Western Ave BRT gets built (I sincerely hope it does), it should be easier to convert it later on into LRT or even a full-fledged L line
These plans always die because behind closed doors CTA brass scoff at the idea of new modes (BRT/LRT) they’d have to train, staff, and maintain in addition to their legacy rail system. The city and CTA have studied this so maannny times. To fund the growth long term there has to be a conversation about increased funding, a tough topic in Chicago.
If you're reading this and live in these wards, email your alderperson!! Hearing from the public goes further than you might think ;) Thanks for the great vid!
Amazing video! I rely on the western bus almost everyday, and have been surprised at how inconsistent and inconvenient it can be. I had no idea that this plan was even proposed and my alderperson was one of the people who proposed it 😭 probably never would’ve heard about it without this video
One of the reasons it's so inconsistent and inconvenient is that many stops were removed a few years ago on the recommendation of planners who thought it would be a logical first step towards BRT, and since the pandemic the non-express barely runs more than 2-3 times an hour for most of the day (and the express busses bunch...) So some broken metric says that the trip time is reduced while travel time is usually vastly increased for the person using the bus every day.
I'm a former Chicagoan who knew the CTA inside and out and have lived in Madison for the last 20 years. My mind was blown when the 47th Ward alderman referenced Madison's and Indianapolis's robust BRT systems and said "it's time for Chicago to follow their lead." Especially since I used to live in the 47th Ward, although the alderman back then was different. For most of the last two decades I complained bitterly about the backwardness of the Madison bus system until finally they rearranged the excessively slow, confusing, meandering routes (they literally had more routes than the CTA!) and started constructing the BRT. We seem to finally have a mayor that understands transit and the first line is supposed to open this fall. Interestingly, the previous head of Madison Metro (whose previous experience was running Appleton's bus system????) resigned immediately after our current mayor was elected, and replaced with someone from Indianapolis who had BRT experience.
I get why "all stakeholders' need consulting, but it always feels like, to me, some stakeholders are always more equal than others. Fundamentally, this is a transportation project, but bus riders never really feel that prioritized as drivers and parking and trucks always have to be massaged and cajoled to accept change. Even the discussion of traffic gets to me. There always will be traffic. We need to get away from this focus on moving vehicles to moving people, which transit will always do better because it does it at scale in a way private vehicles can't. It make things feel helpless, and a Western Ave BRT would certain help (though a new L line along it would be even better!). Walking and transit should be first in a big city, not distant seconds. Alas, that's the world we live in now. I wish the project well. Chicago needs better bus service badly.
I really hope to see this project go through! As someone who takes the blue line from the Forest Park branch often, it's frustrating having to go all the way into the loop when heading north. BRT might be a faster option as a transfer to avoid going into the loop. It also just makes so much sense for that corridor. I know many would love to see an L line here, but BRT is the most realistic improvement, both financially and politically. BRT is also much faster to implement, which means it would impact the community much faster, and at nearly similar results. BRT is a no brainer.
@@thomasnewton8223 My thoughts exactly! An L line would be great but BRT is easier and cheaper to implement - and when done right, can still be a powerhouse transit route.
The real issue is space. The old infrastructure with the buildings and distance from one side of the street to the other is impossible to change. An elevated train would be more sensible because the streets are only so wide.
The major problem with this is we need change NOW. While there is so much planning for something major, why dont they start with red paint and from 6-10am and 3-7pm have those be bus only lanes and see how ridership is affected. The X9 and X49 helped immensely but are limited due to not having priority.
I would love this. Especially if it terminated at Howard. It is a major bus interchange for both CTA and Pace and connects the Red, Purple, and Yellow lines providing connections to the suburbs. At the projected speed, it would get me from RP down to 18th street 20-30 minutes faster than transfering from Red to Pink. And it would cut the time to Western and Milwaukee in half vs Red to Blue.
Too bad Tom Carney doesn’t care about transit or biking and will only work on those projects when forced. He was such a lackluster pick for CDOT Commissioner. Dorval Carter Jr should have been gone at least a year ago. CTA has fallen into a state of crisis under his watch. The Loop Link is a joke. It lacks signal priority and you can’t pay before you board. None of Chicago’s bus only lanes are enforced so people park in them all the time. Transit riders in Chicago deserve so much better.
Used to take Western Bus Line to the Brown line and then to Lakeview area for HS. So many people depend on the Western ave hope they improve it for the better !
Chicago has become SO car-dependent that a large part of its business and social economy is now reliant upon people driving rather than using public transportation - and this fact holds true DESPITE the horrendous traffic jams from the numerous lane- and road-closings caused by the multitude of highway repair projects now happening all across the city. People feel compelled to use their cars for most trips because public transit is still so much less convenient (not to mention, fear-inducing from crime) with its long waits for unreliable buses and trains and having to transfer between buses and/or trains en-route. When all is said and done, driving is still faster than taking transit, and car-use has that one-seat-ride door-to-door convenience which is downright addictive. People prefer Uber, Lyft and even taxis over taking public transit, which has become the mode of last resort for those who can't ride a bike, afford a car or hire a ride-share or taxi. FURTHERMORE (and this goes to the very heart of your excellent video, Stormy Kara), the United States is NOTORIOUS for PROPOSING transit solutions such as this BRT along Western Avenue, but the vast majority of these proposals end up as TALK and NO action. Why? Because there simply isn't the public pressure on the powers-that-be (city and government officials) to DO anything other than talk, talk, talk and hire consultants to conduct endless STUDIES which, in the end, accomplish nothing but pay the salaries of their consultants. This is the blunt truth of the dismal situation in which we transit advocates find ourselves.
@@tortellinifettuccine I AM from Chicago, use the CTA when it makes the most sense to do so (mostly the express buses on the North Side (the 146 and 135) which run on DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Belmont Avenue to the North End of Michigan Avenue (start of the "Magnificent Mile"). I also have to drive to reach areas of the region not easily accessed by public transit (Glenview) without using a combination of CTA and Pace buses, or going downtown from the North Side on CTA to Union Station and then taking a Metra train to Glenview, a roundabout route at best). Even the express buses on Lake Shore Drive are stuck in the same heavy auto traffic, and now the 135, which used to run on Lake Shore Drive to the Wacker Drive exit and then west along Upper Wacker Drive to Michigan Avenue and beyond, has for more than six months now been forced to exit Lake Shore Drive at the North end of Michigan Avenue due to construction at the southbound Wacker Drive exit off of Lake Shore Drive owing to repairs to the Chicago River bridge there. +++ The same lack of public pressure to overcome the NIMBY opposition to the BRT project on Ashland Avenue will stall or kill outright a similar improvement to transit on Western Avenue (the subject of this video). THE CAR WINS EVERY TIME. Just look at New York City, which spent a fortune to install the infrastructure needed to implement its Congestion-Charging Plan, the first in the nation, and was on the verge of implementing it when New York State Governor Cathy Hochul singlehandedly, with pressure from the State of New Jersey across the Hudson River from Manhattan, put the kybosh to that idea, whose cancellation is now going to deprive the New York CIty Transit System of millions of dollars of annual revenue which the congestion charging plan was going to provide it, now putting New York City's transit improvement plans on indefinite hold. THE CAR ALWAYS WINS IN AMERICA. +++
This is sadly very true. I live near the blue line along the forest park branch. I have access to a 24 hour train line in view from my apartment but still often opt to uber home after a night out because the speed and reliability of CTA is questionable. Why spend 45 minutes on the train when I can uber home in 15-20? I hate doing it. I wish I could be more optimistic for the future of CTA but they give me no reason to.
We Chicagoans actually PREFER to take our cars. I have zero desire to take public transit anywhere because it's an utterly miserable experience and invariably takes way longer. Stop messing with our streets, Chicago, and stop demonizing the majority who prefer to drive their own cars!
One thing that BRT projects should do going forward regarding the inevitable concerns about “increased congestion” from taking a lane away: give general purpose (non-bus) traffic “Michigan Left” intersections everywhere within & anywhere near the BRT corridor. Or other comparable “Alternative intersection” designs that noticeably alleviate idling traffic without much (if any) physical roadway expansion. Michigan Left setups make traffic lights as simple as possible: 2 directions per light phase (by taking protected left turns out of the equation). Therefore INCREASING the likelihood that you’ll catch a green light and the likelihood that the red light will turn green before you even come to a complete stop (therefore a crap ton less idling, in turn less air pollution). As most typical intersections (especially throughout most of the entire state of Illinois) have no less than FOUR directions per light phase. Meaning you’re more likely to catch a red than a green almost every time (unless the light is at an underused side street).
I would love a BRT in the south suburbs. But there are suburbs near me that do not want buses in them. A BRT going from Chicago Heights or Park Forest to the orange line(using Western or Pulaski) would be great. If it went from PF to Rosemont, it could lead to more people finding jobs and more entertainment.
Crazy that I live in both Chicago and salt lake but salt lake being almost 14 times smaller has 2 true BRT lines already and they’re building a 3rd line.
@@KennethAI Chicago (even with slashes to our frequency) has many lines that run 15 min or less. 15 frequency does not equal BRT. Not familiar enough with SLC to say if you have anything else that would make something true BRT; BUT 15 min frequency most certainly doesn't :)
Awesome video! It would be awesome to see BRT in the city even if I do not rely on it. I just want more people to appreciate transit and fight for funding it more.
The entire Chicago bus system operates at a deficit...assuming it operates at all. Nobody in Chicago uses the bus unless they have to. Parking is expensive, but at least your car shows up.
America just needs dynamic road pricing with traffic signal coordination for all buses. It would fix 99% of traffic immediately. Let buses and cars with 3+ people use all roads for free and charge based on demand the remaining street capacity to low occupancy vehicles.
That's not ideal because working and middle class people already struggle with high costs and monthly bills. What they need is relief, not additional expenses.
Good video. I do wonder how the city will tackle the crime issues that plague the city. If the crime is not reduced drastically, i see people still referring to personal vehicles as top forms of commuting. Similar to bike lanes on the south side. I feel that various methods of transportation are great things, but there are other things that we have to look at as well, so success would not be hindered
Agree. I'm lucky that I have family with cars to drive me on errands (or to do pickups for me). But, any job I get, I would need public transportation again. I can't afford a car anyway, but I also should not drive because I get random dizzy spells. Ironically, public transportation should be perfect for someone like me. I'm scared to use it now (but I wasn't 5 years ago). Too many stabbings, robberies, and assaults. I guess I could leave the purse at home, stash any money in my shoe, and hide my phone in..my bra? But I'm still tiny and female and that makes me a target regardless. I could use a kid backpack, but many teens and tweens have iPhones and pricy earbuds so I'd have to go with something very immature, to seem younger than them. Of course, that still leaves the creeps who prey on children.. Are tazers illegal? lol Point is, none of us should have to go through these mental gymnastics for survival strategies -- especially not in our day-to-day lives.
This could be a good idea only problem is that western having 1 less lane for regular traffic and 1 dedicated for busses could make the traffic worse, especially during rush hour. I could see it hapening if they either add an extra lane/remove parking along the street when available and utilizing 1 lane from either western ave or western boulevard in the south side and not to mention that the city hasnt even fixed the road to begin with. Its full of potholes, they might never even want to consider adding a whole bus lane and could end up like the ashland proposal, but who knows
Someone needs to come up with a better BRT design than center bus stations. It’s ridiculously dangerous for passengers departing and entering the bus since our buses have doors on the right side and those would be opened into traffic. Honestly, there is no good way to do this without completing tearing out and rebuilding all of the infrastructure. I think public parking structures need to be considered to get the cars off of the main thoroughfares to allow a proper way to design BRT along with possible bike lanes.
It really is shocking how an agency such as the C.T.A. is so primitive with how they do public transit, a metro like ours should've been had more rapid transit lines and BRT as well as a few Light rail lines....
Well for BRT they have to work with CDOT and the two agencies rarely work in tandem. The lack of coordination is infuriating. In order to get signal priority CDOT has to approve it and install it.Therefore the city has to find signal priority/upgraded traffic lights. Just to name one element of why buses lack priority on the streets. Additionally, many CTA routes run on Illinois Dept of Transportation controlled streets and obviously they don’t care about anyone who doesn’t drive.
Definitely, you can thank the auto lobby for that. Auto corps and those associated bought up streetcar systems across the country after WW2, then they demolished them and replaced them with busses.
There is already a solution without building BRT. Chicago has always had parking restrictions on major thoroughfare like Ashland and Western during rush hours. If the restrictions were expanded and enforced the parking lanes would become bus only lanes and that would make local and express bus service faster Because these are major truck routes. Some allowances have to be made for trucks to make right turns at certain places and loading and unloading has to be restricted as well.
They definitely should do something to improve the bus on Western. But maybe not BRT with middle platforms. Just make the outside lane a bus lane and then enforce it because that’s the only way it will ever work. If you don’t enforce it drives will be ignoring the bus lane. Nowadays it’s even possible to enforce the bus lane by using cameras that the bus is already coming from factory. People will stop using bus lanes for other purposes if they receive tickets for it.
Totally agree. I was just commenting that Chicago Avenue from Halsted to Cicero has a designated bus lane, but enforcement is nonexistent and it just becomes a racing lane for drivers using the bus lane to pass up drivers who are respecting the bus lane. Driving westbound on Chicago Avenue has become a dangerous stretch if anyone is going westbound
@@ernestoddelgado3350 yeah I agree. Ever since the bus "lane" implementation there's been a ton of drivers who pull up to the left of the bus and cut them off to turn right. We need cameras on busses to tag plates of cars parking and abusing dedicated bus lanes.
brt is good, but the same thing with streetcars, mm chefs kiss. go all the way with it baby. especially since approving this would definitely cost a lot of drive for the circle line.
Chicago has more pressing matters to worry about than a bus lane, fix your damn robberies and murder rates first, you idiots even had a baseball team that's in dead last propose to build a stadium near the city, seriously, FO!
I have a question: along Chicago Avenue going westbound, there is a designated Bus Lane similar to the ones in the downtown area. Probably stretching from halsted all the way to Cicero even. Is this considered a BRT too? Or because there are no infrastructures elevating the bus stop along the Chicago Ave route it is not considered a BRT?
Those are the bus lanes for the 66 I mentioned! It would not be considered BRT, since BRT usually incorporates multiple enhancements to improve bus service. Besides, those bus lanes are peak-hours only, they're not even 24 hour 😅
Yeah as someone who takes the 66 pretty regularly all the dedicated bus lanes have done is force operators to be more alert during intersections. The amount of cars that wil pull up on the left of the CTA bus at an intersection to gun it and take a right turn to "beat" the bus is astonishing. I maybe saw it happen once before the bus "lanes" (just paint no borders) but now it's a common occurrence. Chicago Ave needs a full BRT system and to re-do the stoplight distance between choke points like the bridge over the river and certain underpasses far west.
I really hope Chicago eventually gets light rail rather than BRT on both Ashland and Western at some point. The ridership gains would be so substantial and it would make my life so much easier.
@@qjtvaddict Spoken like someone whos never been to a city with good light rail/trams. BRT is great for smaller cities that could never support a rail system but for a city like Chicago light rail will always be better than BRT.
BRT on Western would be a good fit, especially as it remains a dedicated truck route. If the city wants a real orbital rapid transit solution, then the LRT or metro on the corridor near Cicero would be a better match.
@@rabbbirumba2397you say this like there aren’t several cities across Europe with less than 100k population and sustain an LRT or even subway system. The only barriers in the US are poor planning and political will
It's frightening seeing yourself in a youtube video you didn't know was being filmed... and then subsequently seeing your house in the same video -- which is then randomly suggested to you on TH-cam!
Doesn't make sense to have the BRT on Ashland/Western. Western already touches sooooo many train lines. It should be further west and would ideally connect to O'Hare and Midway for more versatility.
Honestly, the fact that it *does* touch train lines would be good, as it would provide a better connection between the lines! And so many people already use the corridor. What would be cool (but probably a long shot) is BRT on Cicero from Jefferson Park to Midway. That'd be a good connection, I think!
@@karatransitfur I'm having a hard time thinking of reasons one would need the Western bus to connect between train lines. Can you give me an example of a trip where that would be beneficial?
I am not against adding more rapid transit systems, but I'm telling you, if it slows down everyone else you're gonna get pushback. These aldermen are overestimating how much of a reduction in traffic due to increased ridership there'd be. I'm not convinced, even with the NYC data. I'd have to see it for myself and read their reasonings backed up with facts, not assumptions.
Sounds good, but it's too bad that if you're going to take a couple of lanes away from cars, they could just put a L line down the center? I mean if the brt takes off, that'll be the next phase anyway...
Realistically it would have to be elevated which balloons the cost and time to build substantially. BRT is about fast, and easy implementation, both politically and financially.
Right, but if you live 2 blocks north, and maybe are already 2 blocks west or east of Western, now you've got a half mile to get to the bus. Try that when you're 63 years old, have back or knee problems, and have to carry something.
Ha, good luck with that, pal. I have lived in Chicago for over 30 years and have witnessed disfunction and corruption to a level of cringe that surpasses any city in America!
Make it happen, Chicago! Bother the fuck out of your local representatives and don’t let up until they deliver on their promises! Love from Nashville, TN 😊
How does the longest street in the city not go anywhere? I could see light rail on Milwaukee along with measures to severely reduce the amount of car traffic considering it’s already a popular biking corridor. It would be even more popular if you reduced the amount of drivers moving along the corridor.
@@Minelaughter It depends on what part of Western, but any BRT project should also accompany a comprehensive plan on the Western Ave corridor and a cohesive cross-section design.
@@olamilekanakala7542 probably a BRT along Western from Milwaukee to Canal, then Canal Street through Union/Ogilvie, than from Ogden back up Western like a loop
@@Minelaughter that's fine for expanding the downtown business circle but the goal of these transit systems should be to provide more equitable and convenient access to the people who live furthest from these areas. Equitable transit cannot just serve a 10mi radius from the loop - that's why north-south lines that are more west is the best solution. though I agree having a more robust milwaukee ave bus would be great
We want it. But the connections need to be more efficient. To get to Evanston, for example, I would need to take a Lawrence or Foster bus across the city to get on the Red Line. But that distance, all the stops, and bad traffic, it would take forever. Other option is to bus to Jeff Park, take the Blue Line to the Loop and transfer to the Red there and go North.. Thing is, our trains are very stabby these days, especially the Red Line. So, we want public trans, but a more efficient one... and, most important, less stabby (but I prefer "stab-free," if possible).
Stupid in that the recent bus/ blike lanes have made 2 lane major avenues into single slow lanes. When just 1 driver stalls , tries to make a left turn ,or drives slow , we have backups and ling commutes.. TWO LANE ROADS SHOULD RETURN ON ALL , PLUS THE BICYCLE LANES ARE TOO WIDE, 6-7FT I THINK , when 5 ft is enough 7:42
2 lanes does not alleviate this to the extent that you think it will. Induced demand is a btch unless you remove vehicles from the road. Transit is the only solution as that is its main goal.
@@Cobalt_11 drive on Chicago Avenue. It use to move as fast as North Ave or Fullerton, now it moves like Division, Armitage, Diversey and every other one lane road
@@mariocisneros911 brother I lived on Chicago (& Ashland) for 2 years - it's only gotten worse as other roads have gotten worse which is a result of many factors not just single lanes. I never drive on Chicago Ave because the 66 is a much better alternative and you can save yourself time by doing so as well.
@@drewmorrison I bet it's the same people at grocery stores who block one side of an aisle with their cart and the other with their body....or they stop with their cart at a diagonal, blocking the aisle. Drives me nuts.
0:25 The Green Line doesn’t stop at Western!
Aaaand there’s my stupid mistake! 🤦♂️ In my defense, it makes a lot of sense to have a Green Line stop at Western so its weird there isn’t one. Thanks for pointing it out though!
@@karatransitfur not to pour salt in the wounds but I'd disagree on that- there's not much going on at Lake and Western, and the Damen station will be finished soon.
@@herbiecactus6687 That's fair! I mainly think there should be a stop there just to connect with the 49/X49, and have a walking connection to Metra's Western Ave. I definitely agree the walkshed isn't great, though!
@@karatransitfur good point but not a great walk from Lake Street to Hubbard from a safety standpoint, most people would avoid it. It took many many years to finally get a fill-in station for the Green Line between Ashland and California, and it officially opens next Monday. I won't live long enough to see a Western station.
This is a crazy thing to stumble upon tonight. My plans for tomorrow involved taking the green line to western and then hopping on a bus north 😂 not a normal route for me but I just assumed there would be a western stop! Thanks for the info
This is a great amateur journalism video, about my favorite type of transit no less. CROSSTOWN SERVICE. From what you told me about the plan a couple weeks ago, it seems like this is not going to just die like Ashland.
Hopefully not! Like I mentioned at the end the CTA is going to be studying the corridor, and ideally we can use what we learned from the Ashland plan to help make this one successful.
hello alex
My urbanist fantasy is to see the elevated "silver line" built down Ashland or Western. But this is probably a more realistic compromise
I get sad knowing it’ll probably never happen
Building an L is not hard your cities are just pathetic
@@qjtvaddict lol it's more of a problem with the country as a whole. A lot of cities have had great plans that were never allowed to see reality
@@qjtvaddictIt's very expensive too man. It's very easy to make flippant comments when you're not actually a stakeholder.
I actually think implementing BRT now is a much better plan, not only from a practicality standpoint, but also in a real time impact. Obviously train services do move quicker than BRT, but BRT is still a massive speed boost. It can be implemented much quicker, like only taking a year to implement. It also is easier to scale up service for. CTA has a massive service problem with existing L lines. Until service returns to pre covid levels, I dont even dream of new L lines. Existing service needs to improve first.
Of course alderman Andre was open for a conversation. He's one of the most transparent and awesome alders we have.
It's unlikely to happen any time soon, but I think BRT on *both* western and halsted, as major north-south transit corridors with consistently packed busses and high connectivity to important destinations and rail lines, ~1.5 miles apart, would go a great way towards bridging transit gaps and the difficulty of north-south transit that isn't on the L. Western would be higher priority because it's further from existing north-south transit (in the north side halsted is less than half a mile from the red line) and generally busier, but I would absolutely love to see either of those built. And they're more realistic dream projects than something like a circle line or a new north-south line (along, say, cicero), because they're much easier and less disruptive to build.
A great example of a successful BRT system is the Rede Integrada de Transporte system in Curitiba, the capital of the Brazilian state of Paraná! First implemented in 1974, it was one of the first BRT systems in the world and contributed to one of the first successful examples of TOD! In the 1980s, they introduced elevated glass tube stations, which allow for fare prepayment and level boarding! A small ramp folds down from the bus onto the platform so there is no gap to cross to enter or leave the vehicle. All door loading and fare prepayment allows for short dwell times in stations. Inside some tube stations there are Tubotecas, or small libraries, introduced in 2013 for Curitiba's 320th anniversary. Citizens can borrow books with no need to register and return them to any other Tuboteca, any time. 20% of the stations also have passing lanes to allow for express services. Their fleet uses bi-articulated buses (split into three sections and operates only with soy-based biofuel, which reduces pollutant emissions by 50%). Based on 1991 traveler survey results, it was estimated that the introduction of the BRT had caused a reduction of about 27 million auto trips per year, annually saving about 27 million liters of fuel. In particular, 28 percent of BRT riders previously traveled by car. Compared to eight other Brazilian cities of its size, Curitiba uses about 30 percent less fuel per capita, resulting in one of the country's lowest rates of ambient air pollution. As of 2024, the system had a length of 81.4 km!
This has been a while in the making, and it's definitely not perfect, but I wanted to get this out while the iron was hot, so to speak. I know some of the audio is a bit weird, that'll be something I make sure doesn't happen for next time.
Hope you enjoy, and please check out the description for credits and my bibliography.
This north-south transit problem is the same problem that Long Island faces. The LIRR excels if you're going east-west or heading to NYC since it's of course NYC-centric, but if you're going from the North Shore to the South Shore, then that's where it falls flat. Let's say I'd want to go from Patchogue on the South Shore to Cold Spring Harbor on the North Shore. If I did that during rush-hour, then it'd be easy if the Montauk Branch train uses the Central Branch and stops at Hicksville, where I can then change to a Huntington-bound train to Cold Spring Harbor. But for every other time of the day, then I'd have to go all the way to Jamaica in Queens, just to back track and take a Huntington-bound train back east. So it's up to NICE of Nassau County or SCT of Suffolk County to fill in the gaps of the LIRR, and for North Shore-South Shore travel, not many NICE nor SCT routes actually go between the two shores, usually just stopping somewhere in between. But one that does, SCT's 1 between Amityville LIRR on the South Shore and Halesite on the North Shore which also stops at Huntington LIRR and Farmingdale State College, is one of SCT's busiest routes!
So to address a lack of quality affordable rental housing, a lack of that type of housing in environments in which young people want to live (like walkable downtowns), high costs of living, auto-centric transportation system with limited north-south mobility, and a scarcity of high paying jobs, Suffolk County launched the Connect Long Island plan under former Democrat county executive Steve Bellone (who was executive from 2012 to 2023) to promote transit-oriented development, build a modern transportation system and support sustainable growth. Besides TOD projects (like at Riverhead, Patchogue, Wyandanch, and Ronkonkoma; the Ronkonkoma TOD includes a new airport terminal, convention center, and life sciences hub on top of housing), improving hiking and biking networks, and introducing Bethpage Ride bikeshare in 2019 (which Patchogue, Babylon, Gilgo Beach, Lindenhurst, Huntington, the Hamptons, and Riverhead all participate in bikeshare), the plan also included redesigning the bus network, making many new routes with most routes having 30-minute headways. One of the routes kept was of course the 1. And to improve north-south corridors, part of the plan is studying BRT, specifically along Route 110 between Huntington and Amityville (the 1's route; which will also serve new TOD in East Farmingdale to coincide with the reopening of Republic station), along the Sagtikos Parkway from Babylon to Kings Park (which includes Suffolk County Community College’s Grant Campus in Brentwood, Kings Park LIRR, Heartland Town Square TOD in Brentwood, and Tanger Outlets), and along Nicolls Road from Patchogue to Stony Brook (serving Stony Brook University, Suffolk County Community College’s Ammerman Campus, St. Joseph's College, Ronkonkoma LIRR, and LI MacArthur Airpor)t.
The US still, STILL, has no modern highspeed rail.
I would love a high speed rail in the Midwest. It would be so fun to do a weekend trip to other Midwest cities without needing to drive 7 hours or fly. Flying sucks.
I have family in WI (who grew up in Chicago), but the 6hr+ drive is tiring for the relatives who drive. I remember hearing something about a proposal for a train from here to somewhere in Minnesota maybe? But I don't recall if it was high speed rail or not.
But it would be great to visit the WI fam more frequently and for them to visit us. Every time they come here, they hit ALL their fav food places. And they usually drive back to WI with a cooler full of Hubs gyros! ❤
(Yes, WI has decent gyros, but Hubs is HUBS).
Oh, and I must mention that every time someone brings up high speed rail for the U.S., I get Simpsons flashbacks to the Monorail musical number, complete with jazz hands and boater hats. 🤦🏻♀️ ..But that's how excited the dream makes me, because I WANTS IT!!
🎶 Monoraaail! 👐 Monoraaaaaail! 👐 Monoraaaaaaaaaaail!!! 👐 🎶
That would be dope, we are long overdue.
My grandfather was a conductor on the Western Avenue streetcar many years ago. He’d run the route from the north end to the south end of Western, and back, daily
Oh wow! I wish I could ride one. I'm a Xennial (Gen X-Millennial cusp) but fell in love with the time period "turn of the century through the '30s" -- primarily the music, architecture, and decor. Even though I wasn't born yet to experience Chicago's cable cars, I feel like I "miss" hearing them. I do recall hearing that there are a few places in Chicago where you can see sections of the old tracks exposed, but I haven't sought them out yet (assuming they haven't since been covered or obliterated).
As far as my actual memory with Chicago transit, I have fond ones.. I had a student ID bus pass (discounted fare) in high school where all I needed was that and a token (kept in a little coin purse or a film canister). My grad class's tee featured our commonly said/heard phrases, one of which was: "Got a token?" LOL
I remember the transition to flocked seats and AC. I remember baking in the heat outside, passing up the current "old bus" right in front of me so I could eventually board the "new bus" waiting behind it..
I remember the evolution of handicap-friendly accomodations -- how they got better and better. I admired them and was grateful they were there for those in various stages of mobility, including the elderly. I was so tiny and thin (and shouldering a big HEAVY backpack) and bus drivers were nice enough to "kneel" the bus for me sometimes in hs and college. I have a fused spine and freq pain (an "invisible" challenge) so this kindness was more appreciated than they knew.
And I remember the orange-toned plastic seats of my childhood. The coins musically jangling into the machine as customers boarded. And the thin green-tinged transfers that the driver would hole punch.. Those papers had a particular feel and sound in the handling.
I wish I still had some of those items.
Public transportation is still useful. I love the info screens, the planning and tracker apps, and the ability to have a copy of the bus/train routes on our phones!
I would have to use public trans again for work (and to visit museums this summer with my daughter). I'm worried about safety, especially on the trains! The train systems are far too "stabby" these days. (They shouldn't be "stabby" at all...)
Anyway, if you haven't yet, you should check out Forgotten Chicago. It's a site and a Facebook group. Lots of old photos of Chicago from different eras. My favorite photo was posted in 2018 by Fred Jakubowski, titled "Art Institute 1895." Gentlemen chillin' on the Art Institute lawn in their suits and bowler hats! It's fabulous!
Chicago could benefit from this. The first BRT in Madison is supposed to start this fall.
I just want to say, it's interesting that two of those corridors announced by "Better Streets for Buses" service very affluent neighborhoods (Fullerton-->Lincoln Park, 55th St-->Hyde Park). It's not even a bad decision, there's a huge divide between the rich white north siders, who primarily use the train, and ignore the bus system, unlike the poorer south and west sides. Having access to good and quick bus infrastructure might help get larger, city-wide support for improving that part of the CTA.
I saw some Chicago-style bus priority on Western the other day when a bus just ran a red light right in front of me before I crossed the street, good thing I looked both ways before I crossed lol.
Yeah, another reason why we need signal priority for buses.
based
Oh that's creepy. I'm doing a rewatch of Lost and JUST saw the episode with the beginning of Juliet's backstory (the dude at her office who wanted in on her secret successful fertility research/treatment.. Bus got him).
Traffic in Chicago is rough. As a pedestrian, you have to look every which way and *assume* any random driver either doesn't know what they're doing or is inattentive/careless. The scariest ones to cross are the widest streets....and the physically long crosswalks where a diagonal street intersects with a lateral(?) one.
Stormy, this is *such* a well produced video, especially with such limited time to work on it! Fantastic job, and I really hope this gains the traction it deserves!
Chicago needs a crosstown service so so so badly. If it ever got built, it would enhance the CTA so so much and the city would grow so much because of it.
Thank you for the video! I certainly hope the Western BRT, or some other sort of Crosstown BRT, gets built. It would make my trips across western Chicago so much easier. Plus, depending on how this Western Ave BRT gets built (I sincerely hope it does), it should be easier to convert it later on into LRT or even a full-fledged L line
Combine this with LRT service along Lake Shore, and we've got the start of a proper trolley revival
These plans always die because behind closed doors CTA brass scoff at the idea of new modes (BRT/LRT) they’d have to train, staff, and maintain in addition to their legacy rail system. The city and CTA have studied this so maannny times. To fund the growth long term there has to be a conversation about increased funding, a tough topic in Chicago.
If you're reading this and live in these wards, email your alderperson!! Hearing from the public goes further than you might think ;)
Thanks for the great vid!
Amazing video! I rely on the western bus almost everyday, and have been surprised at how inconsistent and inconvenient it can be. I had no idea that this plan was even proposed and my alderperson was one of the people who proposed it 😭 probably never would’ve heard about it without this video
One of the reasons it's so inconsistent and inconvenient is that many stops were removed a few years ago on the recommendation of planners who thought it would be a logical first step towards BRT, and since the pandemic the non-express barely runs more than 2-3 times an hour for most of the day (and the express busses bunch...) So some broken metric says that the trip time is reduced while travel time is usually vastly increased for the person using the bus every day.
I'm a former Chicagoan who knew the CTA inside and out and have lived in Madison for the last 20 years.
My mind was blown when the 47th Ward alderman referenced Madison's and Indianapolis's robust BRT systems and said "it's time for Chicago to follow their lead." Especially since I used to live in the 47th Ward, although the alderman back then was different.
For most of the last two decades I complained bitterly about the backwardness of the Madison bus system until finally they rearranged the excessively slow, confusing, meandering routes (they literally had more routes than the CTA!) and started constructing the BRT. We seem to finally have a mayor that understands transit and the first line is supposed to open this fall.
Interestingly, the previous head of Madison Metro (whose previous experience was running Appleton's bus system????) resigned immediately after our current mayor was elected, and replaced with someone from Indianapolis who had BRT experience.
I get why "all stakeholders' need consulting, but it always feels like, to me, some stakeholders are always more equal than others. Fundamentally, this is a transportation project, but bus riders never really feel that prioritized as drivers and parking and trucks always have to be massaged and cajoled to accept change. Even the discussion of traffic gets to me. There always will be traffic. We need to get away from this focus on moving vehicles to moving people, which transit will always do better because it does it at scale in a way private vehicles can't. It make things feel helpless, and a Western Ave BRT would certain help (though a new L line along it would be even better!). Walking and transit should be first in a big city, not distant seconds. Alas, that's the world we live in now. I wish the project well. Chicago needs better bus service badly.
Well-said
I really hope to see this project go through! As someone who takes the blue line from the Forest Park branch often, it's frustrating having to go all the way into the loop when heading north. BRT might be a faster option as a transfer to avoid going into the loop. It also just makes so much sense for that corridor. I know many would love to see an L line here, but BRT is the most realistic improvement, both financially and politically. BRT is also much faster to implement, which means it would impact the community much faster, and at nearly similar results. BRT is a no brainer.
@@thomasnewton8223 My thoughts exactly! An L line would be great but BRT is easier and cheaper to implement - and when done right, can still be a powerhouse transit route.
The real issue is space. The old infrastructure with the buildings and distance from one side of the street to the other is impossible to change. An elevated train would be more sensible because the streets are only so wide.
Great video! I really like the people you interviewed. They're really trying to make life better for residents.
Love the master planned music, knew it sounded familiar. Great video as well, hope this gets done.
A friend of mine shared it with me and it's been so nice for background music.
The major problem with this is we need change NOW. While there is so much planning for something major, why dont they start with red paint and from 6-10am and 3-7pm have those be bus only lanes and see how ridership is affected. The X9 and X49 helped immensely but are limited due to not having priority.
I would love this. Especially if it terminated at Howard. It is a major bus interchange for both CTA and Pace and connects the Red, Purple, and Yellow lines providing connections to the suburbs.
At the projected speed, it would get me from RP down to 18th street 20-30 minutes faster than transfering from Red to Pink. And it would cut the time to Western and Milwaukee in half vs Red to Blue.
I agree with the Western BRT
Too bad Tom Carney doesn’t care about transit or biking and will only work on those projects when forced. He was such a lackluster pick for CDOT Commissioner.
Dorval Carter Jr should have been gone at least a year ago. CTA has fallen into a state of crisis under his watch.
The Loop Link is a joke. It lacks signal priority and you can’t pay before you board.
None of Chicago’s bus only lanes are enforced so people park in them all the time.
Transit riders in Chicago deserve so much better.
Used to take Western Bus Line to the Brown line and then to Lakeview area for HS. So many people depend on the Western ave hope they improve it for the better
!
They should add sidewalk/stop extensions so that the bus doesn't have to merge in and out of traffic after a stop.
this was so interesting!! really well produced and easy to follow, even for someone who isnt very familiar with the transit sytem or map of chicago
Fantastic video. This is super exciting and I hope the momentum stays. Also very proud to live in Andre's ward.
Chicago has become SO car-dependent that a large part of its business and social economy is now reliant upon people driving rather than using public transportation - and this fact holds true DESPITE the horrendous traffic jams from the numerous lane- and road-closings caused by the multitude of highway repair projects now happening all across the city. People feel compelled to use their cars for most trips because public transit is still so much less convenient (not to mention, fear-inducing from crime) with its long waits for unreliable buses and trains and having to transfer between buses and/or trains en-route. When all is said and done, driving is still faster than taking transit, and car-use has that one-seat-ride door-to-door convenience which is downright addictive. People prefer Uber, Lyft and even taxis over taking public transit, which has become the mode of last resort for those who can't ride a bike, afford a car or hire a ride-share or taxi. FURTHERMORE (and this goes to the very heart of your excellent video, Stormy Kara), the United States is NOTORIOUS for PROPOSING transit solutions such as this BRT along Western Avenue, but the vast majority of these proposals end up as TALK and NO action. Why? Because there simply isn't the public pressure on the powers-that-be (city and government officials) to DO anything other than talk, talk, talk and hire consultants to conduct endless STUDIES which, in the end, accomplish nothing but pay the salaries of their consultants. This is the blunt truth of the dismal situation in which we transit advocates find ourselves.
Tell me you aren't from Chicago or don't know anything about thr system without telling me.
@@tortellinifettuccine I AM from Chicago, use the CTA when it makes the most sense to do so (mostly the express buses on the North Side (the 146 and 135) which run on DuSable Lake Shore Drive from Belmont Avenue to the North End of Michigan Avenue (start of the "Magnificent Mile"). I also have to drive to reach areas of the region not easily accessed by public transit (Glenview) without using a combination of CTA and Pace buses, or going downtown from the North Side on CTA to Union Station and then taking a Metra train to Glenview, a roundabout route at best). Even the express buses on Lake Shore Drive are stuck in the same heavy auto traffic, and now the 135, which used to run on Lake Shore Drive to the Wacker Drive exit and then west along Upper Wacker Drive to Michigan Avenue and beyond, has for more than six months now been forced to exit Lake Shore Drive at the North end of Michigan Avenue due to construction at the southbound Wacker Drive exit off of Lake Shore Drive owing to repairs to the Chicago River bridge there. +++ The same lack of public pressure to overcome the NIMBY opposition to the BRT project on Ashland Avenue will stall or kill outright a similar improvement to transit on Western Avenue (the subject of this video). THE CAR WINS EVERY TIME. Just look at New York City, which spent a fortune to install the infrastructure needed to implement its Congestion-Charging Plan, the first in the nation, and was on the verge of implementing it when New York State Governor Cathy Hochul singlehandedly, with pressure from the State of New Jersey across the Hudson River from Manhattan, put the kybosh to that idea, whose cancellation is now going to deprive the New York CIty Transit System of millions of dollars of annual revenue which the congestion charging plan was going to provide it, now putting New York City's transit improvement plans on indefinite hold. THE CAR ALWAYS WINS IN AMERICA. +++
This is sadly very true. I live near the blue line along the forest park branch. I have access to a 24 hour train line in view from my apartment but still often opt to uber home after a night out because the speed and reliability of CTA is questionable. Why spend 45 minutes on the train when I can uber home in 15-20? I hate doing it. I wish I could be more optimistic for the future of CTA but they give me no reason to.
We Chicagoans actually PREFER to take our cars. I have zero desire to take public transit anywhere because it's an utterly miserable experience and invariably takes way longer.
Stop messing with our streets, Chicago, and stop demonizing the majority who prefer to drive their own cars!
Also, this proposal would only help
One thing that BRT projects should do going forward regarding the inevitable concerns about “increased congestion” from taking a lane away: give general purpose (non-bus) traffic “Michigan Left” intersections everywhere within & anywhere near the BRT corridor. Or other comparable “Alternative intersection” designs that noticeably alleviate idling traffic without much (if any) physical roadway expansion.
Michigan Left setups make traffic lights as simple as possible: 2 directions per light phase (by taking protected left turns out of the equation). Therefore INCREASING the likelihood that you’ll catch a green light and the likelihood that the red light will turn green before you even come to a complete stop (therefore a crap ton less idling, in turn less air pollution).
As most typical intersections (especially throughout most of the entire state of Illinois) have no less than FOUR directions per light phase. Meaning you’re more likely to catch a red than a green almost every time (unless the light is at an underused side street).
Awesome video, had no idea this was going on before and now I'm very interested!
This is amazing!! Love this stuff. Definitely needed for the 49 route. Also agree on hub/spoke
I would love a BRT in the south suburbs. But there are suburbs near me that do not want buses in them. A BRT going from Chicago Heights or Park Forest to the orange line(using Western or Pulaski) would be great. If it went from PF to Rosemont, it could lead to more people finding jobs and more entertainment.
Very nice transportation system. I wish ro ride BRT one day
I’m really excited
5:03 y’all have a X9 too? Sweet. (X9 is the express/limited variant of the infamous X2 in DC)
Great video! Can't wait for BRT to finally come to Chicago.
Crazy that I live in both Chicago and salt lake but salt lake being almost 14 times smaller has 2 true BRT lines already and they’re building a 3rd line.
😂😂😂 red state laughing 😂😂😂
Salt Lake city has no real public transportation. The use of brt in salt Lake is neither true brt nor is it good.
@@tortellinifettuccine it’s two lines it has run every 15 minutes? Not to mention the dedicated bus lanes, right of way and more?
@@tortellinifettuccine both of the lines it operates for BRT are also free
@@KennethAI Chicago (even with slashes to our frequency) has many lines that run 15 min or less. 15 frequency does not equal BRT. Not familiar enough with SLC to say if you have anything else that would make something true BRT; BUT 15 min frequency most certainly doesn't :)
Awesome video! It would be awesome to see BRT in the city even if I do not rely on it. I just want more people to appreciate transit and fight for funding it more.
Great job on this video! Very professionally put together. Gonna start calling you "Road Guy Stormy"!
I’ll need to get a high-vis and hard hat!
@karatransitfur do it! lol
The entire Chicago bus system operates at a deficit...assuming it operates at all.
Nobody in Chicago uses the bus unless they have to. Parking is expensive, but at least your car shows up.
America just needs dynamic road pricing with traffic signal coordination for all buses. It would fix 99% of traffic immediately. Let buses and cars with 3+ people use all roads for free and charge based on demand the remaining street capacity to low occupancy vehicles.
That's not ideal because working and middle class people already struggle with high costs and monthly bills. What they need is relief, not additional expenses.
Good video. I do wonder how the city will tackle the crime issues that plague the city. If the crime is not reduced drastically, i see people still referring to personal vehicles as top forms of commuting. Similar to bike lanes on the south side. I feel that various methods of transportation are great things, but there are other things that we have to look at as well, so success would not be hindered
Agree. I'm lucky that I have family with cars to drive me on errands (or to do pickups for me).
But, any job I get, I would need public transportation again. I can't afford a car anyway, but I also should not drive because I get random dizzy spells.
Ironically, public transportation should be perfect for someone like me. I'm scared to use it now (but I wasn't 5 years ago). Too many stabbings, robberies, and assaults. I guess I could leave the purse at home, stash any money in my shoe, and hide my phone in..my bra? But I'm still tiny and female and that makes me a target regardless. I could use a kid backpack, but many teens and tweens have iPhones and pricy earbuds so I'd have to go with something very immature, to seem younger than them. Of course, that still leaves the creeps who prey on children.. Are tazers illegal? lol
Point is, none of us should have to go through these mental gymnastics for survival strategies -- especially not in our day-to-day lives.
5:30 there are literally cars parked in the bus lane lmao
I just wish I didn’t have to have cigarette smoke blown into my face at 7am on the green line
This could be a good idea only problem is that western having 1 less lane for regular traffic and 1 dedicated for busses could make the traffic worse, especially during rush hour. I could see it hapening if they either add an extra lane/remove parking along the street when available and utilizing 1 lane from either western ave or western boulevard in the south side and not to mention that the city hasnt even fixed the road to begin with. Its full of potholes, they might never even want to consider adding a whole bus lane and could end up like the ashland proposal, but who knows
Someone needs to come up with a better BRT design than center bus stations. It’s ridiculously dangerous for passengers departing and entering the bus since our buses have doors on the right side and those would be opened into traffic.
Honestly, there is no good way to do this without completing tearing out and rebuilding all of the infrastructure. I think public parking structures need to be considered to get the cars off of the main thoroughfares to allow a proper way to design BRT along with possible bike lanes.
I believe from the Ashland plan they would have obtained buses with left-hand doors specifically for the center-running BRT
It really is shocking how an agency such as the C.T.A. is so primitive with how they do public transit, a metro like ours should've been had more rapid transit lines and BRT as well as a few Light rail lines....
Well for BRT they have to work with CDOT and the two agencies rarely work in tandem. The lack of coordination is infuriating.
In order to get signal priority CDOT has to approve it and install it.Therefore the city has to find signal priority/upgraded traffic lights. Just to name one element of why buses lack priority on the streets.
Additionally, many CTA routes run on Illinois Dept of Transportation controlled streets and obviously they don’t care about anyone who doesn’t drive.
Definitely, you can thank the auto lobby for that. Auto corps and those associated bought up streetcar systems across the country after WW2, then they demolished them and replaced them with busses.
Who were these "community groups" that killed the previous Ashland BRT plan? I need to know for reasons (tp'ing their houses)
There is already a solution without building BRT. Chicago has always had parking restrictions on major thoroughfare like Ashland and Western during rush hours. If the restrictions were expanded and enforced the parking lanes would become bus only lanes and that would make local and express bus service faster Because these are major truck routes. Some allowances have to be made for trucks to make right turns at certain places and loading and unloading has to be restricted as well.
Dig a tunnel, dig dig a tunnel
They definitely should do something to improve the bus on Western. But maybe not BRT with middle platforms. Just make the outside lane a bus lane and then enforce it because that’s the only way it will ever work. If you don’t enforce it drives will be ignoring the bus lane. Nowadays it’s even possible to enforce the bus lane by using cameras that the bus is already coming from factory. People will stop using bus lanes for other purposes if they receive tickets for it.
Totally agree. I was just commenting that Chicago Avenue from Halsted to Cicero has a designated bus lane, but enforcement is nonexistent and it just becomes a racing lane for drivers using the bus lane to pass up drivers who are respecting the bus lane. Driving westbound on Chicago Avenue has become a dangerous stretch if anyone is going westbound
@@ernestoddelgado3350 yeah I agree. Ever since the bus "lane" implementation there's been a ton of drivers who pull up to the left of the bus and cut them off to turn right. We need cameras on busses to tag plates of cars parking and abusing dedicated bus lanes.
brt is good, but the same thing with streetcars, mm chefs kiss. go all the way with it baby.
especially since approving this would definitely cost a lot of drive for the circle line.
I live on Western!
I'd be content if they just put the second swiper back on the buses - why on earth did they get rid of those time savers???
Great video. We need to make this happen.
Chicago has more pressing matters to worry about than a bus lane, fix your damn robberies and murder rates first, you idiots even had a baseball team that's in dead last propose to build a stadium near the city, seriously, FO!
Nice
You are very underrated. I hope your channel grows more in the future!
I have a question: along Chicago Avenue going westbound, there is a designated Bus Lane similar to the ones in the downtown area. Probably stretching from halsted all the way to Cicero even. Is this considered a BRT too? Or because there are no infrastructures elevating the bus stop along the Chicago Ave route it is not considered a BRT?
Those are the bus lanes for the 66 I mentioned! It would not be considered BRT, since BRT usually incorporates multiple enhancements to improve bus service.
Besides, those bus lanes are peak-hours only, they're not even 24 hour 😅
Yeah as someone who takes the 66 pretty regularly all the dedicated bus lanes have done is force operators to be more alert during intersections. The amount of cars that wil pull up on the left of the CTA bus at an intersection to gun it and take a right turn to "beat" the bus is astonishing. I maybe saw it happen once before the bus "lanes" (just paint no borders) but now it's a common occurrence. Chicago Ave needs a full BRT system and to re-do the stoplight distance between choke points like the bridge over the river and certain underpasses far west.
NIMBYs will try their best to prevent this from happening.
I really hope Chicago eventually gets light rail rather than BRT on both Ashland and Western at some point. The ridership gains would be so substantial and it would make my life so much easier.
Light rail is useless and not much faster than BRT or at all just build more L lines reroute the pink line too
@@qjtvaddict Spoken like someone whos never been to a city with good light rail/trams. BRT is great for smaller cities that could never support a rail system but for a city like Chicago light rail will always be better than BRT.
BRT on Western would be a good fit, especially as it remains a dedicated truck route. If the city wants a real orbital rapid transit solution, then the LRT or metro on the corridor near Cicero would be a better match.
@@rabbbirumba2397you say this like there aren’t several cities across Europe with less than 100k population and sustain an LRT or even subway system. The only barriers in the US are poor planning and political will
It's frightening seeing yourself in a youtube video you didn't know was being filmed... and then subsequently seeing your house in the same video -- which is then randomly suggested to you on TH-cam!
@@Alex-bv6wy sorry! I try to keep other people out of my camera but due to the nature of what I talk about, it’s kinda hard 😅
@@karatransitfur not a problem, awesome video! Just weird coincidence 👍
Almost like they should have had a subway route under Western 🤣 Too late for that now
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAH
Doesn't make sense to have the BRT on Ashland/Western. Western already touches sooooo many train lines. It should be further west and would ideally connect to O'Hare and Midway for more versatility.
Honestly, the fact that it *does* touch train lines would be good, as it would provide a better connection between the lines! And so many people already use the corridor.
What would be cool (but probably a long shot) is BRT on Cicero from Jefferson Park to Midway. That'd be a good connection, I think!
@@karatransitfur I'm having a hard time thinking of reasons one would need the Western bus to connect between train lines. Can you give me an example of a trip where that would be beneficial?
Chicago got me like
moooooooooooooooo
I am not against adding more rapid transit systems, but I'm telling you, if it slows down everyone else you're gonna get pushback. These aldermen are overestimating how much of a reduction in traffic due to increased ridership there'd be. I'm not convinced, even with the NYC data. I'd have to see it for myself and read their reasonings backed up with facts, not assumptions.
Sounds good, but it's too bad that if you're going to take a couple of lanes away from cars, they could just put a L line down the center? I mean if the brt takes off, that'll be the next phase anyway...
Above it so no lanes taken 😊
Above it so no lanes taken 😊
they tried it three times - it failed for various reasons
Realistically it would have to be elevated which balloons the cost and time to build substantially. BRT is about fast, and easy implementation, both politically and financially.
It ACTUALLY should be an L line!!! However, BRT is still so much better than what we got now
Joke is on you. Played at high speed, you always sound like a chipmunk
Who doesn't, honestly
Someone with a very very very very very deep voice. @@karatransitfur
have you seen septa in philadelphia?
Not yet! I want to go on a big trip to the east coast eventually.
I came from other dude's video
no electric buses 🙄.
Just moved to town, live near the Western and Belmont intersection. I know I for one would use a Western BRT all the time
Right, but if you live 2 blocks north, and maybe are already 2 blocks west or east of Western, now you've got a half mile to get to the bus. Try that when you're 63 years old, have back or knee problems, and have to carry something.
western western western western western western western western western western western western
BRT or LRT.
I think the City Of Chicago should finally build the crosstown Expressway
Depressing... for so many reasons.
Nobody takes the CTA even if they approve it . Not safe
Fire Dorval Carter
Too late, thank the automakers avarice for the downfall of mass transit in my not so humble opinion.
these should really be just additional L lines.
Oh great now they want to destroy Western Ave... A very truck-heavy street.
Ha, good luck with that, pal. I have lived in Chicago for over 30 years and have witnessed disfunction and corruption to a level of cringe that surpasses any city in America!
Make it happen, Chicago! Bother the fuck out of your local representatives and don’t let up until they deliver on their promises! Love from Nashville, TN 😊
Western Avenue? Idk maybe they should consider Archer, Ogden, or Milwaukee Avenue because Western doesn’t really go anywhere
How does the longest street in the city not go anywhere?
I could see light rail on Milwaukee along with measures to severely reduce the amount of car traffic considering it’s already a popular biking corridor. It would be even more popular if you reduced the amount of drivers moving along the corridor.
@@LoveToday8 just my personal experience western Avenue is one of the least pedestrian friendly streets in the city besides Cicero or Ogden
@@Minelaughter It depends on what part of Western, but any BRT project should also accompany a comprehensive plan on the Western Ave corridor and a cohesive cross-section design.
@@olamilekanakala7542 probably a BRT along Western from Milwaukee to Canal, then Canal Street through Union/Ogilvie, than from Ogden back up Western like a loop
@@Minelaughter that's fine for expanding the downtown business circle but the goal of these transit systems should be to provide more equitable and convenient access to the people who live furthest from these areas. Equitable transit cannot just serve a 10mi radius from the loop - that's why north-south lines that are more west is the best solution. though I agree having a more robust milwaukee ave bus would be great
How can we keep wasting so much money on public transit, no one wants?
The city is broke
We want it. But the connections need to be more efficient. To get to Evanston, for example, I would need to take a Lawrence or Foster bus across the city to get on the Red Line. But that distance, all the stops, and bad traffic, it would take forever. Other option is to bus to Jeff Park, take the Blue Line to the Loop and transfer to the Red there and go North..
Thing is, our trains are very stabby these days, especially the Red Line.
So, we want public trans, but a more efficient one... and, most important, less stabby (but I prefer "stab-free," if possible).
@EmpressMeg No - most Chicagoans would prefer to take their cars. Stop demonizing Chicago drivers, and leave our streets alone!
this would happen chicago has no money to pay for this. and crime is up on the trains.
Stupid in that the recent bus/ blike lanes have made 2 lane major avenues into single slow lanes. When just 1 driver stalls , tries to make a left turn ,or drives slow , we have backups and ling commutes.. TWO LANE ROADS SHOULD RETURN ON ALL , PLUS THE BICYCLE LANES ARE TOO WIDE, 6-7FT I THINK , when 5 ft is enough 7:42
2 lanes does not alleviate this to the extent that you think it will. Induced demand is a btch unless you remove vehicles from the road. Transit is the only solution as that is its main goal.
@@Cobalt_11 drive on Chicago Avenue. It use to move as fast as North Ave or Fullerton, now it moves like Division, Armitage, Diversey and every other one lane road
@@mariocisneros911 brother I lived on Chicago (& Ashland) for 2 years - it's only gotten worse as other roads have gotten worse which is a result of many factors not just single lanes. I never drive on Chicago Ave because the 66 is a much better alternative and you can save yourself time by doing so as well.
Don’t even get me started on people who double park there when there’s space 10 feet in front of them to pull over
@@drewmorrison I bet it's the same people at grocery stores who block one side of an aisle with their cart and the other with their body....or they stop with their cart at a diagonal, blocking the aisle. Drives me nuts.
There’s no Western Green Line :(
I always find that weird there's no stop at Western on the green