Bus Rapid Transit Approved for Ashland Ave (Chicago, Addison: 2015, hotels)

[marothisu]

16 mile stretch from Irving Park down to 95th and around $150 million. Sounds like REAL BRT, and not some other things that have been proposed before:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,1935118.story

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...ashland-avenue

[TBideon]

Outstanding! I was looking forward to meeting even more of our neighbors in Back of Yards and West Englewood, and that red line just takes too long sometimes.

I can only hope it comes close to the bliss that the red line introduces us northsiders at the Chicago, Belmont and Addison stops on weekends after 9! Such polite and charming people!


Edit: have a sense of humor people. Just goofing here.

[marothisu]

No need for sarcasm. This is something that was very much needed and it seems as if you're thinking about this too narrowly. The problem with the train system is that it is confined too much to only certain areas and not far enough west in a north-south fashion.


There is already a bus route on Ashland that is the same exact route as where this BRT is going, and it's actually the busiest bus route in the entire system, which is why they chose it to do BRT. Anybody from the neighborhoods you so sarcastically mentioned can do this route anyway. The route stops every half mile too, so while faster than the current route, it's nothing new. Anybody from these neighborhoods can, right now at this very moment, ride that same route if they really wanted to. The only difference is that it's BRT, serves as a good starting point in Chicago for a full time system (not counting the Jeffrey Jump) and is a good point for development along the area.

While buses are great, people do like getting from point A to point B fast, and the areas along ashland will become more desirable not only for people in general, but for new development. It also probably helps spurn development near the United Center and will serve as a more efficient way of getting people from hotels near O'Hare to the UC if there will be a stop at the Division Blue Line stop on Ashland.

The point of rapid transit is to serve everyone, not just "well off people." It's this type of thinking, to shun the "lesser off people" from public transit that is "dangerous."

[TBideon]

Well, I was just goofing around with that post, but there are kernels of truth there.

I do hope it's planned better than Cleveland's Euclid Corridor/Health Line project. There have been many problems with delayed buses, failed traffic light priority system, an inconsistent honor system for tickets, and the road is essentially not navigable for cars at various spots, with left turns being extremely confusing.

[Drover]

I wish they could find a way to do it without getting rid of lane capacity. Taking out those infernal sightline-blocking bush-filled medians would be a good start.

[ProgMichael]

I love this. Whether or not you like it, BRT is really the rapid transit means of the future. It's much less expensive to operate and maintain than rail. It's good to see Chicago embracing this, even if I'd rather have another L line (circle line?). Also, it's nice to see they're doing it the right way (limited stops, light transponder to keep it on schedule, level boarding, dedicated lanes, are they also having gated entry?), unlike the Jeffrey Jump which is really BRT in name only. Start with Ashland and let's go from there.

[chet everett]

Originally Posted by Drover

I wish they could find a way to do it without getting rid of lane capacity. Taking out those infernal sightline-blocking bush-filled medians would be a good start.

I completely agree that it is madness to reduce any traffic lanes. There is a special insanity at work in Chicago where the departments that approve of things like ever expanding drive-thru businesses and larger parking lots to please alderman who gladly accept donations from developers are on another planet from the "true believers" of transit planning that fail to acknowledge the bottomless pit of unresolved debt issues, utter lack of Federal transit project dollars and always controversal political struggles surround shifts in service...

And heaven forbide that the PLANTERS and the very very very poltically connected private firms that maintain them are moved out of where they contribute nothing productive (same could be said for the Little Tyrant himself...).

[jdiddy]

I'm really excited about this, particularly as this looks to be true BRT on a corridor that could really use it.

A trip to Mexico City last year really sold me on how effective BRT can be, hopefully the city sticks to its guns and builds it the right way.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by TBideon

Outstanding! I was looking forward to meeting even more of our neighbors in Back of Yards and West Englewood, and that red line just takes too long sometimes.

I can only hope it comes close to the bliss that the red line introduces us northsiders at the Chicago, Belmont and Addison stops on weekends after 9! Such polite and charming people!


Edit: have a sense of humor people. Just goofing here.

"Goofing," eh? Sounds more like being a complete a-hole to me, but call it what you will. You may wish to at least consider the possibility that the lack of laughter was due to your post not being funny rather than a lack of humor appreciation in everyone else, though.

If you don't want people from other parts of the city to be able to come to your neighborhood, move to a gated community in the suburbs. Those exist specifically for that purpose. Cities exist to bring a wide range of people together.

Originally Posted by marothisu

This is something that was very much needed

For sure. It's annoying having to choose between going far out of my way into the loop on the El, taking a bus that stops every damned block, or dealing with parking (and possibly worrying about drinking and driving) Any time I want to go from southwest of the Loop to northwest of the Loop or vice-versa.

Originally Posted by marothisu

The point of rapid transit is to serve everyone, not just "well off people." It's this type of thinking, to shun the "lesser off people" from public transit that is "dangerous."

This. And actually, if anything, well-off people are more likely to take cabs or pay high parking rates. They should be encouraged to use public transit, but many other people have to use public transit.

Does anyone know what the timeline is for opening this line?

Edit: Found the answer to my own question. Looks like November 2014 for construction completion: http://www.wbez.org/news/bus-rapid-t...-avenue-106738

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

...
Does anyone know what the timeline is for opening this line?

Edit: Found the answer to my own question. Looks like November 2014 for construction completion: Chicago: Bus rapid transit to

Nov, 2014 is just the Loop semi-BRT bus route between Union Station and Streeterville.

The Ashland route is slated for design and engineer completion in spring of 2014, and so construction wouldn't start until no earlier than next summer and likely not until 2015 is my guess. While it could be built in a year with sufficient money and dedication, I'd guess an 18-24 month timeline is more realistic. So if they started in spring, 2015, that means year-end 2016 or spring 2017 as opening dates. All of that, even the engineering, still needs funding, though.