SBC readers may remember that a year ago I took a busman's holiday, or rather a transit writer's getaway, by checking out the promised Frequent Network 10-minutes-or-better bus intervals on the #54 Cicero bus, which debuted that day. Not coincidentally, the date was March 23, my 54th birthday.
The eight-mile trip was an interesting adventure through the Northwest, West, and Southwest Sides on Cicero Avenue. I got of the bus in the middle of the route at North Avenue to measure bus frequency.
My takeaways included the fact that, as you might expect, since there weren't any camera-enforced bus-only lanes on the corridor, congestion caused by private vehicle drivers was sometimes an issue. The City's Smart Streets enforcement pilot featuring vehicle-mounted cams may be helping that issue somewhat on the #66 Chicago Avenue and #36 Broadway routes.
Another issue the CTA has more control over is how frequently buses leave the route terminals, and on that day the intervals at the Montrose Avenue and 24th Place terminals were somewhat spotty. But it was only the first day of Frequent Network service, so there was bound to be a learning curve for drivers.
What's been going on with the bus network, including the #55, in the past year
There have been some more CTA bus service developments in the past year, and these directly affect the #55 Garfield Route. That, of course is the age I turned last Monday, March 23, so I again marked the occasion by riding the entire route.
Last August 17, the #55 (whose street name honors assassinated 20th U.S. President James A. Garfield) was one of four new routes added to the Frequent Network roster, bringing the total up to 16. Specifically, these lines, like other FS corridors, are supposed to have service every 10 minutes or less from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays. The Garfield bus was slated for 20 percent more weekday service, and 30 percent more runs on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
"CTA's Frequent Network has been a game-changer for our riders, providing them with the kind of bus service and frequency that we know they deserve," CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen stated at the time. "The increased service frequency that our network provides means shorter waits for buses and higher ridership along routes that have received increased service."
On December 21, 2025, the CTA put a bow on the initiative by rolling out the last four planned Frequent Network routes. That brought the total number of lines to 20.
Another development that impacted the #55 last fall was the first round of Bus Priority Corridor Study meetings. These discussed potential improvements to the Garfield route, and four other major bus lines. Here are the five corridors that were being considered.
- Pulaski Road (between Peterson Avenue and 87th Street)
- Western Avenue (between Howard Avenue and 79th Street)
- Cottage Grove Avenue (between 35th and 115th streets)
- Fullerton Avenue (between Grand/Nordica avenues and Halsted Street)
- 55th Street/Garfield Boulevard (between Cicero Avenue and South Hyde Park Boulevard )
The CTA is collaborating with the Chicago Department of Transportation on the planning process for possible street improvements to make travel on these transit routes safer, more efficient, and more pleasant. Under consideration are bus-only lanes; bus stop upgrades; better sidewalks and crosswalks; bus-priority traffic signals; and more. You can learn more about the initiative at the CTA's Better Streets for Buses Plan webpage.
Attendees at a Bus Priority Corridor Study meeting in November 2025 in Gage Park. Photo: Morgan Madderom
Morgan Madderom a member of Commuters Take Action (CTAction) attended one of the bus study hearings in the Southwest Side Gage Park community. She reported that one of the topics a transit agency staffer discussed was the pros and cons of different types of prepaid boarding styles. That's a strategy that was planned, but never implemented, for the downtown Loop Link express bus corridor.
Monday's #55 Garfield trip
For this year's birthday bus excursion, a was a little shorter on time, so I didn't stop to measure bus headways along the way, but instead did one continuous journey, about nine miles long. The bus runs all-night Owl Service on the stretch between St. Louis Avenue and the Museum of Science and Industry.
Between Midway and the museum, the route travels through the diverse communities of Garfield Ridge, West Elsdon, Gage Park, West Englewood, New City, Englewood, Fuller Park, Washington Park, and Hyde Park. Here's a gallery of what I saw along the way. All photos are by yours truly.
On November 12, SBC launched our 2026 fund drive to raise $50K through ad sales and donations. That will complete this year's budget, at a time when it's tough to find grant money. Big thanks to all the readers who have chipped in so far to help keep this site rolling to the end of 2026! Currently, we're at $29,202 with $20,798 to go, ideally by the end of April
If you value our livable streets reporting and advocacy, please consider making a tax-exempt gift here. If you can afford a contribution of $100 or more, think of that as a subscription. That will help keep the site paywall-free for people on tighter budgets, as well as decision-makers. Thanks for your support!
– John Greenfield, editor
