Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about BRT

Today, BRT Routes. Tomorrow, Rail Lines?

By Steven Vance | Feb 26, 2013 | 3 Comments

Let’s step back from the discussion about how Chicago is implementing rapid bus routes and take a long view of how transit in Chicago might transform if these first BRT routes are successful. First, how will we know Chicago’s BRT lines are a success? The best measurement is how many new riders are attracted. After bus enhancements […]

Will CDOT and CTA Launch “True BRT” on the Central Loop Corridor?

By John Greenfield | Feb 26, 2013 | 14 Comments

Last week the CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation unveiled the proposed lane configuration for the Central Loop East-West Transit Corridor. According to the city’s press release, the improvements will include dedicated bus lanes on Canal, Washington, Madison and Clinton, delineated with colored pavement and additional signs. The system, which is slated to open for […]

CTA and CDOT Unveil Proposed Designs for Central Loop BRT Corridor

By John Greenfield | Feb 20, 2013 | 41 Comments

Chicago just got a step closer to first-class bus rapid transit. Today the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation released proposed lane configurations for the Central Loop East-West Transit Corridor, a downtown circulator route connecting Union Station with Navy Pier, as well as renderings for a new transit center next to the train station. […]

CTA: Some Local Bus Service Would Be Maintained on BRT Routes

By John Greenfield | Feb 8, 2013 | 8 Comments

After Streetsblog Chicago readers voiced concerns that eliminating local bus stops on bus rapid transit streets would hurt senior citizens and people with disabilities, I contacted CTA spokeswoman Lambrini Lukidis, who confirmed that at least part, if not all, of current service would be preserved. “CTA would retain some local service, which provides immediate access […]

Andersonville Development Corp on Bus Rapid Transit: Yes Please!

By John Greenfield | Jan 31, 2013 | 36 Comments

Andersonville has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to sustainable transportation and public space initiatives. The neighborhood’s main drag on Clark Street is one of Chicago’s most vibrant pedestrian retail districts, and its chamber of commerce and aldermen have been strong supporters of bike facilities. The business strip recently became home to […]

Rahm: BRT Gives You a Strategic Advantage in Creating Jobs

By John Greenfield | Jan 30, 2013 | 4 Comments

This morning at Freedman Seating, a Humboldt Park-based company that will be making seats for hundreds of new CTA buses, Mayor Rahm Emanuel argued that better public transportation can give a shot in the arm to the local economy. The 120-year-old company will be fabricating some 11,100 seats for the transit agency’s $148 million contract […]

WBEZ Reports CTA/CDOT Have Chosen Center-Running BRT on Ashland

By John Greenfield | Jan 29, 2013 | 11 Comments

View Larger Map The proposed 4.5-mile BRT route along Ashland Avenue, according to the WBEZ report. Bus riders woke up to good news this morning. Citing anonymous sources, WBEZ reports that CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation officials have chosen the “preferred alternative” from the four proposed bus rapid transit configurations, and it’s the one […]

Confused DNA Article on BRT Highlights Need to Pick Preferred Option ASAP

By John Greenfield | Jan 28, 2013 | 8 Comments

It looks like some reporters are having trouble wrapping their heads around the city’s forward-thinking proposal to build Bus Rapid Transit on Western and/or Ashland. A DNAinfo.com write-up of a recent BRT meeting includes a few inaccurate statements and implies that the CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation are intent on removing large amounts parking […]

How BRT Can Build Chicago’s Economy as Well as Improve Mobility

By Steven Vance | Jan 22, 2013 | 11 Comments

As planning advances for Chicago’s first full-fledged Bus Rapid Transit routes, public officials and advocates are starting to make the case that new, high-quality bus service is about more than getting people from point A to point B quickly and reliably. Those mobility benefits will be significant, but if BRT succeeds at improving transit trips […]