Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Bus Rapid Transit

The Wait Is Almost Over: The Loop Link Prepaid Boarding Pilot Starts Monday

By John Greenfield | Sep 14, 2016 | 1 Comment

Since it launched last December, the Loop Link bus rapid transit system’s timesaving benefits have been modest, but they’re about to improve. The CTA just announced that this Monday, September 19, it’s starting a three-month test of prepaid boarding — in which customers pay their fare before the bus arrives — at the BRT system’s Madison/Dearborn […]

Eyes on the Street: Loop Link Lane Scofflaws Continue to Be a Problem

By John Greenfield | Apr 26, 2016 | 70 Comments

It’s been four months since the Loop Link bus rapid transit corridor launched downtown, but it seems like there are still some bugs to be worked out of the system. The two main issues I’m aware of are bus speeds and private vehicles using the red lanes, which are marked “CTA Bus Only.” The city […]

A New Blueprint for Streets That Put Transit Front and Center

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 15, 2016 | 3 Comments

The National Association of City Transportation Officials has released a new design guide to help cities prioritize transit on their streets. How can cities integrate bus rapid transit with protected bike lanes? How can bus stops be improved and the boarding process sped up? How should traffic signals be optimized to prioritize buses? The Transit Street Design Guide goes into greater […]

Life in the Fast Lane: Shuttles Are Still Illegally Using the Loop Link Route

By John Greenfield | Mar 3, 2016 | 44 Comments

Private bus lines in the Loop Link bus rapid transit lanes is definitely a thing. Last week I posted footage of the red lanes, clearly marked “CTA Bus Only,” being used by Aon / Prudential Center shuttle buses, as well as shuttles operated by The Free Enterprise System. A Streetsblog Chicago reader who wished to […]

Mexico City’s Metrobús Offers a Preview of How BRT Could Work on Ashland

By John Greenfield | Feb 8, 2016 | 32 Comments

[The Chicago Reader recently launched a weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editorJohn Greenfield. This partnership allows Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We syndicate a portion of the column after it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website or in print. The paper hits the streets […]

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New Evidence That Bus Rapid Transit Done Right Spurs Development

By Angie Schmitt | Jan 12, 2016

More American cities are considering bus rapid transit, or BRT, as a cost-effective method to expand and improve transit. One of the knocks against BRT, as opposed to rail, is that it supposedly doesn’t affect development patterns. But a new study [PDF] by Arthur C. Nelson of the University of Arizona and released by Transportation for America finds that BRT lines can indeed […]

ITDP Says Patience Is the Watchword When It Comes to Loop Link Speeds

By John Greenfield | Jan 7, 2016 | 45 Comments

[The Chicago Reader recently launched a new weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership will allow Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We’ll be syndicating a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website […]

Why Are Loop Link Buses Moving So Slow, and Will They Get Faster?

By John Greenfield | Dec 23, 2015 | 51 Comments

Since Chicago’s Loop Link bus rapid transit corridor launched last Sunday, there’s been little or no improvement in bus travel times along the route. It turns out that a big part of the problem is that the CTA currently requires bus operators to drive at walking speed while passing by the long, raised station platforms. […]

Eyes on the Street: The Loop Link BRT Corridor Continues to Take Shape

By John Greenfield | Nov 4, 2015 | 28 Comments

The Loop Link bus rapid transit route, slated to be largely complete by New Year’s Day, seems to be moving along nicely. As I’ve discussed, some of the project’s features have been reduced, modified, or delayed. We’re not getting transit signal priority, truly level boarding, or enclosed bus stations, and the pilot of prepaid boarding […]

CDOT Promises the Miró-Obscuring BRT Station Won’t Be an Art Faux-Pas

By John Greenfield | Oct 30, 2015 | 3 Comments

Don’t worry art lovers, the city assures us that the project to bring faster, more efficient bus service to the Loop won’t permanently upstage one of Chicago’s most beloved public sculptures. The Chicago Department of Transportation says they have plans to use lighting and signs to highlight a statue by the famed Spanish artist Joan […]

Despite Reduced Features, Loop Link Should Still Prove the Benefits of BRT

By John Greenfield | Sep 14, 2015 | 47 Comments

Last week’s update on the Loop Link bus rapid transit project by the Chicago Tribune’s Jon Hilkevitch raised some valid questions about the ultimate value of the project. Hilkevitch noted that some of the planned features of the downtown express bus corridor have been reduced, modified, or delayed. However, it looks like Loop Link will […]

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