Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Loop Link

Prepaid Boarding Debuts on Belmont, But Why Doesn’t Loop Link Have It Yet?

By John Greenfield | Jun 14, 2016 | 7 Comments

[Last year the Chicago Reader launched a weekly transportation column written by Streetsblog Chicago editor John Greenfield. This partnership allows Streetsblog to extend the reach of our livable streets advocacy. We syndicate a portion of the column on the day it comes out online; you can read the remainder on the Reader’s website or in […]

CTA Will Begin Off-Board Fare Collection Pilot, But Not on the Loop Link

By Steven Vance | Jun 2, 2016 | 31 Comments

The Chicago Transit Authority plans to test off-board fare collection – where riders pay on the sidewalk before boarding the bus – in an unexpected location. Previously, the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation announced they would pilot prepaid fare collection at the Dearborn/Madison station on Loop Link. Instead, the first off-board fare collection will be […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

How Cleveland Prevents BRT Bus Mirrors From Clobbering Customers

By John Greenfield | Dec 23, 2015 | 18 Comments

As I wrote this morning, the CTA is currently requiring bus operators to drive no faster than 3 mph when passing by the long, raised Loop Link bus rapid transit platforms. This is to ensure that the buses’ rearview mirrors don’t strike customers who are standing too close to the platform edge. Unfortunately, this has […]

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: On the First Day of Loop Link

By John Greenfield | Dec 21, 2015 | 31 Comments

Like kids unwrapping presents, travelers in downtown Chicago had some shiny new infrastructure to try out Sunday morning. The Loop Link bus rapid transit system debuted on a day when weekday traffic wasn’t an issue, although the central business district was packed with holiday shoppers. Monday will be the first big test of the system. […]

The Loop Link Bus Rapid Transit System Launches This Sunday

By John Greenfield | Dec 14, 2015 | 47 Comments

The long-awaited Loop Link bus rapid transit corridor, featuring dedicated bus lanes, limited stops, island stations, and other timesaving features, will begin operations this Sunday, December 20. Whether the new system is deemed to be a success or a failure by Chicagoans will be a crucial factor in whether the city moves forward with its […]

CDOT Pilots Bike Lane Treatment Inspired by Dutch Protected Intersections

By John Greenfield and Steven Vance | Dec 1, 2015 | 11 Comments

As part of the Loop Link bus rapid transit project, which includes the construction of protected bike lanes on Washington, Randolph, and Clinton downtown, the Chicago Department of Transportation is trying a kind of intersection treatment that’s new to our city. Inspired by Dutch-style “protected intersections,” they’re installing special concrete curbs and islands in an […]

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