BRT Chicago—Ashland Avenue Bus Rapid Transit
Gabe Klein: Chicago is a world-class city, and as such, deserves a world-class
transportation system. We need to make sure that we are constantly
building upon what we have, and around the world you see Bus Rapid
Transit as a new, fast, high quality, low cost way to give people rail quality transit on the street. Rebekah Scheinfeld: Ashland is the right corridor for BRT. BRT on Ashland is going to provide tremendous travel enhancements to that corridor. Ashland is already our busiest bus route,
with 10 million boardings in 2012, more than 30,000 people each
weekday. This route will connect with seven CTA train stations, two Metra stations, and 37 bus routes. It also connects people to jobs, schools, and popular destinations. One in 10 Chicagoans live within walking distance of the corridor. With BRT service on Ashland, one travel lane in each direction will be dedicated to the BRT service. Buses will be running down the center, with planted medians and almost all the parking kept along the curbside for local businesses. Transit signal priority technology will communicate with approaching buses to hold the green light a little longer to keep buses and general traffic moving. Warren Ribley: The current bus system is slow, it gets stuck in traffic, and it really takes a long time for passengers to get on and to get off; and those are the sort of issues that will just go away with Bus Rapid Transit. Rebekah: While BRT will provide faster service stopping every half mile, CTA will still offer the local bus service stopping at every block for shorter commutes and neighborhood access. Demond Drummer: Bus Rapid Transit has the potential to transform the Ashland corridor. The iconic stations are accessible. Boarding times are faster. Maureen: We’re gonna be able to count on it because it won’t be stopping, and it won’t be irregular. And it should be easy to get on and off because it’s flat boarding, we won’t have to go up and down all those steps. So if you have a nap, you can stay asleep in your stroller. You like that idea? Okay! Warren: BRT is reliable and we need that kind of service her in the Illinois Medical District. [There are] 20,000 people that work in the Illinois medical district and another 50,000 [every day] that are coming to seeking access medical care. BRT is reliable and gets people there on time. Gabe: The goal here is to see economic development come to the corridor, as a result, much like it does when you build new CTA station. Demond: Bring more people to the station. Bring more people to our local neighborhood to support small businesses. Gabe: So anytime you take on a project like this there’s got to be some give and take. You have about 70 ft. of right of way. You have different uses for that right away. You have people driving, you have people walking, you have people biking, you have people taking the bus, and you have people parking. A lot of times I feel that our job is to balance the needs of all the users of of that right away. And in this case what we’re trying to come up with is a solution that really caters to businesses and residents alike. I think what you’ll see with the solution that we [CDOT] and CTA are proposing is that we found a way to do that, preserve as much parking as possible, and also move as many people as possible. This project has to work for you, and so I am very excited about the amount of public input and the process that we’ve gone through and we’re still going through; and we really, really want you to come out give us your input. Let us know what’s important to you. Rebekah: BRT is fast! Warren: BRT is reliable. Maureen: And BRT is easy. Is that gonna be fun? Tony: Yeah!
Why can't I give a thumbs down?
A western N-S rapid transit option would be great, but this will reduce driving capacity on one of only 3 major north south streets by 50%. Left turns will be eliminated requiring drivers to rush through neighborhoods to get across Ashland creating increased emissions and safety risks from the increased traffic running through neighborhood roads.
The loss of a lane of traffic will be disastrous, and the local Ashland bus will tie up the one remaining lane when it doesn't pull over all the way (often happens). Terrible idea.
Chicago is fortunate to have Gabe Klein as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation and Forrest Claypool as President of CTA. They're both leaders and innovators and they're helping to implement Mayor Emanuel's vision of multi-modal transit. BRT on Ashland is a great idea.
Ashland ave is a major throughway for traffic in the city of Chicago. Please don't ruin it with a bus-only lane which will reduce traffic lanes from 2 to 1 lane in each direction. How will reducing traffic lanes by 50% in any way INCREASE traffic flow? I live in Chicago, but I do not live near Ashland, so taking that bus is not an option for me. I drive on Ashland because it moves. Don't take away one of the main north-south throughways in the city for this.
BRT BARDZO RYZYKOWNE TOWARZYSTWO ! POLAND !!!!!!!!!!!!
If they really want to attract businesses to the neighborhood, a light rail line down the center of the street would do it. I always wonder what General Motors has to do with proposals like this. I thought one of the big advantages of buses is pulling over to the curb so the rider doesn't have to walk to the middle of the street to board a streetcar. So much for that!
This has to be one of the most asinine ideas I have ever heard of. 1 lane for cars, no left hand turns sending people going through residential areas to turn around AND buses STILL run in the one remaining car lane????!!! Maybe if busdrivers knew how to drive, but they almost always back up traffic at a stop because they are too lazy to pull fully into the bus stop. Typical Chicago. How do these people have these tax payer payed jobs?
WORST. IDEA. EVER.
PLEASE KILL THIS BULLSHIT
Looks almost utopian. However, in reality it will be a nightmare. Given the fact that people will not give up their cars, the result will be massive gridlock and idling cars at all hours of the day saturating the surrounding areas, including residential neighborhoods. Should be interesting to say the least!!!
Not a good idea. It will impede car traffic by funneling it. What there used to be on Western (the longest street and one of the busiest in Chicago) was an express route as well as a regular route, but it would never completely eliminate a lane of traffic. This BRT project would greatly complicate and obstruct traffic in densly populated areas like Wicker Park, the Medical District, Lincoln Park, Pilsen, and Lakeview that already have enough slow zones.
I vote yes to an additional Express Bus route that would stop at more crucial stops or stop ever other stop like the 49 Express Bus (Western) used to do.
I vote NO to completely eliminating an entire lane of traffic that would worsen infrastructure. This is a terrible, terrible idea.
This is one if the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Traffic would be absolutely terrible if it gets cut down to one lane. What about left turns? People making left turns now have to worry about the possibility of turning in front of a bus going 40 mph! This would make the traffic even worse. This needs to get thrown out ASAP.
What if a pedestrian is cross ing the road and the light turns red.
I like it
This Chicagoan is thrilled for this! This plan reclaims a street already overwhelmingly used by bus riders (#9 is the city's most-ridden bus) and makes taking transit an even more appealing option. Slower cars mean less accidents. Less cars mean less smog and less traffic. Faster buses = more riders. And installing BRT is much cheaper than other transit options. It's successful all over the world – and makes sense for Chicago!
Waiting is for fools. Do it. Now. Do it proper. Show how it's done. Speed our lives up with dignity. Then do it again….(Western, Cicero, Garfield/55th, Harlem, South Shore, Stoney Island, Madison, Irving Park, Fullerton, Devon, 79th, etc…) Improve the mobility of the people of the Windy City. Real BRT, not bullshit BRT. This is real. For f*cks sake, now! ASAP!! I want my 1%!
BRT sucks and this is a huge waste of tax payer money… Are these paid actors in this video? Everyone I know hates this. You won't be able to make a left turn from 95th street to Irving Park Rd… Traffic on Ashland sucks now, and when it's one line in each direction, it's going to be even worse…. Worst idea ever.
Was this project implemented?
Is it working well?
I am a strong supporter of BRT systems. There are many successful examples all over the world. I wish you the best Chicago!
The thing with other countries is that they don't seem to shut down a whole lane for buses when they can't offer more then one lane for drivers. I like the idea but you're gonna have to have at least 2 car lanes and a bus lane included to make traffic less retarded. You have to keep in mind that people will have sit and watch people parallel park and not be able to go around which will build up traffic. Get rid of the car parking on the curb and put more parking garages in that way you will help with obesity cause now people will have to walk their lazy asses a little more to get were they are going. Ayy win/win
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvUa8rgtBc
Banana. Man
if left turns weren't completely eliminated i would support this. I agree that we need less cars on the road
BUT NO LEFT TURNS?
Beautifullllllllll
Ashland Bus Rapid Transit is like Lagos Bus Rapid Transit
America has Public Transit? I thought everyone was driving Big diessels.
Bert Ashland Avenue CTA bus number 9
Finland has had the traffic light thingy for like 15 years lol
THE BRT IS THE BRAZILIAN SYSTEM OF TRANSPORT.
Very interesting!
we Indians need it
Chicago CTA needs to COVER COOK COUNTY not just the city. PACE is a shitty system and the buses need to run longer, as well to suburbs, and extend service hours on more 24/7 buses. LET ME RUN the city and I will make the CTA great again. As for BRT, it is a good idea IF IMPLEMENTED WELL, if its poorly implemented then it will suck.
BRT system is a shit, Santiago, Lima, Cali, Bogotá and other cities have collapsed because of this system, it's obsolete, slow and cannot move all the people who say it move. It's always collapsed, full, buses stop at every light and it is lost time, the train system will always be better.
Baltimore MD needs this desperately….we just had a transit overhaul…..we got all the pretty colors…but no BRT…WTF????
nice city
You should have built a light rail system in the first place instead of a crappy cheap BRT that just imitates a light rail.
So cool! Public transportation is way better than driving!
Looks like we need British buses.
I am from India recently this BRTS project implemented in my city HUBLI AND DHARWAD from Karnataka state. And around 130 Volvo bus are running daily. If you want you can Google HDBRTS very successful project .
ask…have this BRT already done?
i have searched in internet and no evidences say this already finish. So, is it fail?
I want to see streetcars in chicago again
Atlanta has 20 surrounding counties whose mainly suburban white residents fear that adding light rail will give black, Hispanic, and Asian city criminals access to the county. Now they fear even the sight of BRB buses near their eyesight. Buses remind them of poor, low-income people. The sight of a poor person raises their blood pressure. It'd be nice to see transit options in these suburban counties near Atlanta.
Is it better than LRT /MRT?
good idea
Nagoya City also has something called a core bus.
Hahahahahahaa really??? Are you kidding????? Look at the BRT System Transmilenio of Bogotá Colombia and ur eyes will open to the reality… BRT is a infernal chaos here. 🙁
Unfortunately, this never happened. And I doubt it ever will.
Lies & Bullshit from the CTA
Chicagoans were Promised a BRT for Ashland & Western, & All CTA Riders have is a Damn Peak Hour Limited for these 2 Long Haul Bus Routes, & it Still Ain't There or Politics from the Alderman who's Wards that this Proposed BRT Would Pass Through.
The Jeffery Jump Father East is Slow As Hell cause of its Narrow Streets on South Jeffery, it Needs to be Overhauled Badly!
As an Ex Native Son of Chicago, Living in L.A. going on 50 Years Next Month, Out here we Have Our BRT Lines such as the Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley that Open in October 2005, & was Expanded to Chatsworth in the Northwest Corner of the Valley in 2012, & Last Year 24 Hour Service was Launched on the Line, & Starting this Late Fall, 45 BEB Articulated Busses will be Replacing the CNG Busses on the Orange Line, Into 2020.
Also this Year, Metro will Celebrate 10 Years of the Silver Line from El Monte Station to Now San Pedro, Via Harbor Gateway Transit Center, & it Runs 24 Hours Between Harbor Gateway T.C. to El Monte Station.
& With Both of these Lines, we Get Faster Service!
What the CTA gave the Riders is Promises & Damn Lies, Hell You All were Promised the Red Line Extension to 130th St. & it hasn't been Built Yet, but at Least CTA Redid the 95th Station, in which I Visited Last Month when I Was Visiting in Chicago for a Family Reunion.
CTA Can Learn a Lot from Other Transit Systems Such as L.A. Metro & Others, cause CTA Ain't Getting it Right, or its Bullshit from the Politician's.