Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Bus Rapid Transit

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 […]

Claypool’s Tenure at the CTA Has Been Action-Packed

By John Greenfield | Apr 28, 2015 | 4 Comments

Chicago Transit Authority President Forrest Claypool has worn many hats in local government. He twice served as Mayor Richard M. Daley’s chief of staff. He was superintendent of the Chicago Park District. And he’s been a Cook County commissioner. But, arguably, he’s made his biggest mark as head of the transit agency during the last […]

Vote to Decide the Best Urban Street Transformation of 2014

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 17, 2014 | No Comments

If you’re searching for reasons to feel positive about the future, the street transformations pictured below are a good start. Earlier this month we asked readers to send in their nominations for the best American street redesigns of 2014. These five are the finalists selected by Streetsblog staff. They include new car-free zones, substantial sidewalk […]

The Ridiculous Politics That Slow Down America’s Best BRT Route

By Angie Schmitt | Jun 13, 2014 | No Comments

Cleveland’s Healthline is widely viewed as the best bus rapid transit project in the country — and for many good reasons. Running on dedicated center lanes, the Healthline isn’t bogged down by car traffic on the most congested portions of its 7.1-mile route. With about 14,000 daily trips, the Healthline has increased ridership nearly 50 […]

You Can Now Bring Street Transformations to Life With Google Street View

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 25, 2014 | No Comments

If you ever want to show someone that it’s possible to change streets and cities for the better, Google Street View can now help you do it. Google recently made it possible to view archived Street View images. This means it’s easier than ever to show what streets looked like before and after a redesign. […]

Omaha Gets Serious About Transit

By Angie Schmitt | Apr 24, 2014 | No Comments

There are plenty of reasons why Omaha, Nebraska, isn’t known for being a walkable, people-friendly city. It has one of the lowest bike commuting rates in the country. In a vote last year, Streetsblog readers crowned a location in Omaha as America’s worst intersection. But there are some signs that the city is moving in […]

State Interference in Nashville BRT Could Have National Implications

By Annie Weinstock | Apr 23, 2014 | No Comments

Annie Weinstock is the regional director for the U.S. and Africa at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Last week saw the quiet death of the misguided, Koch brothers-funded Tennessee Senate Bill 2243, which would have effectively banned real bus rapid transit in Tennessee. The Senate’s outrageous overreach, attempting to prohibit transit from using […]

11 Simple Ways to Speed Up Your City’s Buses

By Payton Chung | Apr 18, 2014 | No Comments

All across America, city buses are waiting. Waiting at stoplights, waiting behind long lines of cars, waiting to pull back into traffic, waiting at stops for growing crowds of passengers. And no, it’s not just your imagination: Buses are doing more waiting, and less moving, than they used to. A recent survey of 11 urban […]

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