OFFICIAL NEWSLEITER OF THE OMNIBUS SOCIETY OF AMERICA, INC. NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2012 RUN 06-2012 Welcome to another issue of The Green Pennant Special, reliable bus service to our customers," said CTA President the official publication of The Omnibus Society of America. Forrest Claypool. "The Jeffery Jump will lay the Through this publication we hope to keep our readers groundwork for future Bus Rapid Transit projects planned informed of events happening in the transit industry in for Chicago." Chicago and other cities in the United States. The Jump service is branded to communicate the way this Visit the Omnibus Society of America website at service allows commuters to "jump" ahead of traffic and ••www.osabus.com ". At osabus.com we will be posting get a "jump start" on their morning and evening commutes upcoming fan trips and meetings information, as well as Jeffery Jump buses uses will be visually distinguishable membership information. from other CTA buses-wrapped in bright blue with the Please visit our site when you have a chance and give us Jump logo. your opinions and comments. The service will test many elements of bus rapid transit. • NOV/DEC MEETINGS Jeffery Jump buses will travel on dedicated lanes during rush hour periods between 67th to 83rd streets. Jump The November meeting of the Omnibus Society of buses will have traffic signal prioritization between 73rd America will be held on November 2, 2012, in the and 84th streets, where extended green lights at Anderson Pavilion of Swedish Covenant Hospital, 2751 W. intersections will allow Jump buses to move faster through Winona Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The meeting will start at the corridor. 7:30 pm. Also, a queue jump on northbound Jeffery Boulevard at Our program for the evening "More Musings by Mullen- Anthony Avenue will provide a bypass lane to allow buses ~ch" will be a slide presentation by Mr. Mullenbach. to advance through an intersection with a unique traffic I he December meeting of the Omnibus Society of signal. The Jump will stop approximately every half mile; America will be held on December 7,2012, in the local service is still provided by the #15 Jeffery Local route Anderson Pavilion of Swedish Covenant Hospital. The and will not have any changes to its current bus stops. meeting will start at 7:30 pm. In addition to improving travel time, the Jeffery Jump will Our program for the evening will be a slide presentation by offer enhanced features at 20 northbound and southbound Milwaukee transit enthusiast Ed Montejano. stops that will include lighted bus shelters with Bus Tracker LED displays, Jump-branded information kiosks, ADA- Introducing the Jeffery Jump accessible sidewalk ramps, bike racks, benches, trash 9/18/2012 receptacles, and landscape planters. Pilot project will shorten commutes along Two stations, located at 71st and Jeffery and 100th and Jeffery Boulevard Paxton, will have unique sidewalk and crosswalk designs and a large canopy for protection from the weather. Curb The Chicago Transit Authority (CT A), with its partner the bump-outs will limit the need for buses to merge in and out Chicago Department of Transportation (COOT), of traffic in order for customers to board. announced on September 18, 2012, the brand name for its upcoming new, faster bus service on Jeffery Boulevard: The features of the Jump service will serve as a foundation the Jeffery Jump. for future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors planned for Western and Ashland avenues as well as an east-west The previously announced service will operate from 103rd corridor in the Loop. The Jeffery pilot will test various BRT Street on the south side to Metra's Ogilvie and Union elements along the corridor, which will be helpful in Stations downtown, saving an estimated five to seven expanding the network of BRT corridors throughout the minutes off of morning and evening commutes. The new service area. service is scheduled to begin in November 2012. Road work to prepare Jeffery Boulevard for Jump service has The project is funded by an $11 million Federal Bus and ~eady begun. Bus Facilities Livability Grant, which was awarded to the CTA in 2010. "We are pleased to launch the Jeffery Jump name and concept, with the priority of providing faster and more CTA Moves to Next Steps of Major The Chicago Transit Authority today announced it will expand bus service in the Pullman neighborhood Upgrade of 'Ravenswood Connector' tomorrow in conjunction with the opening of a new for Brown, Purple Lines to Increase Walmart store at 10900 S. Doty Avenue. ~ Track Speeds and Improve Service The CTA will offer the #111 A Pullman bus shuttle every Reliability 20 minutes on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on weekends and 9/6/2013 holidays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to accommodate Major work on $71.2M rehabilitation project ridership during periods when demand is expected to be highest. This service will remain while a final service begins Sunday and will eliminate 70 percent of plan is reached with the developer and community. Brown Line slow zones "The CTA is pleased to be able to offer additional bus The Chicago Transit Authority today announced the start service in this growing community and serve patrons, of major construction work on the $71.2 million workers and residents in the neighborhood," said CTA Ravenswood Connector rehabilitation project. This President Forrest Claypool. "This service has been put in project will eliminate more than 70 percent of Brown Line place as we continue to develop a final service plan with slow zones and will result in safer, more reliable service the developer and the community." on a key segment of the Brown and Purple Lines between Armitage Avenue and the Loop. "I am pleased that we have reached a solution for residents, the community, and workers at the newly Beginning Sunday, September 8, CTA ironworkers will opened Pullman Park Walmart development," said begin major project work following months of preliminary Alderman Anthony Beale. "I appreciate the willingness of preparation on the Connector project. The upcoming Forrest Claypool and the Chicago Transit Authority to work will include the repair and replacement of reach an agreement that will make the opening of this components on the steel structure between the Armitage store the best it can be." and Merchandise Mart elevated stations. Preliminary project work began this summer with crews taking From 111thStreetlKing Drive, #111 A buses (to Pullman measurements and fabricating replacement Park) will operate south on King Drive to 113th Street, infrastructure components. then will travel via 115th Street (due to construction reroute), Cottage Grove, 111th Street, Doty to 109th The elevated infrastructure between.Armitage and.the. where they will then enter the Pullman Park via. private Loop was originally constructed in the late 1800s. Once roads and loop around the parking lot and CT A access the infrastructure work is completed, the CTA will begin road. Return trip #111A buses (to 111th/King Drive) will replacing deteriorated rail ties and track components, travel to Doty Avenue and travel the reverse route. The work that is expected to begin in 2014. route will make connections with the 111th and 115th street bus routes. "The CTA's investment in the Brown and Purple Line tracks will provide faster and more reliable service to the CTA Board Approves Agreementto nearly 40,000 customers who take Brown and Purple Line trains into the Loop each weekday," said CTA Continue#128 SoldierFieldExpress President Forrest Claypool. "The Ravenswood Service Connector's condition has resulted in numerous 'slow zones' that require trains to operate at maximum speeds 9/11/2013 of 15 m.p.h. This project will not only improve the safety Renegotiated agreement with Metra means and reliability for the 700 trains that travel to and from quick, affordable round-trip service on game the Loop each weekday, it will eliminate more than two days miles worth of slow zones." The Chicago Transit Board today approved a new To minimize the impact to service, structural repair work agreement with Metra to continue non-stop bus service will be performed mostly late at night and on weekends. from two Metra rail stations in the West Loop to Chicago During these times, trains traveling in both directions will Bears' games at Soldier Field - a service the CTA has operate on a single track, which will result in longer been provided since 1988. travel times and occasionally changes in boarding locations at rail stations. Additional information regarding Under the new three-year agreement, Metra has agreed any scheduled impacts to service will be made available to fully cover CTA's operating costs minus fare revenue, each week on the CTA website under "System Status & for the operation of the #128 Soldier Field Express route. Alerts." The cost of the round trip is $5 for adults and $2.50 for reduced-fare customers. The new agreement is CTA Announces #111A Pullman Bus retroactive to August 15, 2013 and extends through ShuttleService August 15, 2016. 9/10/2013 2 The Soldier Field Express operates non-stop between electricity used to propel trains-a level of electricity that the Ogilvie Transportation Center, Union Station and is almost always lethal. ~oldier Field on Chicago Bears home game days. In 2012, CTA received more than 300 reports of Sports fans appreciate tradition, and for the past 25 customers entering the right of way, ranging from riders years we have been providing Chicago Bears fans with a jumping off a platform to pick up a dropped mobile convenient travel option to get them to and from Soldier phone to trespassers walking on tracks between Field," said CTA President Forrest Claypool.