BACK ON THE BUS: SPEEDING UP CHICAGO’S BUSES Funded by TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 WHAT RIDERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHICAGO’S BUS SERVICE 5 SERVICE UPGRADES 6 Priority improvements to make Chicago’s buses faster and more reliable Dedicated bus lanes 6 Traffic signal improvements 8 Faster boarding 9 Route profiles & recommendations 11 POLICY CHANGES 16 What’s next? 19 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 20 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As Chicago strives to become a more connected, spoke rail system continues to be a good option prosperous, and equitable city, elected officials for people who live and work along the CTA train and transit agency leaders must take action to lines and in the Loop, but many neighborhoods improve bus service. More than half of CTA trips lack access to it. Without more investment in bus in Chicago are made by bus and it’s one of the service, Chicago risks more people abandoning most affordable transportation options in many transit for transportation options that are more neighborhoods where people can’t easily access expensive and less efficient, healthy, and green. the El train. Every day, buses are connecting In an era of limited funding at all levels of people to jobs, schools, and other critical services government, bus upgrades are cheaper and can while taking up far less space on the road than be implemented faster than rail modernization private vehicles. While buses continue to play a and expansion. The next several years present central role in the city’s transportation system, an opportunity to make timely, cost-effective there are signs that quality bus service is under improvements to bus service while continuing threat in a changing transportation environment. to pursue long-term investments in rail From 2015 to 2016, bus ridership in Chicago modernization and expansion. fell by more than 15 million rides (5.8 percent), Upgrading bus service requires leadership from continuing a recent trend of fewer Chicagoans elected officials and city agencies, and a strong riding the bus. Since 2012, bus ridership has and unified push from advocates and community declined in Chicago by more than 17 percent, leaders. This report lays the foundation for and it’s dropped by more than 21 percent since a multi-year effort for a renewed focus on pre-recession levels in 2008. Of all CTA trips, improving bus service and getting Chicagoans buses still account for 52 percent of rides, but back on the bus. this proportion has dropped steadily as rail ridership has increased, despite reaching far Without more bus investment, Chicago risks fewer neighborhoods than the bus network. falling further behind its peers in transit growth. Currently, transit accounts for just 28 percent of 350 In Millions work trips in the city of Chicago, which is low in CTA Bus Ridership comparison to peer cities. This is in part because 328.2 on the Decline the Chicago region trails its peers in system expansion, transit-friendly development, and 318.7 314.4 310.4 per capita transit spending.1 309.3 Percentage of residents riding 300 306.0 300.1 transit to work (2016) New York City – 57% 274.3 276.1 Washington, D.C. – 36% San Francisco – 34% 259.1 Boston – 33% Chicago – 28% 250 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Philadelphia – 24% Source: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Source: 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) Chicago needs a healthy and growing bus system. Fewer Chicagoans riding the bus means more people driving and more cars on our already 1Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, congested streets, especially in and around Metropolitan Governance of Transport and Land Use in downtown during peak periods. Our hub-and- Chicago, 2014 1 There are many reasons for declining bus Public buses carry exponentially more people ridership, including an underinvestment in than private vehicles with one or two passengers, bus service, declining gas prices, growing and deserve priority on our streets. The CTA has transportation options, and the proliferation 1,888 buses that operate on 130 routes and 1,301 of jobs and sprawling development in suburban route miles. Buses make about 18,843 trips a day areas that are difficult to reach by transit. and serve 10,813 bus stops, carrying about 46 Budget cuts also forced CTA to institute people per trip on average – and many more on significant service cuts in 2010, which naturally the high ridership routes, which are the focus leads to declines in ridership. In 2013, the agency of this report. also changed its fare structure to increase the Active Trans launched Back on the Bus: Speeding price of unlimited ride passes while maintaining Up Chicago’s Buses to rally Chicagoans, our the base fare price. elected officials, and transit agencies to work Another central cause is that service on many bus together to increase investment in the bus routes is slow and unreliable. And with gas prices network and boost ridership. This report low and new options like ride-hailing services advocates for the city to invest in the following available, Chicagoans are increasingly choosing long overdue bus service upgrades: other options. Many local buses frequently get stuck in traffic – especially during rush hour. • Dedicated bus lanes – Create a network of Traffic congestion has contributed to a consistent Transit Priority Streets, as outlined in the decline in average bus speeds in Chicago since Chicago’s Complete Streets policy, including 2007, along with service cuts and changes. at least 50 miles of dedicated bus lanes and Meanwhile, the quality of bus service is often other on-street infrastructure to give crowded overlooked in the public discussion in favor of buses priority; flashier transportation options like rail, bikes, • Traffic signal improvements – Move buses Uber, and Lyft. more smoothly through busy intersections by changing signal timing or using technology 10.0 In Miles per Hour that gives buses an extended green light to get through intersections; 9.83 Average Typical Weekday Bus Speeds • Faster boarding – Allow riders to pay their 9.70 fare at the bus stop before boarding and enter the bus through the front or rear doors. 9.55 9.5 Each of these improvements has the potential 9.46 to help boost bus speed and reliability, and get people in Chicago back on the bus. A 2016 national report by TransitCenter, a national 9.19 foundation working to improve urban mobility, 9.18 9.12 found that speed and reliability are two of the 9.08 9.03 most important factors in bringing new and more 9.0 consistent riders to transit service, in addition to 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 service frequency and walkability. The findings Source: National Transit Database were based on focus groups with riders in several cities and a statistically significant sample of Lower quality bus service has major equity more than 3,000 riders across 17 regions. impacts. A disproportionate number of bus riders live in low-income communities or work in Chicago has already installed or piloted the places that lack access to the rail transit system. three improvements listed above on a few routes, Substandard bus service hurts these Chicagoans but there’s potential for broader, permanent the most while discouraging higher-income implementation of these relatively affordable residents otherwise inclined to ride transit from upgrades if the CTA, Chicago Department of riding the bus more frequently. Transportation, mayor’s office, and the city 2 and CTA can identify as corridors where transit will be prioritized ahead of all other modes. However, outside of the Loop Link and Jeffery Jump bus routes, the city has yet to implement this portion of the Complete Streets policy. CDOT and CTA have been analyzing additional corridors for bus transit priority, but there are no definitive plans for implementation. Moving plans into reality will require growing public and political will for improving bus service and greater coordination between the Chicago Transit Public buses carry exponentially more people than private Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Department of vehicles and deserve priority on our streets. Photo: Anne Evans Transportation (CDOT). council further prioritize bus service and work ACTION: CDOT and CTA develop plan for transit together to overcome planning, funding, and priority streets within two years that includes at political challenges. The upgrades would bring least 50 miles of new bus lanes immediate benefits to millions of Chicagoans who already ride the bus while helping attract (2) Create effective ways to enforce new riders who frequently will use the network. bus-only lanes This report focuses on six of the busiest routes The city needs a better way to keep bus lanes in the system with potential for improvements: clear of other traffic and maximize the impact of #4 Cottage Grove, #8 Halsted, #53 Pulaski, public investment in bus infrastructure. Currently, #66 Chicago, #79 79th, and #80 Irving Park. this requires more in-person enforcement by These routes were selected because they the police department and other city agencies. serve millions of riders annually and each has But with police resources already stretched experienced a dip in ridership in recent years. thin and equity concerns about more in-person The level of service is already robust, with enforcement, a new state law is needed that frequencies of 10 minutes or less during peak enables photo enforcement of bus lanes, which periods and often less than five minutes. They has proven successful in other cities such as run through diverse neighborhoods across the New York and San Francisco. city and connect to many popular destinations, such as schools, hospitals, job centers, and ACTION: Illinois General Assembly establishes retail corridors.