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Everything posted by Busjack

  1. Up to 45 Electric Buses

    CTA just posted an RFP for up to (45) Low Floor, (40) Foot, All-Electric Transit Buses and the Design-Build and Installation of up to (13) En-Route Charging Stations and Associated Spare Parts.
  2. 2019 CTA Budget

    Is here. Relatively on time for a change. The only confusing tea leaf is the 5 year capital plan for bus replacement. The preceding table has the $154 million as the total cost of the program for the 5 years, not the 100 bus component: Note, first, that they are still talking about replacing 100 Nova buses, and only talking about replacing 150 1000s, even though they previously said about 600. It also doesn't say how many additional electric buses during the 5 year program. The rail nugget also indicates that the 7000s will be arriving a little slower than thought:
  3. Daily Herald article about whether Metra should still be doing a study about extending to Oswego and beyond, just because Denny Hastert, when Speaker of the House, got an earmark for a study for something Kendall County can't afford (and because it is out of the RTA area, Metra can't pay for, either). If nothing else, it reenforces my belief that federal transit money is only the Consultant's Relief Plan.
  4. 3200-series - Rehabs

    CTA has solicitations for 261 color LED signs, 261 HVAC units, and 261 Auxillary Power Supply units. Since the number 261 seemed strange but consistent, I cracked open the sign one, which indicates that it is for 3200 series cars. So it looks like they are getting some sort of overhaul, but not the complete one previously indicated. The 261 signs are for 261 sign kits, including sign boxes, control panels and capital spares "to be used for the mid-life rehabilitation of series 3200 rapid transit railcars." The signs are to be controlled by something that looks like the current two knobs. And somebody ought to read section 4.5: "Each destination sign unit shall include a receptacle to connect a portable test unit (PTU), which shall be a laptop computer. ... " "4.5.2. The PTU shall be used to download the destination sign's readings." Also on the PTU software: " Downloading of software updates to each system." So they aren't programmable, are they? This spec does say to start off with the 45 readings already in the 5000s.
  5. May as well move the thread here. Having gone through the North Shore restructuring, I'm not surprised by anything, except that the consultant's report hasn't been posted yet, and, as Circle Seven says, I'll be waiting for it. Based on the picture that was on the Pace home page a couple of days ago, it appears that at least one proposal got a lot of comment (participants are told to put sticky notes on the map to indicate their reaction). And despite what the one woman said at the Northbrook forum, Pace hasn't predetermined the final reconfiguration, and does listen to participants' comments, although routes with low IBS counts or high dead time will be on the block. The Press Release on the forums also said that changes depended on the availability of funding and vehicles. One also shouldn't be surprised that some reconfiguration would be necessary, as many of the South routes are virtually unchanged from South Suburban Safeway days. I have previously commented on whether 353 makes sense, the way it currently runs. (Pace recently posted a Notice that school trips were being added from Riverdale to 95th; that can't be to serve suburban students.) Other routes got cut back apparently as a result of the 1981 funding crisis. The two corridors where I would be surprised if they were extensively reworked would be Halsted and 159th, because Pace previously had studies for them. However, those changes may not have worked (as indicated by pace2322's post that his 352 run is overloaded, although the question again is whether it should be handling local traffic north of 127th).
  6. Random Pace

    Since it isn't Random CTA and not Miscellaneous: Trib Local just had a story that they had to evacuate a Pace 364 bus due to a biohazard because someone drank two beers and then had to take a leak. Apparently a long ride from Harvey to Orland Park.
  7. Pace Construction

    PA 97-770 was just signed and provides: The Suburban Bus board shall have the power "to borrow money for the purposes of: (i) constructing a new garage in the northwestern Cook County suburbs at an estimated cost of $60,000,000, (ii) converting the South Cook garage in Markham to a Compressed Natural Gas facility at an estimated cost of $12,000,000, (iii) constructing a new paratransit garage in DuPage County at an estimated cost of $25,000,000, and (iv) expanding the North Shore garage in Evanston to accommodate additional indoor bus parking at an estimated cost of $3,000,000." I don't know how quickly Pace can implement this, but it seems like Axess buses in the South Division might be only a short term proposition. As I have often brought up with regard to CTA, it looks like the passengers may have to pay this off, since the Act says that it is to be paid out of revenues or other funds, but that money received from the RTA may not be pledged. ___________ I was tipped off by The NWI Times on this.
  8. Posted Stops Only

    I noted that Pace has installed bus stop signs on Pfingsten, Willow, and Sanders for route 270. That portion is basically a loop for Glenbrook Hospital rush hour trips to serve Allstate on Sanders, but up to now hasn't generated any ridership itself (among other reasons, it would be about a 1:20 trip to Jefferson Park). Does anyone know if this is a precursor to making 270 (which has been proposed for ART) a Posted Stops Only route?
  9. The news today is that the Cubic issued open fare card for CTA/Pace will be called Ventra. Tribune story. I guess they had to call it something that rhymed with Metra, even though, despite what Pace says, Metra isn't "on board," and is getting a couple of ICE grants to figure out what to do (planning grant; conductor hand held device). Update: The Sun-Times has more detail, including the lame rationale for the name.
  10. 7500 Series NABI Videos

    That's what killed 7542, but the inspections ordered by Dorval Carter recorded on this forum indicated that they were so structurally deficient generally that they weren't worth fixing. Part of the lawsuit was against DD because the EGR filters plugged.
  11. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    But not on past fact, including the discussion on @Mr.cta85 above. There are indicia of truth and indicia of fiction. I didn't comment on Pace River (South Elgin) getting 8325s. I did comment on something @BusHunter claimed happened 10 years ago that he admits he can't now back up except by self serving statements. There have been frequent examples of that lately. Also, to use @BusHunter's own words, you aren't a moderator, either, although I'm not intending that with the same malice he did.
  12. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    Only if it is 3 Floyds!
  13. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    And the authority for that is (besides you)? How could you report "was delivered to 103rd but never went in service there" which was the point of my @Mr.cta85reference?
  14. 7500 Series NABI Videos

    The main things I remember is that while they looked like any artic with AMSECO seats, they squeaked a lot more, and the exit door buzzer would go off any time they made a left turn.
  15. 7500 Series NABI Videos

    Then it should be real easy for you to do a search, since you have the date.
  16. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    You made the assertion, you have the burden of proof, Judge Judy. Haysoos didn't tell me to take your assertions on faith. The rest you say is FALSE. Except for one pick at 74th, he worked at 103, and works there now.
  17. METRA Locomotive Wish List

    If you had read the postings, it was because the state got a grant to convert it to high speed rail and got Chargers for Amtrak. No mystery there.
  18. Miscellaneous Transit Stories

    We did, for about 2 days. Anyway, given that NABI quit building them, and probably the reason that CTA did accept the pilot bus was because it was NABI, we know why we won't. LACMTA has the issue of what to do when they need to be replaced. But maybe you were just being sarcastic. The other things to figure are (1) it wouldn't be running over a skateboard in this Chicago weather, and (2) unlike what @BusHunter was trying to feed us, this CNG bus didn't explode.
  19. The Breakdown Thread

    Again, you guys are recording stuff that isbn't of any significance, Especially, both of you seem to think there are no mechanics. Someone fixed the bus and it went on its way,
  20. 7500 Series NABI Videos

    Junk retired after 4 years is not memorable But maybe you can Google some news stories about when they were taken off the street.
  21. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    Not 400. It does provide a frame of reference, And basically, "not put in service" is meaningless, Since you aren't @Mr.cta85 and don't work there, you have no means of verification.
  22. METRA Locomotive Wish List

    This way≠express paint job, although IMO, Metra could have painted them orange and blue like the 1990s versions,
  23. METRA Locomotive Wish List

    You didn't really answer the question, but the comments on the YouTube page may have: The initial six locomotives received an express paint job instead of the full Metra fade motif in order to get them into service as quickly as possible.
  24. METRA Locomotive Wish List

    I know you were only linking to the YouTube posted by Metra, but, in general, since they painted it, why didn't they paint it in Metra colors?
  25. 7900-series Nova LFS - Deliveries & Assignments

    Again, check your math, as the capacity is only about 250 buses. It got either the odds or evens on the 1700somethings, too. For any odds or evens, you have to divide by half. The only direct point is that until @Mr.cta85's latest report, garages got either Novas or artics.