Bus ridership has been declining significantly over the last several years. Why are fewer people riding the bus? There are many reasons for this decline, but we believe the central problem is that buses are often slow and unreliable. As a result, many are choosing alternative options when it comes to getting around the city.
How do you feel about Chicago’s bus service? Share your thoughts by taking our survey.
Our new campaign, Speeding Up Chicago’s Buses, seeks to change this downturn by promoting near-term, low-cost bus service improvements to the city’s highest ridership routes. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is working with Active Trans on the project in an advisory capacity, providing data and technical feedback as it moves forward.
To help inform our campaign, we want to hear from you – why do you ride the bus and how do you think bus service could be improved? Take our survey to share your opinion.
Bus service improvements could include:
- Faster boarding practices such as allowing riders to pre-pay their fare at the bus stop and board through both the front and rear doors will greatly help increase bus speed.
- Dedicated bus lanes can help crowded buses move more quickly through Chicago’s congested streets, and help avoid bus bunching.
- Traffic signal improvements could be utilized to help buses stay on schedule by allowing bus systems to connect with traffic signals, minimizing stops at red lights and giving buses a head start at certain intersections.
Through data collection, community outreach and survey input we will assess what treatments are appropriate for each priority route. We are also working with community and civic partners to increase grassroots support for these changes along priority routes.
Take our survey today to share your opinion about Chicago’s bus service.