THE LOOP — The new Loop Link bus lines Downtown that were expected to cut travel times to and from train stations have instead seen buses crawling into street-side bus stops.
Why? It's not a design flaw, but a simple period of adjustment, according to CTA officials.
A Streetsblog Chicago post last week suggested the new, slightly elevated Loop Link stations made riders potentially more prone to being conked in the head by a rear-view side mirror as buses pull in, and that drivers were being told to take it slow as a consequence.
The CTA, however, insists the stations were designed with that in mind and are no more dangerous to passengers than any other curb stop, while allowing that drivers have been told to go 3 mph at the stations during a period of adjustment to make sure there are no initial problems.
"Like at all bus stops across the city, operators are instructed to approach the Loop Link stations at minimal speeds," CTA spokesman Brian Steele said Monday. "Additionally, as with any new route or stop configuration, operators may go slower initially, though we do expect those approach speeds to improve as operators become more familiar with the corridor. Streets were also wet for the first few days of operations, which factored into the extra caution by our operators.
"CTA buses have had external side-view mirrors for decades, and their location was factored into the Loop Link design," he added. "It's one of the reasons why approaching buses have space between them and the platform, and why — like rail-station platforms — Loop Link stations have tactile edging at the edges of the platform as a visual and tactile cue for customers to stand back from the edge as vehicles approach."
According to Steele, there have been no reports of passengers being conked with rear-view mirrors at Loop Link stations — or anywhere else in the CTA bus system.
Steele allowed that "Loop Link stations do have long platforms, so visually it might seem like buses are traveling more slowly than they are." He said that, for now, "3 mph is the maximum speed-limit guideline initially for operators but, as noted, operations will continue to improve as operators continue to become familiar with the corridor."
When the Loop Link routes debuted last week — primarily in an east-west corridor running along Washington Boulevard and Madison Street — CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. projected they would cut travel times 7½ minutes round trip from the Ogilvie Center and Union Station to the new "L" stop being constructed at Washington and Wabash Avenue.
Buses crawling into stations threaten to minimize those gains, although Steele said it's of course too early to get any accurate data, especially as seasonal weather and light holiday traffic, with many people off work, have been the rule the last couple of weeks of the year.
Steele, however, insisted buses were traveling smoothly in the new designated red lanes exclusive to them between stops.
"We're closely monitoring performance of Loop Link buses, and thus far overall performance has been smooth," Steele said. "It will take at least several weeks to have enough data to provide meaningful insights into performance."
Streetsblog Chicago writer John Greenfield wrote last week urging that "the agency needs to do a better job of informing customers about why the buses are currently moving so slow, and take steps to improve safety and bus speeds as soon as possible."
Steele said CTA would be conducting informational campaigns to complement the train-station-style tactile stripping on the edge of Loop Link stations, adding, "CTA is looking at ways to further notify customers about how to properly board and exit buses on the Loop Link corridor — similar to our ongoing efforts to educate customers on rail-platform safety."
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