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Got Questions About CTA Delays? Now, There Are Answers

By DNAinfo Staff on January 22, 2013 8:17pm

 Passengers facing delays can learn more through the new CTA webpage, "When things go wrong."
Passengers facing delays can learn more through the new CTA webpage, "When things go wrong."
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DNAInfo/Tanveer Ali

Chicago — The Chicago Transit Authority knows that when its buses and trains break down, it’s a big deal for Chicago commuters.

So the CTA has released the Web page “When things go wrong” to explain those anomalies to riders.

Smartphone-savvy commuters stuck waiting it out can immediately find out answers to questions they might have like, "What is signal clearance?" or "Why is that bus passing my stop?" (Signal clearance is something train cars wait for when multiple cars get backed up on the rails, while a bus might pass a stop if too many buses get bunched together because of traffic or other problems.)

The page addresses why trains run on an express basis even when they are not scheduled to and tells about the CTA's plans to retire old rail cars for a younger fleet.

The page reminds riders that hiccups in service are normal for a system as large as Chicago's.

The number of miles buses and trains travel everyday almost equals a round trip to the moon and back, according to the CTA.

"The majority of those rides are on-time and uneventful," according to the page. "However, as the saying goes: Stuff happens."