The following letter was sent to Elaine Bledsoe, manager of Chicago Transit Authority's North Park Garage, 3112 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, IL. 60625
Topic: Recent CTA Service "Improvements" Routes 145 and 146-Permanent "Express" Service
As a concerned Lakeview/Lincoln Park resident and daily CTA rider, I would like to voice my opinion, which I have found to be shared by many Lincoln Park/Lakeview residents, regarding the recent ( Aug. 20, 2000 ) "SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS" in the CTA bus schedule. I am specifically referring to the elimination of LOCAL bus service on the 146 Marine-Michigan line and the Sunday/holiday LOCAL service on the 145 Wilson-Michigan line.
As a Lincoln Park resident, I am totally bewildered and disappointed that this move was made. I personally feel that this service cut ( and it is a cut ) is a foolish and illogical move that seriously reduced the quality of bus service in a key area of the city—also one of the most densely populated areas. I refer specifically to the Lincoln Park/East Lakeview/Old Town Triangle and Gold Coast neighborhoods. That is, the areas between Oak Street and Belmont previously well-served by the 146 and 145 Local buses in the evenings and on Sundays/holidays.
It is difficult to understand why the CTA feels it necessary to run "EXPRESS" service to Michigan Avenue after 8:30 p.m. at night. Most major cities use "EXPRESS" bus runs during the rush ( or peak ) hours and sometimes during the day when ridership needs and uses it. I personally have seen more than my share of 146 and 145 "EXPRESS" buses going on the outer drive at Belmont with 2 or 3 people on them ( I refer to later evening hours-like 9:30 p.m. weeknights ) . I have also seen "EXPRESS" 146 and 145 buses come off the drive at Belmont almost empty in the late hours after 8:30 p.m. In the meantime, the 151 Sheridan buses are horribly overcrowded south of Belmont. Thanks to this newest CTA "Service Improvement," the already overburdened and slow 151 Sheridan bus must pick up the slack previously taken care of by the 146 and 145 LOCAL buses, which had plenty of passengers after 8:30 p.m. This "improvement" makes no sense.
How many riders utilize "EXPRESS" bus service on the 146 at 11:00 at night? Furthermore, the 145 Wilson-Michigan Express bus handled the few people that wanted express service from Belmont to Walton in the later hours. A more practical solution would be to merely extend the hours of operation on the 145 Express bus to 11:30 or so if the CTA deems late-night express service necessary. The CTA has cut LOCAL service through the park, East Lake Shore Dr., and Sheridan south of Belmont and created serious overcrowding and poorer quality service on the 151 Sheridan line. The result: virtually empty "EXPRESS" buses on the 146 and 145 lines after 8:30 p.m. and uncomfortable and reduced service in the communities between Oak St. and Belmont. ... And the CTA labels this a "SERVICE IMPROVEMENT?" ... I have spoken to some of my neighbors and we are considering taking a petition to our alderman to get this latest "SERVICE IMPROVEMENT" reversed.
Why not go back to what makes sense, CTA? Run "EXPRESS" service on the 145/146 lines during the day and peak rush hours into the early evening, when it is utilized. During the later evening hours and on Sundays/holidays, put the 146 LOCAL service back in place ( also 145 on Sundays/holidays ) and run these buses down Stockton Dr. in the park, Sheridan south of Belmont, and Inner Lake Shore Dr. between North Ave. and Oak.
Ask the riders whose travel time has doubled and who now must solely rely on the jam-packed 151 Sheridan line, and I think you'll find they are not very happy to say the least. An IMPROVEMENT doesn't result in REDUCED and POORER QUALITY, OVERCROWDED SERVICE. Service cuts are just that-cuts in service. Masquerading them as something else is a practice that insults the intelligence of the ridership and certainly does not eliminate their negative impact.
