CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[Steely Dan]

Oh look, some more unserious Chicagoans are coming out against the LSD revamp, as currently proposed.

What's wrong with these people? How did they get so unserious?

RTA joins calls to add bus lanes on DuSable Lake Shore Drive
RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard on Thursday joined the chorus of voices unhappy with the current design proposal that prioritizes cars over public transit.

By David Struett
Aug 15, 2024, 2:22pm CDT

The Regional Transportation Authority wants city and state planners to “go back to the drawing board” and redesign North DuSable Lake Shore Drive with at least one bus-priority lane.

RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard on Thursday joined the chorus of voices unhappy with the current design proposal that prioritizes cars over public transit.

Saying it is “a climate issue,” Dillard noted that tens of thousands of riders use the bus on North DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Choosing a redesign that encourages cars over buses would be bad for the environment, he said.

Full article: https://chicago.suntimes.com/transpo...-leanne-redden

[aaron38]

Originally Posted by VKChaz

What are the speed limit plans? Currently much of it is 40 but with drivers seemingly around 60.

Originally Posted by ardecila

If the speed limit is 40mph, then the road should be designed accordingly with tighter curves, no shoulders and narrower lanes.

Regarding Bus Lanes, what is the REALISTIC end goal? I ask because, if the cars are all going 60 and the busses can't speed so are going 40, then there are no cars holding up the busses and... no need for bus lanes.

If the cars must be slowed down to 40 and the busses are going 40, again no need for bus lanes.

Bus lanes allow the busses to go faster than the cars right? So if the cars are already going slower than 40 such that bus lanes are needed, then why spend tax payer dollars to redesign LSD to slow down cars?

As a serious person who has fought against IDOT blasting a 5 lane road through my forest preserve, I assume there's math to back this up?


If the end goal is to entice rich empty nester seniors to buy all those 2nd home condos in awesome downtown skyscrapers, and they're one slip on the ice away from a broken hip, you won't be enticing any of them onto busses. However, just thinking out loud, if you tell them that the bus lanes are to get all those slow crawling busses out of their way so they can happily speed away, they might go for it. Know your target market.

[Steely Dan]

^ you seem painfully out of touch with the tens of thousands of people who rely on the LSD express buses everyday, and how those express buses operate.


People > cars.

It's the foundational principle of all cities worth a damn.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by aaron38

Regarding Bus Lanes, what is the REALISTIC end goal? I ask because, if the cars are all going 60

It's fun going faster than traffic on DLSD via bike.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by aaron38

Regarding Bus Lanes, what is the REALISTIC end goal? I ask because, if the cars are all going 60 and the busses can't speed so are going 40, then there are no cars holding up the busses and... no need for bus lanes.

If the cars must be slowed down to 40 and the busses are going 40, again no need for bus lanes.

Bus lanes allow the busses to go faster than the cars right? So if the cars are already going slower than 40 such that bus lanes are needed, then why spend tax payer dollars to redesign LSD to slow down cars?

Bus lanes are meant to allow buses to bypass congestion, not to bypass vehicles traveling at normal road speeds. When congestion occurs, vehicles may be stopped or driving below walking pace. Yet if the bus lane remains clear, the bus can continue to drive at normal speeds. But congestion may only occur during the busier times of day so that's the only time the bus lane would really be needed. But while those times make up a quarter or less of the day, the lane would still benefit a disproportionately large number of people since so many people were traveling in that short time. So it's worthwhile to have, even if it isn't necessary all the time.