Other cities in the United States have several times that amount. While bus-only lanes would have the greatest effect on reducing travel times, reducing bunching, and generally improving reliability, Chicago currently has only four miles of them. The study highlights exactly where and how Active Trans recommend making changes to speed up each route, some of which I’ll discuss in detail.

To stem the loss, and increase safety and efficiency on Chicago streets, major improvements to bus reliability and speed are needed. The report, “Back on the Bus”, analyzes the factors behind the trend towards declining ridership on CTA buses, which still carry more than half of the system’s customers. The group also proposed specific upgrades for six different routes. The Active Transportation Alliance’s new study on boosting bus ridership, funded by the TransitCenter foundation, recommends that CTA bus lines across the city should be sped up using a combination of priority at intersections, dedicated lanes, and decreasing the time it takes for people to board.

80 irving park bus tracker