In a response to reader a question, Ken Davis goes in search of the factors that lead to Chicago Transit Authority decisions about eliminating or adding bus service.
To find answers to his inquiry, Davis speaks with Jeff Schroeder, a "data jockey" with CTA. "Obviously any decision to change or drop service is driven first by
money," notes Davis. "The CTA currently wants to add buses and trains to its
highest-traffic lines, but without any additional money, they have to
cut something else. And good decisions require clean data. So Jeff has
turned about 1,700 CTA buses into hunter-gatherers. They quietly,
unobtrusively collect data. On you."
Davis describes the on-board computers, recorders and GPS devices that collect and report data on ridership numbers per stop, direction, and time.
"So money and research are behind these decisions," concludes Davis, "but that's not all.
CTA President Forrest Claypool said demographics can be taken into
account in some circumstances.'It's certainly a high priority to
make sure that our most impoverished areas have quality mass
transportation,' he said. 'So we are gonna protect that service at all
costs.'"
FULL STORY: Question answered: What factors lead to CTA bus routes being added or removed?
Report: One-Third of Vacant Lots in Chicago Near Transit
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RTA Calls for Bus Lanes on Chicago Bridge Project
The regional authority is asking the city to add dedicated bus lanes to a bridge over the Chicago River that serves a high number of bus commuters.
Chicago Announces ‘Better Streets for Buses’ Plan
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Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
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California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
