Grace Galluci, deputy executive director of the RTA, believes that neither NABI’s vehicles nor the choice of natural gas-powered buses are good fits for the city.

Between 2003 and 2004, the CTA purchased over 200 buses from NABI, but was forced to take them offline in 2009. The CTA claimed that the design and quality of the buses were unsatisfactory, citing cracks in the axles, suspensions, and frames of the buses. NABI denied the accusations.

NABI executive director T.J. Ross said that Phoenix has almost 100 of those same buses in its fleet, while Los Angeles has over 500, and neither city has reported any major issues with the buses. The bus that NABI presented to Pace during the sales pitch was different than the city’s previously purchased models.

Galluci also described her previous experiences with rising natural gas prices.

When Galluci was employed with the transit organization in Cleveland, the price of natural gas for the city’s bus fleet tripled. Diesel fuel, on the other hand, was priced competitively and was also becoming much cleaner, she said.

“We really have to look at the benefits in the short-term and in the long-term, and really think oftentimes of almost like a stock portfolio,” Gallucci advised. “You might need a balance of different forms of fuel in order to protect yourself from the market variances.”

Pace officials said that they were paying $2.85 per gallon for diesel last month, 50 cents more than what they had allocated.

RTA official cautions switching to natural gas-powered buses | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Agency intends to focus efforts on resuming normal service Thursday morning

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Feb. 2, 2011 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Officials at Pace have decided to suspend all bus service at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Impassable roadways, coupled with forecasts for increasingly icy conditions on roads caused by rapidly dropping temperatures necessitated the decision.

“We’re concerned for the safety of our passengers, our bus operators, and other drivers on the roads,” said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. “Conditions have allowed us to operate only a small percentage of our service today, and it’s our hope that not having our vehicles on the road may ease snow removal efforts throughout the region.”

At various times on Wednesday, Pace was operating as many as roughly 55 of its approximately 200 bus routes where conditions permitted. Ridership had been extremely low on the routes that were operating as it was evident that most people heeded the advice of emergency management officials to avoid all travel. Worsening conditions led to the temporary suspension of seven of those 50 routes that were operating. Travel bans continued throughout the day in Lake, McHenry and Will counties and other areas.

Pace will continue to provide updates to passengers via its website at www.pacebus.com or by phoning Pace Customer Relations at (847) 364-7223. If anyone is stranded by the suspension of service, they should contact Pace Customer Relations and the agency will do its best to provide accommodations.

SOURCE Pace Suburban Bus Service

http://www.pacebus.com

Pace to Suspend Service at 6 p.m. Wednesday | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Originally reported by WISH-TV News. Read the original article here.

School bus fire out, students uninjured | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

On average CTA buses are involved in an accident every day, according to records compiled by the Federal Transit Administration.

The CTA said it’s not happy with the numbers, but said they are focusing on employees learning defensive-driving techniques.

Originally reported by FOX News Chicago. Read the original article here.

CTA Buses Average 1 Accident Every Day | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Chicago – Nine passengers on a CTA bus were injured Friday morning when a car rear ended the bus in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side.

Police and fire crews responded to the report of a crash between a CTA Bus and car at 7:53 a.m. at the intersection of West Roosevelt Road and South Central Park Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez.

Nine passengers were injured when the no. 12 Roosevelt CTA bus was rear ended by a car while at a stop on South Central Park Ave, said CTA spokesperson Sheila Gregory.

The bus driver was not injured but nine bus passengers were taken to local area hospitals, Gregory said.

The passengers were in “stable” condition, said Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado.

It is currently unknown if the driver of the car was injured, Gregory said..

Calls to the Chicago Fire Department were not immediately returned.

Originally reported by FOX News Chicago. Read the original article here.

Nine Hurt When Car Rear Ends CTA Bus | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The suburban bus service has offered its “Campus Connection Pass” to college students the rest of the year, but never in summer.  Spokesman Patrick Wilmot says this summer it will be offered, at a rate of $140 for three months.

“The pass is not accepted on CTA or Metra, but for those who can use Pace exclusively, it’s really a great value,” Wilmot said.

Pace has already been marketing a pass to high school students, the “Student Summer Hall Pass,” at a rate of $45 for three months, good only on weekdays. But Wilmot said it will now have a new benefit. It will be good any day of the week on its 284/Schaumburg-Great America-Gurnee Express bus.

“This is a great way to boost sales of the pass and also ridership on this route to Great America,” Wilmot said.   

Students must provide proof of enrollment in order to buy the passes.

In other action Wednesday, the Pace Board approved the consolidation of its 891 and 892 routes, which run from Gary and East Chicago to the United Parcel Service sorting facility in Hodgkins.  It also approved an agreement under which the village of Oswego will underwrite the full costs of the 907/Oswego-Aurora Transportation Center rush hour shuttle.

The three routes are the only Pace lines that run outside of the six-county Pace service area, with the exception of the Hammond Transit Center terminus of the 350/Sibley and 364/159th Street buses.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Pace wants students to ride its buses in summer | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Officer John Mirabelli, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department, said 53-year-old James Minter of the city’s South Side fell under the wheels of the bus near Harrison Street and Ashland Avenue Thursday afternoon.

A spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office says Minter was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.

CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor says the northbound Ashland Avenue bus was leaving the intersection after getting a green light when Minter either slipped or fell under the rear wheels.

Read the original article from WBBM News Radio.

Chicago man dies trying to catch bus | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Emergency crews responded to the incident at the CTA Rockwell Brown Line station at 6:54 p.m. where a bicyclist was apparently clipped by a train, Fire Media Affairs Dir. Larry Langford said.

The man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in “stable” to serious condition.

CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor said the individual was on a bike when he made contact with a southbound Brown Line train at the Rockwell station, which is at ground level. She said his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Preliminary reports indicate the lights and gates were working properly at the time, Taylor said. There were no service delays due to the incident.

Read the original article from FOX Chicago News.

Man injured after being clipped by CTA | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The service reductions are necessary as a result of lower than anticipated revenues due to the sluggish economy.

“While we continue to have talks with the union on finding a solution that would enable CTA to minimize the number of service reductions needed, we want customers to have information as early as possible so that they can start to plan their travel based upon the new schedules,” said CTA President Richard L. Rodriguez.

“Being able to plan ahead will help customers navigate the system better and ensure they allow enough travel time to reach their destinations.”

Two weeks ago, the CTA began posting customer alerts on buses, trains and at other CTA facilities. The alerts outlined the routes that will be affected by the service reductions next month.

Last week, information was posted on digital displays and other electronic signage at rail stations. Also, affected bus routes began to play announcements outlining specific changes in the hours of operation and a reminder if the route will run with less frequent service or if the route is being eliminated.

Detailed information also was posted on CTA’s Web site at transitchicago.com. Customers can access information regarding changes to service, including route-by-route changes.

General information on the service reductions has been sent to local elected officials, Chambers of Commerce, municipalities and other city agencies for them to have on hand for residents who may contact them for information. Additional detailed information will be delivered to these groups in the coming weeks.

Starting the week of January 25, CTA information specialists will be strategically deployed to key locations at bus stops and rail stations to distribute information prior to the service reductions.

Brochures with service information will be available to customers at rail stations and on buses across the system – in addition to being posted on CTA’s Web site.

The brochure will be available in English, Spanish, Polish and Chinese. If customers do not have Internet access and are unable to find the correct version, they can contact CTA Customer Service and one will be mailed to them.

Signs at all CTA bus stops notifying customers of the changes to service are scheduled to be in place by the end of the month.

To better serve customers, CTA’s Customer Service center will add weekend hours on February 6 and 7 to answer incoming calls regarding service changes.

During the week the Customer Service center is staffed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to assist riders. Customers can contact the Customer Service Center via e-mail at feedback@transitchicago.com or by calling 1-888-YOUR CTA (1-888-968-7282); TTY 1-888-CTATTY-1 (1-888-282-8891).

RTA’s Travel Information line will also have details on CTA service following the service reductions. Customers can call 836-7000 from any local area code to speak to an RTA representative.

The service reductions are designed to retain as much service as possible while reducing costs and maximizing efficiency. All rail routes and all bus routes will be maintained except for nine express routes that have a matching local route.

The CTA worked to minimize the impact to rush hour service and Night Owl service on both bus and rail remain unchanged, preserving service for those third-shift workers who have few options other than public transit.

Service will run less frequently on 119 routes and service spans will be adjusted for 41 bus routes. These routes will either start service later, end service earlier, or both.

CTA’s Bus Tracker is a good way for bus customers to manage their wait time.

Riders can access estimated arrival times for buses and can be accessed in three different ways:

• Online: Go to ctabustracker.com via a computer or Web-enabled mobile device to get estimated bus arrival times
• Subscription E-mail Alerts: Go to ctabustracker.com and sign up to receive customized e-mail alerts for specific day(s), time(s), route(s) or stop(s).
• Text Message: Send a text message to 41411 with “CTABUS” and your designated bus stop identification number; or simply send “CTABUS” and follow the instructions. Bus stop ID numbers all are available at ctabustracker.com

Information outlining Feb. 7 service changes for CTA bus and rail service available to customers | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Later service hours also will be in effect on several bus and rail routes making CTA a convenient, safe and affordable travel alternative for those out celebrating the New Year.

Please Note: All CTA bus and rail service will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Thursday, December 31 and on a Sunday/Holiday schedule Friday, January 1.

Bus Service

• #4 Cottage Grove buses will operate all night between Washington/State and 95th/Cottage Grove. Buses will operate approximately every 15 minutes north of 63rd and Cottage Grove and every 30 minutes south of 63rd.
• #6 Jackson Park Express buses will operate southbound from downtown every 15 minutes until 3:15 a.m. The last northbound trip to downtown will leave 79th/South Shore Drive at 2:15 a.m.
• #20 Madison buses will operate more frequently between Austin and Washington/State every 15 minutes during the overnight period.
• #22 Clark buses will operate more frequently between Polk/Clark and the Howard Red Line station approximately every 15 to 20 minutes during the overnight period.
• #29 State buses will operate in both directions all night between Navy Pier and Roosevelt/State in both directions. Service will be scheduled to operate every 15 minutes or less north of Roosevelt, and every 30 minutes or less south of Roosevelt to the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station.
• #65 Grand buses will operate westbound from Navy Pier to Grand and Nordica until 3 a.m. The last eastbound bus to Navy Pier will leave Grand and Nordica at 2 a.m.  Service will operate approximately every 15-30 minutes.
• #66 Chicago buses operate westbound from Navy Pier to Chicago and Austin Avenue until 3 a.m. The last eastbound bus from Austin Avenue to Navy Pier will leave around midnight. Regular Night Owl service will operate between State/Washington and Chicago/Pulaski.
• #124 Navy Pier buses will operate southbound from Navy Pier to the Millennium Park Randolph Street Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station until 1 a.m.  The last northbound trip to Navy Pier from Union Station will be at 12:30 a.m.
• #151 Sheridan buses will operate throughout the evening southbound between the Red Line Howard station and Union Station. Owl service will operate approximately every 15 minutes south of Foster and approximately every 30 minutes north of Foster.

Rail Service

The last trip on all Brown, Orange, Pink and Green line trains will leave downtown at 1:30 a.m. from the following downtown stations:

• Brown Line – Washington/Wells
• Green Line – Adams (northbound) and Clinton (southbound)
• Orange Line – Library-State/Van Buren
• Pink Line – Clark/Lake

Purple Line trains will operate from Howard to Linden until 2:00 a.m.

More frequent service will operate on the Red Line (approximately every 10 minutes from midnight until 6 a.m.) and Blue Line Forest Park and O’Hare branches (approximately every 15 minutes from 1:30 a.m. until 5 a.m.) which operate 24 hours daily.

Yellow Line trains will operate from Howard to Skokie until 2:00 a.m.

For details about all CTA service on New Year’s Eve call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the CTA Web site at transitchicago.com.

Revelers Can Ring in the New Year with Penny Rides on the CTA | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

By sending a text message to 41411 with “CTABUS” and a bus stop identification number, customers will receive the estimated arrival times of the next two buses at their bus stop.

CTA Bus Tracker is a Web-based program that uses global positioning system (GPS) technology to provide customers with estimated bus arrival times and service information.

In addition to text messaging, CTA introduced a customized e-mail alert feature in May that allows customers to subscribe to e-mail updates for their routes.

“Importantly, this new feature makes service information readily available to even more bus customers who may prefer texting or who don’t have web-enabled cell phones,” said Rodriguez.

Bus Tracker allows customers to minimize their wait time, which is particularly welcome during winter, and makes it safer for those who travel alone or late at night. It also will be a very useful tool for customers in February when bus service will be reduced by 18 percent.”

A how-to guide at ctabustracker.com lists bus stop ID numbers and provides instructions on how to receive Bus Tracker information via text message. In addition, a Bus Tracker cheat sheet is available for customers to download and jot down their preferred locations to have on hand for quick reference when traveling.

The popularity of Bus Tracker has steadily grown since its introduction. A recent analysis of top searches on Google listed Bus Tracker as the second most searched item by Chicagoans.

Recent data shows that there are nearly 50,000 visits for the average weekday and more than 10,000 e-mails sent to the 5,200-plus customers registered to receive Bus Tracker e-mail alerts; whereas in June, there were approximately 32,000 visitors to the site on an average weekday.

Although bus stop ID numbers all are available via Internet or text, in January CTA will begin piloting a program where bus stop identification numbers and texting information will be posted on bus stop signs at 42 locations throughout the city.

The pilot will assist CTA in determining how useful it is for customers to have bus stop IDs and instructions posted on the bus stop signs, based on the number of requests received at pilot locations versus other locations without signage.

A list of all 42 locations that will have the CTA Bus Tracker text messaging information also is available online.

Customers are encouraged to provide feedback regarding the available features and content by contacting CTA Customer Service at feedback@transitchicago.com or at 1-888-YOUR-CTA (888-968-7282).

Hearing impaired customers can contact customer service by TDD/TTY at 1-888-CTA-TTY1 (888-282-8891).

All CTA bus routes now are available on ctabustracker.com. The CTA Bus Tracker Web site is accessible from computers and Web-enabled mobile devices for customers to view the arrival times of buses along a route. BlackBerry™ users must have version 4.1 or higher.

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) must have full Internet access capabilities through Web browsers that support HyperText Markup Language (HTML) such as Internet Explorer®. Customers who use PDAs are able to access the arrival time display only.

Cell phone users should contact their wireless service providers for information on their phone’s Internet capabilities.

CTA does not charge customers to receive bus arrival alerts via text message; however, standard text messaging rates may apply based on customers’ individual service plans.

CTA Bus Tracker Information Now Available On-Demand via New Text Messaging Feature | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Bus and rail service will operate on a normal weekday schedule on Friday, Nov. 27.

CTA service to both major Chicago airports provides Thanksgiving travelers with reliable and economical transportation. Air travel is expected to be heavy from Wednesday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Nov. 29.

Longer trains will operate on the Orange, Brown, Green and Blue lines beginning in the afternoon hours on Wednesday, Nov. 25 to accommodate additional airport travelers.

As a result of CTA’s aggressive efforts to eliminate slow zones along the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line, air travelers now can reach O’Hare Airport in approximately 40 – 45 minutes from the Clark/Lake station in the Loop.

Elevated rail customers can transfer to the Blue Line for no additional charge at the Clark/Lake station. Red Line customers can connect to the Blue Line by using the pedestrian transfer tunnel at Jackson.

Also, customers can transfer to the Blue Line from all east-west bus routes between Grand and Foster, and from many north-south bus routes.

Orange Line trains provide direct service to Midway Airport. In the Loop, customers can transfer to Orange Line trains at the Clark/Lake station for no charge.

In addition, Red Line customers can transfer to the Orange Line at the Roosevelt station at no extra charge.

To avoid traffic congestion, customers can combine the convenience of driving with the economical savings of public transit by using CTA Park and Ride facilities. Parking is available for approximately 6,000 cars at CTA’s 17 Park & Ride facilities, mainly at rail terminals, throughout the CTA system.

Park & Ride stations are listed on CTA’s system map and on the CTA’s web site at transitchicago.com.

Customers may also obtain information on Park & Ride facilities by calling 836-7000 from any local area code.

CTA Service to O’Hare and Midway Airports Gives Travelers Convenient Options Over the Holiday Weekend | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The festival motorcade is scheduled to step off at 5:30pm from Rush and Oak and will travel south on Michigan Avenue to Wacker Drive.

Immediately following the parade will be a fireworks display which will be visible along the Chicago River between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.

Bus Service

Michigan Avenue will be closed to traffic in both directions between Oak and Wacker starting at 4:45pm and is expected to re-open at approximately 9:30pm.

As a result the #3 King Drive, #4 Cottage Grove, #6 Jackson Park Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #36 Broadway, #66 Chicago, #145 Wilson/Michigan Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan will undergo the following temporary reroutes:

Northbound #3 King Drive buses will operate via Michigan, Randolph, Columbus, Fairbanks to Erie where they will begin southbound trips via Fairbanks, Columbus, Randolph to Michigan, then resume the regular route.

Northbound #4 Cottage Grove buses will not operate north of Randolph. Southbound trips will begin at Columbus and Randolph, to Michigan and then resume the regular route.

Northbound #6 Jackson Park Express buses will operate via Michigan, Wacker Place/South Water, Wabash, Wacker where they will begin southbound trips via Wacker, State and then resume the regular route.

Northbound #10 Museum of Science & Industry buses will operate via State to Wacker, Dearborn, Chicago to Clark where they will begin southbound trips via Wacker to State, then resume the regular route.

Southbound #36 Broadway buses will operate via Clark, Wacker, State and then resume the regular route. Northbound buses will operate via Dearborn, Chicago, LaSalle, Division, Clark and then resume their regular route.

Eastbound #66 Chicago buses will operate via Chicago, Clark, Illinois and Fairbanks, then resume the regular route. Westbound buses will operate via Grand, Dearborn and Chicago, then resume their regular route.

Southbound #145 Wilson/Michigan Express, #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, #147 Outer Drive Express and #151 Sheridan buses will operate via Lake Shore, LaSalle Drive, LaSalle, Wacker, State, Washington to Michigan, then resume the regular route.  Southbound #146 and #151 buses will continue on State.

Northbound buses will operate via State, Wacker, LaSalle, to LaSalle Drive where #145, #146 and #147 buses will continue to Lake Shore Drive and #151 buses will continue on Stockton, then resume the regular route.

Rail Service

More frequent service will be provided on the Red Line. Longer trains will operate on the Pink, Brown and Orange lines.

For more information about all CTA routes and schedules, call 836-7000 (all local area codes) or visit the Web site at transitchicago.com.

CTA Reroutes and Service for Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The marathon begins at 7:30am Sunday, Oct. 11, starting just north of Jackson on Columbus Drive with the course winding through numerous city neighborhoods.

To decrease travel time and reduce lines, customers heading to the marathon are encouraged to buy CTA farecards or Visitor Passes in advance with sufficient value, or to add enough value to their farecards for their return trips later in the day.

CTA personnel will be on duty at select stations along the Blue, Red, Green, Brown, Pink and Orange lines and at major bus stops to assist customers and to provide travel information.

CTA will operate longer trains to accommodate expected crowds. Because bus routes in the vicinity of the marathon also will be impacted with intermittent reroutes or delays due to lane closures, CTA recommends customers allow extra travel time.

There will be no construction this weekend in the Dearborn Subway on the Blue Line.

Rail Service

Blue Line

Longer trains will operate during marathon hours.

Brown Line

Brown Line service into the Loop will begin early; the first trains will depart Kimball at 5 a.m., providing service to downtown. Longer trains will operate during marathon hours.

Green Line

Green Line service will begin early; the first trains will depart from Harlem/Lake at 5:35 a.m., 63rd/Ashland at 5:30 a.m. and 63rd/Cottage Grove at 5:47 a.m. Longer trains will operate during marathon hours.

Orange Line

Longer trains will operate during marathon hours.

Purple Line

Purple Line service will begin early; the first trains will depart Linden at 5:30 a.m., providing service to Howard where customers can transfer to the Red Line for service to downtown.

Red Line

More frequent service and longer trains will operate during marathon hours.

Bus Service

CTA will operate earlier service on the #3 King Drive bus route between McCormick Place and Michigan/Chicago from 5:30am to 8:05am to accommodate runners and spectators staying in downtown and McCormick Place hotels.

During the course of the race, there will be intermittent reroutes along several CTA bus routes.

The affected routes are:

• #3 King Drive
• #4 Cottage Grove
• #6 Jackson Park Express
• #8 Halsted
• #9 Ashland
• #10 Museum of Science & Industry
• #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick
• #12 Roosevelt
• #14 Jeffery Express
• #18 16th/18th
• #20 Madison
• #21 Cermak
• #22 Clark
• #26 South Shore Express
• #X28 Stony Island Express
• #29 State
• #35 35th
• #36 Broadway
• #44 Wallace/Racine
• #50 Damen
• #56 Milwaukee
• #60 Blue Island/26th
• #62 Archer
• #65 Grand
• #66 Chicago
• #70 Division
• #72 North
• #73 Armitage
• #74 Fullerton
• #76 Diversey
• #77 Belmont
• #124 Navy Pier
• #126 Jackson
• #145 Wilson/Michigan Express
• #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
• #147 Outer Drive Express
• #151 Sheridan
• #152 Addison

Reroutes can be expected in the downtown area from 6:30am until 4pm; on the North Side from 6:30 a.m. until noon; on the West Side from 7am until 2pm; and on the South Side from 6:30am until 4pm. All times are approximate and detours will be determined by Chicago Police and CTA supervisory personnel.

Park & Ride Facilities

Parking is available for approximately 6,000 cars at facilities adjacent to 17 CTA rail stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system.

Rates are $5 at Rosemont and Forest Park and $4 at all other locations. Park & Ride locations are listed on CTA’s system map and on the CTA Web site, transitchicago.com.

Customers also may obtain information on Park & Ride facilities by calling 836-7000 from any local area code.

Viewing Areas

For marathon fans interested in following the progress of the race, there are spectator viewing areas designated near CTA rail stations at 11 points along the race route.

First Viewing Area

Monroe (Red Line) Station

Race Start, Mile #2. Board a Red Line train and exit at Monroe. Walk a half-mile east toward Grant Park.

Second Viewing Area

Grand (Red Line) Station

Miles #1, #3 and #12. Board a Red Line train and exit at Grand.

Third Viewing Area

Chicago (Red Line) Station

Miles #3.5 and #11.5.  Board a Red Line train and exit at Chicago. Walk three blocks west to LaSalle Street.

Fourth Viewing Area

Addison (Red Line) Station

Mile #7.75.  Board a Red Line train and exit at Addison. Walk four blocks east to Broadway.

Fifth Viewing Area

Sedgwick (Brown Line) Station

Mile #10.25.  Board a Brown Line train and exit at Sedgwick Street. Walk a half-block north to North Avenue.

Sixth Viewing Area

UIC-Halsted (Blue Line) Station

Miles #16 and 16.5. Board a Blue Line train and exit at UIC-Halsted. Use the Halsted Street or Morgan Street exits. Walk two blocks north on Morgan Street to Adams Street to view runners at Mile 16 in Greektown. Use the Halsted exit to view runners at Mile 16.5.

Seventh Viewing Area

18th (Pink Line) Station

Mile #19. Board a Pink Line train and exit at 18th. Walk one block east to Ashland to Mile 19 in Pilsen.

Eighth Viewing Area

Halsted (Orange Line) Station

Mile #20.5. Board an Orange Line train and exit at Halsted.

Ninth Viewing Area

35th-Bronzeville-IIT (Green Line) Station

Mile #23. Board a Green Line train and exit at 35th-Bronzeville-IIT. Use either the 33rd Street or 35th Street exit.

10th Viewing Area

Sox-35th (Red Line) Station

Mile #23.25. Board a Red Line train and exit at Sox-35th. Walk two blocks east on 35th Street to State Street.

11th Viewing Area

Roosevelt (Red, Green and Orange Lines) Station

Finish Line. Board a Red, Green or Orange line train and exit at Roosevelt. Walk east on Roosevelt Road toward the Museum Campus and Grant Park.

Fare Information

• Cash Fare (Bus Only): $2.25
• Transit Card: $2.00 (bus) / $2.25 (rail)

Stored value Transit Cards can be purchased with cash at any CTA rail station. Transit Cards also allow two additional rides in two hours on another bus and/or train to complete your trip for an additional 25 cents.

Transit Cards also are available online at transitchicago.com.

Packs of pre-valued Transit Cards are available at neighborhood Currency Exchanges and select Dominick’s or Jewel stores and CVS Pharmacies.

Visitor Passes

Unlimited ride Visitor Passes also are available. A one-day pass ($5.75) offers 24 hours of unlimited riding from the first use; three-day ($14) and seven-day ($23) passes are also available. Visitor Passes cannot be shared or recharged.

Visitor Passes are sold at vending machines accepting cash and major credit cards at O’Hare Airport, Midway Airport, Union Station, and the Chicago/State, Cumberland and Rosemont CTA rail stations and the Water Works Visitor Information Center.

Call 1-888-YOUR-CTA or visit transitchicago.com for advance sales and other sales outlets. Transit Cards and Visitor Passes will be sold at the CTA booth at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10.

For all CTA service information, call 836-7000 (from any local area code) or visit transitchicago.com.

CTA Provides Convenient Public Transportation to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The evening’s activities begin at 6pm leading up to the Venetian Night parade of boats at 8:15pm. The fireworks display will follow at 9pm.

Bus Service

Starting in the late afternoon, more frequent bus service will be provided on the following routes serving downtown:

• #3 King Drive
• #4 Cottage Grove
• #6 Jackson Park Express
• #12 Roosevelt
• #14 Jeffery Express
• #20 Madison
• #29 State
• #65 Grand
• #66 Chicago
• #124 Navy Pier
• #146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
• #147 Outer Drive Express and
• #151 Sheridan

In addition to more frequent service on the #14 Jeffery Express route, later service also will be provided on the route for spectators leaving downtown in the evening. Southbound buses will operate approximately every 15 minutes from Washington/Jefferson until 10:30pm.

Rail Service

Longer trains and more frequent service will be provided in the evening on the Red, Brown and Orange Lines.

Operating on regular schedules, longer trains will run on the Blue, Green and Pink Lines. The last trains will depart at their regularly scheduled times.

Additional CTA personnel will be on hand at CTA rail stations in the Loop to assist customers with travel and fare information.

Park and Ride Facilities

Parking is available for approximately 6,000 cars at facilities adjacent to 18 CTA rail stations, mainly at terminals, throughout the CTA system. Rates are $5 at Rosemont and Forest Park and $4 at all other locations. Park & Ride locations are listed on CTA’s system map and on the CTA Web site, transitchicago.com. Customers also may obtain information on Park & Ride facilities by calling 836-7000 from any local area code.

MEDIA CONTACT:

CTA Media Relations, 312-222-6106

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Provides Convenient Public Transportation, Bus and Rail Service, for Venetian Night 2009 | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

“The arrival of these buses is another example of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act at work for CTA riders,” said CTA President Richard L. Rodriguez. “Without these funds CTA would not have been able to purchase these much-needed buses. With our budget constraints and nearly $7 billion in unfunded capital projects, it is a challenge to upgrade the system while still being fiscally prudent.”

With this new bus, the CTA now has 151 articulated hybrid buses in its fleet. Once all 208 articulated hybrid buses are in service, the CTA estimates that the hybrid technology will help to save the agency over $7 million annually in parts, labor and fuel.

“At this critical time for the agency’s budget, it’s important to explore technology and initiatives that can help us reduce operating costs,” said Rodriguez. “These buses represent not only improved cost efficiency for the CTA, they also provide noticeable benefits to our customers.”

Hybrid buses are quieter, cleaner and run more smoothly than conventional engine systems and offer an improved riding experience for customers.

Characteristics of the bus include a plug-in feature that allows the batteries on the bus to remain charged when the bus is not in use. Power is drawn from the batteries to operate the auxiliary heater and circulate warm coolant through the engine block during overnight storage in cold weather. This eliminates the need to idle buses for startup.

The bus has a smaller engine than traditional articulated buses and is of the same design as the low-emission engines in CTA’s New Flyer 40-foot buses.

LED passenger lighting on the buses makes them even more environmentally friendly. The lights are long lasting and require less maintenance as there are no bulbs to change.

The articulated hybrid buses have 10 security cameras: seven interior, an interior front facing camera and two curb-side rear facing cameras that look down the side of the
bus – one above the front doors and the other near the rear doors.

The CTA is scheduled to receive $241 million in stimulus funds, $50 million of which are being used to fund this articulated hybrid bus purchase.

CTA’s first project using stimulus funds is currently under way and involves track replacement to remove existing slow zones and prevent future slow zones in the Blue Line’s Dearborn subway. The $88 million subway track replacement project is creating approximately 400 jobs locally over the course of the work.

CTA also is using $75.2 million of the agency’s allotted stimulus funds for the rehabilitation of buses and rail cars.

In addition, stimulus funds are being used to rehabilitate selected components on the CTA’s oldest buses, as well as the nearly 500 NOVA buses put into service in 2000-2001.  Major components include replacing engines and transmissions as well as brake drums and other brake parts.

CTA currently has 1,190 railcars, nearly 350 of which are between 32 and 40 years old.  An additional 600 cars are between 23 and 28 years old. Stimulus funds are being used to rehabilitate selected components on these rail cars including traction motors, brake systems, and truck assemblies.

MEDIA CONTACT:

CTA Media Relations
ctamedia@transitchicago.com

Chicago Transit Authority Receives First Articulated Hybrid Bus Purchased with Federal Stimulus Funds | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.