The CTA is creating a real mess with it’s rebuilding of the north side L tracks.
They are planning a severe reduction in service during peak hours. It can barely operate now in a satisfactory fashion, how can the CTA honestly say your travel time may double and not offer alternatives? Where are the increases in:
1) Non-peak service?
2) Clark, Halsted, Ashland and Western buses?
3) Extra shuttle bus service to get people to Lake Shore Drive express buses? Or buses that go from certain stops to downtown to take pressure off the trains?
To not plan alternatives is both irresponsible and shows the complete lack of customer service focus. Why haven’t the alderman of these wards demanded a better alternative plan? Why didn’t the CTA think of this themselves.
A few days before Thanksgiving I was walking out to my car that was parked in Lincoln Park over by Diversey and Sheridan. As I walked closer I noticed that the CTA bus was stopped very near it and was letting people off. As I walked closer I could see the antenna for my car was laying against the side of the bus. As the bus was turning the corner it had smashed into the driver side rear corner and pushed it into the car in front of me. The police showed up and I was not issued a ticket even though the person from the CTA was trying to say it was my fault. I was parked legally so I was lucky that I was going to work at the time and saw it happen because otherwise I would not have known what had hit me. Needless to say they totalled out my car because a CTA bus with people in it is like a semi. I had to pay my deductible out of the reimbursement from my insurance company. Needless to say I am still waiting on the $500 from the CTA for my insurance deductible and it has now been close to a year and a half. I am still waiting ever so patiently… Good times gotta love the city of Chicago!