Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) have announced the launch of the city's first-ever Better Streets for Buses Plan. This plan aims to improve bus services throughout the city by investing in street, signal, and sidewalk infrastructure. The goal is to achieve faster and more reliable bus service, improved access to bus stops, and better bus stops.

Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration has identified improving bus reliability and coordinating infrastructure investments as key transportation goals. In crafting the Better Streets for Buses plan, the transportation needs of Chicago residents were taken into account. Mayor Brandon Johnson stated, "Chicagoans have a right to accessible public transportation, and it is important that we continue to deliver improvements to better connect our communities – creating a better, stronger, and safer Chicago."

CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. emphasized the significance of the plan, stating, "The City of Chicago now has a framework to develop an organized program of projects that will improve the bus riding experience now and for generations to come." He further explained that various aspects of streetscape design and signal systems impact getting to the bus, waiting at the bus stop, and the bus ride itself. The Better Streets for Buses plan will help plan and redesign these elements to meet current transit needs and ensure that public transit bus services remain equitable, affordable, and accessible in all neighborhoods throughout the city.

The Better Streets for Buses (BSB) Plan was developed through a public planning process that included input from more than 1,300 individuals throughout the city. Feedback was gathered through various channels such as virtual public and community meetings, emails, phone calls, and written comment cards. This valuable feedback guided the selection of the network of bus service corridors for the BSB Plan.

The BSB Plan includes a network of 17 corridors in the city where improvements will be focused. It also provides a "toolbox" of 19 potential street treatment options for enhancing the public way. Proposed plans for each corridor aim to improve the bus riding experience through measures such as enhanced bus stops, bus priority traffic signals, and dedicated bus lanes.

Acting Commissioner of CDOT Tom Carney highlighted the importance of the plan in improving the rider's experience. He stated, "Better Streets for Buses lays the groundwork for making strategic investments in our streets, sidewalks, signals, and other public infrastructure to improve every step of the rider's experience." CDOT and CTA will closely collaborate on implementing this plan to create a more equitable transportation system and improve bus reliability, accessibility, and comfort.

To move forward with implementing robust bus priority projects, CTA and CDOT have secured a competitive grant from Cook County's Invest in Cook program. This grant will allow the agencies to conduct additional public outreach, develop specific concepts, and advance design for at least three corridors identified in the BSB Plan.

In addition to the Better Streets for Buses Plan, ongoing bus service improvement projects will continue through existing CTA-CDOT programs such as the Bus Priority Zones (BPZ) program. The BPZ Program focuses on smaller scale street treatment projects that prioritize buses in heavily traveled corridors to improve bus service reliability across the entire route.

The development of the Better Streets for Buses Plan was supported by a $300,000 Unified Work Plan grant administered by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. For more information about the plan, interested individuals can visit the website betterstreetsforbuses.com, email betterstreetsforbuses@transitchicago.com, or call 888-YOUR-CTA (888-968-7282) to be connected with someone from the Better Streets for Buses project team.

The Better Streets for Buses Plan marks a significant step forward in improving bus service in Chicago. With a focus on enhancing infrastructure and prioritizing bus riders, this plan will contribute to a more efficient, reliable, and accessible public transportation system throughout the city.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/transit_facilities/news/2023/december/cta-and-cdot-release-first-ever--better-streets-for-buses-plan-.html