I was curious, so I did some googling... NYCDOT actually evaluated numerous different types and brands of pavement coloring to find the best product for their red bus lanes. Some products are much better than others, although none will last permanently. I believe CDOT will take advantage of this research but I can't be sure.

Tinted asphalt or concrete would be the best way to go if the budget allows. They could mill the existing street surface and lay down a tinted overlay.

Given how friendly the mayor is to automated traffic/parking enforcement technology I should think that it would be feasible to implement either a fixed system or one on the buses that cites drivers ers who use/park in the lane.

I did immediately think when I saw the rendering that it's missing 3 cabs with hazards on, a couple parcel delivery trucks, and the bus struggling to merge in and out of the lane to avoid them....

^^^ There is an easy enforcement solution here. Just make the entire damn lane a tow zone and set the yellow tow trucks loose on them. The city loves towing cars because it is wildly profitable. They tow them in as quickly as 5 minutes. Anyone who stops their car here should be subjected to a ticket or tow.

This deserves to be bumped to this page. I love this design and am so excited to see these projects continue to move forward. I hope they use this design for all the BRT projects to generate a unified brand.

PS: there is a really good presentation on BRT embedded at this website: http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en...idtransit.html

^ I agree, but I do wish this was extended to Streeterville and not just used in the Loop.

I was more focused on the idea of how to make enforcement most reliable, thus more effectively discouraging that activity.

I really wish the city would got a lot further in addressing the roadways for loading, standing zones, etc. It seems kind of pointless to stripe all these bike lanes (and soon bus lanes) if you're going to let tractor trailers and all other manner of vehicles park in them and just put their hazards on.

Random question, but is there any hope for the Brown Line to be extended north to say NE Illinois University or even around Kedzie & Devon, ever?

For me, if the brown line is to be extended, I would prefer to see it extended under Lawrence to connect to the blue line at Jefferson Park, with stations at Pulaski and Elston (and possibly Lawndale). Given the fact there isn't an east/west rail line on the north side, it seems like such a logical extension to better connect areas like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, North Center, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, and Albany Park with O'Hare and other locations along the O'Hare branch of the blue line. Much more convenient than forcing everyone to either hop on a slow bus likely to get stuck in traffic (rush hour traffic sucked on the 81 on Lawrence and don't get me started on buses crawling along the streets on Cubs game days which I've experienced a number of times) or riding the L all the way downtown to transfer to the blue line.

I understand what you're saying and agree that would be good too.

I'm going more from the point that there's over 70,000 people in West Ridge and almost 20,000 people in North park with 0 train lines with. That's a pretty big population to be without it IMO and would probably bring in more people due to Devon being up there. You can take buses to the red or brown line, but I think it would be a good opportunity to serve more of the population. I guess you could always branch off the Yellow Line too instead.

I do agree that the Cubs transit stuff is a pain though.

^ A Good fix for that would also be to extend the Western Ave BRT (or future light rail) all the way down to Howard (and possibly Asbury in Evanston). They could even extend the 49 bus to Howard, giving that area another 24 hour option. Why they have it a separate 49B bus I don't know.

CTA separates the north/south streets into xx,xxA, xxB is because the streets are very long. Western Avenue's reach alone is over 17 miles within city limits. The longer the bus route, the greater likelihood for the bus to fall behind schedule and screw up times for vehicle turnarounds, thus starting the route in the opposite direction already late. 49B covers the north end of western quite efficiently, but because its a separate route, its serves as more of a Brown Line shuttle and local route rather than crosstown service.

BRT would help the situation as with it removed from street traffic, there are fewer variables to delay buses; but I am very skeptical of BRT on urban streets, as I have seen plenty of examples were it does not live up to promises. I have witnessed bus bunching and a 30 minute wait time on Cleveland's Health Line for example. Western is probably the best city street to run BRT if we are going that route, because its wide enough (especially the Boulevard stretch) hits all the CTA rail lines (although the Green Line needs a station put back) and 4 Metra lines (potentially 9 with extensions to Evanston and Blue Island and new infill stations on the Southwest Service and Heritage Corridors). However, I really wish we would pursue a true north-south heavy rail line, as has been planned and pitched for a century now. Sad to think of how much more ambitious we were as a nation years ago, now we just throw our hands up and gripe 'too expensive'.

Funny you should mention that. When I was looking at the "Circle Line Screen 3 Alternatives Analysis" archives, the CTA proposed that the Brown Line should be extended to Jefferson Park with the Mid-City Transitway built as well. Here's an image of the proposal.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7414/1...1dee353f_o.jpg
CTA Circle Line/ Mid-City Transitway by david.zegeye, on Flickr

Sorry for the low quality image, this was the only one the CTA posted.

Why not both?

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3766/1...2c3d4e1c_z.jpg

I think one of the reasons so little transit in this city gets built is because nobody can agree on what to build

LOL fair enough. I mostly agree with Emanuel's focus on upgrading the current system. Our transit system is 100 years old and in a sorry state overall. The North Side Main Line (Red/Purple) needs to be rebuilt and the same for the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line. Thankfully both are in planning stages, and both should be high priorities.

The push for BRT is necessary I think. It will dramatically change the environment along Ashland and other streets, with some good and some bad side effects. Auto-oriented businesses will close, while denser development will pop up around the stations and bring new residents/businesses along. Drivers will have a hard time with more traffic and turning restrictions, but transit will be more convenient.

Sorry to be the guy who just comes in here to ask questions, but I was wondering what the general feeling about the Ashland BRT is. I know there is some vocal opposition to it, but is it the general consensus among those on the "inside" that this is basically going to happen? Also, has anybody announced a start date for this project or is it still years away?

Thanks

Emanuel is still strongly in favor of the BRT, so it will keep rolling along unless one or several aldermen manage to stop it. Certainly Emanuel will try to ram it down their throats, so it really depends on his political skill.

The level of opposition will probably depend on how the design of the BRT line evolves. Right now, the plans call for eliminating all left turns except at expressways. Adding more left turn lanes would either water down the effectiveness of the bus line or eliminate even more parking.

By the standards of most planning processes, the BRT is proceeding at lightning speed. Final designs should be issued in the spring/summer and then Emanuel will start looking for money in Washington and Springfield.

^ I think they should allow more left turns to appease the NIMBY's. Then, a few months after the BRT system opens, close the left turn lanes at all intersections except the ones you mentioned above.

It's sneaky but it's the Chicago way and it'll work.

Haha, that would be amazing.

Midnight backhoe excursions?

^. Or something. We need to get the mayor in on this.. ;)