Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bus Priority topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge CTA to push for dedicated bus lanes on Grand Avenue during board meeting
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the CTA board that the city’s Grand Avenue reconstruction plan would remove vehicle lanes used by CTA buses and urged the authority to press the mayor and CDOT for dedicated bus lanes (shared with bikes) between Ashland and Wells/Ogden to preserve speed and ridership on the No. 65 Grand Avenue route.
Several public speakers asked the Chicago Transit Authority board to oppose elements of the City of Chicago’s Grand Avenue reconstruction plan and to support dedicated bus lanes that would preserve the No. 65 Grand Avenue route’s speed and reliability.
Roger Romanelli of the Fulton Market Association, Mickey Olguin Rivera (a Grand Avenue business customer), Dan Hollis (a nearby homeowner) and Nick Loveras (a CTA rider) each told the board the mayor’s reconstruction proposal would eliminate two travel lanes used by CTA buses between Ashland and Ogden and force buses and other vehicles into a single travel lane in each direction — a change they said would slow bus service, reduce ridership growth and harm businesses. Speakers cited CTA data presented in the meeting about Grand Avenue ridership (about 7,000 daily riders and roughly 1.2 million riders annually) and called for converting existing lanes into dedicated bus lanes that could be shared with bicycles.
One speaker said he received an internal CTA email that suggested CTA staff were supporting the city plan; CTA staff offered to continue the conversation with planning staff and encouraged the public to follow up with Molly Coppi, CTA’s chief planning and innovation officer. The acting president and board members acknowledged the comments and directed staff to continue engagement with planning and regional partners.
What happens next: CTA staff said they will continue to engage with the speakers and with city planning staff about the Grand Avenue reconstruction plan; the public comments were recorded for the board’s consideration.
