Tuesdays at APA: Bus Rapid Transit in Chicago

In Chicago, 1.8 million trips are taken by transit per day, and
more than half of these are by bus. However, because Chicago's
congestion is the third worst in the country, buses are often
caught in traffic, making them slower and less reliable than they
should be. There have been many studies looking at new rail
options, including a downtown circulator streetcar and the Circle
Line L train, but all have stalled because of the time and money
needed to plan and implement.


For the last five years, the Chicago Transit Authority and the
Chicago Department of Transportation have been planning Bus Rapid
Transit in the city. The first new type of transit service since
trolley bus service opened in 1930, the Jeffery Jump, is paving
the way for Bus Rapid Transit in the Loop and along Western and
Ashland Avenues. Christopher Ziemann, Chicago's BRT Project
Manager, will discuss the unique approach that Chicago is using
to advance BRT economically, politically, and technically.