Bus Rapid Transit: Advancing Livable Cities

Keywords

bus, Bus Rapid Transit, Cities, transit, Transportation, transportation planning

Comments

1. 1. John from Chicago on September 27, 2012

   Two things:
   
   1. In 1974, Brazil was a dictatorship style of government that allowed for almost no public input and no 'all-inclusive" planning process (kinda of like the CTA and the City of Chicago!). Much of this system was built when Curitiba was a very young city, and it didn't have a lot of solid infrastructure established, which made building a system like this quite easy, because the government of Brazil at the time just gave orders, and things were done.
   
   2. Early in 2009, the CTA, in their pathetic, inefficient existence, cut nearly all express buses in Chicago, which included both the Ashland #9, and the Western Ave #51 (I think that's the number). These buses, much like the above BRT system, stopped only at major arterials (less frequently), drove at a quicker speed, and were a great way to transport passengers in a timely and efficient manor.
   
   3. How the hell do you expect to build a brand new system, with a designated lane along almost 30 miles of Western and Ashland Avenues? Where will this lane go? How will it effect the flow along these routes. Will the cost of this project really create a measurable benefit for the users? Why is this a better option than just bringing back the express buses, and ENHANCING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE!?!?? Why don't we improve the existing bus stations, so people can board quickly, and pay before they get on? Would that be so fucking difficult? Use that money to improve this embarrassing, poorly run transit system that we begrudgingly use....Oh wait, we aren't in 1970s Brazil, where a dictator ran the country, and determined everything that was built with ZERO opposition!!
   
   Why are all the do-gooder, limousine liberals in this city such a bunch of sheep? People have very short memories, and guess what? The CTA just cut a bunch of other bus routes again! Like the #11 Lincoln Bus!!And the Wilson ave express bus!!
   
   Go ahead and make complaints to the CTA. They don't give a fuck about what you say, what you complain about, or whether there's a problem. They get their government paycheck, and then go home (a little early) at 4:25 everyday, and fucking spend that money!
   
   So while our transit agencies continue to cut express buses, now we're talking about creating a whole network of express buses that will cost us more money, instead of bringing back the old system (that worked really well).
   
   The CTA is run by a bunch of unqualified employees that are just there to collect a paycheck every week. The actual work that is done at this embarrassment of a public agency is all done by consultants and contractors, because the actual employees at the CTA literally don't know shit about any of this stuff.
   
   Most of the big decision makers are too busy playing politics with elected officials to noticed how poorly their organization is being run. They don't hire people with actual experience or education to back up the job they do, rather, they hire people that will meet the hiring regulations of the Federal, State, County, Regional, Township, City, Neighborhood, district, and block government that is being strictly imposed.
   
   You see, it's not about doing things for the greater good of the public at the CTA. It's about giving people jobs that have ZERO qualifications to do that job, so that their quotas can be filled, and public funding can be received.
   
   I encourage everyone to look closer at the CTA, and you will see who actually works there, and what they ARE NOT doing for you.
   
   Same goes for pretty much any other government organization in Chicago or affiliated with Chicago.
   
   
   Sincerely,
   
   
   A former CTA employee.

2. 2. Kourtney from toxRkzIoHgYnayvre on December 9, 2012

   Gee willirkes, that's such a great post!