The Chicago Transit Authority today unveiled a plan to increase service on its busiest bus and rail routes while discontinuing 12 “duplicative and low-ridership” routes and making changes to others.

Citing recent increases in ridership, the CTA would add $16 million in additional service to 48 bus routes and its six busiest rail lines. The funding would come from an equal cut in bus service on other routes.

The following eight routes are proposed for discontinuation due to low ridership:

• X28 Stony Island Express (send #28 downtown during peak instead)

• 64 Foster-Canfield (Alternative #90 and Pace #209)

• 69 Cumberland/East River (reroute #81W)

• 122 Ill. Center/Ogilvie Express (extend #120 into Streeterville)

• 123 Ill. Center/Union Express (extend #121 into Streeterville)

• 129 West Loop/South Loop (Alternative #1, #29 and Green Line)

• 144 Marine/Michigan Express (Add service to #148)

• 145 Wilson/Michigan Express (Add service to #146)

An additional four routes would be discontinued due to overlapping service provided by Pace:

• 17 Westchester (Alternative Pace #317)

• 49A South Western (Alternative Pace #349)

• 56A North Milwaukee (Alternative Pace #270)

• 90N North Harlem (Alternative Pace #423)

The agency would make changes to three other routes. Service on the #1 Indiana/Hyde Park would be discontinued south of 35th. Service on the #11 Lincoln/Sedgwick would be eliminated between Western & Fullerton, renaming the remaining segments #11 Lincoln and #37 Sedgwick. Additionally, service on the #111 Pullman/111th/115th would be split into two new routes: #111 111th/King Drive and #115 Pullman/115th.

CTA is also aiming to renegotiate subsidy agreements for several privately contracted routes. If unable to reach a new agreement, service could be eliminated on the following routes:

• 10 Museum of Science & Industry

• 33 Mag Mile Express

• X98 Avon Express

• 132 Goose Island Express

• 169 69th-UPS Express

• 170 U of C/Midway

• 171 U of C/Hyde Park

• 172 U of C/Kenwood

• 192 U of C/Hospital Express

Finally, owl service on the #N201 Central/Sherman would be eliminated between 1:00am to 5:15am. Schedule integration with Pace would be performed on the #95W West 95th.

The CTA will host a public hearing at CTA Headquarters (567 W. Lake St.) on September 4th, 2012 at 6pm. The CTA hopes to receive board approval on the changes the following week during the monthly meeting of the Chicago Transit Board. If approved, the changes would go into effect in December.