Nearly 30 Routes to Change Garages in Spring Pick
- By Kevin Zolkiewicz
A total of 28 bus routes will see their garage assignments change in the upcoming spring pick, scheduled to go into effect on March 23, 2008. Many routes will change garages completely, while others will now be shared among multiple garages.
Union officials were notified of the changes this week.
Among the changes include the re-assignment of several key routes. The #8 Halsted, for example, will move from 74th to Kedzie. The #29 State will move from 77th to 103rd while the #47 47th Street will move from Archer to 74th.
Also included in the changes are the re-assignment of all University of Chicago routes, numbered 170 through 174, from 103rd to Archer.
View a full list of the route assignment changes.
Along with the route changes, the bus fleet will continue to play “musical chairs” as new vehicles arrive and efforts to improve maintenance result in fleet consolidation at some garages.
Within the last month, 74th became a 6000s-only garage, sending its 4400s to 77th and 103rd while taking all 6000s from 103rd along with a few from Forest Glen. A swap of 1000s and 6400s has also been in place between Archer and Chicago, with Archer sending all 1000s to Chicago in exchange for Chicago’s 6400s.
Fleet moves scheduled by the start of the spring pick include consolidation of 500s at Archer and Forest Glen along with the retirement or transfer of Kedzie’s remaining 5300s.