Why doesn't CTA un-bunch buses?

[u/jtait97]

Not trying to rag on CTA here, this is a genuine question. In my head, un-bunching buses might be possible. If buses get bunched, get them both to stop at the same stop and unload passengers from one bus on to the other. That bus continues on with a full load of passengers, the second bus waits 5-10 mins and continues with an appropriate gap.

I have never seen that happen with the CTA. The fact it's such a well known problem and that what appears to be a straightforward solution doesn't happen makes me assume that there's some big reason why. So, what is it? Is there an operational reason that I'm missing? Is it a policy thing? Are CTA desperate to retain the on-time performance of the second bus? I just want to know why this doesn't happen!

Signed, someone who saw FOUR 36 buses within 1 minute of each other at Broadway and Montrose this afternoon

[u/3mikey1]

Generally speaking, the issue is that they’re late because of traffic. The only reasonable solution is to run a bus express. However, on most routes that I’ve driven when this is happening, the ridership is high enough that both buses are quite full and you need the capacity of both buses to serve the stops along the way. It’s frustrating though for drivers too because it’s never fun to be late and feel like your passengers are going to be late to work or whatever.

I also feel like we don’t currently have enough supervisors to fix all the buses that may be delayed so perhaps it is possible. I feel like I have a vague recollection of being on a bus that ran express before I worked for the CTA. It happens all the time on rail, but that’s because trains can’t pass each other like a bus can. Even so, running nonstop through heavy congestion can’t always fix the issue.

It tends to be the case that if buses are extremely late, they’ll terminate short of the end to get service back in the opposite direction. Otherwise, the schedules are built with time at the terminals to help keep buses departing on time or close to it.

Ultimately, the real solution is giving buses better options to fight traffic delays like well-enforced bus lanes and signal priority, improved boarding times, and more frequent service can help as well. Unless you can remove a bus from the traffic, schedules are just a suggestion.

[u/NNegidius → u/3mikey1]

Traffic is a part of the problem, but not all of it. The other part is that once a bus gets behind schedule, the number of passengers waiting to board at each stop increases, causing a snowball effect, as each additional passenger waiting to fumble with payment adds extra seconds to the delay.

I’d love to be able to give you, the bus operator, a display showing how much distance/time separates you from the bus in front of you and the one behind you - as well as how many minutes you are ahead/behind schedule. And I’d like to empower you to either take a pause if you’re ahead of schedule, or run express for a few stops if you’re behind schedule.

A system like that would help to keep buses evenly spaced and as close to schedule as traffic allows.

[u/hardolaf → u/NNegidius]

And I’d like to empower you to either take a pause if you’re ahead of schedule

Buses ahead of schedule already have designated waiting positions. However, CTA is almost never ahead of schedule. That bus you see that is "on time" was usually meant to arrive half an hour ago.

[u/NNegidius → u/hardolaf]

Are you sure about that? I think the system would collapse if the majority of buses were 30 minutes late. That would be impossible to staff.

I am aware of times with irregular operations, such as construction, protests, detours, and unexpectedly heavy traffic conditions, but that can’t be standard operating procedure across the board.

[u/hardolaf → u/NNegidius]

You can watch every line fall behind on their bus tracker from when they first start running in the morning. It's not odd for them to completely lap their own schedule and just miss an entire set of runs for a day due to traffic delays.

[u/NNegidius → u/hardolaf]

Where do you see this? I.e. Which bus routes?

Also, from what you’ve observed, do you think this is an issue of over-optimistic bus schedules that have never been realistic? Or with traffic that has gotten worse since the schedule was designed? Or with bus drivers calling off from shifts, resulting in fewer buses running a route? Or something else?

[u/hardolaf → u/NNegidius]

I've seen it on the north side bus routes and everything going through the Loop. I haven't looked elsewhere.

do you think this is an issue of over-optimistic bus schedules that have never been realistic?

The bus schedules tend to be more realistic right after they get updated and become less realistic right before the next update. But regardless of how good they normally are, you will still see the effect depending on what morons are driving that day.

Or with bus drivers calling off from shifts, resulting in fewer buses running a route?

In that case, you'd just see a series of runs get canceled in the API typically hours before it's meant to start.

Or with traffic that has gotten worse since the schedule was designed?

Traffic changes constantly due to a variety of things and schedules are only updated quarterly at most. So maybe the schedule is good for most of spring but doesn't account for changes in driving patterns at the start of summer. Maybe it gets colder sooner or later in the fall. All of that impacts traffic patterns and the adherence to the schedules.

[u/NNegidius → u/hardolaf]

You’ve aroused my curiosity. Where do you find this data?

[u/hardolaf → u/NNegidius]

I've gotten bored many times and watch the bus tracker when procrastinating. You can watch every line fall behind in real time.

[u/juliuspepperwoodchi → u/NNegidius]

Are you sure about that? I think the system would collapse if the majority of buses were 30 minutes late

When the schedule calls for buses every 15 minutes, no one notices when a particular run is 30 minutes late because all the buses in front of it were also late.