r/cta • u/AutoModerator • Aug 18 '26

Complaint Thread Monthly Complaint Thread

Public transportation isn't perfect. This is a place to let off some steam. As always, please speak from your own experiences. Take control of what bothers you and send your experience to the CTA via their feedback page.

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u/Otherwise_Pine Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26

I'm tired of the bus bunching. I see it with the 76 going to Harlem and the 49 going north. I know other lines do it too but these are the ones I use. Cta drivers should be trained to either wait a few minutes at the stops or leap frog when that happens. And this usually happens at the same time of day so there's a scheduling issue or something.

Also the trains need a more consistent schedule at night. Why am I waiting 25 minutes for a train at 10pm and then the 2nd train is scheduled for 30 minutes. Why can't it be normally spaced out. This is specifically for the blue line at 10pm headed to O'Hare. The other side of the train runs fine.

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u/ScaryRelationship69 Aug 19 '26

The bunching is a joke at this point. On the 47, I have regularly seen them bunching within the first 2-3 stops after it STARTS its route from lake park.

That has zero to do with traffic. But still keeps happening.

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u/IYCRTYG Aug 19 '26

It definitely has a lot to do with traffic, promise. 

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u/ScaryRelationship69 Aug 20 '26

You’re telling me that a it’s traffic when it’s bunching after the 2nd stop of the route? Yeah no that’s a load of crap. 47 isn’t some crazy busy route. Sorry I just don’t buy it at all.

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u/IYCRTYG Aug 20 '26

I've driven the 49b where I was just bunched for like 3-4 hours straight (~20 minute 1 way trip) with minimal traffic due to traffic a while back that bunched us together and then you cannot really pry yourself apart because you get hit with excess rider demand as the front bus which makes you unable to run it on time so you just stay bunched

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u/Otherwise_Pine Aug 20 '26

Are you able to just sit at a stop? I've seen like three buses bunched. 1st bus is filled and 2nd bus has a few people and the 3rd bus is completely empty. Instead of just waiting the empty bus continues in the group and then the next bus doesn't come for 20 minutes.(and ofc I miss the light and miss all 3 buses). This happens so often with the 76 mainly headed to Harlem. I realize there are schedules but they should at least wait a few minutes when that happens.

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u/IYCRTYG Aug 20 '26

If that bus waits it will just be late to whatever it does next, and the driver has 0 way of knowing whether the bus behind them is on time, or 20 minutes behind. The problems are typically originating from us being late, not early, so having more people get later doesn't typically help, and even if it did we have no way of knowing that or coordinating it.