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The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) present the City’s first comprehensive framework plan to improve street infrastructure for public bus service: the Better Streets for Buses Plan.
This plan lays the groundwork for ongoing bus infrastructure improvements by establishing a network of corridors to prioritize, and a toolbox of street treatments to consider as solutions. The Better Streets for Buses Plan does not assign specific street treatments to corridors, but feedback gathered through the outreach process will help guide future bus priority improvements citywide.
Plan Goals
Establisha citywide framework that guides how CTA and CDOT utilize infrastructure to achieve faster and more reliable bus service, improved access to bus stops, and better bus stops.
Prioritize bus performance and access to transit for people and in places with the highest needs.
Improve the bus experience for current riders and make it more attractive to prospective riders.
Definitions
Bus Priority: An umbrella term for the variety of street treatments that gives an increased degree of priority to bus riders and buses in order to improve travel time, reliability, and/or comfort.
Street Treatment: Enhancements to streets, sidewalks, signals, or other public infrastructure. Examples of bus priority street treatments include expanded sidewalk space for bus riders waiting at a stop, a dedicated bus lane to keep buses separate from traffic delays, or a traffic signal that gives buses a head start at an intersection.
Bus Corridor: A street or related set of streets that are used by one or more related CTA bus routes.
Plan Process
CTA and CDOT recognize that the success of the Better Streets for Buses Plan rests upon broad community support. The agencies initially connected with community organizations, including the Transportation Equity Network (TEN), and stakeholders across the City to get feedback and advice on how best to reach individuals from communities they help represent. A proposed set of bus corridors to be included in the Better Streets for Buses Network, and a proposed set of bus priority street treatments to be included in the toolbox were developed for stakeholder and public feedback.
The main public engagement period was held Spring - Summer 2022. Following this, the project team reviewed and synthesized the comments received, and convened meetings with key advocates and community stakeholders to discuss the feedback that had been received and how best to incorporate it to shape a final Better Streets for Buses Plan.
Guiding Values
Equity: Leverage our transportation infrastructure to address systemic and historic injustices.
Safety: Support freedom from personal harm when traveling.
Accessibility & Comfort: Design transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities.
Sustainability: Reduce the burden on the environment from transportation.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) present the City’s first comprehensive framework plan to improve street infrastructure for public bus service: the Better Streets for Buses Plan.
This plan lays the groundwork for ongoing bus infrastructure improvements by establishing a network of corridors to prioritize, and a toolbox of street treatments to consider as solutions. The Better Streets for Buses Plan does not assign specific street treatments to corridors, but feedback gathered through the outreach process will help guide future bus priority improvements citywide.
Plan Goals
Establisha citywide framework that guides how CTA and CDOT utilize infrastructure to achieve faster and more reliable bus service, improved access to bus stops, and better bus stops.
Prioritize bus performance and access to transit for people and in places with the highest needs.
Improve the bus experience for current riders and make it more attractive to prospective riders.
Definitions
Bus Priority: An umbrella term for the variety of street treatments that gives an increased degree of priority to bus riders and buses in order to improve travel time, reliability, and/or comfort.
Street Treatment: Enhancements to streets, sidewalks, signals, or other public infrastructure. Examples of bus priority street treatments include expanded sidewalk space for bus riders waiting at a stop, a dedicated bus lane to keep buses separate from traffic delays, or a traffic signal that gives buses a head start at an intersection.
Bus Corridor: A street or related set of streets that are used by one or more related CTA bus routes.
Plan Process
CTA and CDOT recognize that the success of the Better Streets for Buses Plan rests upon broad community support. The agencies initially connected with community organizations, including the Transportation Equity Network (TEN), and stakeholders across the City to get feedback and advice on how best to reach individuals from communities they help represent. A proposed set of bus corridors to be included in the Better Streets for Buses Network, and a proposed set of bus priority street treatments to be included in the toolbox were developed for stakeholder and public feedback.
The main public engagement period was held Spring - Summer 2022. Following this, the project team reviewed and synthesized the comments received, and convened meetings with key advocates and community stakeholders to discuss the feedback that had been received and how best to incorporate it to shape a final Better Streets for Buses Plan.
Guiding Values
Equity: Leverage our transportation infrastructure to address systemic and historic injustices.
Safety: Support freedom from personal harm when traveling.
Accessibility & Comfort: Design transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities.
Sustainability: Reduce the burden on the environment from transportation.
