Ashland Bus Rapid Transit

The Ashland Bus Rapid Transit is one of the planned bus rapid transit corridors in Chicago. The service will run on Ashland Avenue from Irving Park Road to 95th Street, a distance of approximately 17 miles.

Ashland BRT
Overview
SystemChicago Transit Authority (CTA)
StatusProposed
Route
Route typeTransitway
LocaleChicago
StartIrving Park Road
End95th Street
Length16 mi
Stations35

The route would serve various destinations including the Illinois Medical District, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Malcolm X College, and the United Center. It would also provide a connection to seven Chicago Transit Authority subway/elevated rail stations.[1]

Buses would operate using an exclusive lane in the center of the street, with bus platforms located in the median. The service would also utilize features such as transit signal priority and pre-paid fares.[2] CTA estimates that bus speeds on the Ashland BRT would be up to 83% faster than the existing local route.[3]

History

Planning and public engagement were conducted throughout 2012 and 2013.[3] The project's Environmental Assessment was released in November 2013, finding no significant impacts.[4]

The project has generated some opposition, due to concerns about impacts on automobile traffic and left-turn restrictions.[5] The CTA responded by agreeing to consider restoring some of the left turns.[6] Despite these concessions, people opposing the BRT were still not impressed, touting reduced car lanes and "high price tag" for the project.[7] The project as a whole was eventually stalled due to oppositions from motorists, especially from the Fulton Market Association.[8][9][10]

The project would advance in three phases, with the first phase running 5.5 miles from Cortland Street to 31st Street.

References
  1. BRT Chicago — Ashland Corridor BRT Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Chicago to Pursue Center-Running Bus Rapid Transit on Ashland Avenue | Streetsblog Chicago
  3. Ashland Bus Rapid Transit Project Website
  4. Study predicts no environmental impact from dedicated bus lanes down Ashland - Chicago Sun-Times
  5. Not so fast on bus rapid transit, drivers and businesses tell city - redeyechicago.com Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "New transportation boss: City may alter Ashland bus rapid transit - Chicago Sun-Times". 2014-03-06. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  7. Greenfield, John (September 3, 2013). "Deconstructing the Misleading Info in an Ashland-Western Coalition Flyer". Streetsblog Chicago. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  8. Greenfield, John (December 7, 2021). "No, concerns about equity didn't kill the Ashland BRT plan. A car-centric backlash did". Streetsblog Chicago. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  9. Murphy, Matthew (7 April 2023). "The Past and Future of Chicago Bus Rapid Transit Lives on Ashland Avenue". South Side Weekly. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  10. Rynell, Amy (26 January 2022). "Op-ed: Revitalizing Chicago's bus rapid transit system should start with Ashland Avenue". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
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