What’s up with that? The all-CTA edition

Q:Why don’t we have transit-card vending machines that accept debit and credit cards?

Q:How often do the trains and buses get cleaned, and how?

Q:Why even have elevated trains in a city that’s so cold for so much of the year?

Q:Why is it that only U.S. Cellular customers have phone service underground? Isn’t that some sort of monopoly?

Q:Why does the northbound 9 Ashland bus stop at Irving Park Road? There’s a lot of shland left.

Q:Are trains always going in the opposite direction of rush-hour traffic? Or is that just us?

Q:How do buses get backed up and end up arriving bumper-to-bumper?

Q:Are there bathrooms in CTA stations? When do the train operators pee?

Q:How come when I swipe my card and then hand it to a friend to use (a “passback”), I sometimes get charged $10 on my credit card?

Q:What ever happened to bus transfer tickets?

Q:Is there any rhyme or reason behind the numbering of the buses?

Photo: Nivole Radja

Q: Why don’t we have transit-card vending machines that accept debit and credit cards?

A: The CTA says it is “working on a project” that will allow customers to use credit/debit cards at CTA rail stations, but it hasn’t released a timeline. We’re not holding our breath. If you haven’t converted to the Chicago Card Plus and you don’t want to use cash to buy a CTA card, use your debit or credit card at the CTA’s main office (567 W Lake St), at select Jewel and Dominick’s stores, or by calling 888-YOUR-CTA or visiting www.transitchicago.com.—Liz Plosser

Q:  How often do the trains and buses get cleaned, and how?

A: The signs of a filthy El car are hard to miss: discarded newspapers with half-completed Sudoku puzzles; empty coffee cups knocking around; seats covered with a substance straddling the line between liquid and solid. The CTA’s 2006 third-quarter stats, however, note that all buses and railcars are cleaned daily. “There’s a group of people that sweep, another that wipes the bars with a stainless-steel cleaner and a group that mops the floors, seats and ceiling,” says Rick Harris, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, which represents the CTA’s rail-related employees. Buses and trains get major cleaning roughly every 19 days, Harris says, but he says the CTA is understaffed to handle its cleaning needs: “The growth in ridership, the tremendous amount of places to buy food in stations, the downsizing of the cleaning staff—these have made cleaning more difficult.”—Steve Heisler

Photo: Nivole Radja

Q: Why even have elevated trains in a city that’s so cold for so much of the year?

A: Chicago’s been trying to get rid of elevated trains almost since they were built in the 1890s. Plans to replace El lines with subways include the 1939 Comprehensive Subway Plan, the 1958 New Horizons Plan, the 1962 CTA Plan and, most notable because it was nearly successful, the 1968 Transit Planning Study. Alas, the ever-present lack of funds crushed every push to take it underground. The above-ground approach came under scrutiny in 1977 when four train cars plummeted to a Loop street, killing 11 passengers and injuring 183. If history is any indicator, we’re stuck with our love-hate relationship and our bumpy ride in the sky.—Liz Plosser

Q: Why is it that only U.S. Cellular customers have phone service underground? Isn’t that some sort of monopoly?

A: The CTA couldn’t find a company to invest in an underground communications infrastructure, but it needed to upgrade its communications with fiber-optic technology for emergency use (an $11.2 million project) anyway. Voilà: a potential source of revenue! The CTA invited all wireless-service providers to bid on access to the underground antenna infrastructure in the subways. Initially, only U.S. Cellular responded, paying $2.9 million for a ten-year lease. In August 2006, it launched service in the tunnels of the Blue and Red Lines. CTA spokeswoman Ibis Antongiorgi says that “other wireless-service providers have expressed interest in providing service to their customers in the CTA subways, and CTA is working with them” (Sprint and Verizon Wireless users with compatible phones can make 911 calls in the tunnel system), but nothing has been announced yet. In Washington, D.C., the entire system was auctioned off to Verizon, leaving noncompatible cell users out in the cold. On the other hand, Tokyo’s underground transit has had cell coverage for years.—John Dugan

Q: Why does the northbound 9 Ashland bus stop at Irving Park Road? There’s a lot of shland left.

A: “The 22 Clark travels along Clark Street on a path that is nearly the same path the Ashland buses would take,” CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor says. “Ending the Ashland routes at Irving Park avoids the duplication of service.” So there’s your answer: because the 22 Clark is so close. —Liz Plosser

Q: Are trains always going in the opposite direction of rush-hour traffic? Or is that just us?

A: We often find ourselves waiting to take the Brown Line to the Loop on a weekday morning, only to see a couple of trains on the other side zoom by on their way to…Kimball. It’s not a conspiracy or an illogical balance of trains, insists Taylor. It’s just lousy timing. “The perception of more trains traveling in the opposite direction could depend on the time of the customer’s arrival at the station and the scheduled times of the trains,” she says. Trains go from one end of the line to the other and then back. So if you arrive during the interval between trains, it may appear that the other trains are arriving more frequently. We suggest a little trip planning to get you to the platform before your train does. Study the train times online (www.transitchicago.com/maps/schedules.html) and plan accordingly.—Kevin Aeh

Photo: Nivole Radja

Q: How do buses get backed up and end up arriving bumper-to-bumper?

A: “You are referring to bus bunching,” Taylor says. According to her, it’s caused by traffic congestion, weather conditions, longer boarding times and emergencies. The agency is trying to prevent said bunchings: In August, it launched the Bus Tracker pilot program, which uses GPS technology to identify bus locations and provides news to customers through www.ctabustracker.com and a bus-shelter display. Alas, it is only a test, and the CTA hasn’t yet said whether they’re going to pursue this plan. The system is being tested on buses along the 20 Madison route and one shelter—at Madison and Jefferson Streets, where an LED display gives information on the arrival time of the next bus. Also, more than 25 percent of the fleet has been overhauled, making for more reliable arrivals. And finally, the CTA is starting a pilot program that would enable buses to travel more quickly through traffic signals. Indeed, we could see an end to bus bunching in our lifetime.—Kevin Aeh

Q: Are there bathrooms in CTA stations? When do the train operators pee?

A: While technically every dark nook and unoccupied cranny on the CTA could be (and, sadly, often is) a bathroom, public restrooms in CTA stations are long gone. According to the website Chicago-L.org, a virtual tome of El history, stations had public restrooms up until the early 1950s. Alas, these proved too resource-hungry to maintain. Later, in the ’70s, these water closets were restricted to employee use only, which is how they function in today’s CTA. As for the train operators, they typically have to wait until their route is complete to enjoy sweet, sweet relief. But when nature’s call cannot wait, the operators duck out quickly at a station while the train sits until their speedy return.—Steve Heisler

Photo: Nivole Radja

Q: How come when I swipe my card and then hand it to a friend to use (a “passback”), I sometimes get charged $10 on my credit card?

A: If you use the Chicago Card Plus, which is linked to a personal credit card for payments, the CTA allows you to swipe yourself, plus up to six others, into train stations and buses. Depending on which transit plan you are on (either pay-as-you-go or a 30-day pass), the CTA bills these “passbacks” differently. For those who pay-as-they-go, the charges for added riders are deducted from their balance (in $1.75 increments, the price of a ride with a Chicago Card Plus). Cardholders on  the 30-day plan ($75 a month for unlimited rides and transfers) can also pass their cards back, but the charges that appear on their credit card bill can be confusing. Swiping in the first two additional riders will result in the credit card being billed $1.75 twice. But if they pass their card to three or more people at one time, their credit card will be billed for the fares, plus $10. This is not a fee or a glitch, but rather a small cushion that can be used for additional passbacks for the remainder of the month. If it’s unused, the balance is applied toward the cardholder’s monthly $75 fee; if it’s exhausted, their credit card gets another $10 slap.—Steve Heisler

Q: What ever happened to bus transfer tickets?

A: From 1997 until 2006, the CTA allowed riders to buy a transfer ticket (originally a newsprint strip, later a paper card with a magnetic stripe) for two additional rides anywhere, in any direction, within two hours. It was a golden age for running quick errands for a few extra nickels. In January 2006, the CTA increased the incentive for riders to switch to either the flexible-plastic Transit Card or the “smart” touch-and-go Chicago Card by raising the fare for those paying in cash to $2 (no transfers), simultaneously eliminating transfer tickets (and the ability to pass them along to freeloading riders). For those paying cash, the cost of a three-legged trip jumped from $2 to $6. Users of the Chicago Card (launched in 2003 and followed by the credit card–linkable Chicago Card Plus in 2004) pay $1.75 per trip, with the option of paying an additional 25-cent transfer charge for two reentries within two hours. —John Dugan

Photo: Nivole Radja

Q: Is there any rhyme or reason behind the numbering of the buses?

A: Yes, according to CTA “superfan” Bill Vandervoort, who runs a geeked-out CTA website (www.hometown.aol.com/ctapacefan/maincta.html). It can be somewhat confusing—stay with us, now: Numbers 1 to 23 are the original routes, which were designated in 1908; 24 to 54 are north-south routes; 55 to 62 are routes operating on diagonal streets; and  65 to 81 are east–west routes on the North Side. Still with us? Good, because here are some more numbers: Buses 100 to 119 travel along South Side–numbered streets and 200 to 206 are Evanston (Pace) routes, which were created in 1973. Some of the newest route numbers include 170 to 173, which are the University of Chicago routes that were introduced seven years ago. Vandervoort says that various route changes spoiled the scheme throughout the years, but it’s still mostly intact.—Kevin Aeh

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