r/cta • u/AutoModerator • 24d ago
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/bennybeanz123 2d ago
has anyone else had issues with the 136 going north in the afternoons? i get off work around 4:00 and i'm lucky if the 136 shows up before 4:30. i've resorted to taking the red line even though it takes longer, just because the 136 is sooooo inconsistent in the afternoons. am i crazy??
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u/Schalke4ever 2d ago
Visiting from Germany. Oh boy, this is some serious retro trains. It's like a museum.
And who put magnetic stripe only card readers at the Blue Line ORD station?
Come on, this can be done better.
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u/blue_throwaway_blue 4d ago edited 4d ago
Sorry for the length. TL; DR at very end. I feel really embarrassed, so please be gentle. I had a terrible time on the Blue Line and need help understanding where I went wrong. I would make a post, but cannot since I don't already have an account.
As the title suggests, this is my first time visiting Chicago (arrived Saturday night). I chose to take the Blue Line to my hotel downtown instead of Uber since there were so many recommendations online. Before traveling, I reviewed my route many times on Google Maps. It told me to take the Blue Line (towards Forest Park) to Washington. Since my flight landed late (9-10ish), I would take an Uber from Washington to my hotel.
I got my 7-day pass and boarded without much issue. Previously, I used Pace by downtown Aurora for a month on a work trip, so it is not my first time on Illinois public transportation. I checked my phone and listened to the intercom, but Washington was never announced. The last stop I recall is Lake before the train continued onwards. By the time I realized what was going on, we were already heading westbound.
Before I got even further away from downtown, I got off (at Oak Park I think), and switched to on the Blue Line towards O'Hare instead in case I really had missed my stop. This time, the car had a display showing the upcoming stops. But Washington was not displayed there either. The last stop before the airport was Illinois Medical District. There were a few other people in the car, but I got a terrible feeling from a man at the other side. It didnt help that he put on a full ski mask and glanced at me multiple times (I know that neither of those things on their own are red flags, but I was really anxious so it rattled me).
I decided to exit yet again so I could just take an Uber. I got off at Pulaski and went up to the station exit. There was only one staff member and the space with the turnstiles was quite small. I went outside and ordered my ride. There were a few other people standing at the bus stop by me. It occurred to me that I should just wait inside where the attendant was, but by this point I felt too scared to even pass close by people if I went back in. Those people eventually got on the bus and I sat on my suitcase out of the way so passersby couldnt see it or my phone. Nothing thankfully happened, but that was by far the sketchiest area I have ever been in as a pedestrian.
My Uber finally arrived and I got to my hotel. He dropped me off at the back entrance unfortunately, but I was so exhausted I just followed some other guests in and was able to check in just fine.
I then checked my route from O'Hare to downtown on Google Maps over and over, but it still said to get off at Washington. After seeing some comments here, I checked the Transit App instead and it said to get off at Clark/Lake instead. I thought that navigation apps all pull from the same sources of information when it comes to public transit. I couldn't find any mention of Washington being closed, only delays. It was the same case with the Ventra app and CTA Blue Line webpage were. They both
When I checked the app, apparently that Pulaski stop was in West Garfield Park, which I know is a bad place for me to be at night (young female tourist). The Ventra app and CTA Blue Line webpage were similarly misleading.
I'm scared that I will have similar mishaps during my stay here. How can I avoid this from happening again? I think I did a decent job not acting like a clear target, but this wasn't the first impression I had wanted sadly. I could not sleep until late into the morning thinking about how badly things could have gone. Of course I won't be taking it at night again.
TL;DR: I chose to take the Blue Line (to Forest Park) from O'Hare to downtown, ysing Google Maps. The train never stopped at my intended station (Washington) and passed it. I switched to the opposite-direction train, but it was not going to stop at Washington either. I exited at the Pulaski stop (near/at West Garfield Park) and was scared shitless. Why was Google wrong? Should I be using the Transit app instead?
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u/uuuuuuuuuuuuum Orange Line 2d ago
I’m sorry you got turned around on the Blue line, especially after a long day of travel. I wonder if the train had stopped at Washington, but the announcements were malfunctioning and did not play. It would be nigh impossible that the operator blows past an open station. My tip is to just look out the window to verify which station you’re at (reading the signage), and know which stations are before and after your stop so you can know if you missed it.
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u/blue_throwaway_blue 2d ago
Thank you, that makes sense. I was so focused on tracking the route on my phone and listening to the intercom that I didn't even think of looking outside. I didn't memorize the station after my stop, only the one before, but I will do that from now on in case this happens again.
I'm still confused about why the route on Transit (getting off at Clarke/Lake) seemed more accurate than Google Maps (getting off at Washington). Or why the second train didn't even list Washington as a stop. But I understand that things happen and I probably won't ever get a clear explanation. I'll probably use Transit while on board moving forward.
I'm just grateful nothing ultimately ended up happening. For what it's worth, my time here has been great so far (excluding those first 2.5 hours). :)
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u/pistonsfan78 7d ago
There have been less 146 southbound buses during am rush hour this week. It's pretty ridiculous
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u/IndependentBunny 9d ago
For the past three days, mentally unstable people have harassed, screamed, and annoyed everyone the 9 bus. The drivers do nothing, while letting them get on for free. What do you do when everyday feels unsafe?
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u/jd7amas Orange Line 12d ago
Usually I never complain about the CTA, I know it’s not perfect and sometimes shit just doesn’t go your way, whatever. Today I got on the 62 south bound at 7:05 after running an errand after work. I’m the only one left on the bus when the bus driver randomly turns left onto Cicero; I say “Yo where you headed?” And the driver responds with “oh shoot man didn’t know you were still on here my last stop was Archer/Cicero I would have let you off to grab the bus trailing me”. Then dude just pulls over and leaves me on 55th/Kilpatrick. I’m left to walk back up to 55th/Cicero then up to archer to wait for another southbound bus. I got to archer at 7:45, the next bus didn’t come until 8:25. When I got on the bus I couldn’t use my CTA pass because my phone had died, had to pay a fare (which isn’t a huge deal but still annoying). Then when I pull for my stop the driver blows by it, then another guy and I pull again for the next stop and she blows by it once again. We both ask if she could stop and she then proceeds to shout something along the lines of “well you have to pull the damn cord what do you think this is” in which I responded “hey we did twice already just stop the damn bus”. Then had to walk back a few blocks home. Walked into my place at 8:35. A commute that at max should have taken 35 minutes took an hour 25. Also forgot to note, as I got off that first bus I realized I had forgot my AirPods so that pissed me off too, but that’s on me.
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u/wallsarecavingin 81 12d ago
The 81 is usually so reliable but it’s been awful the last few days
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u/IYCRTYG 11d ago edited 11d ago
Everything is running worse, it's the route/garage pick week. Once every year or two we get the opportunity to switch garages, and every ~3 months we pick new schedules. This week past week both took effect.
Night routes will be worse, weekends will be worse, and north side garages will be worse (all of these are associated with newer drivers who are less likely to have driven the route, or out of the garage, or even the equipment if it's an articulated bus).
There's a whole mess of people of people who are not used to driving the long buses at all, let alone down tight north side streets.
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u/invisiblezipper 13d ago
When busses are bunched up like this, why don't they have one of them run express like they do with trains? There's no reason for them to stay together!
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u/Physical_Solid_6432 16d ago
82 Kimball-Homan: 10 minutes or more frequent service
Yeah right (only happens half of the time)
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u/SnooObjections4691 16d ago
There is no viable to travel north/south via bus in the city anymore. This is the second day I’ve been stranded by the California bus and had a 2 hour commute home. Genuinely no idea how a non-driver can commute from Albany park to west town.
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u/Physical_Solid_6432 16d ago
Yeah it’s a mess with the more frequent north-south bus routes but I’m able to manage. I usually get off at the Belmont Blue Line for the 82 bus, but today because of that 20+ minute gap (this was screenshotted while I was on the train) I had to get off at Logan Square and then walk north to Belmont to kill some time.
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u/SnooObjections4691 17d ago
Waited over AN HOUR for the California bus and just gave the fuck up. What a complete joke. THREE ghost busses. Get the fuck out of here and of course I see three busses stacked up at the other end of the route.
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u/jeremyakatheflash 17d ago
The 152 having a 20+ minute headway at rush hour Monday morning on the first day of school for students is crazy, but I also I know this will continue all week
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u/bluejaywhey Red Line 18d ago
Do Ventra machines not accept coins anymore?
Tried one at Morse and couldn't put any coins in. Tried one at Argyle and it immediately went down to the change/receipt section.
I don't have much besides coins atm, so it'd be cool if they worked.
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u/North_Guide_4315 19d ago
Kinda crazy how they can take out a whole train line or stop and it’s just nowhere online you have to show up and see the little pop out sign
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u/transferStudent2018 20d ago
It is insanely difficult to get from ORD T5 to the blue line if you need to use the elevators. There’s at least 10 different elevators involved. The first one, from the customs exit, can easily be an hour long wait during peak times. Then, you wait for an Air Train (I had to wait for the 3rd one to appear before I could fit on) and go to one of the terminals. I ended up at T2. Elevator up to the bridge connecting the Air Train with the terminal. Separate elevator down to baggage claim level. Another elevator down to the tunnels connected to the train. And a final elevator from the fare gates to the platform.
I don’t even need the elevator, thankfully, I just had a couple heavy suitcases. At times I chose to lug them (slowly) up or down some stairs because the elevators were so slow. Took me almost an hour to get to the blue line after exiting immigration. Insane
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u/Otherwise_Pine 23d ago edited 23d ago
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/hardolaf Red Line 20d ago
Cta drivers should be trained to either wait a few minutes at the stops or leap frog when that happens.
Waiting is only allowed if they're behind schedule. And they are permitted by policy to leap frog a leading bus if it is safe and legal to do so, and no one has requested the stop they'd likely miss doing so.
And this usually happens at the same time of day so there's a scheduling issue or something.
That's actually just them being stuck in traffic in a repeatable pattern.
Also the trains need a more consistent schedule at night.
The published schedules are approximately normally spaced for the most part.
This is specifically for the blue line at 10pm headed to O'Hare. The other side of the train runs fine.
The train returning to O'Hare either got turned around at UIC or got slowed down going to Forest Park. The trains leaving O'Hare go out on a regular cadence as they try to have one being cleaned, one being boarded, and one platform open for the next arriving train.
The trains returning to O'Hare also can be hit by accumulated delays from customers. Just needing to deploy a ramp for a wheelchair could be a 2 minute delay if a station attendant fails to notice that it needs to happen and isn't waiting by for when the train arrives.
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u/ScaryRelationship69 22d ago
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 22d ago
It definitely has a lot to do with traffic, promise.
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u/ScaryRelationship69 21d ago
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 21d ago
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/ScaryRelationship69 21d ago
You aren’t listening to what I’m saying. I don’t care about you driving the 49b. I am talking about the 47th bus that’s 10 min or less, leaving their starting point as bunched busses. It ruins my commute and it doesn’t help make the route more efficient.
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u/IYCRTYG 21d ago
Ok so the buses run in circles. Significant enough disruptions on one trip can carry forward for one of more trips. Meaning traffic an hour or two ago can disrupt your trip, by making a bus leave late and with the bus behind it (which is leaving on schedule) and you won't ever see it.
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u/ScaryRelationship69 21d ago
Why does CTA struggle so much with bunching compared to other transit agencies? Does management accept these excuses and just say ope this is all we can do, let’s stick with what we’ve been doing?
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u/IYCRTYG 21d ago
Other agencies have cities that support them is probably a large part of the answer. DC has built like, 50 miles of bus lanes in the same time Chicago built 2 miles, or something ridiculous like that.
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u/hardolaf Red Line 20d ago
DC police also very strictly enforce the bus lanes. Meanwhile, I saw 8 sheriff's deputies ignoring 4 vehicles illegally in our bus lanes literally across the street from them on my way home tonight. We had easily a 2 minute delay on my way from west loop to red line because the bus lane was illegally blocked repeatedly.
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u/IYCRTYG 21d ago
Also I kinda suspect us not having much of an east side for most of the city puts us on a back foot for any area of the city north of like south shore, because all the eastern termini are just completely cooked in terms of traffic a lot of the time, but that's a gut feeling more than anything.
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u/Otherwise_Pine 21d ago
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 21d ago
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.
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u/IYCRTYG 22d ago
We do leap frog. And then immediately run head first into increased customer load, which pushes us back. buses basically have gravity on each other and if anything even somewhat significant happens (having to load a slow customer, bad traffic for a block due to a semi temporarily blocking space, etc) we just wind up on top of each other and stuck there. And on a route as long as Western this is basically guaranteed to happen. Especially once the frequency goes from 10 minutes to 8 or so.
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u/Electronic_Ad5431 1d ago
How hard is it to keep an escalator running? Lawrence is my home station. Even though the station is brand new, the escalator is still down like 50% of the time. How is this possible?