The Cracks in Chicago's Grand Plans for the Bus

Let's acknowledge, right from the start, that there's a lot to like about Chicago's long-awaited, much-anticipated Central Loop BRT project, which is scheduled to break ground in March. The basic skeleton is an accomplishment in its own right: nearly two miles of exclusive rapid bus lanes through one of the most traffic-choked cities in the United States. The Central Loop BRT will serve six bus routes, protect new bike lanes, connect to city rail service, and reduce travel times for about half all people moving through the corridor on wheels. Half.

Not bad for a project whose roots trace back to a humble downtown circulator bus. And the benefits don't end there. The Central Loop BRT represents the cornerstone of a three-pronged, $150 million transit investment for the downtown, along with a new bus terminal near Union Station at the west end of the loop and a remodeled 'L' station on the east. In a larger sense, the project announces the start of the city's Big Bet on Buses, with a second BRT corridor on Ashland Avenue in the works, raising the stakes from novelty to network.