Some Chicagoans could soon see an improvement in their commute times. The Chicago Tribune reports that a plan to double the 3-mph speed of CTA buses traveling though downtown by adding bus-only lanes will be set into action in two weeks:
The roughly 2-mile bus rapid transit area will serve Washington, Madison, Clinton and Canal streets and will debut late this year, when the bulk of the $31.8 million construction project is completed, Chicago Department of Transportation officials said.
In addition to the bus lanes, the city will add rapid-transit style boarding stations at stops in the Loop. Construction of the plan, called Loop Link, will last about 18 months, and will likely be inconvenient for those traveling downtown over the next year-plus. City officials are hopeful that positive results upon completion will provide immediate relief from commuter frustration.
“This is about modernizing the overall experience of these downtown corridors to accommodate more people and move them more quickly,” Chicago Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld told the Tribune. “We are cutting right at the heart of congestion that has plagued the Loop for decades.”
Jenn Stanley is a freelance journalist, essayist and independent producer living in Chicago. She has an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
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