This document provides an overview of the Loop Link Bus Rapid Transit project in Chicago. It discusses what BRT is and examples from other cities. The Loop Link will create dedicated bus lanes on 5 streets in downtown Chicago and include stations, traffic signal priority, and pre-board fare collection. It will improve travel for 6 bus routes serving 30,000 passengers daily. The presentation covers the project design, construction challenges, and how it will create complete streets that better accommodate buses, bikes, and pedestrians.

1. October 19, 2016

2. Outline
BRT ‐ General
Loop Link ‐ General
Complete Street
Loop Link – Design Element

3. What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
 Reliability of rail transit with flexibility
and cost‐effectiveness of bus transit
 Improves speed and passenger comfort
 Exclusive bus lane
 Traffic Signal Priority (TSP)
 Limited stops
 Enhanced stations
 Real time bus arrival signs
 Pre‐board fare collection
 Bus floor level‐boarding
 High capacity boarding and drop‐off

4. Bus Rapid Transit – other cities
TransMilenio – Bogata, Columbia RIT – Curitiba, Brazil
Transmetro – Guatemala City, Guatemala Healthline – Cleveland, OH

5. Dedicated Bus Lanes in Chicago
5
Washington Boulevard, 1939 Jeffery Boulevard, 2012

6.  Dedicated bus lane on Washington, Madison, Clinton
and Canal
 Bicycle travel across the Loop will be improved on
• Washington (Eastbound)
• Randolph (Westbound)
• Clinton (Northbound and Southbound)
 Traffic signals for buses (Queue Jump)
 Traffic signals for bike lanes
 Six bus routes will use the Loop Link
 8 platforms (4 on Washington and 4 on Madison)
 Investigating pre-paid boarding for Madison/Dearborn
platform
 Resurfacing all affected streets
6
Loop Link – Main Features

7. Design and Construction Challenges
3.5 miles (5 streets) in downtown
New concept
Utilities under platforms
Schedule
Balancing all the competing interests
Extensive outreach to stakeholders
during design and construction

8. Franklin
LaSalle
Clark
Dearborn
Wabash
Washington
Madison
State
Loop Link Corridors & Station Locations
Canal
Clinton
Randolph

9. Bus Routes
9
 6 CTA Bus Routes
• J14 Jeffery Jump
• 20 Madison
• 56 Milwaukee
• 60 Blue Island/26th
• 157 Streeterville/Taylor
• 124 Navy Pier
 1,000 buses daily
 Serving nearly 30,000
customers per day

10. Loop Link Features ‐ Washington

12. Loop Link Features ‐ Madison

14. Bus # 124 Branded Metra‐Navy Pier Circulator Route
14
Clinton St.
Canal St.
Jackson Blvd.
Washington St.
Madison St.

15. MAX BRT – Las Vegas, NV

17. Complete Street Design

18. Complete Street Design

19. Complete Street Design

20. Complete Street Design

21. Complete Street Design

22. Chicago Complete Streets
 Policy adopted in 2006
 Guidelines released in 2013
 Balance the use of
Chicago’s streets to make
them more “complete”
 Pedestrian‐first modal
hierarchy

23. The Ultimate Complete Street

24. Construction

25. Construction

26. Construction

27. Construction

28. Design Elements

29. video of buses pulling into the station

30. Traffic Stats
30
Vehicles per day Pedestrians per day
Washington 14,000 27,000
Madison 11,000 16,000
Canal 11,000 5,000
Clinton 4,000 5,000

31. Traffic Stats
31
 Cars & Trucks: 64 % of all traffic,
but carrying only 37% of total trips
 Taxis: 28% of all traffic, but carrying
only 14% of total trips
 Buses: 4% of all traffic, but carrying
47% of total trips
One bus can do the work of as
many as 60 cars

32. Loop Link Stations
 Simultaneous boarding of two
60’ articulated buses
 Transparent to maintain
sightlines of adjacent buildings
and businesses
 Bus arrival displays with audio
annunciation
 Snowmelt system
 Surveillance cameras

33. Station Layout
Beneath 90’ Canopy
Both Doors of 1st Bus
Front Door of 2nd Bus
Ramps up to Elevated Platform
Platform Length = 5 at 153’, 3 at 137’
Primary Entrance off Intersection Crosswalk
Auxiliary Entrance at Mid‐Block (Speed Table for Bike Lane Crossing)

34. Canopy Design

35. Canopy Design

37. Wayfinding and Customer Information

38. Prepaid Fare Payment

39. Roadway Improvements
 Separation of Conflicts
 Dedicated Bus Lane
 Red Colorization
 Protected Bike Lane
 Bollards / Behind Shelter
 Green Colorization
 Connectivity
 Islands
 Pedestrian Refuge
Islands
 Turning Islands

40. Traffic Signal Improvements
 Timing & Progression
Optimization
 Leading Pedestrian Intervals
 Protected Turn Arrows
 Bike Signals
 Bus Queue Jump Signals

41. Turning Queues Before Loop Link
 Turning Vehicles Yield to Peds
Look for Gaps
Move at Phase Change

42. Turning Queues Before Loop Link
 Turning Vehicles Yield to Peds
Look for Gaps
Move at Phase Change
 Constant Stream of Peds
16k to 27k Daily
No Gaps = Queue Builds
Single Turn Lanes become
“Duals”

43. “Lagging Left” to Manage Turn Queues

44. LAGGING LEFT

45. Bike Signal with Protected Right Turn Arrow
Motorists traveling straight and buses have a green signal
Right turning motorists stop at a red turn arrow
Bicyclists have a green bike signal
Pedestrians have a walk signal
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
4

46. Motorists traveling straight and buses have a green signal
Right turning motorists turn with a green turn arrow
Bicyclists stop at a red bike signal
Pedestrians have a don’t walk signal
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Bike Signal with Protected Right Turn Arrow

47. 1
23
1 Buses get signal prior to motorists
2 Motorists merge behind buses to access right turn lanes
3 Motorists make right turn while buses proceed straight
Bus Queue Jump

48. QUEUE JUMP

49. Thank You!
Questions?
Soliman Khudeira, PhD, PE, SE
CDOT‐Division of Engineering
30 N. LaSalle St. #400
Chicago, IL. 60602
soliman.khudeira@cityofchicago.org
Stan Wang, PE, PTOE
AECOM
303 E. Wacker Drive #1400
Chicago, IL. 60601
stan.wang@aecom.com