Category Archives: CTA

Chicago Officials Break Ground On New CTA Bus Only Lane

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NBC News Chicago reported last week that Chicago’s Active Transportation Alliance, in a groundbreaking ceremony, unveiled five ((5) new bus only traffic lanes. These are in addition to the bus only lanes that currently run in the downtown loop on Madison and Washington Streets.

Construction on the new lanes took place on North May, Chicago, LaSalle and Western Avenues. According to the Transportation Alliance, the new lanes will increase ridership, shorten bus commutes and hopefully decrease traffic congestion. “For Chicago to be a more vibrant, sustainable, and equitable city, we need to move people more efficiently. Bus lanes are a good way to do that,” Ron Burke, the Executive Director of the Active Transportation Alliance, said.

The Active Transportation Alliance says that incoming Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot supports expanding the program, and their goal is to add 50 miles of designated bus lanes over the next four years.

These new loop link lanes downtown look nice, but I think it’s unclear as to whether they have actually shortened commute times or helped with traffic. Part of the problem is that normal vehicles and bicyclists can often be seen using those lanes as well, which in turn can back up traffic. City officials have said they are going to start issuing tickets to drivers who drive in these bus only lanes. There was no mention by city officials as to what they expect the effect these new lanes will have on traffic safety or decreasing traffic accidents.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

CTA To Add 50 New HD Cameras On Train Lines And Buses

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Those of us who use the CTA’s trains and buses around Chicago on a daily basis have been somewhat troubled by the slew of crimes that have occurred recently. There have been results of multiple robberies and muggings, especially on the red line, which is a north-south train line that runs from Howard Street on the northside all the way south to 95th Street.  To help combat this issue, the CTA recently announced they will be installing 50 high definition (“HD”) cameras along train stops and buses throughout the area.

These additional cameras are part of the  “Safe and Secure” multi-million dollar project, which, according to the CTA will be one of the most comprehensive surveillance camera networks used by a transit agency. When the upgrade is finished, there will be 1,000 new HD cameras throughout the CTA system and upgrading more than 3,800 older-model cameras across the system. CTA officials believe that if someone commits a crime on a train or bus, there will be a clear video of the incident and they will be caught.

This is money well spent by the CTA and good for the city. Commuters want to feel safe when heading to and from work or just visiting other parts of town. Further, tourists want to feel safe before they plan a trip to Chicago. Other than putting multiple police officers at every stop and on every train and bus, this seems like the most sensible way to combat crime on the CTA.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a Chicago train accident or Chicago bus accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

CTA Offering Free Bus And Train Rides For New Years Eve

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It is New Years Eve and for the sixth year in a row, the Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) is offering free bus and train rides. This is an excellent service for those who are going to be out and about and do not want to pay for cabs or an Uber ride. The free rides begin at 10 p.m. Sunday, December 31 until 4 a.m. Monday, January 1. MillerCoors’ Miller Lite is sponsoring the free ride program for the sixth straight year. As part of the sponsorship, Miller Lite covers the cost of all rides taken, plus the operating costs to run CTA service during the hours in which the promotion is offered. Last New Year’s Eve, CTA provided nearly 97,000 rides between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.

“We are proud to once again offer safe, convenient and free transportation this New Year’s Eve,” said CTA President Dorval Carter, Jr. “We wish everyone a very Happy New Year and allow CTA be your designated driver for New Year’s Eve.”

There is absolutely no reason to ever drink and drive, but this is especially true if you live in the city and are going out on New Years. Enjoy the night, stay safe and take advantage of the free rides.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago CTA Bus Driver Cited For Fatal Bus Crash

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Multiple news outlets have reported about the Tuesday’s CTA bus crash in downtown Chicago that killed one pedestrian and seriously injuring seven others. The driver allegedly came to a stop at the red light at Lake Street while heading North on Michigan Avenue, then inexplicably, drove through the red light and ended up on the sidewalk after trying to avoid another vehicle. All of this led to the death of a woman and the multiple injuries.

The driver, who started his job with the CTA in September, was was issued two traffic citations for the crash. The driver  began his shift Tuesday at 6:20 a.m., driving the Clark Street #22 bus till 8:20 a.m., Chase said. His next shift began at 2:31 p.m. on the 152 Addison and 135 Clarendon/LaSalle routes before he started driving the 148 Clarendon/Michigan route at 5:27 p.m., about 20 minutes before the collision was reported.

The question (or elephant in the room) that needs to be answered is why in the world did the driver run that red light?  There are no red light cameras or speeder cameras at that intersection. It is possible that the camera from the bus could shed some light on the incident. Also, more than likely, there has to be surveillance cameras from the neighboring loop office buildings, including the mammoth Illinois Center. Regardless, the CTA will be seeing multiple lawsuits. One for wrongful death from the family of the deceased and the others for the personal injuries of those who survived the bus accident.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago CTA bus accident or Chicago traffic accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

No Injuries Reported In Last Night’s CTA Orange Line Derailment

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There was CTA Orange line derailment
during rush hour yesterday in the downtown loop, which luckily, did not cause
any injuries to its passengers. The actual track, just south of the Van Buren
stop, suffered quite a bit of damage. When one of the wheels became derailed,
it cut the rail fasteners and wood atop the
inner track of the Loop ‘L’ structure, sending wood and steel raining to the
pavement from State to LaSalle along Van Buren.

No injuries have
been reported but due to the damage to the track, there were hours of delays
right during the busiest time of day for train commuters.

The CTA has not had
the best year, publicity wise, so far in 2014. Several months back, a blue line
train operator admitted to dozing off while pulling into O’Hare airport. As a
result, the train did not stop in time and the emergency brake did not activate,
causing the train to derail and crash up into the upstairs escalator.

Hopefully this will
be the last derailment we see in Chicago for a while. This derailment appears
to be a mechanical issue rather than human error. Though no official report
from the CTA has been released regarding the cause of the CTA train derailment. 

If you or someone
you love has been injured in a Chicago train accident or Chicago bus accident,
then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076. 

Road Rage Viewed As Possible Cause Of CTA Bus Crash

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A CTA bus crashed into an unoccupied school building this week, which injured twelve (12) passengers.

According to CTA spokesperson Wanda Taylor, “A westbound No. 66 (Chicago Avenue) bus was involved in a collision with a car that resulted in the bus striking the building.”

The accident occurred at approximately 4:05 p.m. in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. A 74-year-old SUV driver was reportedly following a slow-moving car when he became fed up. The driver, James Vaughn, subsequently sped up into the same lane as a CTA bus was traveling in.

Upon doing so, the bus steered away from the SUV to avoid a collision. According to 45-year-old witness Richie Driver, “The bus driver tried to keep from hitting him, and she (the bus driver) wound up hitting another car.” The bus then veered off the roadway and slammed into the Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy.

Click here  to read the entire artlcle.

Road rage is a scary phenomenon. I think we have all viewed or experienced it at some point. Remember to keep your cool while on the road, even if you are following an unreasonably slow driver. You never know what the ramifications will be.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident , Chicago truck accident  or CTA bus accident , then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation  at 312-588-3384 or visit the firm website at www.BLGCHICAGO.com. 

Four CTA Employees Suspended After Derailment

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A weekend train derailment has led to the suspension of four CTA employees. Chicago Breaking News reported the story after a Green Line train derailment over the weekend, transit officials said today, pointing to a missed “stop” signal as the probable cause of the accident.

The front wheels on the first car of the six-car northbound train jumped the tracks at the 59th Street junction shortly before noon Saturday, said CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney.

The train remained upright on the “L” tracks. It was operating as a shuttle covering  part of the normal route, with one train operator in the first car and another in the sixth car, because of track construction, officials said.

“The investigation is still under way, but the preliminary indication is human error,” Gaffney said. “The equipment — signals, train and track — all appeared to be working properly.”

Investigators determined that the train operator disobeyed a “stop” signal and caused the derailment by driving the train over a track switch that was not aligned for the train to pass safely,  said CTA sources close to the investigation.

After the first car derailed, the train operator in the sixth car powered up the train and pulled it back in the other direction, apparently in  a bid to fix the problem, investigators said.

Click here to read the full story.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois car accident, Illinois truck accident or CTA accident then call attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384.

One Dead And Nine Others Injured In CTA Bus Accident

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CBS 2 Chicago announced on their website that a vehicle-bus collision that occurred on the South side of Chicago resulted in one death while nine others were rushed to the hospital. Apparently a van rear-ended and CTA bus at 83rd and Cottage Grove Avenue on Tuesday.

CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said a southbound No. 4 Cottage Grove bus was stopped at the intersection of 83rd Street and Cottage Grove when it was struck from behind by a van about 4:40 p.m.   An EMS Plan 1 was called for the crash at 83rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue about 4:40 p.m., according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford. Ten people were initially injured in the crash, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis.  Three people were taken in critical condition — two to Stroger Hospital and one to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.  Seven others were initially hospitalized in stable condition. Two people were taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital; three people were taken to Jackson Park Hospital; one person was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers in Evergreen Park and one person was taken to South Shore Hospital, Curtis said. 

It was not known whether any citations were issued in the wreck.

I have written about the CTA in the past. Remember, if you or someone you know has been involved in an accident with the CTA then you are no longer required to file a six month notice with the Chicago Transit Authority. Governor Quinn repealed Section 41 notice rule back in May. Although, the statute of limitations for all incidents against the CTA remains at one (1) year.

If you or someone you has been involved in a motor-vehicle accident, then call attorney Aaron Bryant at 312-588-3384 for a free consultation.
 

Governor Quinn Repeals CTA Notice Requirement

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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed into law a repeal of tSection 41, the notice requirement for law suits against the CTA. This was a huge victory for injured victims. This Draconian law required a very detailed notice to the CTA within 6 months of the date of their accident. The notice requirement was used as a tactic to weed out lawsuits rather than use it as an investigative tool, which is why the legislation was originally enacted. Illinois case law showed that the CTA often used this notice requirement as a way to have cases dismissed when they did not meet the very particular notice requirements, often leaving innocent injury victims out of luck when trying to make an injury  claim against the CTA.

There are 2 important  things to remember about the effects of the new law. First, if your accident occurred on or before June 1, 2009, then the notice requirement is still in effect. Second, suits against the CTA still must be filed within 1 year of the accident.  This is shorter than the normal 2 year statute of limitations for most personal injury actions in Illinois.

To read more about the repeal of Section 41, click here

If you or someone you know was involved in an accident on a CTA bus or train, then call Attorney Aaron Bryant at 312-388-3384 for a free consultation.