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Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson, CDOT to Install Dedicated Bus Lane on Michigan Avenue, Bringing More Reliable CTA Bus Service to The Loop

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CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson today joined the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) in announcing a new dedicated bus lane on northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Wacker Drive. CDOT will install the nearly 1.5-mile lane, which will help reduce delays and keep buses moving along this key downtown route.

"Reliable and accessible public transportation is essential to a city that works for everyone," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Chicagoans depend on our buses every day to get to work, attend school, access essential services and connect with their communities. By creating a dedicated bus lane on Michigan Avenue, we are making a critical investment in reducing delays, improving service and ensuring that the thousands of residents who rely on public transit can get where they need to go. We are committed to building a safer, more accessible and more connected transportation system that puts the needs of working people first."

Michigan Avenue in the Loop is one of the busiest spots in the CTA bus system, with 1,490 buses on 21 different routes using at least part of the new bus lane. Four of the routes—#4 Cottage Grove, #J14 Jeffrey Jump, #20 Madison, and #60 Blue Island/26th—are part of CTA's burgeoning Frequent Network, with service every 10 minutes or better between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

An estimated 22,000 bus riders travel through the segment every weekday and will experience the benefits of the new bus lane—more than seven million riders annually. During the morning rush, CTA buses carry an estimated 35% of all trips on Michigan Avenue but make up only 3% of the vehicles.

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"CTA's buses will be faster and more reliable as a direct result of this new Michigan Avenue bus lane.  The benefits of the bus lane will have ripple effects across CTA's entire network and make traveling easier for the thousands of riders every day, including doctors, students, tourists, and many others who rely on the bus to get where they need to go," said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. "This bright red bus lane in the heart of the city sends an important message to residents and visitors alike that public transit is a priority for our region."

This week, CDOT will begin installing new pavement markings and signage to clearly identify the bus lane. Work will take place overnight and is expected to be completed over the next seven to ten days, weather permitting.

"Michigan Avenue is one of the busiest corridors in the region, and every minute we save here adds up for the thousands of riders who use it every day," said NITA interim Executive Director Jamie Rhee. "This new dedicated bus lane is the kind of change that NITA was created to deliver—working hand-in-hand with CDOT, IDOT and CTA to make travel faster, safer and more reliable for everyone who rides."

"Creating a stronger transportation network means making sure our streets work better for people riding buses," said CDOT Commissioner William Cheaks, Jr. "This new lane will help keep hundreds of buses and the thousands of people who ride them moving along this busy downtown corridor. We're proud to deliver this improvement through close coordination among agencies."

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Michigan Avenue is under IDOT's jurisdiction, and CDOT worked closely with the agency to develop and secure approval for the project.

"Under Gov. Pritzker, IDOT is committed to partnering with our cities to help them meet their goals for mobility and safety," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. "This addition to Michigan Avenue promises to be the first of many under NITA to strengthen and support more efficient transit along major corridors in Chicago and throughout the region."

Following installation, CDOT, and CTA will conduct field observations and collect data over the first six months to evaluate bus travel times, schedule reliability, traffic operations, safety and other conditions along the corridor. The agencies will use the findings to identify any adjustments that may be needed.

To help keep the lane clear for buses, the new Michigan Avenue bus lane is within the enforcement area of the Smart Streets Pilot Program. The program uses camera technology to enforce parking and standing restrictions in bus lanes, bike lanes and at bus stops, helping ensure Chicago's growing network of bus and bike lanes works as intended.

Dedicated bus lanes are one of several tools Chicago is using to advance a citywide vision for safer, more efficient, and better organized streets for all road users.  Through the Better Streets for Buses program and other collaboration between CDOT and CTA, Chicago is using a range of infrastructure treatments, including dedicated bus lanes, traffic signal improvements, bus boarding islands and other transit-priority measures, to reduce delays and make bus service faster and more reliable for riders.

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