(The following article by Guy Tridgell was posted on the Chicago Daily Southtown’s website on June 26.)
CHICAGO — On the first day of shuttling displaced Electric Line commuters to the Rock Island District Line, there wasn’t much of a rush for the buses.
That, Metra officials said, will change now that riders know the shuttle buses are operating.
The buses shuttled 675 passengers during Wednesday’s morning rush from three Electric Line stops to two Rock Island District Line stations. The buses are supposed to serve a portion of the Electric Line that carries about 12,000 passengers a day.
Metra spokeswoman Audrey Renteria expects the number of bus riders to grow today.
“There are no concerns about a shortage of buses,” she said. “We are sure we will be able to accommodate any riders.”
Buses will begin departing the Electric Line’s Richton Park and 211th Street stops at 5:15 a.m., arriving at the Rock Island District Line’s Oak Forest station. Shuttles from the 147th Street stop to the Blue Island station on the Rock Island District Line start at 4:45 a.m.
Return trips will last between 2:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Renteria said the buses will operate continuously during the morning and evening rushes, rather than sticking to a set schedule as originally planned.
“Buses are operating at a load-and-go basis,” she said. “Why hold a bus when it is at capacity? We are trying to make it as convenient as possible.”
The Chicago Transit Authority is honoring Metra passes on the Brown, Orange and Purple lines once commuters arrive at LaSalle Street Station. Two shuttle buses also will help Electric Line riders used to exiting at Randolph Street Station.
For more information about shuttle times and changes on the Rock Island District Line, visit www.metrarail.com.
The hassle stems from a Sunday fire that destroyed a railroad trestle carrying Electric Line tracks in Riverdale. The blaze stopped service on 13 south suburban stops on the Chicago-to-University Park line.
Metra is vowing to have the bridge replaced Wednesday.
While the shuttle buses were not an immediate hit, ridership on the Rock Island District Line continues to be high. The line carried more than 20,000 passengers for a second day — an increase of more than 5,000 from a normal weekday.
Parking remains a problem as a consequence.
For riders at the 80th Avenue stop, Tinley Park public works employees painted stripes on a grassy lot owned by the Tinley Park Mental Health Center. Motorists also are being routed to the site of the old Central Middle School at 173rd Street and 67th Court.
Meanwhile, Riverdale fire officials announced they closed their investigation into the trestle fire. Riverdale fire Lt. Kevin Flick said Metra will continue with the investigation, though the cause appears to be an accident by welders working on the bridge Sunday afternoon.
“I am not going to be pointing fingers,” Flick said. “I will leave that up to them.”