Chicago’s Most COMFORTABLE Bus

As a transport enthusiast and especially streetcar lover, I should mention that Elgin once had fast, convenient and integrated service to "L". It was "Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad" - an interurban lines network, which provided direct throught service via "L" system to Chicago Downtown. In the last years of operation interurban stopped downtown trains and passangers needed to change between interurban and "L"... it was for financial reasons, but it led to even more decline of ridership. So Elgin said "goodbye" to electric rail transport at 1959. And now, I think, projects like I-90 Express and Metra STAR line are attempts to reintroduce some forgotten public transport links with cost effective or even just cheap methods of transportation.

Man, an alternate timeline where that Blue Line extension was built...would be a utopia. Also a shame that Metra line didn't happen either...it's like that corridor is cursed when it comes to transit. But hey, at least you get a comfy ride for a cheap deal as a result! The MTA also has highway express buses! Unlike the ordinary NYC buses, they use MCIs (Motor Coach Industries) and Prevost for the express runs. Express bus service is geared primarily to peak commuters from the outer boroughs (Bronx, Staten Island, Queens; hence why you might see MTA buses on highways in New Jersey in route to/from Staten Island) in transit deserts to and from Midtown or Lower Manhattan. Some routes provide significant off-peak service every day as well. Routes with daily off-peak service include the BxM1/2, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, QM2, QM4, QM5/6, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM33C, X27 and X28. The only express bus that runs 24-hours a day is the SIM1C.

It's always a pleasure collaborating with you. Can't wait for your next trip to Chicago!!

Besides its violent history and watchmaking history, Elgin is where the motorized streetsweeper was invented! It was invented by John Murphy. He recognized the serious health hazards caused by polluted streets and wanted a machine that automatically picked up street debris. He first thought of the idea in 1911 but worked together with the American Tower and Tank Company to make it a reality, who later formed the Elgin Sweeper Corporation. They were built in a factory near the National Street bridge. The first finished machine was sold to Boise. John M. Murphy continued to improve the sweeper and, in 1917, he patented the next version with a conveyor belt to carry dirt from the broom to the dirt box instead of a slat conveyor that was in the original. Although they were offered a special discount price, the City of Elgin itself did not buy its first motor driven street sweeper until 1920. Today, Elgin Sweeper Company sells street sweepers all over the world and they are all made in Elgin!

Pace buses have one of my favorite transit liveries in the US. The bright blue is a nice splash of color in the monochrome Midwest winter.

I was in Ogilvie two weeks ago wondering how I would learn the story of that station clock. Thank you, again, Thom!

THIS IS MY COMMUTE! I almost exclusively work from home, but my office is in Elgin, so when I do go into the office I take the 77 from Lakeview East to the Blue Line to the 603. It’s a looooong commute, but only doing it once or twice a month isn’t too bad. Those seats are a really nice touch in comparison to a regular CTA or PACE bus and makes the ride a lot smoother. By far the most comfortable of the three legs.

Thom glad you made it to Elgin my hometown. Our industry is now much more diverse which is good. Not dependent on one huge company. I hope you enjoyed your time here. Even though you are moving to D.C. I hope you return soon.

I had gone on my weekly commute to my friends house using the 381, and to my surprise, one of these express busses pulled up to my stop. I'm not even sure how the Southwest Division got their hands on one of these, but it was a very welcome surprise to get a proper coach seat on a local route.

Wow!!! Those seats!!! What a great way to ride!!! Thank you!!!

When I was a kid, I used to catch the South Suburban Bus Line behind the 63 and Halstead St. "EL" station to visit my grandparents in Chicago Heights. There also used to a bus that would take you to Gary, Indiana from the side a drugstore at 63rd and King Drive. A lot of memories.

Cool bus! I love the seats, without a doubt. I can see this being an absolute hit. the small attention to routing, allowing use of the the "flex lanes" and having pedestrian access to both sides stations for each direction set it apart. Obviously wish it could be a train for that extra "oomph" of permanence and punctuality, but this really is just about as good as it can get without going all-in on dedicated BRT ROWs (at which point...just build a train)

I love Suburban Buses, I like how they’re a mix between a regular bus and a commuter coach. My agency, Foothill Transit (operator of the Silver Streak), has specifically ordered Suburban Buses since 2009, and those seats are so comfortable making the ride much smoother

I really love riding on the I-90 Express routes just for fun. Or whenever I'm in the mood on hitting the routes in Elgin, IL

They really need to add an Elgin Transportation Center to Schaumburg Northwest Transportation Center bus. The only express bus that goes between Elgin and Schaumburg is only services stops at the park-and-rides along I-90 and not the downtown. You either have to transfer onto an express bus or take the 554 both taking an hour.

My transit agency has some buses with this kind of interior, we have 30 of them used for express routes to Downtown LA, and Riverside it’s nice inside. Sadly they don’t use them for the express routes but they are now used to take people to and from Metrolink Train Station, sometimes seen on local routes as well

Thank You!

Nice video, Thom. I enjoy the historical tidbits, too.

Thank you for sharing a trip here in Chicago. Yes, we do have a great city here.

here in Richmond we have 9 2008 Orion V busses with high floor but fabric reclining seats. and uses hwy 99 to head to several places south.