This is regarding “Bus lines score poorly in study” (Metro, Feb. 18).
Chicago Transit Authority officials’ rebuttal to the finding that half of their buses run on schedule and their claims to a 91 percent on-time record reveal an institution mired either in deep denial or gross callousness.
As a veteran bus rider currently of the 147 Express route, please allow me one of the few outlets to express my anger and frustration at the CTA’s refusal to take accountability for its atrocious performance on reliability, both in spacing and frequency (not to mention that after waiting for more than 30 minutes at times in the blistering cold we recently experienced, we entered dangerously unheated buses that were just as cold, if not colder, than temperatures outside).
Throughout this past fall and winter, the delays and bunching of the buses were the norm rather than exception on this route.
Despite complaints from me and my fellow riders via e-mail and phone (which is almost impossible to get through), little if anything tangible has been done, other than having replaced some old models with a few new buses.
I just do not understand why the CTA cannot or will not space the buses more evenly for greater dependability and frequency. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to equate bunching with delays. It’s particularly aggravating because passengers, for the most part, are captive clients with few alternatives for transportation to work or for other business.
