Chicago Transit Authority bus instructor Mark Stubblefield won’t be happy when one of his new driver trainees sideswipes a taxicab or mows down a pedestrian.
But instead of calling 911, all Stubblefield will have to do is rewind the videotape.
Much like airlines that plunk pilots into the cockpits of flight simulators, the CTA will soon begin using bus simulators before putting students behind the wheel of real buses on practice courses and in on-the-street training.
Officials predict the technology, funded through the Regional Transportation Authority, will provide an additional safety edge once bus-driving school graduates hit the mean streets of Chicago.
The transit agency turns out new drivers after an intensive but brief 19-day training program that covers everything from driving defensively to collecting fares to learning routes.
“It’s one thing to explain to students what will happen on the street. The simulated scenarios are very realistic and will give students a chance to practice a lot of the maneuvers beforehand without the intimidation of being on the actual vehicle,” said Stubblefield, a 15-year CTA veteran.
CTA trainers and software experts have been scripting computerized programs to mimic the challenge of driving buses on Chicago’s streets, said Khalilah Johnson, a CTA program development specialist.
The trainers are getting accustomed to the simulators before the first class of students starts soon.
“I was surprised how realistically the scenarios mirror what the driver encounters out on the street,” said bus instructor Cherie Perry, an 18-year CTA veteran.
CTA buses were involved in an average of almost six accidents for every 100,000 miles traveled in 2004.
The simulators can be configured to replicate acceleration, stopping distance on dry or wet streets and the other operating characteristics of the different types of buses in the CTA fleet–including the double-long buses that, because they have articulated midsections, make turns like no other bus.
PEDAL POWER: Proving once again that there is always something fun to do in Chicago, EarthSave Chicago and the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation will host Veggie Bike & Dine, a 15-mile progressive dinner-style bike tour of four vegan-friendly restaurants in and around downtown.
So strap on your Birkenstock bike shoes.
Details about the July 23 event are available at www.earthsavechicago.org.
