More than 150 Evanston bus stops provide inadequate information for riders, according to a citizen advocacy group survey that city officials will begin reviewing today.
According to the report, compiled by Evanston’s Transportation Future, 155 stops along Chicago Transit Authority and Pace bus routes lack signs that provide correct or any information about where the bus stops, what the bus schedule is and a map of the bus route.
Evanston’s Public Works Departmentwill start reviewing the survey today.
“Regular bus riders learn where the bus goes and where to catch it,” ETF member Alex Sproul said. “For new people who don’t know these things, it’s not obvious.”
The survey was conducted by another group member, Peter Nicholson, and the information was compiled after he rode and walked along every bus line in Evanston and made notes of where signs should be located, Sproul said.
It was “simply a survey to look for route information signs,” and he did not speak to any riders in the process, Nicholson said.
The group’s recommendations to the city are focused on creating “a higher standard for rider information,” Nicholson said.
This higher standard consists of clear signs that include a map, fare information and a specific schedule.
Signs would be “much like the Northwestern University shuttle stop signs,” which include a list of specific times the shuttles should arrive at the stop, Nicholson said.
“Alex (Sproul) felt those Northwestern shuttle stop signs are the prototype of what we’d like to see everywhere,” Nicholson said.
Evanston Director of Transportation John Burke said the city is beginning to review the locations identified by the group.
“We’d like to see that bus stops are properly identified,” Burke said.
After the assessment, city officials will meet with Pace and CTA to discuss improvements.
CTA spokeswoman Robyn Ziegler said the transit agency is aware of the survey and will be in contact with the City of Evanston.
“When they provide us with direction, we will coordinate with them to meet those needs,” Ziegler said.
Both Sproul and Nicholson said there are missing signs throughout the whole city, but CTA’s route 201 is one of the most problematic. The route carried an average of 1,491 weekday riders in January, according to CTA documents.
Bus 201 runs from the Howard El station to downtown Evanston via Ridge Avenue and then to Old Orchard Mall in Skokie via Sheridan Road and Central Street.
Along Central Street east of Crawford Avenue, the route is “almost bereft of signs,” Nicholson said.
Anna Wisniowska rides route 201 from work nearly everyday. She said she has no problem identifying bus stops.
But she did say “it depends on where you are going,” and some routes may be more difficult to navigate.
Another frequent route 201 rider, Evanston resident Michael Lasco, rides the northbound bus from the Central Street Metra stop to his apartment farther west on the street.
Downtown Evanston, especially around Davis Street,does not have a large number of signs, Lasco said.
It would be difficult for someone if he did not already know the routes, he said.
Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].
