Vision 2020: The Blueprint for the Future
Bus Lanes: A lane on a street or highway reserved primarily or exclusively for buses, either all day or for specified periods. Other traffic, typically limited to emergency vehicles and in some cases taxis, may be allowed. Automobiles may be given limited access, such as for making left or right turns.
Bus Rapid Transit: BRT combines the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. It can operate on bus lanes, HOV lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. A BRT system combines a simple route layout, frequent service, limited stops, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology, passenger information systems, traffic signal priority for transit, cleaner and quieter vehicles, rapid and convenient fare collection, high-quality passenger facilities, and integration with land use policy.
Community Based Services: Provide curb-to-curb or short-distance mobility within communities, and feeder connections to line-haul bus routes and CTA and Metra rail services. Community based services will include demand-response services, subscription services, fixed routes, community circulators, and other types of services such as historic trolley, point deviation and route deviation.
Community Transportation Centers: These centers serve as an origin or major stopping point for Community-Based Services. They are often integrated with CTA and Metra rail stations. They include many of the same amenities as Regional Transportation Centers.
Express Routes: Bus service with a limited number of stops, either between a collector area and a specific location or in a particular corridor with stops en route at major transfer points or activity centers.
Flexible Routes: Routes that can deviate to provide curb-to-curb service within a defined corridor, generally within ½ to 1 mile of the route.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes: A lane or lanes on a highway, freeway, separate right of way, or arterial street which is restricted for use by vehicles carrying more than one person.
Intelligent Bus System (IBS): System includes Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL), Transit Signal Priority (TSP), Active Transit Station Signs (ATSS), Electronic Fare Collection (EFC), Transfer Connection Protection (TCP), on board next stop annunciators, incident management, and access management, especially at tollway facilities. All these components combine to provide better information to customers, make a seamless transit trip, and improve efficiency.
Last Mile: The surroundings a transit rider encounters from the moment they get off an arterial transit mode to the time they arrive at their destination. Walkable communities, sidewalk improvements, local shuttle connections, and proximity of the transit stop to the destination all factor in to the last mile.
Line-Haul Service - A fixed-route bus system that runs on arterial streets or on tollways or expressways.