No. 11 Route Reduction Eliminates Riders' 'Lifeline' Today

Those wanting to ride the bus today down Lincoln Avenue between Western and Fullerton avenues will be out of luck.

Dec. 16 is the official end date for that portion of the Lincoln Avenue No. 11 route that area residents have been crusading to keep since its extinction was announced in early September.

That's when the Chicago Transit Authority board rejected a bid to spare it while approving its "Crowding Reduction Plan." Dozens have voiced their opposition to the elimination at various public hearings and thousands have signed petitions. Local riders have repeatedly called the route their lifeline.

State Rep. Ann Williams, Ald. Ameya Pawar (47th Ward) and Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey (D-12th) have all echoed residents' sentiments. Pawar even chartered buses from the North Side to last week's hearing, which was held at the CTA headquarters building, 567 W. Lake St.

READ: Area Alderman Rallies Support to Save No. 11 Bus

The bus serves around 5,500 riders each week—2,500 of which are directly affected by the cut. And ridership has only increased since 2010, with just three months in the past two years carrying fewer riders.

CTA officials argue that transit riders are already served by duplicate Brown Line stations. While some stops along the line dump riders right onto Lincoln Avenue, others are as far as 1 mile away from it. 

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Since the board unanimously approved the plan, CTA officials have been working to support the changes by printing maps and schedules and distributing informational materials, said CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski.

"Our procedure for any major changes in services is to post notices at the affected bus stops and send information to local aldermen and their constituents," she said, adding that social media has also been used as a tool. 

Although hundreds showed up at a recent public hearing on the CTA's 2013 budget in hopes of saving the bus, Hosinski affirms that the Crowd Reduction Plan is completely separate from the budget.

READ: Residents Will do 'What it Takes' to Save No. 11 Bus

"The changes in service are part of a different plan, outside of the budget," she said. "This plan was approved by the board in September following the required public hearing."

Either way, the CTA's balanced $1.39 billion 2013 budget doesn't include the $1.2 million to keep the bus rolling, officials have said.