End of the Line for Chicago’s Weirdest Bus Route | X98 Avon Express
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Route X98 ran from the Avon factory (later Fareva) in Morton Grove to Jefferson Park station in Chicago. It ran with no intermediate stops, using Interstate 94. What made this bus really unique was its schedule: it only ran in one direction, once a day, at 12:40 AM.
Due to low ridership, the bus ran its last run in the early morning of Saturday, March 18, 2023. On average, only 3 people were on this bus.
Of course I had to ride this route while I still could, so here is my report on board the very last run of the X98.
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When Avon was there the Route had alot of passengers. At a party in the late 80’s a few of us didn’t want to leave when our ride did and one of my buddies knew of this route as his sister worked there. So we left walked about a half mile from the party and took the bus to Jeff Park then walked home
This is the best story I've heard about using the X98, I can only wonder about how other people used this service who weren't just workers.
Always enjoy your videos, Thom... but I did actually laugh loudly when you dead-pan delivered the line to Lindsay, "There are plants here, but they're dead." You're great!
She loves plants! She coulda fixed them 😂
The waiting room looked pretty nice
That’s a very interesting route indeed. It’s always fascinating to see some bus routes stick around long after their original purpose, for example a handful of routes near me still make a stop at a now-shuttered shopping mall.
You have proved your dedication to your art! I remember the 'Avon Lady' would go house-to-house with cosmetics here in the UK - I think my grandmother had them in her bathroom.
This route was originally run by Pace. It actually ran downtown and then via Roosevelt to the West Side. Actually there were two routes, the other route ran via Cermak. Both routes used the Kennedy Expressway and the Edens Expressway. As you noted, CTA took over the routes in 2002 and renamed X98
As for interstate highway bus routes, the 99, 99M, 162,candidates 164 were CTA routes that used to use the Stevenson Expressway ( i 55) between Chinatown and Pulaski or Cicero. These routes were eliminated by the opening of the Orange Line.
Pace used to have 2 interstate routes that crossed into Indiana. These buses operates from Gary and East Chicago to the Hodgkins UPS facility. Eventually ridership fell to the point UPS stopped subsidizing the Indiana routes and Pace canceled them ( routes 891 and 892). CTA also had the 168 UPS route that used I 55 between Ashland Orange Line and I 294 going to Hodgkins UPS. That route also suffered the ax due to low ridership.
There used to be a shuttle bus that went to O'hare but the route was eliminated due to the opening of the Blue line extension to O'Hare
@@maas1208 the route was the 40 O'Hare Express that operated between Jefferson Park and O'Hare.
@@mrAhollandjr That route was eliminated due to the Blue Line Extension to O'Hare
@@maas1208 true. I just wanted to give the route number and name
This may have been a weird route, but it actually makes sense. What happens if transit agencies actually coordinate with companies to boost ridership. This would be awesome.
I don't know about now but Pace and the CTA had express buses to companies. The Rosemont blueline stop had a few including the express to SEARS headquarters and there were a few CTA buses that left Ogilvy and Union stations into the loop for certain large corporations like AON.
A moment of appreciation for Lindsey's crochet work.
She is so crazy talented, she can make anything
So what do those 3 lonely passengers do when that bus is gone? Good report.
Not to be nit -picky but the name is AVON as in the cosmetics company that used to be there. I grew up near there and it was "AY VON" for many years. Great video as usual. Very interesting stuff.
Commercials for Avon in upstate NY…..”AVON calling”….in the late 1970’s….FYI…..LOVE your videos
X ,for express,buses are generally fast either by being nonstop or limited stop.Generally the X goes in front ie/X51 but occasionally you get say 23X with the X behind the number.
One day, hundreds of years from now when we're all dead, a Chicago transit historian is going to stumble upon this video and it will solve a mystery they had wondered about forever.
I have a new sense of purpose now
That’s too bad that this bus route had to come to an end. I’ve heard of this route, not knowing it was going to happen. I knew there was one scheduled for one time only going southbound every weeknight and I would’ve liked to give it a try. I would’ve also gave it the time it needed so I could do it whenever but I guess not any longer. I could find something to do similar maybe in that same area when it’s a better time for me to.
I admire your dedication Thom! Thanks for sharing this historical journey with us! I thought they would of added maybe 1 or 2 journeys more for the route. Here in the U.K - we also have some bus routes which use the motorways (no stops allowed) 🙂
I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t go!
Thank you for riding the route I always wanted to ride on CTA Buses but the time of the schedule is the one that is not so good. It seems pretty cool a company sorta kinda chartered a CTA run for a number of years. Sad to see it go but I am hoping for future CTA Interstate Runs at the sacrifice of the X98
great video! :) Rest in peace x98, you served the community well.
Maybe someday we’ll see a revival
ive been thinking of taking the metra to golf and then the 208 to my job instead of blue line to pulse bus, i just had no idea where the bus stop for the 208 would be, thanks for sharing
Wow you were right by my house near Dempster and Waukegan, wish I discovered this channel earlier, although I probably wouldn’t have seen you at 1am 😂 I had no idea that bus existed. (Also good thing that you didn’t go to the Mariano’s, it really sucks and half of the food is expired lol)
I love quirky routes like this and certainly this one was very unusual. Well done for filming in such cold conditions.
I never had the experience of riding the X98 Avon express, But I have heard of it . Thanks for riding the X98 Avon Express. This also happened to route 17 Westchester too.
What a polite and empathetic bus route - it even apologises for the state of your soda and it cares about social distancing - it will surely be missed \m/
Good Evening,
A very interesting topic.
Thank you for recording the final voyage.
You’re welcome!
Company I drove for had a special route Paid for by Citicorp that ran from the downtown to their offices. It ran more frequently but the service was cut when Citi all but went remote during the pandemic.
The things you do for us to make interesting videos Thom 🙏🏻😍 I'm not surprised Lindsay didn't want to come tho 😂
Very interesting video Thom. I didn't know that there were still any CTA routes left that ran on Chicago expressways (not counting Lakeshore Drive). A route that ran once daily around midnight? Interesting. There used to be CTA express(way) routes pre 1993 before the Orange Line trains came into service. Before the Orange Line trains, there were a few routes that ran on the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) that connected the Loop to the southwest side (Midway Airport, South Archer Ave., etc.). More than 30 years ago, there was a CTA route #104 Pullman that added additional service between 95th/Red Line and Altgeld Gardens, running express on I-94 between 111th and 130th streets during rush hours.
There used to be a shuttle bus that went to O'hare but the route was eliminated due to the opening of the Blue line extension to O'Hare
@@maas1208 Yeah, I remember that. What was once known as the Blue Line used to terminate @ Jefferson Park. I believe.
@@gethighonlife11 I think the route was the #40 O'hare Express which again was eliminated due to the Blue Line [at the time it was called the Kennedy line] being extended to O'hare
And I thought that I was nuts for getting up at 3:30AM to catch the first Metroliner at 6:00AM to go to DC!
Enjoyed the video, just the sort of thing I would try to do despite the weather.
I like the more obscure routes on buses and trains. Here in the UK we have "Parlimentary trains" or "ghost trains" which run once a week at weird times just to keep the route open. Some routes are mandated by law and it would cost money to apply to close them down totally.
There is also a loop of track on the Tfl in London, called the Watford loop, that gets only two trains a day on the otherwise busy Metropolitan line.
I would love to ride some of the parliamentary trains in the UK!
@@Thom-TRA There is one You Tuber in the UK who does a "Pointless Journeys" series where he travels from two very closely linked stations (sometimes just literally upper and lower level station platforms) by a combination of different trains and routes instead of just walking between them.
On the tube in London it is not unknown for locals to send tourists on long pointless journies between stations on different lines that could be walked in less than 10 mins above ground. I would never do such a thing though myself.
A few Metra(Chicago area commuter rail) lines have very limited service, and only on weekdays. For example there is the McHenry, IL branch of the Union Pacific Northwest line, where that branch only gets like 2-3 inbound morning trains, and 2-3 afternoon outbound trains. Heritage Corridor only has something like 2-3 inbound trains during rush hour, and 2-3 outbound trains. In 2021 and 2022 Metra experimented(thanks to getting approval from CN railroad, kinda worried they wouldn't approve this experiment as they're more primarily a freight railroad) with Saturday Heritage service, for a few months on each of those 2 years. I wish they'd make Saturday Heritage Corridor service permanent, but that's just me.
North Central Service only runs on weekdays, but has a few weekday runs outside of rush hour. Southwest Service used to run Monday-Saturday, but since the pandemic service now only runs on weekdays. At least Southwest Service still has a few non-rush hour weekday trains.
I salute your spirit of adventure. Fine video.
Many thanks
I have to say I admired your devotion to go late at night to catch that very last bus! Going to bit the bullit and subscribe as I've enjoyed the last three videos I saw.
So cool, thank you, Thom. Keep 'em coming.
I will!
Very interesting video, I don’t often comment, but I watch most of them. Thank you for all of your videos!
Thank you!!
Thanks for your great videos - - - we here in Revere, MA, have had a VERY MILD winter. Sorry for your COLD.
The winter’s been relatively mild here too, Chicago’s just a cold place in general!
This was such an awesome video!!! That would be wild to be on a CTA bus on the Edens. Thank you for memorializing this route. RIP this route and the Lincoln Ave. bus south of Lawrence 🥲
You’re welcome!
Thank you for this fascinating video. You were very brave to endure the extreme cold in pursuit of that last journey ! Many thanks, and I completely understand why you chose the bus to get home, rather than wait for Metra !
Spring seems to be an inexistent concept here in Chicago! Lol
I actually used to see this bus not only arriving at Jefferson Park, occasionally, but also in transit to wherever it was coming from/going to surrounding this trip, usually on Foster; perhaps a pull out from North Park Garage?
I think Foster was part of the route: Edens, Cicero, Foster, MKE
I actually use the golf station quite a bit. It's the closest Metra station to where I live and despite being in a tiny town, it also serves south Glenview, north morton grove, and northwest Skokie. I like to use it if I don't feel like taking the yellow line and red line into the city. It's way less crowded than the adjacent Glenview and Morton Grove station and parking is free on weekends!
Hey, I’m always happy to hear when people use a station!
Great video as always. Braving the cold too - really looked freezing! When you mentioned the Night Owl bus it got me curious what these are like! Night buses are all the rage in London
I’d love to ride a real London bus someday
@@Thom-TRA maybe one day! I use them every day as I do London Oerground
To be fair, there are numerous CTA buses that run on the "original" interstate highways that started in 1926 as the United States Numbered Highway System (also called U.S. Routes), which themselves supplanted auto trails designated by various motorist organizations.
For instance, DuSable Lake Shore Drive between Jackson Park and Foster Ave is a small portion of U.S. Route 41, which extends from Miami, Florida north to Copper Harbor, Michigan (in the upper peninsula). U.S. Route 41 also includes Skokie Blvd, Lincoln Ave, Foster Ave, and South Shore Drive. Other U.S. Routes served by CTA include U.S. Route 14 (Caldwell Ave/Peterson Ave/Ridge Ave/Broadway) and U.S. Routes 12 & 20 (both running along 95th St/Ewing Ave/Indianapolis Blvd). Historically, U.S. Route 66 extended into downtown Chicago along Ogden Ave & Jackson Blvd/Adams St, but that route was decommissioned in 1985. Similarly, U.S. Route 34 (Ogden Ave) once overlapped U.S. Route 66 into downtown Chicago until 1970, when the route was truncated in Berwyn at Illinois Route 43 (Harlem Ave), and U.S. Route 20 had a business/city route that went through downtown Chicago from 1938-1968.
Also, Pace has numerous buses that run on the interstate highways. Until recently, due to bridge work on Roosevelt Rd in Forest Park, the 301 and 308 buses were rerouted for over a year via Interstate 290, skipping stops on Roosevelt Rd between 1st Ave & Desplaines Ave (3/4 mile) and also along Desplaines Ave between Roosevelt & the CTA Blue Line Forest Park station (3/4 mile).
I believe I explicitly mentioned Pace towards the end of my video
Pace has more contract services like this. The UPS trips are the most obvious. Though "last mile" routes from Metra stations to businesses are similar. One which I found most unique, yet useful, was a former evening service for Northwestern University. It traversed the streets of Evanston in the campus areas, but also serving the public, then moved up Chicago (in Evanston) and Sheridan Road to Loyola before running express along Lake Shore Drive to the downtown campus.
The real oddity of this bus is that it was just three or four evening trips. Perhaps limited to weekdays. At other times, NUs own shuttle system served these needs. After the Pace route was discontinued, it too was taken over by private (contract?) services. In fact, at the bus stop outside the Loyola L stop there is a sign for this service.
The University of Chicago routes are, I believe, under a similar situation for CTA. Though it was little used at night, I always appreciated the extant shuttle which went between 57th on campus and downtown and boywstown. It was an easier route to/from the university at times, especially late night if one was attending some sort of cultural event or other entertainment there, than regular CTA/Metra service, much of which is unavailable after midnight. In theory, if not practice, it also served interests of students going out and getting back to campus from popular places for a night out on the town. These days, all U of C CTA services around campus and to other locales in the city are daytime through early evening only, ending around 7 or so.
The route guide said Mon - Fri but since the bus leaves after midnight it is really Tue - Sat.
Yeah, on train schedules here in Chicago the new day usually begins around 4:00 am
Believe or not I grew up in that area and back in the 2000's they ran NABI artics on that route !!
SEPTA has a route specifically for IRS employees, route 78, that runs from Center City to Cornwells Heights regional rail station using I-95. Everyone is welcome to ride but the fare is $6 and it only runs twice a day after midnight.
thats gotta be þe weirdest one on SEPTA
Shucks! I missed the opportunity to catch some trains at Oglebay Park. I was planning to catch the one serving Crystal Lake. We recently stayed around Grand at Michigan Avenue. We will return to Chicago next year to catch some Metra/CTA trains.
I was downtown that night and yes, it was so frigid cold and windy, not fun and the river wasn't really green anymore unfortunately. Also, Casey's that close to the city!? Was not expecting that.
I like the buses I ride to be empty because it allows me to turn up the music and dance. I even had some bus drivers dance with me.
Just don’t do that if you’re on the bus with me, I do not like listening to other people’s music
@@Thom-TRA okay noted, but I do it because it helps my mental health especially now because it's been over 4 years since my last ex dumped me.
As for interesting bus routes, you should try the Eastern Sierra Transit 395 routes. You can go from Lancaster CA to Reno NV but you have to overnight either in Bishop CA Or Mammoth Lakes CA.
That sounds like you’re on the bus for a long time!
Been wanting to tick off obscure CTA bus routes for some time now. I've already ridden the 10 (MSI) but would really like to ride the 192 and potentially the 120/121. Route 128 is also intriguing by the one-way $5 fare. There are a few busses that run along Lake Shore Drive at highway speeds such as 147, 151, 6, and J14.
The fun one is when the bus doesn't technically enter service and so your Ventra app says you got on Route 0.
Ok I would’ve met you I was thinking to take the route the same night as you you took this video and I was near Harlem Blue Line But Changed my mind due of the weather being cold and now I regretted that decision 😭
Interesting. Was There More Riders When They Started That Route?? I sure hope those 3 regular riders can get to there jobs.. Thanks
There used to be multiple runs a night! And weekend service
Gone but never forgotten
Rest in peace
Hi Thom can you make a video about the Orland Square Mall bus loop. It is a terrible design that forces pace buses to make a 5 point turn to turn around
Bro Thom saw a transit route die infront of his eyes
Sadness
I feel bad for the 3 people who work at that company and depended on the bus.
Me too
Hi Thom, Nice vid again! Why does the bus say CLEANER?
I actually don’t know, sorry!
My transit agency discontinued a route and I got to drive the last trip as the operator. Nobody was onboard, kinda sad kinda fitting
How did it feel to drive the last trip?
I don't understand what the "Cleaner" destination sign on the front of the bus meant Thom.
Probably the “Cleaner / Greener” PR sign that gets used on occasion for no particular reason, but since CTA has historically sucked at sign programming, and the new Novas have a different sign model from the older ones, the programming probably got screwed up in the conversion.
Did you find out what are those 3 people going to do about getting home going forward? Will they be offered earlier shifts? Forced to resign?
I was considering asking but didn’t want to bother them after a long day of work
Ok so I've started watching your videos because I'm a train nerd who moved to Chicago from Memphis and has been feeling tf out.
I do have a question. Today, in Monroe red line station at evening rush hour, I'm pretty sure a brown line train went by. I didn't find anything online saying why, but the screen showing the times showed a brown line train via the subway was 2 mins out, then a minute later, a packed train showing "not in service" sped by without stopping. Could you maybe give insight? Can the brown line be rerouted to the red line, or a part of it?
Sometimes when there’s an issue on the elevated tracks (like in the loop) they’ll send brown and purple underground! Reversely, sometimes they’ll send red “over the top.”
hey thom, do you know the meaning of the letter and numbers on the bottom corner of the busses windshield? on your bus in this video it was f051. ive heard everything from it being related to the route, or being the drivers id number. but from what ive observed on them in person neither seems to make sense.
I guess this leaves route 169 as the only employee shift-specific express bus.
At least that the CTA operates. Pace still has a few.
It's the Chicago version of SEPTA's 78 bus
What's up man.
A bus that only runs ONCE a day?!
Why does it even exist?!
...Ohhh!
A factory shift!
That makes some sense.
...And they are getting rid of it?
Wow!
I guess it's the end of that era!
Aw could be nice if there's a Volkswagens dealership in Golf, Il. I could tell friends "Hey I bought my VW golf in Golf, Il." I think they forgot to change the destination board before the bus left the shed. I work in public transport and some times when demand for service is needed, they would put the terminal name or whatever assistance is needed on the destination board. In Calgary the "bad buses" get a card saying "sick bus" . Just a refresher that I don't think I mentioned in the TriMet WES video is that I am a railfan and also a public transport fan. I have ridden public transport in 9 different cities in North America. That X98 bus seems like the perfect bus for an introvert who has trouble sleeping or a broke single guy that wants to be alone. I for one would ride it because I have trouble sleeping all the time since the day my ex girlfriend dumped me 4 years ago.
Also how is your wife okay with you being a railfan? I often get tough words from my mother saying that my next girlfriend might think I am a child because I like trains still.
She likes trains too!
Rest in Paradise to a warrior🤍🕊️
Was good to see you!
@@Thom-TRA Likewise , stay safe out there 👏🏾
CTA needs to do a better job of serving needs of second shift workers. Given, this is limited ridership. And it shifts as workplaces close or employees change jobs. But cutbacks have affected these transit dependent riders, also. Jefferson Park, in particular, used to be busier around midnight to one a.m. as outlying bus routes got these people home on final trips of the night. The cutbacks in hours hurt these passengers. I could see some sort of situation where schedules evolve and mini buses or transit vans are employed to attend to needs of such passengers. Perhaps one bus an hour on certain routes is sufficient. Or, maybe, little service is needed for awhile late evenings when there is little ridership, but one to two buses could be employed at times when workers are trying to get home. There are even certain routes, like 56 Milwaukee, where someone always seems to be waiting around about 11 p.m. or so, befuddled that the last bus could have already left an hour and a half ago. "That's too early!" they will say when informed there's no more bus until morning. Yes, in smaller cities such is the norm. But in a 24/7 metropolis, the nighttime rush gets started at 10. Not to mention people returning from or heading out to entertainment venues and bars at that hour. Often, it seems that the CTA's most significant challenges exist with people in scheduling who have no hands on understanding of the lives of people who ride the system, abd thus don't respond effectively to serve their passenger needs.
Weird but interesting video. CTA announced this route is ending for good as of March 20, 2023. CTA made the right decision to terminate the route
Is the bus weird or is the video weird?
I don’t think CTA made the right decision. CTA didn’t even make the decision, the temp agency sponsoring it did.
These people now don’t have a way to get home from their job.
The CTA didn't make the decision, the outsourcing company did. This was technically a public charter route.
@@Shinycelebi I see, why not give it to Pace and run on existing route #208 and run more service so that way people can be able to use it.
@TransitRider Productions Pace had a version of it LONG ago and gave it up. From what I understand the PACE buses there all end before 8pm. Since 2019ish, instead of CTA buses, they used private shuttles for the workers. This one time is a hold over. They will probably use the private shuttle for this time, but I can't verify that one.
@@Shinycelebi I see, thanks for the info. I just support public transit and its sad people now have no ride ya know?
😊1am subscriber
7:00 PM thank you!
I've stopped at Jeff Park numerous times, but only on Metra or Blue Line, never a bus.
Jeff Park is a pretty sizable bus hub - it's got about 10 CTA rtes & 2/3 PACE rtes - key services to much of NW Chicago and border suburbs.
Boy, is Lindsay is smart.
What does "Cleaner" mean?
I’m not entirely sure, I think it’s a message for staff at the garage
@@Thom-TRA I was going to ask this question…now I have to think of another, dadgumit.
@@Thom-TRA I think it is advertising that those buses run cleaner.
You should trying riding the Pace UPS buses
I would, they’re kind of in an inconvenient part of town for me though
@@Thom-TRA well, have you at least tried the Pace I-90 busses? I love that bus
@@robk7266 I do too, they’re so comfortable!
The cta 169 is also in a sketch part of town
🥰😱❄⛄☀
I would never go on this bus route
Well it doesn’t exist anymore so you don’t need to worry about it
I'm just wondering, if ridership runs thin, and the remaining riders really need the bus route, why not send a smaller shuttle bus to run that route instead of shutting it down altogether?
I think probably just because the CTA doesn’t have small shuttle buses in their fleet, so acquiring them would be a huge cost as well
3 riders doesn't really justify the paycheck for 1 driver. Plus it's an AM bus route, nobody but the workers there really need it. It's probably cheaper for the same people who outsourced to the CTA to just hire an Uber/Lyft for the 3.
Shouldn't put factories in suburbs.
Nova buses
Golf IL just seams like a shady sad town, is it?
Yeah it wasn’t really a place that sparked a lot of joy in me
It's a rich suburb built around a country club. Probably boring if you're not one of "them".
One of those corupt $$$ suburbs where the cops will pull you over just for sneezing
bruh
The 3 riders are really fucked
Yeah I feel bad for them
What a strange line to run. Imagine how much waste is spent on some of these routes.
But it allowed people who couldn’t afford a car to get to work and improve themselves. That’s not a waste to me.
This is a great way to begin my new subscriberism...subscribership...um...never mind.