CHICAGO BUS AND STREETCAR ROUTES

ROUTES 20-29

Listed for each route are dates of first horse car, first cable car, first electric streetcar, and first bus service. Although the introduction of cable cars or electric streetcars on a route, did not necessarily mean the immediate total elimination of older horse cars or cable cars on all segments of that route.

Also listed are dates of final elimination of streetcars and conversion to buses. Although some routes used buses during weekends prior to the total elimination of streetcars. Some streetcar routes had bus extensions at one time, which usually are listed.

1859 - horse car service introduced
1890 - horse car route converted to cable car
1891 - Cicero & Proviso introduces electric streetcar service west of Crawford Ave.
1893 - horse car service introduced on Fifth Ave. branch
1896 - horse car segment on Fifth Ave. converted to electric streetcar
8/19/06 - cable car segment converted to electric streetcar
12/27/10 - Chicago Railways acquires Cicero & Proviso trackage in city of Chicago
12/27/10 - Through Route streetcar introduced between downtown and Austin Blvd.
5/11/52 - buses substituted on weekends
12/13/53 - streetcar route converted to buses, Fifth Ave. becomes shuttle car
2/22/54 - Fifth Ave. shuttle car discontinued

Segment west of Crawford Ave. (now Pulaski) originally owned by Cicero & Proviso Street Railway, extending as far west as 19th Ave. in Maywood under Cicero & Proviso Street Railway ownership. Austin Blvd. was established as the Chicago city limits in 1899, and on 12/27/10, segment east of Austin went to Chicago Railways, while segment west of Austin went to County Traction Co., later Chicago & West Towns Railways. Fifth Ave. service was a branch of Madison route, operating southwest on Fifth Ave. to Pulaski.

Owl service

Certain rush hour trips limited stops introduced 6/18/2006

Carhouse: Kedzie
Bus Garage: North Ave. (5/11/52-9/5/54)
Kedzie (9/5/54-9/2/79)
North Ave. (9/2/79-6/29/84)
Kedzie (6/29/84-7/3/94)
Chicago Ave. (7/3/94-present)

6/26/11 - Through Route streetcar introduced, supplementing existing service
8/14/12 - Through Route discontinued

Operated between between Cicero/North and downtown via Milwaukee Ave.

1888 - horse car service introduced
1893 - route converted to electric streetcar
1896 - electric streetcar service introduced on Lawndale branch
10/1/45 - Lawndale branch converted to buses, transferred to route 82A Homan
5/30/54 - Cermak streetcar route converted to buses

Cermak Rd. was originally known as 22nd St. Lawndale service originally connected with 22nd St. route at Rockwell, operating via Rockwell, 25th St, and Lawndale to 35th St. Effective 5/6/09, Lawndale service connected with 22nd St. route at Central Park Ave., with trackage on Rockwell and 25th St. abandoned. From 12/19/98 to 1/30/2005, with weekend service suspended on 54th/Cermak Blue Line rapid transit, limited stop bus service operated during weekends. West terminal was 54th Ave. rapid transit terminal, until introduction of weekend limited stop service, which would operate further west to North Riverside Park Mall. After weekend limited service was discontinued, regular weekend service continued to serve Mall. Effective 6/18/2006, weekday service extended to Mall.

Owl service discontinued 9/13/81

Certain weekend trips limited stops 12/19/98-1/30/2005

Carhouse: Lawndale (until 5/11/52)
Kedzie (5/11/52-5/30/54)
Bus Garage: Lawndale (5/30/54-12/16/73)
Kedzie (12/16/73-9/2/79)
Lawndale (9/2/79-6/29/84)
Kedzie (6/29/84-9/7/86)
Lawndale (9/7/86-7/3/94)
Kedzie (7/3/94-3/23/2008)
Archer (3/23/2008-present)

1889 - horse car service introduced on Fulton-21st Street route
1894 - route converted to electric streetcar
5/8/47 - streetcar route discontinued, part replaced with bus route 15 Canal-Wacker

Route number was not publicized, used for internal accounting purposes. Basically operated from Fulton/Western, east through downtown, and west via 21st St. to Marshall Blvd.

Carhouses: Blue Island/Kedzie

1859 - horse car service introduced
1888 - segment between downtown and Diversey Ave. converted to cable car
1893 - electric streetcar service introduced north of Diversey Ave.
10/21/06 - cable car segment converted to electric streetcar
3/17/08 - Through Route Clark-Wentworth streetcar introduced
9/5/54 - buses substituted on weekends
9/7/57 - streetcar route converted to buses, Through Route discontinued

Owl service

Carhouse: Devon/77th St.
Bus Garage: North Park

1886 - horse car service introduced north of Chicago River
1896 - service converted to electric streetcar
1898 - electric streetcar service introduced south of Chicago River
12/1/12 - Through Route streetcar introduced
7/25/48 - streetcar route converted to buses
9/13/81 - discontinued

Through Route operated between Union Stockyards and Grand/Milwaukee/Halsted.

Midday service discontinued 9/10/61

Carhouse: Noble (until 8/31/47)
Blue Island (8/31/47-7/25/48)
Bus Garage: Blue Island (7/25/48-1/16/55)
Archer (1/16/55-9/13/81)

1892 - electric streetcar service introduced
4/25/48 - streetcar route converted to buses
9/7/63 - discontinued

A short route serving approximately same area as route 71 71st/South Shore between 83rd St. and 92nd St. Upon discontinuance, portions of route replaced with changes to route 27, now route 71.

Sunday service discontinued 10/22/61

Carhouse: Burnside
Bus Garage: 77th St.

1880 - horse car service introduced
1895 - service converted to electric streetcar
3/17/08 - Through Route Clark-Wentworth streetcar introduced
9/5/54 - buses substituted on weekends
9/7/57 - Through Route discontinued, renumbered route 22A
6/21/58 - streetcar route converted to buses
9/13/70 - extended south on Vincennes Ave. to 103rd St., replacing route 111A
2/15/76 - renumbered route 24
4/26/98 - extension to 103rd St. discontinued

Was Chicago's last streetcar route. Was extended south on Vincennes Ave. to 103rd St., replacing route 111A, when route 111A (now 112) was revised to feed into new 95th/Dan Ryan terminal.

Owl service discontinued 9/13/81
Weekend service discontinued 10/5/97

Carhouse: 77th St./Devon
Bus Garage: 77th St.

Original number of segment between 108th/Ewing and Hegewisch, which evolved to present route 30 South Chicago.

7/10/49 - introduced by CTA on weekends as Douglas Park Extension bus route
2/3/52 - expanded to operate daily, with closure of rapid transit line west of 54th Ave.
11/30/75 - renumbered route 25
6/18/2006 - discontinued, replaced with extension of route 21.

Replaced service on Douglas rapid transit branch west of 54th Ave. to around Harlem Ave., originally weekends only, later at all times. Originally not assigned a route number, later numbered 21B. From 7/10/49 to 2/22/59, buses housed at West Towns Bus Co. garage at Cermak/Harlem. Most service along this route eventually assumed by Pace as routes 322 and 304.

Owl service discontinued 9/7/76
Midday service discontinued 1995, replaced by Pace routes 322 and 304

Bus Garage: West Towns Bus Co. (7/10/49-2/22/59)
Lawndale (2/22/59-12/16/73)
Kedzie (12/16/73-9/2/79)
Lawndale (9/2/79-6/29/84)
Kedzie (6/29/84-9/7/86)
Lawndale (9/7/86-7/3/94)
Kedzie (7/3/94-present)

1888 - horse car service introduced
1895 - route converted to electric streetcar
2/29/48 - streetcar route converted to buses
2/5/56 - route combined into route 31 31st St.
11/10/75 - service discontinued on 26th St.

Operated via 26th St. between Halsted St. and Cottage Grove Ave.

Midday service discontinued 2/7/65

Carhouse/Bus Garage: Archer

8/31/2003 - introduced by CTA as bus route

Route supplements several routes on Chicago's southeast side.

Operated rush hours only

Bus Garage: 103rd St.

1892 - electric streetcar service introduced
4/25/48 - streetcar route converted to buses
1/24/82 - Moved to South Shore Dr. between 83rd St. and 71st St., replacing route 1
8/31/2003 - combined into route 71 71st/South Shore

North terminal was 63rd/Stony Island, extended west during 1980's to connect with Jackson Park Green Line, as that rapid transit line was shortened. Operated via Burley and Buffalo between 83rd St. and 92nd St. prior to 9/8/63, when that segment became part of route 95, later 95E, segment discontinued 12/28/97. Effective 9/8/63, began operating via Commercial between 83rd St. and 92nd St., replacing discontinued route 24 Windsor Park. Operated south of 63rd St. via Stony Island Ave. and 73rd St. and Exchange Ave. prior to 1/24/82, when revised to operate via Stony Island Ave. and 67th St. and South Shore Drive.

Owl service discontinued 2/2/92, replaced by route 5

Carhouse: Burnside
Bus Garage: 77th St. (4/25/48-6/26/88)
103rd St. (6/26/88-8/31/2003)

11/8/24 - electric streetcar service introduced
10/21/46 - streetcar route converted to buses
4/25/48 - combined with 27 South Deering route after conversion of that route to buses
9/13/81 - segment discontinued

Operated south of 112th St. to Ford plant at 128th St.

Carhouse: Burnside
Bus Garage: 77th St.

1892 - electric streetcar service introduced
12/4/49 - buses substituted on weekends
6/29/51 - streetcar route converted to buses, downtown service discontinued
8/31/2003 - route experimentally revised to operate express into downtown
6/20/2004 - service between 47th St. and downtown revised to operate rush hours only

Streetcars had operated north of 47th St. into downtown via Cottage Grove. Replacement bus service would connect with elevated train at 47th St. until 1/9/94, when extended west to Dan Ryan, connecting with Red Line. Route provided all service on 47th St. east of King Drive from 9/13/81 until 8/31/2003, when experimentally revised to operate express into downtown.

Owl service discontinued 4/26/98

Carhouses: Burnside/Cottage Grove (until 9/12/49)
Cottage Grove/77th St. (9/12/49-6/29/51)
Bus Garage: 77th St. (12/4/49-6/26/88)
103rd St. (6/26/88-present)

Internal accounting number for local streetcar service, not publically used. By the time route numbers were used for all streetcars and buses, all Cottage Grove service was identified as route 4, originally the Through Route number.

1859 - horse car service introduced
1882 - segment between downtown and 63rd St. converted to cable car
1892 - electric streetcar service introduced south of 63rd St.
7/22/06 - cable car segment converted to electric streetcar
8/12/18 - Through Route streetcar introduced south to 119th/Morgan
8/19/37 - Through Route Broadway-State streetcar introduced
9/5/54 - buses substituted on weekends
12/5/55 - streetcar route converted to buses, Through Route discontinued
9/28/69 - segment south of 95th St. transferred to route 34 South Michigan
2/15/76 - renumbered route 29

Route numbered 34 internally for accounting purposes until 1937, when State route combined into 36 Broadway-State through streetcar route. Renumbered 36A upon conversion to buses and discontinuance of through streetcar route. Through streetcar route operated south of downtown to 119th/Morgan. With opening of Dan Ryan rapid transit line, route cut back to 95th St., with new route 34 (now 119) serving points south and feeding into 95th/Dan Ryan terminal.

Owl service discontinued 4/26/98

Certain rush hour trips limited stops 2/11/63-1971
Certain rush hour trips via Dan Ryan Expressway 2/11/63-9/28/69

Carhouse: 77th St./Devon
Bus Garages: 77th St. (9/5/54-3/23/2008)
103rd St. (3/23/2008-present)

Most routes created as streetcar routes had "owl" service, or operated 24 hours a day. Most routes created as bus routes never had owl service. Owl service is mentioned, although dates of introduction are not available. Much of the owl service was eventually scaled back or discontinued. Not mentioned are situations where only a portion of a route has owl service, or where hours of service are different for different portions of a route. All routes have generally operated at least throughout the daytime, 7 days a week, unless noted.