CUMTD - News and Press Releases

FINALS WEEK & SUMMER CAMPUS SERVICE REDUCTION

5/8/2008

Due to a reduced demand for service in and around the University of Illinois Campus the follow service reductions will be put in place during finals week and through the summer.

21 QUAD
REGULAR 21 QUAD SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH WEDNESDAY MAY 7
3 BUS QUAD (7-8 MINUTE FREQUENCY) OPERATES THURSDAY MAY 8 & FRIDAY, MAY 9
21 QUAD SERVICE ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 7:17PM ON FRIDAY, MAY 9

21 QUAD LIMITED WITH SERVICE TO VET-MED (20 MINUTE FREQUENCY) BEGINS OPERATING FOR THE SUMMER ON MONDAY, MAY 12

22 ILLINI
REGULAR 22 ILLINI SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9 AND ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 5:07AM ON SATURDAY, MAY 10

23 SHUTTLE EAST & WEST
REGULAR SHUTTLE EAST & WEST SERVICE CONTINUES OPERATING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER

24 SCAMP/25 LOOP
REGULAR SCAMP/LOOP SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH FRIDAY MAY 9 AND ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 5:42PM ON FRIDAY MAY 9

26 PACK
REGULAR 26 PACK SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
3 BUS PACK (7-8 MINUTE FREQUENCY) OPERATES THURSDAY, MAY 8 & FRIDAY, MAY 9
26 PACK SERVICE ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 7:17PM ON FRIDAY, MAY 9

SAFERIDES
REGULAR SAFERIDES SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 9 AND ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 6:30AM ON SATURDAY MAY 10

LATE NIGHT
REGULAR LATE NIGHT SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 9 AND ENDS FOR THE SUMMER AT 6:30AM ON SATURDAY, MAY 10

AIR BUS
REGULAR AIR BUS SERVICE CONTINUES OPERATING THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER

SUMMER SERVICE
21 QUAD LIMITED, 23E SHUTTLE, 23W SHUTTLE, AIR BUS ROUTES DO NOT OPERATE ON “ALL CAMPUS HOLIDAYS” - MONDAY, MAY 26 & FRIDAY, JULY 4

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 384-8188

Bus Stop Relocation - Champaign County Courthouse

4/28/2008

The MTD bus stop near the Champaign County Courthouse in downtown Urbana has been relocated to Broadway and Elm. The relocated stop was on the Courthouse side of Broadway Avenue in downtown Urbana between Main Street and Elm Street. The new stop is on the northeast corner of Broadway and Elm, and the stop is equipped with a bus shelter. The bus stop will remain at this location until further notice.

This move is necessary to allow access to the Courthouse for the project to restore the Courthouse’s clock and bell tower. The current Courthouse shelters will be removed and that area will be fenced off for the construction project. The MTD bus stop on the west side of Broadway between Main Street and Elm Street is unaffected.

BUS STOP RELOCATION - CHAMPAIGN CO. COURTHOUSE

4/24/2008

Effective Monday, April 28, 2008, the MTD bus stop near the Champaign County Courthouse in downtown Urbana will be relocated to Broadway and Elm. The stop being relocated is currently on the Courthouse side of Broadway Avenue in downtown Urbana between Main Street and Elm Street. The new stop will be on the northeast corner of Broadway and Elm, and the stop will be equipped with a bus shelter. The bus stop will remain at this location until further notice.

This move is necessary to allow access to the Courthouse for the project to restore the Courthouse’s clock and bell tower. The current Courthouse shelters will be removed and that area will be fenced off for the construction project. The MTD bus stop on the west side of Broadway between Main Street and Elm Street is unaffected.

MTD AND ILLINOIS TERMINAL PRESENT RAILROAD PHOTO EXHIBIT

4/4/2008

There is an old saying that goes, “I love work. I could watch it for hours and hours and never get tired.” Few occupations gained this level of appreciation by the public quite like the railroad. Many people remember as children waving to crews in steam locomotives, and then waiting for the caboose to roll by with its own men taking care of the freight train. Some couldn’t get enough, and ventured further into the railroad world, to explore the yard, stations, and towers. Illinois Terminal, located in downtown Champaign, takes us into that world with a photo exhibit that documents the work and workers of railroad towers. The exhibit is free of charge and open to the public from 5:30 am until 11:30 pm every day.

To kick off the exhibit, on Sunday, May 4, 2008 at 2:00 pm in Illinois Terminal’s Room 202, Photographer Benjamin Halpern will share his experiences with the tower operators, and his documentation of their work. In 1986, Benjamin Halpern, a photographer and life-long railroad enthusiast who resides in Champaign, began documenting the former Illinois Central yard and offices in and around Champaign. It immediately became apparent that rapid advances in technology and the push toward railroad deregulation would soon change or eliminate many jobs which would change the appearance of the railroad forever. Nowhere were these changes more obvious than at the interlocking towers, once considered an iconic symbol at the entrance to a yard or junction. The tower became a relic whose purpose was nearing obsolescence, and its demise was clearly in sight.

Mr. Halpern set out to photographically document those towers which were still in operation near his home in Champaign. Along the way, he became intrigued by the railroad landscape, and was fascinated by the personal attributes of the tower operators who were working solitary shifts. Their responsibilities were transferring orders and verifying manifests and aligning switches and signals for passing trains, which ensured safe passage for the train and its crew regardless of weather or time of day.

The photographs in the exhibit are a concise, but dramatic, representation of the towers as an integral part of the railroad culture. The tower is also portrayed as home to a brotherhood of men and women, at one with their surroundings and ultimately devoted to the safety of their fellow roadmen. The exhibit includes 26 photographs.

Illinois Terminal is a transportation center situated along the Canadian National Railroad in the heart of downtown Champaign. Located at 45 East University Avenue, Illinois Terminal serves as the intermodal transportation center for intracity bus service provided by the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, intercity bus service providers including Burlington Trailways, Greyhound, LEX Express, Illini Shuttle, and Danville JARC; and rail service provided by Amtrak. Several businesses and organizations are tenants in Illinois Terminal, and the Terminal’s meeting and banquet rooms offer centrally-located and modern facilities for organizations, businesses, and individuals to gather with their colleagues and friends for special events. The Halpern Photo Exhibit will be in place through June 2008.

Public Transportation Reduces Greenhouse Gases and Conserves Energy

3/12/2008

The American Public Transportation Association has announced results of a study titled “Broadening the Connection between Public Transportation and Energy Conservation.” The study found that the most energy efficient households in America producing the least amount of carbon are located within close proximity of a bus or rail line. The people in those households drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles annually as compared to persons in similar households with no access to public transportation. Public transportation users in the U.S. save the equivalent of 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually—more than 11 million gallons of gasoline per day.

While many of the results are applicable at the national level and especially in large cities, even in small communities like ours the use of public transportation is something that an individual can do TODAY to reduce their carbon footprint, and to help alleviate congestion. The study reports that people living in households near public transportation travel 12 fewer miles per day which is 27% less than persons in households with no access to public transit. This equates to an individual household reduction of 223 gallons of gasoline a year. By eliminating one car and taking public transportation instead of driving, a savings of up to 30% of carbon dioxide emissions can be realized.

For complete study results and more information, visit the APTA website.

Public Transportation Saves $6,200 Per Household

3/2/2007

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has completed a study indicating that households can save up to $6,200/year by using public transportation. Link here.