Chicago adds dedicated CTA bus lane on northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Wacker Drive
Chicago is adding a dedicated CTA bus lane on northbound Michigan Avenue between Roosevelt Road and Wacker Drive, the city announced Wednesday. The 1.5-mile lane is meant to cut delays along one of the busiest downtown corridors in the CTA system.
The Chicago Department of Transportation will begin installing pavement markings and signage this week. Work will take place overnight and is expected to be finished within seven to 10 days, weather permitting, according to the city.
An estimated 22,000 CTA bus riders travel through that segment of Michigan Avenue every weekday, the city said. About 1,490 buses on 21 different routes are expected to use at least part of the new lane each day.
The project puts bus riders ahead of general traffic on a downtown stretch that carries dense local, regional and office-commute demand. The city described Michigan Avenue in the Loop as one of the busiest areas in the CTA bus system.
The new lane falls inside the enforcement area of a city program that uses automated cameras to ticket drivers for parking and standing violations in bus lanes, bike lanes and bus stops. That program, Smart Streets, has generated nearly $4.5 million in fines since it began in November 2024, according to city data released this month.
After the lane is installed, the city said it will spend the first six months conducting field observations and collecting data on bus travel times, traffic operations and safety along the corridor.
The announcement was made with the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, the region's new oversight body. CDOT worked with IDOT because Michigan Avenue is under IDOT jurisdiction.
City officials have framed the lane as a low-cost way to move more people on a street where buses often slow behind turning vehicles, delivery trucks and congestion. The project also gives the city a test case for whether automated enforcement can keep the lane clear.
