ChicagoDASH Discomfort - Seats Manufactured by IMMI

The ChicagoDASH buses have become more full and riders are having to double-up - creating even more uncomfortable rides between Valparaiso and Chicago.  Sitting alone in the ChicagoDASH seats is painful enough, but when passengers have to sit side-by-side, the discomfort goes to a new level. 

Seats by IMMI - Ouch!

The manufacturer of the seats that are installed on ChicagoDASH buses is IMMI.  The company is privately-held so there is little data on the relative sizes of the company's products, but based on the information that is available, IMMI has excelled in designing safer school bus seats.  While the company's efforts on this front are laudable, designing safe school bus seats, ones in which children sit for a relatively short period, doesn't necessarily mean that the company is able to design comfortable seats for long commutes by adults.  If the seats on the ChicagoDASH buses reflect IMMI's best work on coach bus seating, the company's future in this market isn't too bright.

The new buses: Where did the common sense go?

The new buses, purchased with $2.4 million of taxpayer funds, have a number of amenities that are primarily useful only on long trips.  These amenities include Internet access (via WiFi), power outlets to keep laptops charged, bathrooms, and satellite TV.  So WHY did officials approve seats that are perhaps the most uncomfortable I've experienced.  These seats are small, crammed, and extreme hard.  It's virtually impossible to sit comfortably for an extended period.  Where did the common sense go?  Let's get these seats fixed.

Look like this rider's comfortable?

You'd think...

A one-way trip from Valparaiso to Chicago's Loop on the Chicago DASH is scheduled to be nearly 1 1/2 hours long..about the same as the time it takes to fly from Chicago to New York.   In other words, ChicagoDASH riders are sitting for a long time.  You'd think that someone would have made sure that if one thing on the new buses was suitable and safe for long trips, it would have been the SEATS.  Apparently, government officials making these decisions didn't think about this and as a result ChicagoDASH passengers ride each day in unnecessary discomfort. 

Obviously, though, the people making the decisions understood how long the rides are.  Why else would the buses be equipped with bathrooms, WiFi Internet access and even power outlets for recharging our mobile devices? 

How do you reconcile the incredibly uncomfortable and cramped seats and the obvious use of these buses for long riders?

An Open Note to ChicagoDASH Officials...

Like so many other well intentioned governmental actions, the ChicagoDASH bus service between Valparaiso and Chicago has taken a turn that has many riders squirming in their seats - literally. The problem causing the squirming is what most people would consider the most basic of commuter bus amenities - comfortable seating.

The service, run by the City of Valparaiso, started off well enough using buses leased from a private bus company. The buses initially used to provide service were nothing fancy and seemed to have some miles on them, but they offered something sorely missing in the buses recently purchased for Valparaiso - simple comfort.

The three new buses, each costing taxpayers approximately $800,000, have seats (including leg room, seat width and ergonomic design) that are horribly designed and unsuitable for riders to have to sit in for the nearly two hours some ChicagoDASH routes take. As I write this, my left leg has gone numb again, and I'm watching the gentleman in the next seat change his sitting position for the umpteenth time during this particular commute.

I count myself among the many riders who appreciate the idea behind the service. Unfortunately, the thought
isn't sufficient when it comes to taxpayer-provided services. Poor decisions can make a mess of the
best laid plans. In this case, the decision to purchase bus seat that don't serve their primary function -
comfortable seating - has taken the ChicagoDASH service more than one step back. And with the City of Valparaiso looking to bring in additional revenue by adding stops in other cities, such as Hobart, the problem will only be compounded.

Fortunately, the situation can be rectifiable, if someone in Valpo City Hall is willing to step up and take responsibility. First, City offi cials have to be willing to acknowledge that the bus seating is wholly inappropriate for people sitting in one place for 1 1/2 hours.

Second, City officials have to work with the appropriate manufacturer to correct the deficiencies of the product it provided. I trust that City officials entered into a contract with the bus manufacturers that outline how quality issues will be addressed. Finally, City officials to should actively invite riders to provide input when these decisions are being made.  Hopefully, someone steps up and fixes this critical problem.

Will Valparaiso Do The Right Thing?

The ChicaGO Dash bus service between Valparaiso and Chicago started on the right foot but screwed up when it purchased its own poorly designed buses.  The three buses comprising the fleet cost approximately $2.4 million of taxpayer funds.  For that much of our money, you'd think the buses would be safe and comfortable.  Unfortunately, they're neither.  This site is set up to remind ourselves of the perils that we face when government officials don't understand a service they're launching.  It's a long shot, but maybe Valparaiso City  officials will do the right thing and address the concerns riders have with the Chicago DASH service.