ChicagoDASH - Increasing Our Commuting Time

Valparaiso's ChicagoDASH "Express" Bus Service to downtown Chicago will soon be less of an express if it adds another stop in another city along the way.  Currently, the travel times between Valpo and Chicago on the ChicagoDASH can approach two hours (see the ChicagoDASH bus schedule).  The addition of another stop will significantly increase the time commuters sit on these rather uncomfortable buses.

The reasons for this decision are unclear at best, especially in light of recent news reports about ridership being at all-time highs. 

Taking the passenger discomfort to new levels - Poorly Designed Seats

This morning's ride on the ChicagoDASH bus service opened my eyes further to how poorly designed these bus seats are and how the design ends up inflicting extreme discomfort on riders.  The first bus to Chicago was full enough to require a good number of customers to double-up.  I was one of the riders sitting next to someone - something I don't usually complain about.

Here are some of  flaws built into the overall design of these buses.  The seat manufacturers, IMMI,  as well as ChicagoDASH officials who purchased these buses both have to bear responsibility for the poor design.  However, our government officials can rectify the problems if they are willing...Are they?

1. As I sat down, my booty was painfully greeted by the seatbelt buckle which was strategically placed to ensure that riders can't use these seatbelts pain-free.
2. After removing the seatbelt buckle from my keister's left-hand cheek, I winched as a unidentifiable, but carefully place, metal tab introduced itself to the other cheek.
3. This metal tab, placed at the back of the seat, forced me to scooch forward a bit.  Doing so, however, forced my knees even further into the seat in front of me.
4. I then tried to straighten my legs just a few inches to relieve the pressure on my knees, but as I did so, I realized that there is another metal plate angled down from the bottom of the seat in front of passengers.  This plate digs into riders' shins preventing them from straightening their legs to remove their knees from the backs of the seats in front of them.
5. And lock riders into place, the pièce de résistance, are the limited "reclinability" of the seat backs.  This ensures that passengers cannot escape from the various features I've described here.

Most of us prefer not to complain about less-than-optimal service.  However, the situation with the ChicagoDASH buses go well beyond being "less-than-perfect."  The design flaws are so blatant that one is left wondering two things:  Have the seat manufacturers previoulsy built bus seats?  And who are the decision-makers who selected and purchased these seats?

SAFETY - The Real ChicaGO DASH Issue

Narrow Aisles:  In an emergency,
would these be enough to let us out?

The buses purchased area, without a doubt, unsafe. The extremely narrow aisles make it difficult for most people to walk down them easily (i.e. most people have to “shimmy” their way down the aisles). For some people, it becomes a true challenge to get up and down these walkways. When I see this, it makes me cringe to think about what would happen to these people if one of these buses were to be involved in an accident. While the buses may meet whatever requirements may be promulgated by the federal government, this does not relieve local officials from exercising more sense and better judgment to ensure that residents are safe.

This problem will only be exasperated as the bus is crammed with more riders and I would encourage you to address this issue before something horrible does occur. We may all want to avoid having to think about them, but accidents unfortunately do occur. With our region's stretches of bad weather, construction and crowded highways, the likelihood that something unfortunate does happen only increases. Pointing the finger back at federal officials and laying the blame at their feet would be irresponsible – especially when the issue has been brought to officials' attention beforehand.

Coming Soon: Longer Ride, More Discomfort



Two hour rides with bruised knees



Apparently the ChicaGO DASH "powers that be" aren't yet satisfied with taking a good concept down a few notches with the purchase of poorly designed buses (purchased, of course, with taxpayer money).  Now, as reported in local Northwest Indiana newspapers, the government officials who brought to you ridicuously uncomfortable buses, now want to add a stop in another city to cram more riders on these buses.

Of course, adding another stop will make the trip between Valparaiso and Chicago.  Currently, this trip runs well over an hour.  The real problem though is putting more riders on buses that seem to be designed by a group of old Soviet engineers.  Had someone thought about rider comfort and safety, filling every seat wouldn't be a problem.