Please join Alderman Ameya Pawar on Monday, Nov. 17, at 6 p.m. at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) headquarters (567 W. Lake St.) to rally to restore the #11 Lincoln Bus.
Alderman Pawar will be testifying before the CTA Board, along with Rep. Ann Williams, Rep. Greg Harris, and Com. John Fritchey. Together, we will state the community’s case to restore bus service.
Please make sure your voice is heard! Alderman Pawar’s office is chartering buses to shuttle people to the budget hearings. If you would like to reserve space on the bus, or want more information about these crucial efforts, please call 773-868-4747 or email: dara [at] chicago47.org
Plus: View results of the #11 Bus Survey Report [pdf]
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Here is Forward Chicago’s letter in support of the #11 Lincoln bus:
November 14, 2014
Mr. Forrest Claypool
President, Chicago Transit Authority
67 W. Lake Street
Chicago, IL 60661
Dear President Claypool,
Forward Chicago urges you to re-institute the #11 Lincoln bus from Western to Fullerton. This bus line provides a crucial link for our community members to navigate our neighborhoods and to remain active and engaged in the communities they helped to build.
As an all-volunteer, grassroots organization that works to support residents to age in our neighborhoods, we have heard story after story from older residents who have been negatively impacted by the closure of this portion of the route. Our members report not being able to get to vital community outlets in their lives: the library, the grocery store, pharmacy, Welles Park Fitness Center, Old Town School of Music, Senior Center, places of worship, and much more. These community places enhance the quality of life of our residents and are not served by a Brown Line route.
Our members further explain that due to the gap in service, they have been unable to visit family and lifelong friends, doctors, restaurants, and small businesses that have played a role in their day-to-day lives for decades.
These losses lead to increased isolation and loneliness. These losses are a great cost to our communities and far exceed the expense of a bus line. Loneliness and isolation put residents of every age at risk for negative health and psychological outcomes, which is compounded by taking away an individual’s ability to navigate independently in their community.
Chicago is an Age-Friendly Community, as designated by the World Health Organization. The closure of this portion of the #11 Lincoln Bus is in direct conflict with the city’s desire to maintain age-friendly, livable communities. The expectation that older and disabled residents have the ability to walk many blocks to the Brown Line and navigate stairs, or find another bus route, is unrealistic and unreasonable, particularly given risks associated with long trips in severe cold and heat.
We urge you to think of your older loved ones, your neighbors, and even your own future needs, as you consider re-implementing the #11 Lincoln Bus. Through this reinstitution, the CTA demonstrates that they listen to the voices of residents, value the future of our communities as residents age, and understand and are prepared for the shifting reliance on taxpayer-supported resources as they become more relevant in the daily lives of aging Chicagoans.
We look forward to celebrating the re-implementation of the #11 Lincoln Bus with you, residents, and the community at large.
Sincerely,
Forward Chicago Members
cc: Ald. Ameya Pawar; Joyce Gallagher & John Pfeiffer, Family and Support Services
Forward Chicago 
