By JOHN CHARLES WILSON
Metro Transit’s quarterly service changes on 26 Match 2022 that affect the alley readership area are as follows:
- The Orange Line’s 15 minute southbound frequency is being extended from 7 to 8 PM.
- Route 2 will have minor adjustments to better reflect current usage.
- Route 5 will have minor adjustments to better reflect real travel times.
- Route 14 will have less morning school day trips to South and Roosevelt High Schools, and will run every 20 minutes instead of every 15 minutes during rush hours.
- Route 22 will have minor adjustments to reflect real travel times downtown and will also be cut to once every 20 minutes instead of every 15 minutes during rush hours.
- Route 27 will have schedule adjustments for better connections with the Orange Line.
In addition to this, Metro Transit is planning to make Route 22 more efficient, starting in August 2022, by simplifying the route and by cutting back on stops to increase speed. The simplifications include cutting back from four to two branches on the north end, and eliminating a minor route deviation at rush hours through a residential neighborhood on the far south end. These changes have little impact on Phillips residents. However, some of the planned stop reductions are in Phillips:
- The stops on Cedar Ave. at 27th St. in both directions are slated for elimination.
- The northbound stop on Cedar Ave. at Lake St. by the cemetery is proposed to be moved to the other side of Lake St. by the City Market.
There is light at the end of the tunnel for those of us who don’t like wearing masks. The mask requirement may end 17 April 2022. This is something many have waited a long time for!