Despite Pleas From Near South Siders The Cta Is Axing The 31St Street Bus Next Week

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  Last Friday after work, CTA vice president for service planning Mike Connelly broke the news to the bus advocates with an e-mail notifying them that the #31 service will be kiboshed as of Monday, September 3. “Despite our efforts to provide and promote the service, the anticipated ridership never occurred and no additional financial support was secured,” Connelly said. (The transit agency had reached out to IIT and Mercy Hospital about sponsoring the service, to no avail.) Connelly says the CTA will start spreading the word about the service cut this week with notices at bus stops and aboard buses as well as on social media.



  Daley Thompson and north-side alderman Ameya Pawar, who lobbied for the #31 pilot in conjunction with efforts to bring back the full #11 Lincoln Avenue bus route, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The #11 pilot, which launched in summer 2016 with the same limited schedule, was also canceled a year ago due to low ridership.