The Chicago Transit Authority's north terminal for the Route # 52 /
Kedzie - California Avenue bus line, located on North California
Avenue approximately two city blocks north of West Roscoe Street,
has seen few if any changes. Located in an industrial and residential
district on the north side of Chicago, this was the "end of the line" for
the predecessor company Chicago Surface Lines during the electric
streetcar era, and later for the successor company Chicago Transit
Authority, with the later addition of a much safer "Off Street" -
terminal loop along the west side of North California Avenue.
Standard double ended electric streetcars were used on this line until
May of 1954, which required passengers to board and disembark in
the middle of city streets. Although some locations featured concrete
boarding safety islands, they were still largely unsafe due to some
of the local careless driving habits by some motorists in Chicago.
Apparently...not much has changed in Chicago traffic safety wise.
In May of 1954, the Route # 54 / Kedzie-California transit route,
was converted to gasoline powered transit bus operation, utilizing
1940's era White gasoline powered transit buses, based out of the
CTA's Archer Garage located on the southwest side of the city, at
Archer Avenue and Pershing Road in Chicago's Mc Kinley Park
neighborhood. (Closed. Demolished in 2014.) With the overhead
wires already still in place and on route electrical substations, this
transit route was converted to electric trolleybus operation in
December of 1955, and operated as such until March of 1969,
when it was converted to diesel and propane bus operation.
I found the streetcar photograph on the internet, while the modern
bus photograph was one I had taken, in January of 2007.
Thanks.
Eddie K.
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