At the Jerusalem Congress Hall, the Binyanae HaOomah ("Bulding of the Peoplehoods"), in December 1996 or January 1967, a ceremony was held for the unification of the Egged Cooperative, the intercity operator, and the Khamkesher Cooperative, the local Jerusalem transit bus operator. My first visit to Israel in 1960 had been to check out the acoustics before the hall opened. I was present at the ceremony. where black-and-white films were projected showing very early Holy Land bus operations. The Egged name was the surviving name.
Isn't the Egged bus in Israel like a Greyhound as opposed to a city transit bus? I've always wondered.
The Chicago Transit Authority did include bus reroutes when the Dan Ryan Line and the Jefferson Park Line opened in the late 1960's but included some major reroutes and service adjustments when the Midway (Orange) Line opened. Most notably, some express bus routes on Archer Avenue were discontinued since they duplicated service on the Orange Line. Several other routes were rerouted or extended to better serve as feeders.
After the introduction of the first light rail line, it took a few months for the first reroute of buses to act as better feeders and less competitors, but it did happen. Then there were two additional stages in this process. This resulted in essentially better crosstown bus service and less need to head to the center-city for some cross-suburb journeys. It affected my morning commute to the Yeshiva via the Univesty, because on bus, the 34, doesdirectly what I once needed to do with a 25 or 45 headed to the city and then a 23 to the University, which doesn't go there anymore anyway. Then gradually there has been a renumbering of some routes to make groups more logical. In the renumbering the 200 - 299 block was left open This week I learned why. The Arab sector bus lines have had their own numbering system, but connections are also shown on the light rail maps. Now all the Arab-sector buses have had a 2 added in front of their two-digit numbers, so the 75, which I use frequently, now the 275. And traffic arrangements in the Damascus Gate area have been changed so it has a more direct route to climb the hill to the Mt. of Olives neighborhood.
There is fare integration between Light Rail and the Egged bus system. Superbus, Kav 2, and the Arab-Sector also have Jerusalem lines outside this integration. Single fares are 7.20 Sheckles, about two dollars, with half fare for seniors and students with valid senior or student cards. This give unnlimited transfers within a 90-minute period, including reverse riding, except that only one light rail trip is included. So some manage to have a quick shopping trip downtown by using light rail in one direction only, which is OK, because it encourages off-peak use of transit. The Arab-sector bus fare is only 2.60 Sheckles, with a multiride ticket that essentially gives one ride free for a purchase of ten. I use a Senior Citizen monthly pass on by stored value Rav-Cav card, that cost 222.50 Sheckles last time purchased, the regular one is twice that, and the 26.00 multi-ride for the Arab-Sector buses. I don't remember the fares I paid the last time I used Superbus, and I have yet to need to use a Kav-2 line bus.
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