For each bus garage, bus routes are generally listed in the order in which they began operating at that garage. Unless noted, streetcar routes which these bus routes had replaced, had been based at the same garage/car house.
As buses became more widely used, not all car houses were adapted for buses, requiring some routes to be transferred when various streetcar routes were converted to buses. Other car houses were converted later into bus garages, resulting in further changes in route assignments. Longer routes generally had runs divided among more than one garage.
Various route changes were made over the years, with many changes involving routes being combined, or being split into separate routes, or a portion of one route becoming a portion of another route. Such changes as are generally not documented here if they did not significantly affect garage assignments. The Surface Transit Routes - Past And Present section of this Web site includes more detailed information on these changes.
Not included are certain downtown shuttle routes, many of which would be divided among more than one garage, and operationally were usually extensions of various main line bus routes between downtown and different parts of Chicago.
14 14th-16th (7/25/48 replaces streetcar, 1/16/55 to Lawndale)
18 18th St. (7/25/48 replaces streetcar, 1/16/55 to Lawndale)
23 Morgan-Racine (8/31/47 from Noble, 7/25/48 replace streetcar, 1/16/55 to Archer)
50 Damen (5/13/51 replaces streetcar, 1/16/55 to Lawndale)
Elston briefly housed two trolleybus routes.
Trolleybuses:
82 Kimball (6/21/31 new trolleybus route, 7/1/37 to bus-Ardmore)
55A North Elston (7/1/30 new trolleybus route, 1/21/51 to bus-North Park)
The Kimball trolleybuses were actually stored at a shed at Kimball/Peterson, and its relatively isolated location was a reason it was soon converted to gasoline buses. For the North Elston route, trolleybus wires coexisted with the streetcar wires between the car house and beginning of the trolleybus route at Lawrence Ave.
Kedzie accommodated two trolleybus routes prior to accommodating motor buses. As Kedzie was later adapted to accommodate buses, three bus routes returned to Kedzie, after having temporarily being based at North Ave. after being converted from streetcars.
Trolleybuses:
12 Roosevelt (5/24/53 trolleybus replaces bus from Lawndale, 1/13/73 to bus)
52 Kedzie (5/30/54 replaces streetcar, 12/4/55 to trolleybus, 3/15/69 to bus)
Motor Buses:
7 Harrison (9/5/54 returned from North Ave. as bus route)
6 Van Buren (9/5/54 returned from North Ave. as bus route, 4/8/56 discontinued)
20 Madison (9/5/54 returned from North Ave. as bus route)
126 Jackson (6/19/55 from Wilcox)
127 Jackson-Independence (6/19/55 from Wilcox, 1/28/73 discontinued)
128 Wacker-Orleans (6/19/55 from Wilcox)
131 Washington (6/19/55 from Wilcox)
136 Douglas (6/19/55 from Wilcox, 9/9/73 discontinued)
142 Shopping District (6/19/55 from Wilcox, 6/19/64 discontinued)
148 Monroe Parking Lot (6/19/55 from Wilcox, 1/28/73 discontinued)
149 Michigan-State-Wacker (6/19/55 from Wilcox)
157 Streeterville (6/19/55 from Wilcox)
158 Wacker-North Western Station (6/19/55 from Wilcox, 1/27/75 discontinued)
9 Ashland (9/7/57 from Limits, 2/9/64 return to Limits)
17 Westchester (12/4/60 from Lawndale)
52 Kedzie (3/15/69 replaces trolleybus)
12 Roosevelt (1/13/73 replaces trolleybus)
82A Homan (10/7/41 new route, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
37 Taylor-Sedgwick-Sheffield (9/1/47 replaces streetcar from Kedzie, 12/16/73 to Limits)
12 Roosevelt (8/12/51 replaces streetcar, 5/24/53 to trolleybus-Kedzie)
58 Ogden (9/16/51 replaces streetcar, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
60 Blue Island (9/3/49 weekends, 5/11/52 replaces streetcar, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
21 Cermak (5/30/54 replaces streetcar, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
14 14th-16th (1/16/55 from Blue Island, 3/9/55 discontinued)
18 18th St. (1/16/55 from Blue Island, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
50 Damen (1/16/55 from Blue Island, 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
17 Westchester (2/22/59 from West Towns Bus Co., 12/4/60 to Kedzie)
21B Douglas Extension (2/22/59 from West Towns Bus Co., 12/16/73 to Kedzie)
Route 82A service was suspended 12/1/42 to 10/1/45 as part of wartime conservation efforts.
Lawndale was temporarily reopened from 9/2/79 to 6/29/84, to allow for replacement of Kedzie. Lawndale was temporarily reopened again from 9/7/86 to 7/3/94, after North Ave. closed and until Chicago Ave. opened.
58A Ogden Extension (1/17/38 new route, 9/13/81 discontinued)
65A Grand Supplement (10/28/46 new route, 4/1/51 discontinued)
77B East Belmont (2/17/47 new route, 11/30/75 combined into route 77)
41 Clybourn (5/4/47 replaces streetcar from Division, 5/29/50 to North Park)
50A North Damen (6/16/47 new route, 8/1/48 to Ardmore)
98 Roscoe (1/9/49 new route, 8/5/73 discontinued)
37 Taylor-Sedgwick-Sheffield (5/29/50 from Ardmore)
46 Southport (5/29/50 from Ardmore)
8 Halsted (11/25/51 weekends, 5/30/54 replaces streetcar)
9 Ashland (5/11/52 weekends, 2/14/54 replaces streetcar, 9/7/57 to Kedzie)
153 Wilson-Michigan (6/19/55 from Ravenswood)
156 Wilson-La Salle (6/19/55 from Ravenswood)
50 Damen (9/7/57 from North Park, 2/9/64 return to North Park)
9 Ashland (2/9/64 returned from Kedzie)
Route 58A service was suspended 12/1/42 to 10/1/45 as part of wartime conservation efforts.
Former Chicago Motor Coach Co. route 153 eventually evolved into route 145 Wilson-Michigan Express, and supplemental route 151 Sheridan service operating south of Belmont Ave.
In addition, certain runs of route 36 Broadway were based at Limits at various times.
Trolleybuses:
76 Diversey (4/17/30 trolleybus replaces streetcar, CMC route, 6/19/55 to bus-Keeler)
85 Central (6/8/30 trolleybus replaces CMC route, 12/4/55 to Forest Glen)
86 Narragansett (6/29/30 trolleybus replaces CMC route, 1/31/53 to bus, 12/4/55 temporarily to Forest Glen)
78A West Montrose (1/25/31 new trolleybus route, 1/27/43 to Lawrence)
77A West Belmont (5/30/31 trolleybus replaces bus, 1/9/49 combined into route 77)
80 Irving Park (11/7/48 trolleybus replaces streetcar-Elston, 12/4/55 to Forest Glen)
77 Belmont (1/9/49 trolleybus replaces streetcar, 1/13/73 to bus)
72 North Avenue (7/3/49 trolleybus replaces streetcar, 3/23/73 to bus)
74 Fullerton (12/4/49 trolleybus replaces streetcar-Lincoln, 1/22/73 to bus)
53 Pulaski (9/16/51 trolleybus replaces streetcar, 3/24/73 to bus)
54 Cicero (11/25/51 trolleybus replaces streetcar, 3/24/73 to bus)
65 Grand (12/16/51 trolleybus replaces temporary bus, 1/15/73 to bus)
66 Chicago (5/11/52 trolleybus replaces streetcar, 3/26/67 to bus)
73 Armitage (2/1/53 trolleybus replaces temporary bus, 10/15/66 to bus)
Motor Buses:
76A West Diversey (8/11/27 new route, 4/17/30 combined into trolleybus route 76)
77A West Belmont (4/17/30 replaces CMC route, 5/30/31 to trolleybus)
80A West Irving Park (7/6/30 replaces CMC route, 5/30/54 combined into route 86)
88 Higgins (4/21/35 new route, 1/27/43 to Lawrence)
89 Northwest Hwy (4/21/35 new route, 1/27/43 to Lawrence)
57 Laramie (12/20/37 replaces streetcar)
85A North Central (10/7/40 new route, 1/27/43 to Lawrence)
70A Division Extension (10/1/41 new route, 2/4/51 combined into route 70)
74B West Fullerton (6/24/42 new route, 6/18/78 combined into route 74)
72A West North Ave. (9/1/42 new route, 1/29/84 combined into route 72)
91 Austin (9/6/42 new route, 12/4/55 to Forest Glen)
70 West Division (7/9/46 replaces streetcar)
7 Harrison (2/29/48 replaces streetcar from Kedzie, 9/5/54 return to Kedzie)
54 Cicero (12/4/49 weekends, 11/25/51 to trolleybus)
65 Grand (12/4/49 weekends, 12/16/51 to trolleybus)
70 Division (2/4/51 replaces streetcar from Kedzie)
53 Pulaski (2/25/51 weekends, 9/16/51 to trolleybus)
73 Armitage (6/24/51 temporarily replaces streetcar, 2/1/53 to trolleybus)
6 Van Buren (8/12/51 replaces streetcar from Kedzie, 9/5/54 return to Kedzie)
20 Madison (5/11/52 replaces streetcar from Kedzie, 9/5/54 return to Kedzie)
16 Lake (5/30/54 replaces streetcar)
86 Narragansett (12/4/60 returned from Forest Glen)
On 1/27/43, some routes were transferred to newly leased Lawrence Ave. Garage as part of wartime conservation efforts. Trolleybuses from route 78A and certain runs of route 85 temporarily were stored in a lot at Central/Avondale.
Routes 6, 7, and 20 from Kedzie temporarily were based at North Ave., when North Ave. was more ready to accommodate the buses which replaced the streetcars.
Route 70 included former streetcar route 68, and was formed by combining other former bus and streetcar routes into one bus route on Division.