Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Downtown
As I've said before, if someone had just had the foresight to put the Metra tracks up on a viaduct (and Roosevelt down on the ground) we'd have been a lot better off. But the two projects were planned and built separately three years apart, what today we'd describe as thinking in silos.
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A trench would have been cool. Ultimately I think it's good that we saved LaSalle as a capacity reliever for Union... I don't think anybody in 1988 saw the resurgence of Amtrak and Metra service that we've witnessed in the last 25 years. On the other hand, a connection from the Rock Island into Union Station would come in handy right now as IDOT prepares to build one for St. Louis trains (IDOT wants it at 40th Street while I and other activists want 16th).
I didn't realize a full relocation of the Rock Island was part of the discussion even after the current LaSalle was built... I guess it explains to some extent the cheap, temporary feel of LaSalle - US Equities was playing a long game to move Rock Island trains to Union. It ended up backfiring on everybody - screwing US Equities, South Loop development, and 25 years' worth of Metra commuters.