What about Blue Line? Will they ever more rail service extension?

Blue Line Tiger III Grant
 

Looks like the Blue Line scored a little money for 3 mile of track and a bike facility..

http://www.rtands.com/newsflash/chic...rant-4827.html.

^^ I'm confused. That track is not a slow zone, according to CTA's own maps. From personal experience, I know there is a southbound slow zone around California. But how can it possibly cost $20 million to replace only 1600' of track?

CTA did rebuild all the track in the Dearborn Subway and between O'Hare and Addison.

^ The report quoted says '3.6 miles' of track.

Also, not all 20 million will go to the blue line. Some is also going to the bike sharing program.

Yeah, but the slow zone map I linked to (the most recent one at the top) only shows 1600' of slow zones.

^ Maybe they are trying to prevent future slow zones?

Emanuel, Quinn hope bicycles fill the missing link in mass transit


December 16, 2011

By Jon Hilkevitch

Read More: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,3771067.story




Gov. Pat Quinn, from left, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gather Thursday at the Logan Square CTA station to announce a $20 million federal grant for Blue Line repairs and a bicycle-sharing program. (José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune / December 15, 2011)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...2/66804248.jpg

Could also be they knew they were going to get it and so already did the work and will just replace the money they used.

But more likely it's that the current condition is such that they can keep it out of slow zone status, but it takes more and more work to do so, so replacing track or whatever it is they're doing provides a more permanent solution.

Hopefully they can use the recycled-plastic ties and modern tie clips to give the track a longer lifespan than the previous generation of track.

I just have a fundamental issue with CTA using one-time grants to pay for periodic maintenance. What's gonna happen when we get conservatives in Washington (it's guaranteed to happen eventually) and the well dries up? We're still gonna need to find those maintenance funds somewhere.

Will Rahm Emanuel Show America What BRT Can Do?


December 19, 2011

By Ben Schulman

Read More: http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/12/19...at-brt-can-do/




With Mayor Rahm Emanuel signaling a commitment to high-performance bus rapid transit, the Chicago-based nonprofit Metropolitan Planning Council envisions a 95-mile BRT network that would carry an additional 71,000 daily riders.

http://dc.streetsblog.org/wp-content...12/MPC_BRT.jpg

^ I gleamed through the study, and it is very interesting, but I have 2 reservations:

1. I'm not convinced that improving transit will go very far in promoting infill development in many areas of the south side, as mentioned in Chicago's BRT study. Just looking at the fields of grass surrounding south side Green Line L stops pretty much backs up my assumption. I think gangs, violence, and drugs kind of hold most of these areas from redevelopment. Having a fancy BRT route, even one that is well implemented, may certainly improve ridership and connectivity, but I don't see a lot of infill happening until the whole gang/drug thing is solved. That is why I am disappointed to see that so many of the BRT routes are in those areas of the city.

2. Will the city do anything to addess zoning along these BRT routes? If I can still build a strip mall next to a BRT station, then what's the point of all of this investment? I especially am targeting Western Ave, which already has been pockmarked with strip centers, auto dealerships, and large parking lots.

Laying track down has more of a sense of permanence to it and more likely to attract transit prompted development.

Look at it from a political perspective. It's best if all demographics are behind Emanuel's transportation agenda. If you look at some of the BRT lines as the political price for support, then it's a pretty low price relative to expensive rail.

Plus, the BRT lines have a regional impact. Imagine the benefits that would accrue from a rapid bus connection between Hyde Park and Midway, for example. The South Side contains 2/3 of the city's land area and many strong neighborhoods. Connecting those isolated areas of strength can only benefit the South Side.

Just a few questions on the Union Station redevelopment. Redistributing the lines from the WLTC to go under Canal and Clinto does sound like a much better option to me.

However if the plans to go down the Canal/Clinton route were set forth then would that essentially put the 222 Riverside tear down out of play or would there still be a push to redevelop the 222 Riverside with through tracks? If it was still in play then I'm a bit confused why there would be the need to also put HSR/regional tracks under Canal Street.

No well ever runs dry...just an Old Wives Tale!!!
 

Yep Ardecila...... a terrible prospect looms before us when the money actually used by our omniscient government is finally not borrowed and printed. By the way....the "well" is dried up and empty.....the hacks and incompetents in Washington just haven't got the memo yet. Don't worry.....they'll be just fine but I worry a bit about you and me. We need to be more self sufficient in terms of our needs.......city needs that is.

I don't know of any connection between the two. The city is interested in a WLTC that was first talked about for Clinton and now for Canal. Meanwhile, a group of railfans with no power to do anything had a rendering prepared of a rebuilt Union Station concourse with no 222.

I'm envisioning Union Station remaining as the preferred location for intercity and "standard" commuter trains, with the under-Canal tracks reserved for a new class of regional trains running through downtown, like Paris' RER. Such trains would make all local stops out to the 355 ring, while Metra would continue to operate push-pull trains as express service to the outer suburbs.

This is veering into fantasy territory, but later phases of the Chicago RER could connect Millennium, Water Tower, and Clybourn, with the St Charles Air Line seeing some service as well. If you route the lines correctly you can connect every suburban line to every major downtown destination and employment node with at most one transfer.

^
I would add a connection to Ohare to that fantasy list. The ROW exists and is plenty wide. Add Ohare express service on the new thru tracks at CUS and you can have 1/2 hourly service from Millenium; McMk place and CUS direct to Ohare. Along with a short extension of the ppl mover to either the existing transfer station or to a the existing Rosemont Metra Station on Balmoral St and you have some direct O'hare service from the Loop which I venture would be far cheaper and faster to implement than any Blue Line express that involve new track.

I was only talking about downtown stuff. I'm assuming that there would also be a suburban branch running through O'Hare Central and O'Hare West, or at least to a spiffy new O'Hare Transfer at the current site with a People Mover connection.

Unfortunately the current plans for the long-term parking site are a huge garage with a not-even-half-assed transit connection. Basically the same as Midway, because the city doesn't seem to give a crap about making connections quick and pleasant.

Instead of BRT, wouldn't it make sense to re-instate express service on Irving Park, Western and Ashland first? (I don't remember which other corridors were cut)