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-   -   CHICAGO: Transit Developments (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101657)

whyhuhwhy Oct 7, 2008 12:23 AM

Great news on Amtrak. 110 mph isn't exactly all the high speed though.

nomarandlee Oct 7, 2008 2:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 3842750)
Yes, New Center in Detroit and the St. Louis Amtrak station are really uncomfortable places...

Milwaukee recently rebuilt their downtown station. While it's still small, it's now modern, bright, and comfortable.

I just read on wiki that the owners are trying to get a rehab of the old station in Detroit. I wonder if it would feasible to utilizethe the station again as a terminal. It said that rehab would cost 80 mill. and it did look like it was a great station.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Central_Station

ChicagoChicago Oct 8, 2008 9:06 PM

I have no idea if this belongs in the transportation thread, but can anyone tell me what effects long term vibration exposures from trains have done to existing structures around the tracks? I work in a building that backs up to Lake and Wells in Chicago, and the building constantly vibrates. You actually feel it more when you're in the core of the building than near the windows. I work on the 21st floor, and the vibration is quite remarkable.

jjk1103 Oct 9, 2008 2:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago (Post 3846555)
I have no idea if this belongs in the transportation thread, but can anyone tell me what effects long term vibration exposures from trains have done to existing structures around the tracks? I work in a building that backs up to Lake and Wells in Chicago, and the building constantly vibrates. You actually feel it more when you're in the core of the building than near the windows. I work on the 21st floor, and the vibration is quite remarkable.

......maybe it's mice ?! :D :D :D :D

honte Oct 9, 2008 3:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago (Post 3846555)
I have no idea if this belongs in the transportation thread, but can anyone tell me what effects long term vibration exposures from trains have done to existing structures around the tracks? I work in a building that backs up to Lake and Wells in Chicago, and the building constantly vibrates. You actually feel it more when you're in the core of the building than near the windows. I work on the 21st floor, and the vibration is quite remarkable.


In most buildings, vibration is more of a nuisance than a structural issue.

Attrill Oct 11, 2008 6:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago (Post 3846555)
I have no idea if this belongs in the transportation thread, but can anyone tell me what effects long term vibration exposures from trains have done to existing structures around the tracks? I work in a building that backs up to Lake and Wells in Chicago, and the building constantly vibrates. You actually feel it more when you're in the core of the building than near the windows. I work on the 21st floor, and the vibration is quite remarkable.

I live in a house built in 1879 that is within 100' of the El. If you have a glass of water on a table you will see ripples in it when the El goes by. Our 129 year old stone foundation is still completely sound, we've had some tuckpointing done on it, but that was due to water, not the El.

Attrill Oct 11, 2008 6:31 PM

This is pretty good news!

Quote:


The CTA board approved an unusual partnership today to create a new transit fare card that also can be used to rent cars.

The joint Chicago Card Plus and I-GO car-sharing smart card might seem at odds with the interests of fostering greater use of mass transit in the congested Chicago region.

But the deal with the nonprofit I-GO will promote the "complementary nature of car-sharing and public transit," predicted Jim Fowler, CTA chief information officer.

simcityaustin Oct 12, 2008 12:08 AM

If anyone could, I would love to see some pictures of updated stations and work including new buses, and everything else related to improvements with Chi-town mass transit.

VivaLFuego Oct 12, 2008 2:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simcityaustin (Post 3851458)
If anyone could, I would love to see some pictures of updated stations and work including new buses, and everything else related to improvements with Chi-town mass transit.

For pictures of stations, I'd recommend scoping out www.chicago-l.org

For everything else, browse the CTA pool at Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/chitransit/pool/

alex1 Oct 12, 2008 4:37 PM

Chicago area transit averaged over 2 million trips per weekday in the 2nd quarter.

1,073,800 (CTA bus)
650,700 (CTA L)
-
1,724,500 Total for CTA


329,700 (Metra)
121,300 (Pace)
-
451,000 Total for Metra/Pace

2,185,500 combined.

VivaLFuego Oct 12, 2008 9:11 PM

^ And 3rd quarter is usually peak season... let's hope these trends continue. CTA is already getting 700,000+ ridership days on the rail system this autumn, and bus has continued its strong growth (which is remarkable after decades of nonstop decline leaving Chicago bus ridership merely half what it was only a few decades ago).

pip Oct 13, 2008 3:38 AM

if you people could just fix the fckn' slow zones than ridership would go up even more. Yeah I know you are working on it. But why is work listed as done when with the done work the trains crawl every single day!? Every single day year after year! Christ the Pyamids were built faster, Rome was completed 6 times.

from transitchicago.com

Work on the Red Line subway between Clark/Division and Grand, between Wilson and Sheridan, and on the southbound track between Morse and Loyola was completed in 2007. Progress was made on all four tracks (Red and Brown lines) between Armitage and Diversey during 2007.

Slow zone elimination on the remaining portion of the Red Line subway is underway. All construction between Clark/Division and Roosevelt is complete. Track upgrades between Clark/Division and the north end of the Red Line subway continues and will be complete by the end of 2008.


http://www.transitchicago.com/news/motion/szep.html#red

well thats just sad. I ride fromn Addison to Wilson and back weekdays and it is slow as anything. The Red Line tunnels going south, I only know from the beginning to Grand, is slow too.

Come one. Whats going on? Work completed?

ardecila Oct 13, 2008 8:20 AM

There is construction in the tunnels still, although it's not track-related. Construction at Grand/State and Block 37 creates construction slow zones, even though the tracks are in good shape.

k1052 Oct 13, 2008 2:09 PM

The the Howard branch is scheduled for work in 09 I believe.

The State St. subway track work is done. The Red Line flies nicely though it when I take it at rush.

Priority is on finishing the Blue Line track restoration and fixing the Ravenswood branch so we aren't crawling through slow zones between shiny new stations.

jjk1103 Oct 14, 2008 4:02 AM

...I would have to say as a somewhat frequent user....I'm in a certain amount of agreement with Pip.......I thought the O'hare Blue was finished with track restoration..yet it is constantly closed...and it seems that the Brown just crawls between Western and Southport (not just at the station reconstructions).....specifically what work is going to be done on the north Red (Addison to Howard) in 2009 ?? ....the lower half is absolutely terrible......

ChicagoChicago Oct 14, 2008 1:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk1103 (Post 3854289)
...I would have to say as a somewhat frequent user....I'm in a certain amount of agreement with Pip.......I thought the O'hare Blue was finished with track restoration..yet it is constantly closed...and it seems that the Brown just crawls between Western and Southport (not just at the station reconstructions).....specifically what work is going to be done on the north Red (Addison to Howard) in 2009 ?? ....the lower half is absolutely terrible......

I know that they are still doing track work on the brown line North of Belmont. I've seen them out there on weekends replacing old wood ties with the new composite ones.

aaron38 Oct 14, 2008 1:51 PM

My wife's commuting downtown this week, and yesterday waited 20 minutes for a #125 and said she was almost late, so she was going to take a cab today, cause she wouldn't know how long till the next bus.
So I bookmarked the CTA's bus tracker page on her iPhone, and this morning she'll be able to see exactly where the busses are as the train pulls in.
I was playing with it last night and it works great.

jpIllInoIs Oct 14, 2008 4:53 PM

Amtrak Tops One-Million-Passenger Milestone in Downstate Illinois
 
The ridership increases keep on coming

October 13, 2008
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...35288&ssid=180

Routes with Illinois-Sponsored Trains Continue Strong Growth; National Amtrak Totals Also Reach New High, Nearing 29 Million Riders
CHICAGO – Amtrak trains operated under a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation are drawing more passengers in the last 12 months, more than a year after additional frequencies were added. Total ridership on Downstate Illinois routes with state-supported trains has topped one million passengers for the first time in at least 30 years.

In all, 1,079,778 tickets were sold on Chicago-Bloomington/Normal-Springfield-St. Louis, Chicago-Champaign-Mattoon-Carbondale and Chicago-Galesburg-Macomb-Quincy routes for the Amtrak fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That is an increase of 143,546 passengers from the previous year, a 15 percent improvement.

"We are very excited to see the increase in ridership." said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Milton R. Sees. "This boost in ridership shows how important rail service is to thousands of people and Illinois DOT is proud to share in this partnership with Amtrak."

"We take great pride in operating a safe and reliable service that is giving travelers the best way to travel between busy downtowns and small cities; an option that avoids highway congestion and links communities," said Amtrak General Superintendent Daryl Pesce, who is based in Chicago.

On the Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service corridor, total ridership rose by 14 percent to exceed a half-million passengers at 543,642. Last month, the Federal Railroad Administration announced the award of $3.4 million in grants to improve reliability and decrease travel times on the route. It will fund the installation of a new trackside signal system between Joliet and Dwight and new on-train signal system from Joliet to Springfield that will allow top speeds of 110 mph.

Ridership between Chicago and Carbondale, the route the Illini and Saluki trains share with the City of New Orleans, is up by 15 percent for the corridor, totaling 304,435. For the Chicago-Galesburg-Quincy route of the Illinois Zephyr, Carl Sandburg and other trains, ridership has increased by 19 percent for the route, with 231,701 passengers.

The Illinois DOT also supports Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains between Chicago and Milwaukee which have gained more than 150,000 additional passengers in the last 12 months. That is an increase of nearly 26 percent, reaching a total approaching three-quarter-million passengers (749,659).

Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains offer seven daily departures in each direction Mondays through Saturdays, with six trains each way on Sundays. They are primarily funded by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

In all, including downstate Illinois and the Hiawathas, Illinois DOT supported routes have added nearly 300,000 passengers in the last year (297,869).

All Amtrak trains across the system saw increases in ridership. The 28.7 million total for the period October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008, topped the 25,847,531 for the previous 12 months by 11.1 percent. Total ticket revenue for the fiscal year reached $1.7 billion, a 14.2 percent increase over the $1.5 billion in FY07.

"After another record-breaking year, in which the railroad achieved double-digit growth, Amtrak has solidified its role as a leader in the nation's transportation network and proven intercity passenger rail's relevance in today's world," said Alex Kummant, President and CEO of Amtrak. "Highway and airway congestion, volatile fuel prices and increasing environmental awareness all contributed to Amtrak's successful year, as did our continually improving service and on-time performance."

Kummant added, "With the recent passage of a reauthorization bill, which includes a significant state and federal capital matching grant program, we also look forward to expanding state partnerships to provide more rail service in growing corridors nationwide."

FY08 Ridership and Revenue Chart

jpIllInoIs Oct 14, 2008 4:54 PM

Hiawatha Service Ridership Sets Record
 
Amtrak Hiawatha Service Ridership Sets Record
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...35258&ssid=180
National Amtrak Totals Also Reach New High, Nearing 29 Million Riders; Sixth Straight Year of National Ridership Growth
CHICAGO - Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains have gained more than 150,000 additional passengers in the last 12 months, an increase of nearly 26 percent, and reached a total approaching three-quarter-million (749,659) passengers between Milwaukee and Chicago for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains offer seven daily departures in each direction Mondays through Saturdays, with six trains each way on Sundays. They are operated by Amtrak under contracts with the Wisconsin and Illinois state transportation departments.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the ridership increases on the Hiawatha Service," said Wisconsin Department of Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi. "It shows that there is strong support for passenger rail service in this corridor."

"We are very excited to see the increase in ridership for the Hiawatha Service " said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Milton R. Sees. "This boost in ridership shows how important rail service is to thousands of people and Illinois DOT is proud to share in this partership with Amtrak."

All Amtrak trains across the system saw increases in ridership. The 28.7 million total for the period October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008, topped the 25,847,531 for the previous 12 months by 11.1 percent. Total ticket revenue for the fiscal year reached $1.7 billion, a 14.2 percent increase over the $1.5 billion in FY07.

"After another record-breaking year, in which the railroad achieved double-digit growth, Amtrak has solidified its role as a leader in the nation's transportation network and proven intercity passenger rail's relevance in today's world," said Alex Kummant, President and CEO of Amtrak. "Highway and airway congestion, volatile fuel prices and increasing environmental awareness all contributed to Amtrak's successful year, as did our continually improving service and on-time performance."

Kummant added, "With the recent passage of a reauthorization bill, which includes a significant state and federal capital matching grant program, we also look forward to expanding state partnerships to provide more rail service in growing corridors nationwide."

Last month, the Federal Railroad Administration announced the award of a $5 million grant to further improve reliability on the Hiawatha Service route. It will fund the installation of nearly 18 miles of new track in Wisconsin and reprogram grade crossing warning devices. The project will eliminate delays associated with ongoing maintenance of jointed rail and reduce travel time.

"We take great pride in operating a safe and reliable service that is giving travelers the best way to travel between busy downtowns and vital suburbs; an option that avoids highway congestion on Interstate 94 and links two great cities," said Amtrak General Superintendent Daryl Pesce, who is based in Chicago.

VivaLFuego Oct 14, 2008 9:11 PM

^ Those numbers imply roughly 2,000 passengers riding the Hiawatha per day, or, perhaps 300 per roundtrip.

I'd be curious what the fare recovery ratio is.


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