It is worse than the Clark switch...since that has been updated with new signals and new switch...so it should be perfect by now....it is the fact that it is an example of CTA's management style...which is why we have the issuesm going out of wack now. The slow zones popped up over night. That is almost a miracle....if you ask me...just over night. The Redline (newspaper article in yesterday's tribune) has gone to hell in a hand basket with rail failure...this after they inspected it for a few days after the blue line problem.

The fact that we have a CTA that cannot at least maintain what we have....
They are waiting for a huge accident to say we told you so give us more money.

CTA Train Derails

***ODDLY ENOUGH THERE WAS A CTA STORY ABOUT THE RED LINE THIS MORNING THAT HAS DISAPPEARED!***

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...,2137527.story

CTA train derails

By Jeremy Gorner
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 19, 2006, 1:03 PM CST


CTA elevated tracks shared by the Orange and Green Lines in Chicago's South Loop were shut down this afternoon following a train derailment that forced the evacuation of roughly two dozen passengers, authorities said.

Ten ambulances were sent to the scene of the derailed northbound Orange Line train. The rear car of the four-car train left the tracks around 11:40 a.m. just south of the Roosevelt Road station, authorities said.



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December 19, 2006




The Chicago Fire Department escorted stranded passengers from the train and transported them to the ground using a snorkel basket, fire department spokesman Larry Langford said.

One person suffered an apparent anxiety attack, and another may have had an asthma attack, Langford said. Those two individuals and other passengers were being examined by paramedics at the scene. No serious injuries were reported.

Passenger Aisha Parker, 28, was in the rear car when it derailed. "The train was going around the turn, and it started shaking real loud," she said.

Immediately after the derailment, the train came to a stop and passengers started to stand up, Parker said. She then noticed the car was leaning and said she feared a shift in weight might cause the train to fall off the elevated tracks.

"I said, 'We're leaning, we're leaning. Everybody sit still,' "she recalled.

Power was temporarily shut off along the tracks, and the CTA was providing a shuttle bus for stranded Green and Orange Line riders, said Chicago Transit Authority spokeswoman Wanda Taylor.

Due to the derailment, shuttle buses were operating in both directions between the Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT stations for Green Line commuters, according to the CTA's Web site. At Roosevelt, customers can take a Red Line train or the No. 29 State bus to continue their commute.

The two extremities of the Green Line were operating—from Oak Park/River Forest to the Loop on the north and west, and from Ashland/63rd and 63rd/Cottage Grove to 35th Street on the south.

Orange Line trains were operating between Midway Airport and the Halsted station, where passengers were advised to transfer to the No. 62 Archer bus to complete their trips into the Loop. Also, shuttle buses were operating in both directions between Halsted and Roosevelt.

Chicago police cordoned off Wabash and State Street for several blocks south of 13th Street.

Tribune staff reporter Mitch Dudek contributed.



Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

The South Shore expansion is much farther along in the planning stages than this expressway.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/c...l=chi-news-hed
New Yellow Line station could bring court fight

By Andrew Schroedter
Special to the Tribune

December 19, 2006, 8:50 PM CST

Skokie may soon begin eminent domain proceedings against two landowners to make room for a new Yellow Line stop, with the Village Board approving the step Monday if negotiations to buy the properties fail.

The Chicago Transit Authority railway station, expected to open on Oakton Street in 2008, could still be built without the additional parcels at 8116 and 8152-8200 Skokie Blvd., said Tom Thompson, Skokie's economic development coordinator.

But acquiring the land is vital because extra space is needed for a "kiss and ride" stop, a bus turnaround and a taxi drop-off area, officials said.

"You have to have more than just the property where the station sits," Thompson said.

The village has made several bids to buy the properties, officials said, but the buyers have not agreed to sell at a price that was determined by the village's appraiser.

"We've simply reached an impasse," said Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen.

Negotiations will continue, but if an agreement is not reached soon, the village could move ahead with the eminent domain proceedings. That step, unanimously approved by the Village Board at Monday's meeting, wasn't entered into lightly, officials said.

"This has been a goal of the village, to build this stop," said Trustee Randall Roberts. "This is a vital economic project for our village. This is very necessary."

The Skokie Boulevard properties house an auto repair shop and a truck rental business. Attempts to reach the property owners were unsuccessful.

The Oakton Street stop would be the third along the CTA's Yellow Line—also known as the Skokie Swift—which runs between Dempster and Howard Streets.

The location was chosen because of its nearness to the Illinois Science and Technology Park, a major employment hub in the village.

Plans for the new stop have been in the works for years. Federal and state grants totaling $10 million will offset the cost of the station, which the village hopes will spark redevelopment of the downtown area.

Skokie isn't using eminent domain to seize property for residential or commercial development, Van Dusen noted. The land would hold a railway station that would shuttle hundreds of commuters to work, home or other trains.

"We very much like to foster a cooperative spirit with our business community," Van Dusen said. "We don't want people to feel like they're under attack."
Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

^They should "seize" the giant Aldi parking lot nearby, too. But as long as they don't touch the Crafty Beaver, it's all good. Downtown Skokie really needs this.

http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/m...=n&searchType=

At Deadline

Bids for CTA's Grand redo come in high

Plans to renovate the CTA's Red Line subway stop at Grand Avenue have hit a financial hurdle, with the low bid coming in at $67.25 million, more than twice the city's estimate. A Chicago Department of Transportation rep says the department hopes to get more funding, but may have to seek new bids. The new station would feature bright lights, colorful tile and elevator service similar to renovated stops at Chicago Avenue and Lake Street. [Greg Hinz]

I don't understand how bids can come in at DOUBLE what the city estimated. My guess is either city incompetence or bid collusion on the part of the contractors. Also, how can it cost over $65 mil to replace some lights and tiles. I get on at Lake regularly and I just don't notice more than $5-10 mil worth of renovations. I guess the elevator can add an extra 1 or 2 mil but 67.25?

Well lets not just think the the General Contractors are bilking the CTA, or that the CTA is too incompentent. There is alot of costs that you never really see. The cost of using union trades with overtime pay, temporary barricades, the cost of working underground, i.e. moisture issues, moving materials, age of the last renovation.

I know it's all too easy to call the CTA names or just expect anything the City does is full of graf but there are some real costs that can be pushed aside.

I'd like to see the design drawings for this, they must be planning something major (Carroll Ave. streetcar hookup? :) ) otherwise I can't see how this would be so drastically higher than the Chicago rehab which I think was under $20 million about 7 years ago, which did involve significant excavation at the mezanine level as well as all the elevator, tiling, and lighting work.

I think it's trying to find land or space to construct an elevator, that doesn't effect the existing building nearby on the street level. Also to excavate the extra dimensions needed for ADA. Also there might be some issues on finding a spot to place the elevator on the side platform since both staircase/escalators are on the middle of the platform.

In response to the Grand reno, I just hope they move away from that tacky sage green and red tile scheme that was first used at Roosevelt. It's too busy, looks silly and won't age well. If they want bold why not a modern approach... a swath of bright color like yellows, greens or orange with the rest of the tile or paint a more muted warm gray or white(cleanliness)? This complimented with the stainless steel and black accents would look more on par with world class systems like the Underground, U-Bahn, the Paris Metro or that kick ass new line in Santiago, Chile.


http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...3493ojcopy.jpg

Santiago

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...nderground.jpg

London

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...7kobe18sta.jpg

Kobe

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...5ba13ab5_o.jpg

?, Japan

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...einstrasse.jpg

Berlin

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...orto/o_149.jpg

Berlin

A new U-Bahn station under construction in Berlin. Note bold wall paneling, while CTA stations are obviously more cramped and dramatically less spacious than this project, there is no reason similar design treatments could not occur here in Chicago:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...o/P1010049.jpg

Berlin

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q..._sublevels.jpg

Vienna


If you aren't going to do something minimal, slick and modern, at least go all out and do something wonderful and beautiful like this station in New York:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q.../img_57786.jpg

NYC


Although I do like the neo-historical entrances of State Street and the Chicago station, you've got to admit these would look fantastic in Chicago:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...horto/0013.jpg

Bilbao

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...balaba64by.jpg

I believe this is Santiago


For over 60 million dollars, we should be getting something more like this, a personal favorite of mine, the copper clad Arts et Metiers station in Paris. Stunning:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...orto/metro.jpg

Paris

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...orto/prs37.jpg

Paris

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...1bf892e14a.jpg

Paris

Thanks, Busy Bee, for providing the most depressing post in the entire thread! No, seriously, thanks a lot.

With all the design talent here, and the constant urge to be "world class," you have to wonder what the hell the problem is. Get with it, people!

Tell it to the city and CDOT, spend some actual money on transit infrastructure, not only on bike lanes, over/underpasses, etc.

I understand your point, but I just can't see how the numbers add up. Also, I think at this point it is not unreasonable to place the burden on the CTA and city contractors to show us where the costs are coming from.

^ Really. I've thought about this too - if we can dig miles and miles of giant sewer lines, how hard could it be to provide new subways? Sure, it's more complicated due to proximity to the surface and downtown buildings, but it must not be more challenging than Deep Tunnel. Is there a major difference, or just spending priorities?

All the contracts, specs, and procurement files for government agencies (CDOT and CTA included) are publicly available via the Freedom of Information Act, so if you're so concerned about impropriety why don't you have a look at them instead of merely waxing righteously indignant with general accusations backed up with no specifics?

^ Yes, this is true... but I don't think just because FOIA is around, all citizens should be expected to go digging every time something comes up. It would be nice to see the real figures for these kinds of projects printed in a business journal (say, Crains) on a regular basis. It would help demonstrate the transparency of the process and alleviate some of these kinds of public misgivings.

Plus, I don't know about the transit side, but the permits department as an example is absolutely horrendous for pulling old data. I can't express how frustrated that department makes me... rude, slow, and totally disrespectful - and often they don't give you what you're looking for.

Should Chicago scrap the Loop???
 

I visited Chicago for the first time back in September, and was extremely impressed with everything except for the condition of the public transportation. Great coverage, but poor condition, since it's over 100 years old what should I expect, right?

http://www.chicago-l.org/trains/gall...0/accident.jpg

http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/im...-wabash01t.jpg

Anyways, should Chicago scrap the El Loop for better conditioned subways?

:previous:

That would be pure blasphemy.

Improve speed, track condition, and efficiency yes.

Scrap the EL, unthinkable.

Funny you should say that. The CDOT commissioner takes the el to work every day and barely drives anywhere. Many CDOT people take the el/bus and most of the others take metra.

I think the problem is at City Hall, or IDOT. It is not at CDOT. The Transit division is hiring more people at CDOT, fyi. Not alot, but it is starting to grow.:)