I’d say that they need to get it approved and off the ground to be able to float about being the first. Many ideas like this have come and gone, but having United Airlines behind it gives this some credibility.

The article specifies they will start offering service from Newark airport to Manhattan. Not sure we’ll be first. I live near the helipad and I’m really not looking forward to this noise every 15 minutes.

Ah yes. More transport innovation from Silicon Valley. An electric helicopter that almost certainly burns more CO2 to produce than a normal helicopter does in its entire lifecycle.

The heliport location also makes this largely useless since you still have to get a car to get anywhere.... this is in contrast to Manhattan where you can actually just walk from Wall Street to the helipad. Manhattan being an island and the tunnels/bridges being gridlocked 75% of the time also makes NY a much more compelling use case... a use case that is already proven with Blade offering traditional helicopter service for $195 per seat.

Given the location of the "vertiport" a ~10 minute drive from downtown, I'd think they'd need an integration deal with some ride hail app to make this work.

I suppose some execs might just have their secretaries schedule a car and a VTOL and a plane ticket separately and not care, but they'll broaden their audience if people in a hurry can book at least the car and VTOL together with one tap.

And given they're flying specifically to O'Hare, and probably heavily targeting United ticketholders even if they'll take others' money, I'm expecting they'll end up encouraging people to share VTOL rides during the times leading up to popular airline route departures.

It could be like a flying public bus for people with expense accounts.

23 March Damen Green Line station progress via FH Paschen- https://www.instagram.com/p/CqIxQyQN...d=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://cdn.inflact.com/media/337259...e909d773896c5c

Unbelievable how long it takes to pour foundations for a one-story building... and after several years of delay on the actual construction start!

I know they are reinforcing the existing steel El structure, which is more time-consuming work and very delicate with Green Line trains passing every few minutes...

Looks like Amtrak is also seeking $175 million for the program through their annual portion of IIJA. Amtrak wasn't kidding about applying for every possible grant to fund Chicago Gateway. Hopefully we hear some good news soon.

Grant request: https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/...ials-FINAL.pdf

Union Pacific Transferring Commuter Rail Services to Metra
https://www.up.com/media/releases/me...-nr-230330.htm

Does UP even use these tracks for anything other than passenger rail? I've always assumed they are shared lines, but maybe I totally made a bad assumption. I'm only familiar with the UP-NW route and have never seen anything other than Metra on the routes.

The UP-West runs on Union Pacific's trunk line to California. Lots of freight traffic.

April 2023 Plan Commission
 

132 E. Van Buren St. &
401-407 S. Michigan Ave.
(Loop, 42nd Ward)

A proposed Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection Ordinance application, submitted by the Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority ("Metra"), for the property located at 132 E. Van Buren St. and 401-407 S. Michigan Ave. The site is currently zoned IPD No. 677, T District, POS-1 and is within the Public Use Zone of the Lake Michigan and Chicago Lakefront Protection District. The applicant proposes to rehabilitate the Van Buren commuter rail station. The project will renovate station components and include a green roof as part of overall roof improvements, tunnel and stair construction, elevator “Pop-up” enclosures, ADA Improvements, platform improvements, and Van Buren Pedestrian Bridge ADA improvements.

Trying to read between the lines here, perhaps a little too closely. Is there even the smallest chance this funding could attempt to parlay this into decking over the station and that segment of Grant Park? I mean, talking about green roofs and "pop-up enclosures" certainly makes me ponder that the push to deck over the station could be attempted. How I wish......

No. There was an article detailing some of the renovations that included an elevator shaft where the current Paris metro donated iron work is. It would be a pretty conventional “pop up” elevator shaft that meets ADA requirements. The roof that would be greened is the one over the current station that is west of the tracks probably would not even include the overhang over track 1, but I could be wrong.

Yeah the green roof would replace the ugly gravel roof portion above the stationhouse, and tidy up all of the mechanical equipment in that area.

Supposedly it will also include a 3rd platform on the east side that will turn this from a 3-track station into a 4-track station. A 4th mainline track is needed through this area once South Shore starts running their West Lake trains to Dyer.

Overall this is a much-needed investment in a crumbling area of Grant Park. Hopefully they can do Congress Plaza next... for such an important part of the cityscape and a historically important site of protest, it's really in terrible condition.

Does anyone know the most effective methods of lobbying for small changes in the walkability/streetscape of your neighborhood? (Ie. raised crosswalks, bumpouts, etc.)

Last night I walked to meet a family member to watch the championship game at a bar two blocks away from my apartment, and each way almost got hit by a car turning into a crosswalk where I had the right of way... so yeah, I'm thinking I'm pretty fed up.

https://www.looper.com/img/gallery/t...1638649352.jpg

Write to your alderman or their chief of staff... each alderman gets "menu money" every year to do small projects. If you can rally a few hundred neighbors to support your idea and the cost is reasonable, there's a good chance you can make it happen. Raised crosswalks are not fully embraced by CDOT yet, but you can get a bumpout, a flashing stop sign, a median refuge island, restriping the crosswalk with paint, etc.

CDOT is also piloting "left turn hardening" which could be a solution for your problem, but those little flexposts don't survive very long:
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/dept...e-to-impr.html

Here's a Q&A Crain's editorial board held for Johnson two weeks ago, below are his responses regarding transit. Glad to see the Union Station revamp and BRT are a priority!

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/poli...-questionnaire

Does anyone know if there are any future plans to build overpasses for grade separation in those tracks north to Union Station in West Loop? For all the new high density developments in West Loop, level crossings make the neighborhood feel somehow underdeveloped and industrial. Not to forget these tracks are used by 3 Metra lines and Amtrak services to the west, being one of the main arteries feeding Union Station.

NONE, although there is a plan to add a Metra station at Racine. https://chicago.urbanize.city/post/w...-alderman-says

I just read in Chicago YIMBY that the Van Buren Metra station overhaul is going to cost 100 million USD. That only includes changing and expanding the entrance in the east side of Michigan Avenue (the one with the Paris Metro art nouveau access structure), replacing broken windows and overall esthetics of the west entrance, making the roof a rooftop garden, adding stairs and a ramp to the existing bridge crossing the station, some basic updates to the house station + platform and adding a new access via Jackson street with ramps and elevators. How can this cost 100 million USD? This seems overly expensive.