I've heard this line a billion times and it always confuses me. It's exactly like "Cold today. So much for global warming!"

Tax incentives that were offered to Amazon were like a rebate. If you spend $10-billion, you get $1-billion back. Or discounts, "Most people get this deal are taxed $10, but we'll only tax you $5."

Nobody was just going to hand Amazon billions of dollars.

Yes, absolutely. Do you ride those buses? They move pretty quickly through the Loop and drivers are fairly respectful. My girlfriend rode the Madison bus before and after the lanes were finished and definitely noticed an improvement on the sections where lanes were built. Loop Link also created great protected bike lanes through the Loop where previously only bike messengers and diehards would ride.

The only issue with the bus lanes comes from private office shuttles loading or just idling in the lanes. Until now, the city has been reluctant to crack down since they don't want to piss off the real estate industry that operates the shuttles. You don't even need enforcement cameras to crack down (which would require a state law), just a few cops at Union and Ogilvie stations writing tickets.

Bus lanes with stop consolidation/all door boarding on Michigan Ave would be amazing. Especially if they eventually tie into dedicated lanes when LSD is rebuilt. I don't even think you're really need transit signal priority except for where the routes turn into and out of the loop and there are less disruptive implementations for that.

Um, this is Illinois we're talking about. Any such hand over wouldn't be above the table, but I wouldn't put anything past Chicago or Illinois. Just sayin...

If they could somehow "link" the loop link with the mccormick busway and improve on that that might work.

Well, there's a study under way (well, maybe actual study hasn't started yet) to use the MPEA busway for South Lakefront express buses. They'd come off Lake Shore Drive at 31st, use a new busway through the Michael Reese site and McCormick truck yards, then the existing busway. A new ramp at Balbo would allow them on and off there for the existing routes downtown.

I just wish we could try a temporary bus lane on State or Michigan during Test of Chicago and Lollapalooza. When Grant Park roads are closed, it sometimes takes 6 or J14 trips nearly an hour to go from Jackson to 31st.

I wish the CTA would look into a proof-of-payment system for buses to speed things up. I think it would help with ridership as well. By continuing to require fares for trains, most pass users will continue to buy passes.

They would need some controls in place to protect against racial profiling. And i'm not quite sure what you do the "unstable" people who won't care about enforcement.

Better yet, the city should just have a couple gaggles of bike cops circulating in the loop at all times writing tickets to any violators in the bus or bike Lanes. They would pay their salary for the year in a single quarter.

Other places do these as pilots. All it really takes is for CDOT to put out a bunch of cones and some temp signs.

Single quarter? It would pay for itself in the first DAY! I've starting yelling things at them like "RED LIGHT, IDIOT, I have the WALK sign". So far it's only gotten me a bunch of fingers flipped at me, but I know I'll probable get shot some day, so I really must stop.

The popularity of the Hiawatha service is clearly rising.
 

Pretty good summary of construction projects needed to increase Hiawatha frequency to 10 RT/day

Improving the connection: Work ongoing to enhance Amtrak service from Milwaukee to Chicago

“We’re part of the Chicago megaregion, which is one of the 10 largest economic regions in the country,” Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said at a recent news conference. “And to put it simply, commerce is about connections, and this train helps us connect to Chicago in a more frequent, more effective way.”

Joel Brennan, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, said that more than 40% of trips on the Hiawatha are business related, and 60% of those people taking the Hiawatha for business are making daily round trips.

“Businesses in this corridor clearly recognize the importance of this because 37% of the travelers indicated their business employer had paid for their ticket for these trips,” he said.

The Hiawatha service is Amtrak’s busiest line in the Midwest.

Absolutely embarrassing that Wisconsin’s Republican legislature is doing their part while Illinois is kowtowing to North Shore NIMBYs. If (and it’s a big if) the state chooses to sink money into the UP’s New Line as an alternative to the scrapped Glenview projects, it could give us a dedicated passenger corridor, which would be worth the expense, especially if the state can also gain ownership of CP’s tracks north of Rondout... but it’s very unclear where the state would get $100M for that project given our terrible budgets.

It's clear that alternative alignments are being considered and maybe the state government will decide to spend more money instead of upsetting north shore NIMBYs in Glenview. Though admittedly I would have liked to see the village flush millions down the toilet trying to oppose the project.

Amtrak considers extending Wolverine line from Chicago to Toronto
 

This seems like it would be excellent news, eh!

Amtrak considers extending Wolverine line from Chicago to Toronto

Aug 9, 2019 / 11:49 AM EDT

"EAST LANSING, Mich. — Amtrak is considering a proposal that would extend the Wolverine line’s rail service from Chicago to Toronto.

The proposal was discussed on Thursday during the Michigan Rail Conference at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The idea was first brought up in March in an Amtrak grant request.

Amtrak says the idea would involve construction of a border processing facility and upgrades to existing train stations along the way..."

https://www.woodtv.com/news/national...go-to-toronto/

Wisconsin is trying to connect to the stronger Chicago market. Illinois probably doesn't want that to happen, to keep business in state.

That would be awesome! Especially considering how marked up plane ticks seem to be to Canadian markets hopefully this would be a welcome alternative.

Absolutely.

Think about how it would affect Illinois if well paid professionals were a reasonable commuter rail ride from the Loop but lived in Milwaukee instead of Chicago. Will be even more appealing if JB gets his new income tax increase.

Wisconsin income tax would still be higher for people earning > $50,000, so well paid professionals wouldn't go anywhere. It's the businesses that would move up.

A couple of Ill & WI rail grant awards Through the FRA- SOGR program

WISDOT keeps making progress on the Hiawatha Line. Now they have a grant to add Cars and Cabs dedicated to the Hiawatha line. Most likely they will add onto the existing 137 car order piloted by ILL/CA.

Wisconsin – Next Generation Single-Level Coach and Cab-Coach Equipment Acquisition Project Up to $25,716,900

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)
The proposed project will replace deteriorated, outdated passenger cab-baggage and coach cars used in the Chicago–Milwaukee Amtrak Hiawatha Service with three single-level cab-coach cars and six single-level coach cars. The new equipment will adhere to the Next Generation fleet standards promulgated by the Next Generation Equipment Committee. The Hiawatha service is Amtrak’s ninth-busiest route, and its busiest route in the Midwest, serving almost 850,000 passengers annually. Replacement of the cab-baggage cars with cab-coach cars will increase seating capacity, reduce fuel consumption, increase equipment reliability, reduce crowding, and improve accessibility for passengers with disabilities.

Good to see ILL is getting in on some of this Fed $$ to replace an aging bridge used by Metra and Amtrak trains.

Illinois – A-32 Bridge Replacement Project Up to $17,840,000

Commuter Rail Division of the Regional Transportation Authority (Metra)
The proposed project will construct a new grade-separated double-tracked rail bridge over Milwaukee Avenue, immediately north of the Grayland Metra Station on Metra’s Milwaukee District-North Line in Chicago, IL. The project will replace the existing structure, originally constructed circa 1899 and rated in poor condition, with a new double-track bridge that will return the crossing to a state-of-good-repair and provide future maintenance and operating cost savings.

Here is the streetview https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9491...!5m1!1e2?hl=en

^ Nice. There are a lot of rickety old rail viaducts in Chicago that need replacing. More please