Reminder Notice About CTA Red Line Extension Meeting
 

CTA sent a reminder. E-Mail...

You're invited to a Public Hearing on the
Red Line Extension Project
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation Available for Public Review

CTA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are proposing to extend the Red Line 5.3 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street. Click here to learn more about the project.


Tuesday, November 1, 2016
5:30 to 7:30 PM
St. John Missionary Baptist Church
211 E. 115th Street, Chicago, IL 60628
This location is served by:
CTA Bus #34, #115, #119, and Metra Electric Kensington Station

This facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
This meeting will be conducted in an open house format.


CTA and FTA have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) based on the technical analysis of impacts of the proposed project. The Draft EIS documents the benefits and impacts of the alternatives being considered, which include impacts to parks and wetlands. Click here to review the Draft EIS on the RLE Project website. Hard copies of the Draft EIS also are available for review through November 30, 2016. Click here to learn more about reviewing the Draft EIS.

Comments on the Draft EIS are being accepted until November 30, 2016 at 4:30 PM. Comments on the Draft EIS may be made verbally to a court reporter or in writing during the hearing. You also can submit comments via e-mail to RedExtension@transitchicago.com or by mail to Chicago Transit Authority, Strategic Planning, 10th Floor, Attn: Red Line Extension Project, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60661.

Do you require assistance?
If you require an interpreter, including sign language services, or other accommodations at this public hearing, contact Gerald Nichols, CTA Government and Community Relations, at least 5 days before the public hearing at 312-681-2710 or GNichols@transitchicago.com.

Para más informacion en Español, llame al 312-681-2710
Customer Information: 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282)

Thank you for your continued interest.

RLE Project Team
Chicago Transit Authority



St.John Missionary Baptist Church is the same location where the CTA presented its findings years ago. Several community organizations were present then. It will be interesting to measure the community's interest and has it gained or lost interest through these years.

DH

Yeah who would want to build ugly aerial structures to carry trains? Certainly not appropriate for Chicago of all places!



In all seriousness, I could see this actually happening since it obviously also caters to Related who, as we know, basically got a subway line built to their last giant railyards redevelopment in NYC. I don't give a rats ass if it's on an elevated viaduct or not, build it, we need something like this.

Also, it clearly caters to Sterling Bay who is planning a similarly massive redevelopment of the North Branch PMD. So really this is quite similar to the London example for much of it's route. It would obviously be better to have this run below grade, but we don't have the money to do it. I would be OK with it being at grade along canal, they may as well just shut that street down already, it's always a clusterfuck anyway. Just turn it into drop off lanes for Union (O'Hare style with waiting islands) and then LRT ROW along one side. Everywhere else on the route has existing ROW or could easily lose a traffic lane or could easily accomodate new ROW due to vacant land.

This is dope and designed by Carol Ross Barney so it will turn out dope when actually built. I just wish they were adding a South Entrance to the station at Barry, I don't know why this station only has one entrance, adds an extra two block walk for like half the people who use the station, maybe more since no one lives directly N or E of there.

^ It would be nice for some TOD around that station. Big box stores, Walgreens, and parking right now..

CTA 2400 Series Will Run For The WORLD SERIES
 

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1140525.jpg

World Series Special: Ride our historic 2400-series cars
Some fans heading to the Cubs World Series games at Wrigley Field will end up boarding a piece of Chicago history on their way to the historic games. For Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series, we’ll be operating will the “World Series Special” 2400-series train (built 1976-1978) on the Red Line leading up to first pitch.

Info & Schedule
The World Series Special train will run one round-trip before each games’ start time from Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan and back to Howard, making all regular stops along the route. Below is the tentative schedule for Friday, October 28 (note: this page will be updated as schedules are finalized). First pitch for the game is scheduled at 7:08pm.

Train will depart from Howard to 95th/Dan Ryan at approx. 3:45pm
Train will depart from 95th/Dan Ryan to Howard at approx. 4:50pm

http://www.transitchicago.com/worldseries/

It's a little odd to me that they want to use Carroll. I kind of get why, but if the rest of the system is going to be grade-separated, why not just bite the bullet and keep it all grade separated and run this under Ohio or even Chicago Ave. Carroll probably won't even save all that much money if it's done right. First, you can't really be at grade west of the river because of the Metra tracks really messing with scheduling right during the most important times of the day (rush hour). Second, you would have to be way too high to be elevated, again because of Metra tracks. Third, assuming it's a subway under Clinton, you have a pretty narrow route between those townhomes at Kinzie and Riverbend - that's probably not a dealbreaker, but it is a little extra complexity. Then if you're saving money with Carroll that means it's coming up to Carroll's street level just after crossing under the river, so you have a portal there somewhere under the Merchandise Mart, which hardly sounds like a cheap thing to construct under an operational building. Then it goes up an actual street - Wabash - and then onto a heavily-used, major street used by traffic to avoid surface crossing of Michigan Avenue with no decent transfer to the Red Line (2 blocks away - 1 north, 1 west). Not to mention that Carroll Street is less than 1/4 mile from Lake Street, hardly ideal spacing between transit features.

So, basically, they're "saving" having to make about 1.5 miles of tunnel and maybe 5 underground stations, but dramatically decreasing the usefulness of it and also negatively impacting traffic between Carroll/Wabash and Navy Pier.

In my opinion, if you're going to run it at street level on Carroll it would make a lot more sense to have it take Carroll until it turns into North Water Street and then have a swing-bridge over Ogden Slip under LSD to get it to Navy Pier or decide that within 1/4 mile is "good enough" and put stairs and elevators to cross Ogden Slip on foot for pedestrians going to Navy Pier. That should be even cheaper, would provide improved rail connections for Navy Pier, for the Spire site, and even for Lakeshore East because it'd be literally just across the river on Columbus Drive, and if Field Dr and McClurg Place ever got a linking pedestrian bridge, it'd be even better for the thousands of people who live in Lakeshore East. That would even cut the walking distance from Ogilvy to Millennium Park by about half if people could take a new train to North Water and Columbus or Michigan.

Alternately, I'd also be quite happy to see it just stay as a subway under Clinton, crossing the river at Grand then curving up to Ohio, running east with stops at Franklin (possibly with a new Grand/Ohio Brown Line station), State Street, St. Clair, McClurg and Navy Pier. The reason for Ohio is to avoid the mezzanine of the Grand Red Line station while still being close enough to have a direct transfer - Grand used to have an Ohio exit, actually.

They estimate that the cost of their "minimum operable segment" from Union Station to around Columbus, going at-grade on Carroll is in the neighborhood of $750 million, for a little under 2 miles of route.

For slightly over 2 miles of subway with 8 stations (Clinton/Adams, Clinton/Madison, Clinton/Lake, Clinton/Grand, Ohio/Franklin, Ohio/State, Ohio/St. Clair, Ohio/McClurg). If the entire route were done cut-and-cover, it would probably cost somewhere on the order of $950 million to make it a subway, and it would result in faster travel times, better connectivity to other rail lines, and better proximity to sites north of the river. I get $950 million by estimating that a cut-and-cover tunnel would run $175 million per mile, plus each station would add $75 million.

I think the biggest drawback is that an all-subway MOS would still need a portal and a place to store the trainsets, so it would probably be necessary to build it to Navy Pier and create a yard somewhere near the existing bus turn-around or water filtration plant, and adding maybe $125 million for the tunneling, $25 million for the portal, $75 million for a terminal station and $200 million for the yard, so another $425 million or so. The grade-level only extension from Columbus to Navy Pier probably adds $200 million to their $750 million but I don't know what their yards idea would be - perhaps on the surface lots near Columbus and Illinois - so an apples-to-apples comparison for cost is probably more like $950mm for surface along Carroll Street vs. $1.375 billion for the subway version, roughly 40% more expensive. But it would be a better line in a lot of ways.

Build it underground or don't build it at all imo

I don't think it can be at-grade on Canal. It draws power from a third-rail, so there would be major safety problems. West Loop has huge pedestrian traffic, unlike Albany Park or Wilmette where the L trains run at grade. Also would slow the train down quite a bit if it has to stop at every cross-street. I think it has to be elevated along Canal, unless the city coughs up for a tunnel...

Isn't Canal already on a viaduct? You'd think they could make room down there rather than digging a fresh tunnel.

I think the general idea of more grade separated transit through the extended downtown, with connections up to Clybourne, and down along the Metra Electric, is great. But I want to see a lot more details before I get really excited (whether for or against).

Sorry, I meant Clinton.

At any rate, this study only offers a general (horizontal) alignment and certainly no specifics about vertical alignment. That's probably wise, you don't want residents and business owners crying foul over elevated viaducts or years of cut-and-cover subway disruption before you've even had a chance to do a study.

I assume significant parts of this will be underground, but who knows? Maybe Rahm will provide political cover to build elevated. Ideally the study would provide funding to create profile drawings of the whole corridor to see what kind of alignments are possible - at-grade, viaduct, berm, trench, subway, etc. There might be ways to change traffic patterns (i.e. dead-end streets or grade-separate intersections) to keep the trains without conflict.

This is a detail, but it may be possible to dig a diagonal tunnel between Grand/State and Illinois/Lower Wabash; the buildings (AMA and Palomar) are arranged in such a way to potentially allow this. That tunnel would be comparable to the transfer at Jackson. Or CTA could build a new mezzanine for Grand at Illinois, and then an east-west tunnel over to Wabash. Personally I think the Jackson tunnel is a little too long to be a comfortable transfer, but plenty of people seem to use it.

Time to Rethink Neighborhood Permit Parking Zones, City Clerk Says
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/

so with the new political order, what are the chances the transit projects in the pipeline actually move forward? does the red line project have federal funds in hand?

It does now, this might change with a new Sec. of Transportation (the Flyover too)....

As I've said before, the RLE is a reward for campaign contributors - with a Democratic political funding path all the way up. With Repubs pretty much against giving mass transit just about ÀNY funding at all; I'll bet there will be much closer scrutiny of the cost-to-benefit ratio of what they might consider funding.

I don't think 6 miles for 2+ Billion Dollars will pass the test without that Dem. political path -- there may be a chance for alternatives at a fraction of the cost.

Whoda-thunk-it??

Depends. Like many other things, I don't think we can really predict the Trump administration to follow on previous Republicans like Bush and Reagan. I don't actually think President Trump will be hostile to transit - in fact, I think he'll be one of the most transit and rail-friendly republicans in decades.

On the flip side, I think President Trump will absolutely be hostile to Chicago. Illinois didn't vote for him, Mayor Emanuel took every opportunity to trash him, and we even formally removed his honorary street name. With his vindictive personality, I have no reason to think we'll get anything more than a big fat raspberry from the Trump administration when the CTA, CDOT, etc go to Washington looking for money. Or any other state/city agency, for that matter. Elections have consequences. :shrug:

The biggest infrastructure project in ages will be sucking up our tax dollars soon. The wall between the US and Mexico. Or Mexico is going to reimburse the cost, I can't remember.

Somebody pop the popcorn, I'll bring the beer!

These things are largely determined by Congress. Plus, remember that all major cities voted against him, including his own home city.

^ No, they're not. Congress sets the overall funding levels but USDOT staff (Trump appointees) determine which projects receive funding. In theory it's supposed to be based on the merits of each project, but the merits are hard to measure (every project is different) and the whole process gets politicized anyway. Congressmen and private lobbyists attempt to lobby USDOT, etc.

During the Bush administration, USDOT tried to hold up the DC Metro's Silver Line to Dulles, purely because the Bush team didn't like the idea of a big new transit project right in the DC area.

City races to get $1.1 billion for CTA while obamas still in power
 

Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times have new stories that might be more accessible. The theme of all the stories and press releases is no one knows what the President-elect will do about transit in Chicago. Truth is, locally, the downtown area is still using facilities planned as 1890's elevated technology and subways laid out in the 1939....and this is 2016. Read it...http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...110-story.html
DH

^ I'm not worried about the Council passing the TIF, although they should have passed I t back in September. Good leaders act quickly and decisively when there is a pressing public need and public support.

I am concerned that the USDOT officials won't be able to get this done at the same time that they're frantically packing their things... hopefully Obama pushes them.

The CTA shattered its previous rail ridership record on the day of the Cubs victory parade!

It was the second-highest day ever for total transit ridership, but the absolute highest for rail ridership with 25% more riders than the second-highest rail ridership day! The average weekday over the past 12 months has had 769,201 'L' riders. Last Friday there were 1,146,349 'L' riders, so very nearly 50% more ridership compared to a normal weekday! Metra commuter rail probably also broke its record. All in all, local public transit combined very nearly carried the equivalent of the entire population of Chicago last Friday!

Also worth noting - the second-highest 'L' ridership day was Game 3 of the World Series, the first Cubs World Series home game since 1945. Third and fourth highest were the Blackhawks victory parades in 2013 and 2015 and the fifth-highest was a Cubs playoff game in 2015.

Further ridership trivia: The five highest-ridership Saturdays for 'L' ridership are all St. Patrick's Day! For Sundays, the top two are for Independence Day fireworks in 2009 and 2015, then for the Gay Pride Parade in 2015 after the Supreme Court ruled that marriage is a civil right, then the Pride Parade in 2009 after Illinois granted same-sex Civil Unions with identical rights to marriage. 5th and 6th highest-ridership Sundays are for the Chicago Marathons in 2015 and 2014. In fact 18 of the top 20 ridership Sundays are one of those three things - Independence Day fireworks, Chicago Marathon, or the Pride Parade! The two others in the top 20 are Lollapalooza dates!

So enough about highest ridership dates - what days are the *LOWEST* for the 'L'? The 22 lowest dates for 'L' ridership are all either Christmas Day, New Years Day, or Thanksgiving Day. The absolute lowest since 2001 was Christmas Day, 2004, when only 87,992 people rode the 'L' - that's right, last Friday the 'L' carried over 13 times as many people as its lowest-ever date!

Hopefully this marks the deserved end of the RLE, and the Flyover.....

That would indicate a major decline in L boardings. The 2015 avg weekday Boardings were 767,730.
I'll ignore the fact that boarding numbers indicate riders x 2.

I thought that seemed low. I went back and I'd referenced a cell wrong. Thanks for pointing that out!

No sweat.
I had just looked up the numbers to estimate additional riders for a Reddit discussion.

It indicated about 160,000 additional L riders and 35,000 fewer bus riders, Another commentor pointed out that school was out which (if you compare to summer averages), would just about explain the lower bus numbers.

In the past, Trump has had surprising sympathy and admiration for Chicago, far more than the Manhattan media elite and NY businesspeople generally have. And Rahm is an opportunist and understands business and DC dealmaking, so I don't think petty stuff like the street sign will come between them. Trump probably understands Rahm is pandering to city Hispanics and blacks to repair his Laquan damage in time for the next election. The sanctuary city thing could be a big issue, but even that could be overcome by clever dealmaking between the two of them. After all, to the extent Trump pays any attention to who Chicago's mayor is, he'd probably prefer Rahm to a Chuy or Preckwinkle by a mile, so that's incentive to help Rahm out. (On the other hand, flipping Illinois red for his re election bid would not be realistic, so in the end we're likely a low priority..)

MegaBus downsizing in Chicago
 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...110-story.html

Robert ChannickContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
Megabus, the discount interstate bus carrier, is downsizing operations in Chicago.

Facing decreased demand, the New Jersey-based company announced Thursday it will reduce its schedule, eliminate some routes and lay off about 100 employees in Chicago effective Jan. 10.

Some of the slack — and potentially the displaced employees — may be picked up by Megabus hubs in Wisconsin and Ohio, but the oversized, double-decker buses will be fewer and farther between in Chicago, with the daily schedule cut from 26 to 16 departures.

The buses, which seat 81 passengers, have had plenty of space as of late, as low gas prices entice more travelers to do the driving themselves, according to Megabus spokesman Sean Hughes.

"Customer demand has been going down," Hughes said.

I cant say im too sorry to see them falling on their faces. Many complaints of late buses with no announcements, wifi was crap as it was shared by 81 other people. And a free loader mind set that denied tax payer funded transit depots any docking revenue.

I don't have a problem with this. Where would Megabus go in Chicago, the Greyhound station? That's further away from the Metra stations than the current curbside location, which is virtually on top of the Union Station platforms. Also, the Greyhound depot has a bit of an unsavory reputation, so I don't blame them for avoiding it.

Chicago never really had commuter buses from the suburbs like some other cities do (NY, DC, Minneapolis, Houston, etc). The few that we do have usually circulate downtown and make several stops, so they don't need a dedicated terminal, and the city never built one.

In New York there is Port Authority, but there's no capacity there for Megabus even if they wanted in.

DC has a rather nice off-street facility for Megabus in the Union Station parking garage. Kind of a neat low-cost design.

Pretty sure this is new - Metra Clybourn Station has been refitted with new LED (or metal halide or something else very bright white) light towers, which cover the parking/dropoff area pretty well, as well as the platforms. Big improvement for an otherwise dingy, crappy facility. There'll probably be plenty of people who regularly drive past on Armitage who will realize a station is there for the first time.

CTA Announces End Of Public Comment of Red Line Extension
 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation

Public Comment Period Ends
November 30
Red Line Extension Project
Draft ECTA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are proposing to extend the Red Line 5.3 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street. Click here to learn more about the project.

CTA and FTA have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) based on the technical analysis of impacts of the proposed project. The Draft EIS documents the benefits and impacts of the alternatives being considered, which include impacts to parks and wetlands. Click here to review the Draft EIS on the RLE Project website. Hard copies of the Draft EIS also are available for review through November 30, 2016. Click here to learn more about reviewing the Draft EIS.

Comments on the Draft EIS are being accepted until November 30, 2016 at 4:30 PM. You may submit comments via e-mail to RedExtension@transitchicago.com or by mail to Chicago Transit Authority, Strategic Planning, 10th Floor, Attn: Red Line Extension Project, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60661.

Do you require assistance?
If you have questions or need assistance, contact Gerald Nichols, CTA Government and Community Relations at 312-681-2710 or GNichols@transitchicago.com.

Para más informacion en Español, llame al 312-681-2710
Customer Information: 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282)

Thank you for your continued interest.

RLE Project Team
Chicago Transit Authority

Received by E-Mail Despite what others have said, the Red Line Extension and the Red-Purple Bypass and Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization areas, are not dead. Both projects have official recognition, public support, methods for raising local funds, and momentum.

DH

^ Yes, but Red Line Extension has no funding. Or more accurately, it has a TIF district enabled by state legislation, but it's low-value South Side property that won't generate much money.

Then there's the fact that the project has to compete at the Federal level for a New Starts grant. Those grants are already highly competitive, Chicago's about to lose its allies in DC, and the Republican-controlled Congress is likely to slash funding for New Starts or even eliminate it entirely. (Trump's infrastructure plan, if he can even make it happen, probably won't do jack for transit systems.)

The RPM project basically has a dedicated Federal funding stream in the form of the Core Capacity program (not New Starts) which was basically Sen. Durbin's way to allow RPM to cut in line.

The "Red Line Extension", like the "Flyover" is CTA channeling Transit Funds intended to improve Communities -- into "Corporate Welfare" for BIG CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS (Walsh, Pepper, etc., etc.....); like buying a $5,000 Hot Dog -- instead of a $2.50 Hot Dog.....(with fries & drink)!

Jane Byrne Flyover
 

I heard whispers from a friend who works with the ISTHA that IDOT is planning to open the new flyover ramp from the inbound Dan Ryan to the outbound Ike this weekend in a limited capacity (i.e. one lane of traffic flow instead of the final two lane configuration), weather permitting.

^ Yup, "whispers"... ;)

More details here. Sounds like a bad idea to drive through the Circle this weekend.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016...change-kennedy

LOL. Well I guess I'm late to the game, then. Funny thing is, aside from that article that you posted, I haven't heard anything else except from my friend spilling the beans about it. You'd think this would be a bigger deal...especially considering the fact that they're obviously intending for some serious lane closures to open this thing up and divert traffic.

Tweeted 4pm Tuesday by the radio copter jockey guy:
https://twitter.com/MikePriesWBBM/st...50306714701827


Speaking of which, is there no way to embed a Tweet into an SSP post? I suppose that's for the best...

^ I saw from the UIC UTC webcam Wednesday morning that they were beginning to stripe the ramp, which prompted my question. Maybe I should pay closer attention to Chopper Dave's Twitter, since he always seems to have the best vantage point. ;)

Here is that link, in case anyone would like to see live imagery of the interchange's progress: https://utc.uic.edu/live-cam-circle-...econstruction/

Wow! What do you have against a good, tasty, hot dog meal? If using Walsh, Pepper, etc, is wrong, who else would you recommend. Right....no one. This is the way its done in Chicago. "If loving Extension and Flyovers is wrong....we don't want to be right." Lyrics from a R&B blues/love song.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...ab-pie-019.jpg


Changing directions...Saturday, 11/26/2016, the CTA fielded two Holiday Trains, the traditional one and a new Elves Workshop 6-car train running right behind the Holiday Train. I photographed on the south side where the trains were running on the Green line. The traditional train was on the Ashland branch at 63rd St. and the new Elves train was at 38th St. The two trains are scheduled to run on Saturday, 12/03/2016 where they combine to serve the Orange and Brown lines. Schedules are available on the CTA website.....http://www.transitchicago.com/holiday/

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1150496.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1150432.jpg

DH

I absolutely love a good Hot Dog, but I hate wasting huge
sums of money (and destroying people's property) when there alternatives already in operation that would meet and surpass the goals of the RLE, which obviously cannot serve Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, South Chicago, etc., etc....

And no type of bus services can provide the Jobs and Economic Development of a rail rapid-transit line.

David, I think there's a forum rule about providing links to restaurant websites anytime you post delicious food pics.


Or at least there should be. (Sadly, this looks like stock photography, so it's probably not even a real local place?)

There is nothing in the goals of Red Line Extension that says it includes "Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, South Chicago, etc." There is nothing in the goals is the Red and Purple Modernization "Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, South Chicago, etc."

Why do you keep saying that every transit programs should include "Hyde Park, Woodlawn, South Shore, South Chicago, etc." A reader not knowledgeable with geography of Chicago would believe that no transit exists in those areas.

Not so.....Hyde Park has local and express Metra Electric service...Woodlawn has CTA Green line service.....South Shore and South Chicago has local Metra Electric service.

Condemning any transit action that excludes the areas listed is not a remedy. All areas need forms of transit.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1110742.jpg

Woodlawn area CTA Green line Cottage Grove terminal.

DH

having to use the metra is a failure.

Why? The only downside to Metra is that it enjoys less frequent service, but Metra Electric has some of the most frequent service of any Metra line on the main trunk of it.

Also, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Woodlawn and South Shore all have generally excellent express bus service to the Loop including the 2, 6, 26, 28, and J14. Adding a stop at the 35th Street exit for some of those express routes would add 2-3 minutes to the express trips, but be useful for people in Douglas and that part of East Bronzeville with very little additional cost.

There is no 35th St exit on Lake Shore Drive. There's a pedestrian bridge there which, conceivably, could have ramps and stairs added down to a bus stop on the Drive.

There IS an exit at 31st Street, but nobody lives within 2-3 blocks of that intersection. From the closest residential building to the "inbound" ramp/bus stop location would be over 1/2 mile walk on darkened streets.

bus is even worse

Crain's: Trump's infrastructure plan could benefit Chicago—but we must act
By: JOHN BUCK, STEVE FIFIELD, GREG HUMMEL, PAUL ZONES AND ED ZOTTI

President-elect Donald J. Trump's trillion-dollar infrastructure plan offers Chicago a unique opportunity to grow its rapid transit and commuter rail systems—and in so doing, stimulate large-scale private investment.

The Chicago Central Area Committee (CCAC) and the Alliance for Regional Development (ARD)—two civic groups advocating strategic investment in Chicago and the surrounding tri-state region—believe the Trump plan could do two things. First, it could help launch the Connector, the new rail line CCAC has proposed for the central area. The Connector would serve the thousands of new workers and residents being added each year in Chicago's booming core.

Continued:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...enefit-chicago

Now you're just being obstinate. It's as fast or faster to go from eastern Hyde Park to the Loop via the express buses there than to take the Red Line from Uptown to the Loop, about the same distance.

Agreed. When I lived in Hyde Park I used to take the #6 bus more frequently than the Metra, and then I took the #26 when I moved to South Shore. It was far faster to take the #26 from the 6700 S block to downtown than it is now taking the red line or the #147 from the 5800 N block to the exact same spot downtown