^ it goes to at least rosemont, but i think it even goes all the way to ohare now. But if it does stop at rosemont, they have 24-hour shuttle buses that will take you straight to the airport from the rosemont stop

speaking of the blue line, i fell asleep and missed my stop at montrose. Wow what a pleasure it is to ride on the new track and ties between montrose and ohare! (it might just be ties they replaced. anyway...). So smooth and fast and [other positive things]. I can only imagine how nice it will be once new train cars start getting delivered

As long as you aren't going when there is a line cut in place (i.e. weekends), the ride is now excellent and quick. About 42 minutes from O'Hare to Clark/Lake, which we haven't experienced in over 2 years I think. Once all construction is done I'd expect this to be down around 40 min.

The O'Hare to Jeff Park trackwork finished a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, and the line reopened in late July. I was surprised, though, by how rough the "renewed" track was. It still bounces around and hunts too badly to read a newspaper.

Now on the topic of new train cars...when in 2009 are they suppose to start arriving. Also since they are only getting around 400 new cars and we have a fleet of somewhere near 1200...does anyone know which lines will get the new cars and which ones will be stuck with fixed up older ones? I assume the Blue line and Red line will definitely get the new cars. Also are there going to be plans to replace the rest of the fleet if everything goes as planned with the first 400 of them? It will look a little silly to have these nice modern looking cars and then have the old dated ones running alongside them!

Blue line will be getting them first. I believe they are going to start testing some of them on the Blue Line before full production starts, last I heard that is supposed to start in early 2009. These cars also have AC motors instead of DC - I'm not sure how they are handling running them on the same rails as DC cars.

I figured that the Blue Line would get them first. Do you know if the plan is to replace all of the train cars in time? Or are they just planning on getting the 400 and then calling it quits? Hopefully they dont wait like 20 years!

I believe the CTA holds options for several hundred more cars beyond the initial order.

Thats good to hear...would hate to see the nice new ones and then have an old one go by right after...just wouldnt look right!!!

CTA doesn't have much info, but I found a little info here .

Ok thanks for the update...

Now with new train cars our public transit will be much improved and compare better with other world class cities. Now we just need to get a light rail or tram-type system added along the lake and we will be set! Haha...that will be the day!

Folks, these are not some kind of magic railcars from the 21st century. They'll look like the 3200s, ride like the 3200s (except worse because of the longitudinal seating), squeal going around curves, rock back and forth on bad track, and stop when "waiting for signals ahead." They won't be able to train with the older cars, as I understand it, but otherwise they're L cars just like the current ones. Picture from Chicago-L.org:

http://www.chicago-l.org/trains/gall...ring-Ext-t.jpg

^ but they are shifting towards AC, and that will make a difference. But metal on metal light rail will never be too good, i suppose

and i can't believe you didn't like the ride on the new stuff on the blue line. I haven't felt a ride that nice since maybe the orange line in a very long time. it was very noticeably better. I'm pretty sure it's not in my head, because I definitely wasn't expecting or predicting it

1. The 3200s actually ride very nice, or at least did before they became overdue for their midlife rehab.

2. The design aesthetic actually will be updated for the new railcars; they will not look just like the 3200s. For the exterior, probably more akin to the newer IRT cars in NYC (albeit still only 2 doors per side), and the interior will, I believe, not have the fake wood trim. Not sure if it's been decided whether the longitudinal seating will be benches or seats.

3. The new cars will have AC propulsion; no more trademark 'L jerkiness. Smooth and whir-y.

O well from some of the renders I had seen they would look a little different on the outside appearance. The front car would have a longated nose to it and the body seemed typical cylindrical form, but not the plane silver cars we have, seemed to be white...but that could just be the renders.

On the Chicago-L.org website they listed a line connecting the Museums campus' and Navy Pier with a possible light rail...is that really a plan to happen? That is exactly what we are in need of!

^ You sure are the bright-eyed optimist.

Looks like you haven't been following this stuff long enough to become cynical & bitter yet. Don't worry, it'll hit you. One day you'll wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and say "damn, none of this shit is gonna happen is it?"

Well if you just think so negatively about things like that all the time then your right...nothing will ever get done.

But if you stay positive and involved then they are bound to get done eventually. Mayor Daley has already said that there are going to be major plans for our transit now after he saw Beijings subways...and found out that they added 8 brand new subway lines once they found out the were hosting the Olympics...and it only costed them 8 billion. Even though thats alot of money...for 8 completely new subways lines that is not that bad! The city of Chicago desperately needs something like that, not even just for the games, but for our city in general. With gas prices rising as they are the ridership on trains will only keep increasing. You cant believe the change in the last year when riding the trains during rush hour. Now sometimes you might have to wait for a couple trains to go by before you can even fit into one! Just shows how we need to improve and EXPAND!

^ Except that Daley ties all of these improvements to the Olympics and when Chicago doesn't get chosen, he'll scrap all of these ambitious plans and go back to not giving two shits again.

Yes I know and I completely get that fact...thats why it is so important to get the Olympic bid...cause you know Daley wont let this city be subject to criticism from an internation market so he would make sure everything is perfect. Without the Olympics I fear we will be stuck with the way things are until the next time we try to get the Olympics!

Or, until we get a mayor who:
1) cares about transit and infrastructure in general as something other than a purely political issue (e.g. a LaGuardia-type)
2) can still wield some level of power despite Chicago's "weak mayor, strong council" governmental system.

#1 can apply to the governorship, as well.

Not an impossibility, but there is no heir apparent to Hizzoner, of course.

It's kind of hard to have a mayor who cares about transit when he NEVER USES IT.

Having said that, I'll also mention that LaGuardia traveled around the city by car. That's why I said "hard" instead of "impossible"