Good grief.

Washington Park area CTA Transit: CTA Green Line, #55 Garfield, #3 King Drive (are there others?): http://www.transitchicago.com/assets...ap/200806C.htm

Jackson Park area CTA Transit: #2 Hyde Park Express, #6 Jackson Park Exp. #15 Jeffrey Local, #28 Stony Island, #X28 Stony Island Exp., #55 Garfield, #59 59th St. And that is just CTA services minus the Metra Electric and the South Shore Line.

Ask you a specific question, and you respond "Good grief"; great explaination of your "diminished accessiblity" statement.

"Wasted"....Who give's a ..... "Examination".... Who cares?

You think you're gonna get some of wasted money??? Fund Gray Line???
No somebody cares.

I'M OUT. I'M NOT SAYING ANY MORE.

Fine -- Watch the News David..... Even better, come to Wednesday's CTA Board Meeting!

Local coalition wants CTA bus service restored on 31st Street
 

http://www.gazettechicago.com/index/...n-31st-street/

June 6, 2015

CTA buses could once again roll down 31st Street if the Crosstown Bus Coalition has its way.

By Patrick Butler

Members of the Crosstown Bus Coalition plan to press their case for restoring the No. 31 bus route on 31st Street at the next Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) board meeting, set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, at 567 W. Lake St.....

The Gray Line isn't even a plan, it's a fantasy that resides in your head. The flyover has had real studies, simulations, and financial figures and benefits placed behind it.



Those "expresses" get caught in traffic along with other bus lines as they aren't grade separated, while the green line, which connects to the pink, orange, red, blue, brown and other bus routes, doesn't.

The Gray line is now just a fantasy in my head; BUT it is also CMAP RTP ID# 01-02-9003 (Google just that number) A Major Capital Project included in the State's Regional Transportation Plan: http://www.grayline.20m.com/favorite_links_7.html That CATS screen capture says "regarding Proposals IN [ IN ] the 2030 RTP", but the Gray Line is suppressed now for POLITICAL reasons (it is still in there, now hidden as "South Corridor Rail Service" or something).

But it is only there of course because they had to include representation from the Negroe Community to avoid Civil Rights Prosecution.

And those "benefits" you speak of include half a billion dollars to the Transit-Construction Complex (T-C); i.e.: Connected Construction Company Campaign Contributors, who made really B I G Contributions, and now expect a B I G return on their Investment (much better than Las Vegas)


So access for Minority kids from within the City South of 63rd St., and the Far South Suburbs; and NW Indiana Minority Communities is just "Too bad for them", is that what you are saying? WOW.....

A lot of money for temporary relief
 

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...mporary-relief

June 06, 2015

GREG HINZ ON POLITICS

You might call it the $570 million question, one that hundreds of thousands of commuters—not to mention Loop employers and Lakeview residents—would like answered.

The question: Is it worth having the Chicago Transit Authority spend that much to build a flyover bridge to separate the Red and Brown line tracks at the so-called Clark Junction, just south of Wrigley Field......

Read the Comments!

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1110626.jpg
A northbound Brown line slows while it awaits for the southbound main tracks to clear....minutes, just a minute, or tens of seconds....it depends on which side you believe in the controversy about the flyover at Clark Tower.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s...f/P1040671.jpg
Cleared, a northbound Brown line train leaves the interlocking and prepares to enter the branch. Because the NB move came from track 4, no other opposite move can be made except a SB Brown line move.

Clark Junction is called a "flat junction." Chicago elevateds have built flat junctions though its history. The first was on the west side near Marshfield, then three junctions bringing the four surrounding "L" companies onto the Loop. On the south side similar junctions were built at 59th St, Stewart Ave, and at Indiana Ave. On the north side, flat junctions were found at Clark Tower and at Howard terminal.

In 1938 the plans for flying junctions were included in the Initial Subway with interfaces with current "L" tracks and the subway lines. Provisions for additional junctions were included in the State St. tubes at Roosevelt and in the Dearborn St. tubes at Lake and Milwaukee. In the 1950s a flying junction brought the Douglas Park into the Congress median. In preparation in the Congress construction, a temporary flat junction was built at Paulina Ave on the Lake St. "L". Removed from service, the junction returned with the creation on the Pink line.

In the late 1960s the new Dan Ryan bought a flying junction at 18th St. The same trackage would be used when the Orange line came into being.

^^ The "traffic lights" at the front of the train look really cool.

Those are called signals

Actually, they're home signals....signals that are absolute....meaning if red over red means stop and stay. The two tracks on the left are normally southbound, going towards the reader...then the signals facing you are reverse move signals. The two tracks on the far right are normally northbound so the signals are normal. In the track structure are trips painted white. These trips will stop a train moving against a red signal. Note all signals in the picture display red because a route had been set up to allow the train the pass through the interlocking.

I am trying to write a short report about if the loop link can have an affect on office rents along Madison and Randolph. Anyone have any opinions or hard facts they can share?

That's a tough one... I doubt the office rents along Madison and Randolph will be especially affected compared to other streets like Washington or Monroe. The benefits of the BRT are diffused across the Loop and not confined to particular streets.

There might be a more immediate impact on street-level rents... retailers and restaurateurs are not likely to pay quite as much for a space with such a convoluted loading arrangement (can't park your delivery trucks in the bus lane). On the other hand, the BRT will deliver thousands of customers right at their doorstep. The results would be interesting.

The other interesting effect of Loop Link is on East Loop and Michigan Ave office rents generally (east of State). Right now, the desirability of these areas is harmed by their distance from Metra trains at Union/Ogilvie, which is why there hasn't been a new office tower over there since 2Pru in 1990, and all the Class C buildings have been converted to hotels or residential. Loop Link will improve the connections of these areas to Metra, although the lack of integrated fares between Metra/CTA is still a huge PITA.

^Very well put.

MultiModal, since Loop Link isn't in yet, here's your chance to do the big definitive longitudinal study. Look at the rents now—compared to elsewhere downtown—and again a decade from now.

Thanks for your thorough explanation. How about the lights on top of the train? Why are they colorful?

Washington?

Wabash lights concept is going to crowdfund the installation of the first 48 feet of their project. It would be awesome if they did the entire length of Wabash like this and coordinated with the trains passing above so you could see which trains are coming and run to catch them.

http://www.marinacityonline.com/imag...ighting1sm.jpg

Link to crowd funding in the below blog:
http://www.marinacityonline.com/news/wabash0612.htm

They are route marker lights.
http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/...s/markers.html

If the Wabash Lights becomes successful, the better consider doing something similar for the Lake St. Branch. It wouldn't be an expensive way to make people feel more comfortable around the Green line.