i think they were going for semi-permeable but it just looks like cigarette grout...the whole street looks even dingier than before and that's saying something

what a letdown

Yeah. I'm hoping they're going to do some sort of deep-cleaning once it's officially done and the landscaping is all in, but that's probably wishful thinking.

I walked down Argyle over the weekend. Shitty Unilock pavers fail again.

Permeability has nothing to do with it, there is an asphalt layer underneath which, even if it is "permeable asphalt", will still clog up in short order.

I don't understand why they insisted on setting all the pavers at weird angles to the curb line. It looks awful. Plus, the detailing for this sucks so nothing is properly flush where it should be. This will get destroyed the first time a snowplow goes by.

I think the cigarette comment is premature, they haven't put in trash cans or other street furniture yet so smokers are forced to drop their butts on the sidewalk.

jesus christ, it's even worse than I imagined

Did someone post a picture or something of Argyle I'm not seeing? I haven't been over there in ages and would love to see the damage.

I went there at night and they still don't have decent lighting installed, so I couldn't take photos.

Basically a janky execution of a crap design. Even functionally, it's not the "wall-to-wall carpet" of pavers I hoped it would be... functions much closer to a regular street. The one in Batavia is much better IMO.

You know it's bad when Batavia left you in the dust...

Metra to paint station in Pullman rail-car colors
 

From Progressive Railroading-

Metra to paint station in Pullman rail-car colors

Progressive Railroading Magazine
August 24, 2016

http://i.imgur.com/SNSB43n.jpg
Rendering Source - Metra

Metra will do this for all nineteen patrons daily?
METRA ELECTRIC MAIN
Kensington...............1,081
111 St......................... 19
107 St......................... 31
103 Rosemoor................43
95 St. CSU.................... 43
91 St. Chesterfield......... 26
87 St. Woodruff..............56
83 St. Avalon Park..........50
79 St. Chatham..............57
75 St. Grand Crossing.....15
63 St...........................154

CTA RED LINE
95th St...... 10,863
87th St........ 4,236
79th St........ 7,091
69th St........ 5,403
63rd St........ 3,200

DH

The Sandy Johnston Interview
 

http://www.thechidispatch.com/sandy-johnston-interview

Metra Electric is special, and it doesn't fit into the paradigm tha RTA and
Metra have tried to fit it into for the last 35 years......


He describes this much better than I could!

Hey, welcome back?

Not a "development" exactly, but WBEZ just did a feature on the original construction of the Eisenhower back in the 50s. Very interesting story with great photos.

http://interactive.wbez.org/curiouscity/eisenhower/

I am not nearly old enough to remember the city before the expressways were built. But it's always struck me as tragic that the Eisenhower was built along the path of the West Side L, which must have been a nexus for dense housing and shopping districts. Imagine building an expressway along the path of the Brown Line and destroying almost every commercial street in Lakeview to do it, that's the kind of destruction that the Eisenhower wrought upon the West Side. No wonder those neighborhoods took such a turn for the worse.

At least all future expressways followed freight railroads, where they sorta ran along pre-existing seams between different neighborhoods, instead of ripping out the heart of neighborhoods. This was probably for cost reasons rather than good planning, though - homes and buildings next to the smoky railroad tracks were simply cheaper to buy up en masse.

Mayor Emanuel, CTA to Provide Improved, More Frequent Bus Service....
 

Got some bullshit in the mail, informing property owners along the Red Line of this RPM project. Some bullshit about modernizing track.

Public meeting is September 13th. I'll be there in full opposition to this heinous waste of money and resources.

God I hate the CTA. :hell:

Is this a parody post?

No I'm 100% serious.

The CTA is the most wasteful and corrupt organization in the entire state. There is NOTHING wrong with the existing tracks. Their scam is bullshit.

Yes

I got the same mail and I read it.

From their map, my building lies about two properties east of the TIF boundaries. I own in Lake View and I'm in.

Is it important to keep the Howard in good shape? Absolutely. I'm not satisfied with the demolition involved in the flyover at Roscoe but if done properly, it would benefit riders farther north and not gore central Lake View.

The costs are insane and I don't think that $2.3 billion is well spent on a 5.3 mile, 4 station extension beyond 95th, but I'll need to read up on the expected benefits to Roseland and Pullman before I form an opinion.

I would have preferred a little love for the Circle Line but that was just not in the cards this time.

The train literally crawls in certain sections, we should have collective shame at how slow the red line can be sometimes. BTW I got the invite and am a renter.

We've got to find a way to P R O V E that Tom.....