Can someone briefly explain what the impied safety difference is between European seating and FRA reg'd seating and whether it's requirement is really neccessary.

Check out some older interior videos and photos of CapMetro's GTWs vs DCTA's GTWs. DCTA's seats meet FRA regulations - CapMetro's did not which they had to ask for an additional waiver for.

Old news article:
https://www.metro-magazine.com/rail/...ive-fra-waiver

And yes, FRA and FTA regulations get that specific even for simple things like seating and flooring.
https://www.federalregister.gov/docu...peed-trainsets


Stadler and DCTA could have followed CapMetro and asked for more waivers, but DCTA wanted as much compliance as possible. Stadler could have preformed specific tests to prove their European standard seats met FRA regulations, but decided on just buying already tested and approved seats made in America instead. So Stadler made a huge investment in finding American vendors for many parts for trains sold to America. While all of DCTA trains were assembled in Europe, Stadler shipped American made parts to its' European plants. These same American vendors allowed Stadler to initiate a new manufacturing plant in Salt Lake City quickly. 60% of each train built in Salt Lake City must be made in America to qualify for "Built in America" Federal funding grants - so there are many American vendors supplying parts for Salt Lake City assembled trains.

I have no idea what the difference in the standards are, I'm like most everyone else, I resist reading books og regulations I do not need to know to do my job. There may not be that much difference in the final product. But I'm certain the testing methods and procedures are different from one nation to another.

Are American regulations necessary? Why not just use European regulations? Why have the United States of America at all? How about eliminating every nation on Earth and form an United Earth? :)

Every nation should have the ability to form its' own laws and safety standards, and set their own procedures to prove they are being met.

There's one of those foundation pier testing rigs set up at the Damen Green Line site right now. Pretty exciting to see progress there, going to make such a difference in the area.

Nice article in the Trib yesterday about Metra’s A2 interlocking. Apparently any new Metra station in Fulton Market will have to wait for a new A-2 flyover to be built first (although honestly Sterling Bay could pay for a temporary wooden platform if they think it’s worthwhile, and the Ventra app eliminates the need for an agent).

The new Fulton Market stop would have platforms on both UP-W and the Milwaukee District lines, so we may end up needing something with multiple platforms and an underpass to link them all together.

We used to think a Metra stop required only a sign nailed to a pole. But then 35th Street demonstrated that, if you concentrate real hard, you can manage to spend $30 million on two ground-level platforms.

Isn't 35th on the embankment?

Yes, requiring two $8000 ramps.

Youre leavin out a hole bunch a stuff. You forgota pay the minority ghost contractor usually fronted by a preacher and politician. Then you got the railroads who need to give their blesssing on any access to the right away, and the brotherhood of engineers want to have a talk and that aint free. And whatta bout the concrete guys to make sure it all arrives on time, i dont know if you're aware of who runs that business but i assure you it aint the boy scouts. Of course you got the fees and permits and inspections to insure the aldermans support and then studies to pay the educated class. It all adds up.

Possibly, if you want a station with side platforms that only certain trains can stop at. The Halsted St station on BNSF is the worst case scenario for this. It’s so useless, I don’t even understand why Metra keeps it around. Seriously it’s a joke. But it was definitely built on the cheap.

However, if you want to build a station that is a true alternate to Union Station serving the growing Fulton office corridor, then you probably need several platforms with safe, accessible ways to move among the platforms and down the street

Lol, add a couple of zeros to that number. There is no way in hell you can build an ADA ramp from street level to the top of a viaduct for $8,000 using union labor. $8,000 is probably what the hand rails each cost just to be fabricated and not even installed. Like honestly, in what world do you think a ramp of that size costs $8,000? That's comical.

Also they had to demolish that little Mies building first which is at least 5 figures in demo just to clear the site. Also you are wayyyyy underselling the ramps, they are a ziggurat like complex of stairs and ramps with 3 or 4 switch backs. But yeah, that costs $8,000...

I don't evenb think the fabrication of hand rails can be done for $8,000. 13 years ago we had very simple, 18-inch parkway fencing made from reused, low-grade steel components for about 100 feet of parkway and they cost about $15,000 before installation.

Metra Chicago Stations
 

https://metrarail.com/about-metra/ne...o-new-stations
Metra gets state funding for two new stations
(April 17, 2019) -
Peterson/Ridge will be highly successful- dense walking area and it is isolated from other rail transit options, yet it is on a major bus route.

Auburn will be a challenge. Its going to be expensive since it is 2 rail levels up from street. StreetView Patrons will have a long climb to board trains. And it is only 1 mile from the Gresham station which averages 300 riders a day. Also it is only .7 miles from the 79th st Redline station.

Of note is that Auburn is going to bear the brunt of the big dig CREATE 75thst Project. Maybe this is a make good project.

Commission approves @ChicagoDOT plan to build a pedestrian bridge at 43rd Street that will span the Metra tracks and Lake Shore Drive and provide access to the Lakefront Trail and Burnham Park.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4ck42ZW0AAPgMJ.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4ck42VXsAMKscX.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4ck42XWwAAdf5L.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4ck42WW4AEYyx4.jpg



I'm a bit disappointed they're using the same design as 41st.

New 31st Street Bridge over the Metro/IC tracks, though the picture obviously isn't from 31'st...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4cf90pWAAEHBKf.jpg

Not that much of a challenge. There is already a "mezzanine" type area at 78th and Fielding underneath the tracks. Just gotta spread the tracks apart enough to build a single island platform, with an elevator and a single set of stairs.

https://goo.gl/maps/uaaUTTbPfJdJG7KKA

The platform may require a second means of egress for emergencies, if that's the case then they can add a emergency gate at the north end of the platform with a pedestrian crossing over the northbound track to a stair where there used to be a stair:

https://goo.gl/maps/oT2RepoPMFE4HGab7

Also that neighborhood (Winneconna Parkway) is beautiful, with lagoons and bridges straight out of an Olmsted park. Talk about a hidden gem! Lots of vacant lots though, perhaps with Metra access a developer will be willing to come in and build some SFH and small apartment buildings to fill the neighborhood back out.

It was always the plan since the "Bridging the Drive" competition to use similar designs for the 41st and 43rd bridges.

I wouldn't be surprised if a hefty chunk of that is payment to IIT since apparently Main Building, a historic building btw, got damaged from either the construction or vibrations from it and atleast a while after the station opened people were barred from entering it for safety reasons.

Good to know that the physical access from the street wont be too bad. That bridge over 78th st looks wrecked. Over all the access points will be well north of 79th bus. It is a long walk for transfer and will no doubt be a factor in the ridership.
Surrounding neighborhood is precarious. Abandoned and rundown and empty lots north of 78 st but some newer homes around 79 st.
Metra stop will be a an asset.

But the Metra Rock Island line has some stops just south that are under consideration for closure.

Long term it will be interesting if the "78" development will have a concentration of commercial and office. Then will it have a RI station at 15th street? The addition of a downtown destination for jobs is a boost for the entire southside and especially RI riders.

Groundbreaking started today for new bus lanes in the city. Phase I (Chicago/Ogden/Milwaukee area) is expected to take 8-weeks to finish

City Announces New Bus Speed Initiative, But Will Drivers Respect the New Lanes?
https://i0.wp.com/chi.streetsblog.or...%2C100%2C948px
https://chi.streetsblog.org/2019/04/...the-new-lanes/

The concrete structure at 78th does look bad, but so do lots of concrete structures from that era like the Bloomingdale Line or the Red Line's North Main. It may indicate structural issues, or it may just be cosmetic. Basically just gotta get the drainage under control, so you strip the ballast down to the concrete deck and apply dampproofing. Then you can chip away any loose concrete and either patch the damaged areas or clearcoat them like on the Bloomingdale Line. If there are more serious issues, probably Metra will saw cut the damaged portions and replace them with precast panels, then proceed with the dampproofing. It's possible to do this all at reasonable cost as CTA demonstrated.

As for bus transfers, I'm not sure anyone is looking to transfer from a bus to Metra. The concept released by a neighborhood CDC years ago showed plenty of parking; backers probably imagine most users will drive to the station for an express trip downtown, and somehow this new option will lure the kind of people who would otherwise look in Beverly or the suburbs. People in Auburn can already ride the 79th St bus to the Red Line, but the 79th bus is CTA's busiest route and I have to imagine it's got cattle-car conditions. At least it's getting some improvements to speed it up, per the previous post.

To be honest I kind of agree that this will end up underperforming like Gresham or the various stations on the Metra Electric. The Red Line already offers a quicker alternative for transit riders from Auburn, and I don't think the addition of Metra service will improve the perception of the neighborhood much among homebuyers. I hope I'm wrong. If you drill down it really just seems like people in this neighborhood are demanding the station on equity grounds even if there's no transit planning case for the station.