fyi:
APTA 4th quarter ridership report

The Public Transportation Ridership Report is a quarterly report of transit passenger ridership for U.S. and Canadian transit agencies. The report includes quarterly and year-to-date estimated unlinked transit passenger trips for the current and previous year by transit mode. In addition, agency specific ridership is provided for participating transit agencies. Reports are published approximately 60-75 days after the end of the quarter.

https://www.apta.com/research-techni...ership-report/

https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uplo...rship-APTA.pdf

For no particular reason...

I wish Cta would go back to the classic white, lime and pine paint scheme... It looked so good... Chicago transit fans have been saying for years the '76 derived patriotic scheme took Chicago from distinctive to "anywhere USA."
I couldn't agree more and really wish Cta would do something different. Who knows, maybe if this superagency idea gains traction, a Cta refresh might be in the works.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/04AAA...v/s-l1600.webp
linky dinky

The Peterson/Ridge infill station on the UP North line finally opened today.

• Video Link

Possible Western BRT development happening

Sounds like this can turn into SEPTA outside of Philadelphia which will make things worse than they currently are.

Damen Green Line Station - Lake Street and Damen Avenue
 

May 6, 2024

They have 12 weeks to get this station open before the DNC at the United Center... clock is ticking.

The Clinton station was closed for testing for around 12 weeks even after everything was complete. This will just sit there during the DNC looking impressive but unable to be used.

I would think the city would be happy to have the site less accessible to the public

I'm guessing they open the station temporarily during the convention, maybe with some barricades and temporary fare equipment then close it again to do punchlist. Seems unlikely they can get everything done by August.

Metra is working on a Systemwide Network Plan to support Metra's transition to a regional rail system. They emphasized the study is focused on infrastructure investments for local service rather than to the suburbs (like the STAR Line): https://chi.streetsblog.org/2024/06/...-metra-meeting

Some ideas on the table include trains every 15 minutes on some lines, through-running service, and service to O'Hare & Fulton Market. Some of these ideas aren't new, but what is new is potential service to Midway Airport. The only two options I can see being possible is if Metra extended the Heritage Corridor (which would add additional congestion to Union Station), or revived some version of the Midcity Transitway.

https://activetrans.org/sites/active.../lime_line.jpg
https://activetrans.org/blog/lime-li...t-to-west-side

What are the main barriers to increasing Metra rail frequency? Is it just the North American classic of freight operators not allowing enough track access? Or are there unique local challenges?

Why can't we just start with a N/S line under Ashland or Western? Even Damen. Most everything Metra could do is too far west to make any meaningful difference and the circle line isn't much better.

A lot of the Metra corridors are potentially pretty high capacity. There are 3 and 4 track corridors that I imagine could handle both increased freight and passenger, in tandem. But that obviously costs a lot of money, and not sure if there's currently anything near the ridership demand.

Buy more battery trains and run 15 minute headway service to Davis on UP-North. Install a crossover just south of the station and partially reactivate the west most track as a stub at the station.

I'm pretty sure the heaviest present Metra service is on the Naperville line. They have the highest frequencies and biggest passenger loads. Pretty sure it's three tracks most of the way, too.

The South Shore electric main line has the highest capacity (four tracks) but I don't think ridership is great.

Or just any opportunities for improving connectivity with the Orange Line - potentially 16th/Clark if the 'crossrail' concept is built.

It varies quite a bit by route - whether Metra owns the ROW or not, and whether there are conflicting freight movements. The ME, RI, and MD lines are owned by Metra and are generally easiest to expand service, but will still have limits due to scheduling, infrastructure, staffing, etc. as well as some coordination conflicts for crossings.

ME ridership has suffered pretty drastically over the past 15-20 years with a combination of general continual economic decline in the South suburbs and Metra fare increases. Recent fare policies and the re-scheduling to provide ~20 minute service to Hyde Park helped stabilize the decline.
https://www.rtams.org/ridership/metra/lines

I had an old friend that used to travel from Kankakee to University Park to downtown on ME and then to DePaul four days a week. Now that's a shitty commute. I just looked up and saw that Kankakee suspended their Univ Park shuttle.

Would be great if that capacity could be put to good use. Might work if they bought a fleet of DMUs for off-peak services.

Oh that's interesting. I wasn't aware that Metra owned any of the corridors.

The BNSF is all three tracks to the end in Aurora and was optimized for high speeds during the streamliner era. There's a reason they call it the "Racetrack". A fourth track has been contemplated, but the wealthy NIMBYs in western suburbs will fight that tooth and nail, similar to LIRR's Main Line.

Metra is rolling out battery EMUs on Rock Island in a few years and they are open to using that rolling stock on other parts of the system if they can work the kinks out. I'm skeptical that battery technology will be reliable enough for Chicago winters, though.

Any "regional rail" overlay service should go to the North Shore, which historically had the interurban as well as CNW commuter service. It's low density but at least highly walkable, and there's been a trickle of new housing developments in those downtowns too. If you're just going to where the density cuts off, I would suggest Wilmette as the terminus, but you could go all the way to Lake Forest before there is any kind of freight conflict.