[Dr. Taco]

I haven't really spent much time on the transit thread, so maybe I'm being redundent

I read a letter to the editor today in the Suntimes, and I read the most ridiculous thing I've ever read concerning transit. The person (who lived in a far northwest suburb, I believe) proposed that the city actually just get rid of the El in the Loop. She said if we want to become a major player (like New York) we need to just cut up the el tracks and remove them. She didn't propose any kind of replacement idea, but mentioned that new york had done the same thing a couple of their downtown areas.

My initial reaction: the el tracks are one of those things that make chicago chicago. Even if she's right and the tracks suck and a more pleasing and efficient plan can be implemented, I'm willing to live with "mediocrity" because I love riding the train in the loop.

But as I thought about it more, I can't help but wonder what it'd be like if we did get rid of it and replaced with a subway that runs in a similar fashion. Once we got over the change and the ridiculously expensive cost of replacement, could chicago be a better place?