Quote:
Originally Posted by VivaLFuego
Yes and no. It is important to remember how much of the ridership on the line is generated at just a few stations, and that each park n ride facility is usually full by about 7 or 730am at the latest. Usually, the second to last stop (Pulaski) is where a standing load is reached; the end 2 stations on the line are responsible for over 50% of ridership (Midway station alone is 1/3). The Orange Line definitely has a strong market to support transit, but it's very far from ideal, since it has such a small walk-in market.
Clearly, to some extent there will be a cost/benefit analysis that measures the trade-off in costs vs. ridership potential for each alignment....construction and real estate costs being what they are, these freight alignments are probably what we have to look forward to for most future transit corridors.
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That's interesting. I often use the Halsted stop, which is busy most of the day; I'd guess that it's the busiest after Midway and Pulaski (and maybe Roosevelt). The park and ride stations may be full by 7:30, but in my experience the trains are still full well past 9:00. It's obviously not a neighborhood line, but it clearly takes a lot of people off the road over a pretty long distance.
Do you have any guesses as to what freight alignments may possibly be considered for transit at some point besides the Red Line expansion? I'm guessing that mayoral caprice will largely determine whether the city pushes for the Mid-City Transitway or the Crosstown Expressway. The Bloomingdale tracks are likely to become a park. Are there others that might enter consideration over the next decade or two?