Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Downtown
No, it's unlikely because—despite its instinctive appeal—it's just not that great an idea.
The RTA's 2012 South Lakefront Corridor Study found only modest benefits and high costs for the "Gold Line:"
...
TOD impacts are not expected to be large since there already is existing rail service in the corridor."
http://www.rtams.org/reportLibrary/2282.pdf
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Thank you for posting that - the numbers are interesting.
I think it's kind of small-minded that they're so dismissive of TOD benefits, however, as well as the lack of foward-thinking. There is a lot that could be done with the line going forward, both relatively inexpensive things that build on new TOD investments (additional stations in the currently under-developed mid-south area come to mind), medium-expensive things that improve services and safety (such as cut-and-covering the street-running portions in the South Shore), and grander, more expensive things that improve the entire region (such as running it under Monroe to the West Loop and then north as part of an electrified UP-N line with additional TOD and stations where the UP-N line runs). Some of that is quite expensive, but would add value and open up parts of the city currently well-built, but capable of handling additional density with better service for both the south lakefront and the north side off the lakefront.
As a short-term plan, it seems way to expensive and of limited use, but as a long-term plan it would add enormous value to the Loop, the West Loop, the mid south lakefront, South Shore, Goose Island, west Lakeview, Ravenswood, west Rogers Park and the north shore suburbs. Name another infrastructure project that would benefit such a wide range of areas, at any cost? This is where regional planning would be very beneficial, because they could fund the planning and design of such an endpoint, and then break it into digestible pieces to be built as funds become available. You could probably even do all that for the cost of Boston's Big Dig in today's dollars, with a truly regional impact bigger than the Big Dig.