CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[jcchii]

Chicago has prospered, and Daley gets some of the credit. But transit is headed toward a funding crisis, and I'll agree he does need to make it more of a priority.

And of course there's been corruption in his administration, most notably in hiring. One of his recent IGA/patronage chiefs is in prison right now.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by BVictor1

"They always come back for money," says Arroyo. "They're mispending their money. They should be safeguarding it. They should have accountability and transparency for how they're spending it."

But Arroyo says he agrees the transit agencies need more money, and would support a spending bill with strong oversight measures.

^ Which one is it, Arroyo? You complain that they "always come back for money", and immediately follow that with agreeing that more money is needed.

Make up your mind. Fund transit or don't fund it, but stop bitching

[whyhuhwhy]

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Which one is it, Arroyo? You complain that they "always come back for money", and immediately follow that with agreeing that more money is needed.

Make up your mind. Fund transit or don't fund it, but stop bitching

Give the man a break, there is no reason we should just throw more money at the CTA without actually seeing how it is being spent. It is amazing when you read the large percentage of funds that just goes to people's retirements and pensions and not to actual infrastructure. I'm 100% for an amazing transit system but we should all know by now that the CTA is seriously mismanaged and we could get a lot more for our money. Giving them a half a billion dollars and their entire plan seems to consist of bus repairs? Unbelievable.

[whyhuhwhy]

Originally Posted by Chicago3rd

CTA is selling the land now when it has gone down so far so that the Corporate/Rich people in Chicago can buy it cheap. As usual our Capitalist system is based on redistribution of the wealth from plain people to the rich.

I'm sure that's exactly what happened, the CTA plan all along was to eventually sell as much land as possible right when the market tanked just so all those rich people out there would benefit.

[emathias]

This isn't good ...

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...bbed-this.html

Man stabbed during argument on CTA Red Line
March 9, 2009 2:08 PM | 10 Comments

A man was stabbed and seriously wounded just after noon today on a CTA Red Line train near the Chicago stop, the agency said.

A passenger on a northbound train that was approaching the Chicago station told police he had been injured by two people, CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski said.

The victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious to critical condition, said Fire Cmdr. Will Knight.

Belmont Area detectives are investigating the attack and speaking with "persons of interest," said Chicago Police Sgt. Antoinette Ursitti.

Jamie Huberty, 19, a DePaul University student, was sitting just a few feet from where the attack occurred at about 12:15 p.m.

Two men and a woman, all in their 20s, got on the train at the Roosevelt stop and were sitting facing each other -- the man seated alone on one side of the car, the other man and the woman seated together on the other side.

At first, the group seemed to be trading good-natured "sarcastic insults, laughing, being loud and obnoxious," Huberty said.

At some point, though, things turned heated and the woman screamed at the man who was seated alone, Huberty said. The man yelled, "Get out of my face," and shoved her. The other man leaped forward and started punching him.

"The woman pulled out a knife and started stabbing the man in the neck and shoulders," Huberty said.

Someone pulled the emergency stop and the train halted. Huberty ran to the first car and told the conductor, who ran back to the car where the attack occurred and didn't reappear for about five minutes.

...

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by emathias

This isn't good ...

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...bbed-this.html

Well, most stabbings aren't good are they?

In other news...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/0..._n_173265.html

High-Speed Rail To The Rescue: Durbin, Quinn Make Stimulus Funds Pitch For Train Project

March 9, 2009 05:12 PM



CHICAGO - Illinois leaders want stimulus money to develop high-speed train travel between Chicago and St. Louis.

Gov. Pat Quinn and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin say the priority is to upgrade Amtrak's existing service between the cities so trains can travel at up to 110 miles per hour. That could cut travel times to under 4 hours from the current 5.

Quinn and Durbin met with other officials Monday at Chicago's Union Station to discuss an Illinois request for some of the $8 billion set aside for high-speed rail in the federal stimulus bill.

They didn't offer a price tag for improving the Chicago-St. Louis line. But it's expected to run into the billions.

Several states also want money for high-speed routes, so competition for the stimulus money will be stiff.

Listen to the entire press conference at Chicago Public Radio.

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Co...?audioID=32686

[ardecila]

Ground floor plan for the new Morgan Street station on the Green Line:



I'm glad that they didn't decide to build a suspended station like the ones in the Loop. Those are usually pretty sparse, minimal structures and they offer little opportunity for a major presence. Instead, CTA chose a more substantial (and cheaper) design that occupies some of the sidewalk and the parking lane with stationhouses.

Architecturally, I see some major problems with this design - the doors into the stationhouses, when opened, will reduce the sidewalk width to only 3 or 4 feet. An extremely easy solution would be to set the doors back from the wall, so they have a little alcove. I sincerely hope the architects are revising this...

[the urban politician]

^ Sorry if this is a silly question, but why are there both north and south stations? Why not just one?

[pottebaum]

Originally Posted by emathias

This isn't good ...

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2...bbed-this.html

I know a girl who was on that train--so close that one of them actually stepped on her foot during the scuffle.

[Mr Downtown]

I think it's because there isn't room underneath the Lake Street elevated structure for a mezzanine. So you have to either have a monstrous transfer bridge with two elevators from there to the platform and then two different elevators from platform down to street level—or build separate inbound and outbound paid areas.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by whyhuhwhy

Giving them a half a billion dollars and their entire plan seems to consist of bus repairs? Unbelievable.

It isn't half a billion, it is $240 million. It isn't just repairs - it is purchasing new buses and trains, replacing signals and switches, and building a couple new stations. Full details are here.

I'm very happy to see that they are replacing the old equipment - there is equipment that needs to be replaced and the contracts can be quickly signed fulfilling the requirements of "stimulus". Replacing this equipment has a great impact on the CTA's operating budget - lower fuel and repair costs will result from these purchases. Kruesi deferred a hell of a lot of maintenance that we need to catch up with, I think a few billion dollars needs to be spent on making up for that until any new lines, facilities, or services are even considered. Hopefully we'll see that money in the full transportation bill.

[Abner]

Carole Brown told Congress the CTA could easily spend more than twice that amount in 90 days on basic repairs and options in existing contracts. But before they should spend that money they need to figure out how they are going to keep the lights on as sales tax revenues plummet.

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by Attrill

It isn't half a billion, it is $240 million. It isn't just repairs - it is purchasing new buses and trains, replacing signals and switches, and building a couple new stations. Full details are here.

^ Thanks for finding that. Just for you guys to know, the transit stuff begins on page 40

[whyhuhwhy]

Originally Posted by Attrill

It isn't half a billion, it is $240 million.

http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chic...projects,23458

"Yesterday, days ahead of the stimulus-package funding deadline, the federal government handed the CTA $241 million for capital projects."

"Chicago-area transit agencies will also receive an additional $245 million in federal capital and planning funds unrelated to the stimulus package."

$241 million + $245 million. That's about a half a billion.

[Taft]

Originally Posted by whyhuhwhy

http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chic...projects,23458

"Yesterday, days ahead of the stimulus-package funding deadline, the federal government handed the CTA $241 million for capital projects."

"Chicago-area transit agencies will also receive an additional $245 million in federal capital and planning funds unrelated to the stimulus package."

$241 million + $245 million. That's about a half a billion.

OK, if you want to play semantics with WHERE the money is coming from, fine.

I think the point you have failed to make is that the CTA is somehow aiming low with their aspirations for spending the money. I personally think you are overestimating the effect of money on a system with the size of the CTA. While you'll get no arguments from me on the fact that some of the money isn't going where it should be (for instance the pension drag), the fact is that the CTA is the nation's second largest public transit organization and that carries a big price tag.

[Taft]

Originally Posted by whyhuhwhy

I'm sure that's exactly what happened, the CTA plan all along was to eventually sell as much land as possible right when the market tanked just so all those rich people out there would benefit.

You are mocking a strawman here. If you think the CTA planned the sale of their real estate assets well, I've got a bridge to sell you. They are selling at a time where real estate is going for fire sale prices and further are being FORCED to sell due to inclement financial conditions. While it does appear that much of this land was being used for Brown Line reconstruction, I really think the CTA could have been smarter with its assets in this circumstance.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Ground floor plan for the new Morgan Street station on the Green Line:



I'm glad that they didn't decide to build a suspended station like the ones in the Loop. Those are usually pretty sparse, minimal structures and they offer little opportunity for a major presence. Instead, CTA chose a more substantial (and cheaper) design that occupies some of the sidewalk and the parking lane with stationhouses.

Architecturally, I see some major problems with this design - the doors into the stationhouses, when opened, will reduce the sidewalk width to only 3 or 4 feet. An extremely easy solution would be to set the doors back from the wall, so they have a little alcove. I sincerely hope the architects are revising this...

I actually really dislike this design. Its impact on the street level is horrendous - how long will it be before there's a mugging against the wall there, where the sidewalk is now hidden from the street? Why couldn't they have made the station more like the ones to the west?

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ I dunno, assuming those are glass station houses, the odds of crime in the area would probably drop due to one or two city employee's being stationed there nearly 24-7 with a clear view through the glass. Less important to the crime thing would be the fact that CTA Police (and regular police) frequently hang out in and outside of station houses and that increased presence will also decrease criminal activity.

[Abner]

I would wager that the increase in pedestrian traffic would at least make up for any increased risk of crime. This is a pretty sleepy area as it is. I do wish they could have found a way to put the bike racks inside though. I've noticed they're much better used when they're within sight of CTA employees and protected from rain and other unpleasantries.

[Chicago3rd]

Originally Posted by Taft

OK, if you want to play semantics with WHERE the money is coming from, fine.

I think the point you have failed to make is that the CTA is somehow aiming low with their aspirations for spending the money. I personally think you are overestimating the effect of money on a system with the size of the CTA. While you'll get no arguments from me on the fact that some of the money isn't going where it should be (for instance the pension drag), the fact is that the CTA is the nation's second largest public transit organization and that carries a big price tag.

And we all know that a few years ago CTA estimated it needed at least $6 Billion just to get all that we have up and running right and upgraded. Nothing fancy. So even though $.5 Billion would look good in my bank account...it is greatfully received but woefully short.