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  #15941  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2022, 3:16 PM
twister244 twister244 is online now
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While Lincoln Yards won't have immediate integration into the L, they are going to move the Clybourn Metra station into the development, extend the 606 trail, and offer shuttle busses to the Blue Line (maybe other lines too?). I would say that's about the best Lincoln Yards could do. With the Casino coming, and other larger developments in the future filling into the North Branch, CTA may need to start thinking about the best ways to move people around the area. I still maintain that I would rather see resources being put into BRT and vastly improving the ped/cycle routes going East-West across the River/Kennedy in that area. It really is a huge divider.
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  #15942  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2022, 4:03 PM
BrinChi BrinChi is offline
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So if the RLE goes through, does that make the 95th super station kind of unnecessary? Presumably there would be far fewer bus lines using it as a transfer point.

It seems like upgrades to existing tracks and signals in and around the loop would go a long way to speed up everyone's commute, including those that would benefit from the RLE. It's still a major choke-point that adds 5-10 min onto most trips unnecessarily. And we're in a moment when CTA needs to woo the choice-riders back onto the system both for revenue and safety reasons.
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  #15943  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2022, 6:02 PM
orulz orulz is offline
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Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
It might be short-sighted not to build two tracks on Day 1, but it won't be difficult to double-track it later if they want to run commuter service.

-The ramp structure is above ground and will mostly be supported on wide straddle bents over other tracks below. I imagine they will design these straddle bents to support a 2nd track in the future; the cost to do so is minimal. Railroad structures often include provisions for future 2nd track.
It would obviously make sense to make accommodations for an eventual second track, but I'd rather see it confirmed in writing, or at least verbally confirmed - rather than just imagining it to be so.

Usually diagrams like this that have made accomodations for a second track, will have a dashed line marked "Future Second Track" indicating that second track's future alignment. I haven't seen any such marking on any of the diagrams for this project yet. It would be comforting to see *any* positive indication whatsoever that they've thought ahead about where it might go, and how to build it without massive disruptions in the future.
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  #15944  
Old Posted Aug 8, 2022, 6:42 PM
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So if the RLE goes through, does that make the 95th super station kind of unnecessary? Presumably there would be far fewer bus lines using it as a transfer point.
The 95th project was a Hail Mary by Rahm to win votes in the Black community, either because he wanted to cancel the RLE project or because he knew it would take decades to get funding. However, we don't know how CTA will adjust their bus service after RLE opens. Probably like 5 routes that currently terminate at 95th will be rerouted, but that still leaves another 8-10 routes. They could potentially use any leftover bus bays for intercity buses; Greyhound already stops there.

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Originally Posted by orulz View Post
Usually diagrams like this that have made accomodations for a second track, will have a dashed line marked "Future Second Track" indicating that second track's future alignment. I haven't seen any such marking on any of the diagrams for this project yet. It would be comforting to see *any* positive indication whatsoever that they've thought ahead about where it might go, and how to build it without massive disruptions in the future.
I wouldn't base too much speculation on one diagram from a grant application. They don't have any funding for real design or engineering yet; this diagram was probably put together by a planning intern.
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  #15945  
Old Posted Aug 9, 2022, 4:05 PM
TR Devlin TR Devlin is offline
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Originally Posted by Mr Downtown View Post
“Organization before Electronics before Concrete”

The Chicago region (comparatively speaking) is shrinking rather than growing; we don't really need any rail extensions. We do need to make better use of what we have, by integrating fares between Metra and CTA, and by putting new office and residential growth next to the stations we already have, rather than letting developers build where there's cheap land but no transit (Lincoln Yards, I'm looking at you).

So were I in charge, the first thing I'd do is make Metra more of a regional rail system rather than a bunch of commuter trains. I've sketched the basic concept of a Chicago S-Bahn that would have frequent service all day long. Obviously, this is pointless if it's not fare-integrated with CTA to get South Siders to job centers north of the river or in the Medical District.



Second, I think the movement of the office core that's already taken place justifies a Larrabee-Clinton Subway.


Thank you, Mr. Downtown.

What I find frustrating is that I think a lot of people look at your maps and say to themselves
“I drive to work; I hardly ever take mass transit; This looks like an expensive plan and I don’t see any benefit in it for me; So I don’t support it.”
But think about it. In Chicago there are about 1.7 million mass transit trips every day (750,000 CTA bus, 700,000 CTA rail and 250,000 METRA). What would happen if one day, the whole system shut down and most of the mass transit trips became car trips? Traffic would gridlock, commute times would skyrocket and it would be a complete disaster.

My point is that everybody benefits from a good mass transit system – both the people who use it and the people who don’t.
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Last edited by TR Devlin; Aug 9, 2022 at 5:16 PM.
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  #15946  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 4:27 PM
moorhosj1 moorhosj1 is offline
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Has there been any indication of the next expansion/improvement focuses for CTA? It seems the ongoing projects have been in planning for over a decade.

Is the Blue Line Forest Park Branch reconstruction next in line? What's after that?
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  #15947  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 4:53 PM
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This is completely outta nowhere, but I'm sitting on my back deck eating lunch and a married pair of old 6000 series L cars in the red/white/blue livery just rolled by on the brown line tracks in our alley, heading in-bound.

Haven't seen that before. I didn't know the CTA kept any operating 6000 series cars around, they've been out of revenue service for 30 years now.

Those old 6000 series cars were still the backbone of the system back when I was a kid in the 70s/80s, so I've always had a nostalgic fondness for them. That was fun to see!
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  #15948  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 5:19 PM
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The previous green paint on the old 6000's always looked so classic. The bicentennial scheme never looked good on them imo:


_


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  #15949  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 5:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan View Post
This is completely outta nowhere, but I'm sitting on my back deck eating lunch and a married pair of old 6000 series L cars in the red/white/blue livery just rolled by on the brown line tracks in our alley, heading in-bound.

Haven't seen that before. I didn't know the CTA kept any operating 6000 series cars around, they've been out of revenue service for 30 years now.

Those old 6000 series cars were still the backbone of the system back when I was a kid in the 70s/80s, so I've always had a nostalgic fondness for them. That was fun to see!
Yea, they have 4 cars (IIRC) in the heritage fleet for specials.
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  #15950  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 6:15 PM
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I've noticed these a few times recently. They look even more amazing in-person. The modern design + retro livery works well imo.

https://twitter.com/cta/status/1542143563332476929/

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  #15951  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 6:28 PM
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Mercury Green, Croydon Cream & Swamp Holly Orange...

Quite the lineup... I saw them at RiotFest... Amazing...
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  #15952  
Old Posted Aug 12, 2022, 8:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Busy Bee View Post
The previous green paint on the old 6000's always looked so classic.


_
Few things can make me more instantly nostalgic about the Chicago of my childhood than the old green & whites.

A classic look indeed!
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  #15953  
Old Posted Aug 16, 2022, 8:33 PM
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High Speed Rail Alliance hosted a webinar with Amtrak to discuss the Union Station Access grant. They mention a couple new details, especially in the Q&A portion. Amtrak is planning a concourse and waiting area at Harrison St for the mail platforms, with a potential 2nd entrance at Van Buren St. This would mean you wouldn't have to go through Union Station to access the platforms. Ideally the Metra trains would use the mail platforms for through running between O'Hare and McCormick Place. Amtrak has started discussions with Indiana to increase service and speeds to Indianapolis by using the South Shore Line's West Lake extension.

Video Link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D7i77mPAcg
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  #15954  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2022, 4:18 PM
BrinChi BrinChi is offline
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In light of the RLE project, I listened to the below recently. I love this Not Just Bikes guy who moved to Netherlands to raise his family in a walkable community. I'm all for building equitable transit, but it reminds me that to get Americans on board with transit, we need to ensure the transit is useful. Even though I live right next to a green line stop on the south side, when I visit friends in Rogers Park I drive because it'll take at least twice as long, even with LSD traffic through downtown. And I'm someone who prefers taking transit when possible.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000576109913
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  #15955  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2022, 4:24 PM
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Amtrak is planning a concourse and waiting area at Harrison St for the mail platforms, with a potential 2nd entrance at Van Buren St. This would mean you wouldn't have to go through Union Station to access the platforms.
Yeah this is interesting. I'm curious how this will integrate architecturally with the OPO.

Also I'm not wild about creating a whole satellite station that is disconnected from Union. It's the same mistake that Amtrak made at Moynihan in NYC, but made worse by the fact that OPO is owned by a private landlord and the relationship could turn hostile in the future. Good underground/Pedway connections are essential to make this work, but very expensive to build. Van Buren and Harrison are also awful locations for pickup/dropoff.

Operationally my guess is that the new OPO platforms (I wonder which politician they will name it after) will end up used for regional/corridor services and maybe a McCormick Place service.
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  #15956  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2022, 5:07 PM
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Originally Posted by ardecila View Post
It's the same mistake that Amtrak made at Moynihan in NYC, .
What are you talking about?
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  #15957  
Old Posted Aug 17, 2022, 10:17 PM
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Also would like to see some TOD around the yellow line stations.
or how about even just more in-fill stops on the yellow line the first place?

crawford, dodge, and asbury all seem like some pretty low-hanging fruit.
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  #15958  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2022, 1:14 AM
Rizzo Rizzo is offline
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I think reopening the Dodge station would be reasonable since it could boost density along Howard and still is far enough from overlapping with metra.

Anybody ever bike ride on the Skokie valley trail? It’s an excellent way to travel north-south from the city to suburbs. It goes by a lot of these projects. There’s plans to complete the missing pieces for a path between Waukegan and Chicago
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  #15959  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2022, 6:20 AM
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If Evanston can get transit money, I think they will focus on rebuilding the Purple Line. The current city government doesn’t seem very interested in an Asbury station, seems like that has been shelved.
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  #15960  
Old Posted Aug 18, 2022, 1:36 PM
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If Evanston can get transit money, I think they will focus on rebuilding the Purple Line. The current city government doesn’t seem very interested in an Asbury station, seems like that has been shelved.
it is interesting though that the yellow line runs for nearly 2 miles across the entire southside of evanston but without a single stop in it. i'm guesing the municipality spends zero money on the trench ROW and its numerous overpasses, so maybe it is a situation of "if we don't get involved, then we're not on the hook for anything".

that said, a stop at crawford at least would still make a bunch of sense, and that's over in skokie. i wonder if they would ever entertain adding another in-fill station at an obvious spot like crawford to increase the yellow line's utility? it's not wildly dense or urban around crawford, but the tracts around a potential station there still have a respectable street-car suburbia densities in the 6,000 - 9,000 ppsm range.
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Aug 18, 2022 at 2:41 PM.
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