CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[emathias]

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago

Random, but anyone know who is in charge of changing burnt out stoplights and if something has changed there lately?

I saw a few burnt out red/green lights earlier this summer and thought to myself how extremely rare it is to see them burnt out. I've now been seeing them *everywhere*, downtown, lakeview, west side, northwest side.

I can't be THAT unlucky that I go from seeing basically none in 14 years to now well over a dozen in just a few months - and I don't even drive more than once a week.

311 is your friend.

[jpIllInoIs]

NWI Times

This actually might happen -someday. InDOT has set up a funding mechanism and local govts are on board. But man does it hug the state line.

Also with the West Lake extension and additional trains, can Randolph Station handle the increased loads? Doesnt the Randolph only have 3 platforms set aside for NICTD train sets?


project page; http://www.nictdwestlake.com/index.html

[LouisVanDerWright]

^^^ I'm sure it's purely coincidental that there is a stop literally right next to FFF Brewery.

[ardecila]

Hmm. I always kinda figured NICTD would need to run diesel on the new line, either with dual-mode locomotives into Millennium Station or pure diesel trains and a transfer at Kensington.

Now it seems they are just looking to electrify the new branch and use their existing fleet of Highliners. That would make this the first electrification of a mainline railroad in America in nearly a century, Northeast excluded. Hopefully they will not need to accommodate double-stack containers on the new route.

It also means all the new stations must have high platforms, so NICTD will need to accommodate freight and Amtrak on gauntlet tracks. Hopefully they will find a way to let Amtrak trains call at the new Dyer station.

[BVictor1]

41st Street Pedestrian Bridge...

This was approved today by the Chicago Plan COmmission. Apparently a Tiger Grant has been obtained and the percentage ratio will be 80/20 federal/state funds.











http://www.cordoganclark.com/municip...t_bridges.html

[wierdaaron]

Nice to see these ped bridges moving along on the south side. I think there should be one every few blocks.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Nice to see these ped bridges moving along on the south side. I think there should be one every few blocks.

There'll be access every 1/2 mile.

[ardecila]

Bronzeville and Hyde Park already have access every 1/2 mile, except for the area around McCormick Place where there is a 1.5 mile gap.

Good to see the 43rd St bridge funded and moving forward. Note that the original plan called for new bridges at 41st and 43rd, which are only 1/4 mile apart. 43rd already has a bridge which is perfectly serviceable, so its replacement will not be funded right now.

BVic, do you have any recent photos of the new 35th St bridge? It's really difficult to photograph, unless you're biking on the Lakefront Trail.

[BVictor1]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Bronzeville and Hyde Park already have access every 1/2 mile, except for the area around McCormick Place where there is a 1.5 mile gap.

Good to see the 43rd St bridge funded and moving forward. Note that the original plan called for new bridges at 41st and 43rd, which are only 1/4 mile apart. 43rd already has a bridge which is perfectly serviceable, so its replacement will not be funded right now.

BVic, do you have any recent photos of the new 35th St bridge? It's really difficult to photograph, unless you're biking on the Lakefront Trail.

No. I haven't had the opportunity.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Bronzeville and Hyde Park already have access every 1/2 mile, except for the area around McCormick Place where there is a 1.5 mile gap.

Only a mile gap (Cermak to 31st) because McCormick Place is considered lakefront access. You can walk through it any time day or night, supposedly. I've never tried it late at night, though; maybe it's only until 11 pm when Burnham Park is open.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by jpIllInoIs

NWI Times

This actually might happen -someday. InDOT has set up a funding mechanism and local govts are on board. But man does it hug the state line.

Also with the West Lake extension and additional trains, can Randolph Station handle the increased loads? Doesnt the Randolph only have 3 platforms set aside for NICTD train sets?


project page; http://www.nictdwestlake.com/index.html

Awesome! I see this would also put rails back into a abandoned ROW that now has a trail, which makes this project even better, if it happens.

No time for me at the moment to read the project details, but do you know off hand if Dyer Amtrak station will be consolidated into the new terminal? I hope so for inter-connectivity.

[Chicago Shawn]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

Only a mile gap (Cermak to 31st) because McCormick Place is considered lakefront access. You can walk through it any time day or night, supposedly. I've never tried it late at night, though; maybe it's only until 11 pm when Burnham Park is open.

Yep, its open when shows aren't going on, but I've never tried to access the lakefront from it. Its a neat, creepy post-apocalyptic feeling walking through there when the building is empty.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Chicago Shawn

Awesome! I see this would also put rails back into a abandoned ROW that now has a trail, which makes this project even better, if it happens.

No time for me at the moment to read the project details, but do you know off hand if Dyer Amtrak station will be consolidated into the new terminal? I hope so for inter-connectivity.

Doesn't look like it. The new South Shore station would be at 205th St whereas the Amtrak station is at 209th, so 1/2 mile apart. Dyer just built a new station for Amtrak, so it's unlikely they would relocate into the South Shore's station. Then again, by the time West Lake Corridor is actually built, the "new" Dyer Amtrak station won't be so new.

I mentioned this before, but the fundamental problem is that the South Shore will have high boarding height and Amtrak trains will have low boarding height. They can't use the same platforms unless one of them makes costly changes to their railcars.

However, there's no reason why you couldn't have a single track with a high platform on one side, and low platforms on the other. Kind of a Spanish solution.

[Randomguy34]

Although nothing major, I did find this important for both RPM and the West Lake extension

FTA announces TOD grants

A $1·25m grant is intended to help Chicago Transit Authority to develop a TOD plan to go with the Red and Purple line modernisation project. Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District is to receive $300 000 to study TOD at stations along the planned 15 km West Lake extension of the South Shore Line from Hammond to Dyer.
...

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/n...od-grants.html

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Although nothing major, I did find this important for both RPM and the West Lake extension

FTA announces TOD grants

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/n...od-grants.html

$1.25 miilion to develop a TOD plan to go along with RPM? Draw half mile radius circles on a map with the center point being a rail entry, and upzone everything inside the circle aside from historic districts. Done.

[the urban politician]

^ WORD. That cost all but $0!!

Common sense is free, my friends. That's why it's called "common" sense.

[wierdaaron]

Perhaps to do some of the leg work to put together proposals for development projects?

[CTA Gray Line]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Doesn't look like it. The new South Shore station would be at 205th St whereas the Amtrak station is at 209th, so 1/2 mile apart. Dyer just built a new station for Amtrak, so it's unlikely they would relocate into the South Shore's station. Then again, by the time West Lake Corridor is actually built, the "new" Dyer Amtrak station won't be so new.

I mentioned this before, but the fundamental problem is that the South Shore will have high boarding height and Amtrak trains will have low boarding height. They can't use the same platforms unless one of them makesall costly changes to their railcars.

However, there's no reason why you couldn't have a single track with a high platform on one side, and low platforms on the other. Kind of a Spanish solution.

Don't Amtrak trains use high-level platforms all along the East Coast? Why not here? All the Amtrak equipment I see in the CUS yards have traps for high-level boarding.

[ChickeNES]

Anyone know what the hold up is with the 35th Street pedestrian bridge? They poured the portion above LSD months ago, but the portion above the IC ROW has not had any work done. They haven't even removed the other half of the old bridge yet.

[gallo]

Originally Posted by wierdaaron

Perhaps to do some of the leg work to put together proposals for development projects?

As the president of one of the local neighborhood associations potentially impacted by the flyover, I pushed the Alderman's office and the CTA to create a plan for leftover and impacted property, particularly along Clark and Wilton. We need to have a plan in place to deal with these potentially vacant spaces so that developers will know what the neighborhood's expectations are for reinvestment, potentially making the process less painful for true higher intensity TOD. This plan would also include other suggested public benefits that could be funded as part of this project, things like bike/ped infrastructure, public art, plazas/open spaces under the tracks etc. The point is to have an urban design plan that evaluates some of the potential engineering and design scenarios.