Quote:
Originally Posted by ardecila
If Metra is acting to preserve a third track on the Englewood Flyover (the third track must add to the cost tremendously) then that tells me they are open to the possibility of more inner-city stations.
Metra's management has historically been opposed to serving Chicago neighborhoods at a higher service level, but now the Ravenswood station is busier than any of the suburban stations on the UP-North line, and Metra management is starting to take note, allowing plans to go forward for new urban stations at 79th on the Rock Island and Peterson on the UP-North. They are also rebuilding Ravenswood to be more like a rapid-transit station, with a full canopy, a concessionaire, and multiple access points, as well as a station agent (finally!)
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I've spoken to Harry Osterman re the Peterson station on several occasions. Osterman was the former state rep for the area and the current 48th ward alderman. I've known Harry for a long time and I like him and think he is a good guy but i disagree with him on the peterson station idea for Metra.
I expressed the idea that the area surrounding peterson is one of the more pedestrian un-friendly parcels on the north side lake front area....if not the out right worst.
That a station there would not be easily walkable for much of the neighborhood just given the awkward positioning of the parcel; the fact the a near full 1/4 circle in a radius extending say 1/4 mile from said station is literally dead people who have a tendency not to use transit.
I suggested to him as did some other to put the station at Devon instead....this could help the west ridge business strip and the emerging strip near clark / devon....as well as their being a rather large undeveloped parcel that has set fallow for decades on the south of devon, across from S&C ( a natural ridership driver who currently uses LUnt...Devon actually would probably be more convenient for S&C actually).
I also suggested to have the Lunt stop moved to Howard.....this would affect me directly as Lunt is my Metra stop.
It just seemd to me the Peterson stop is going to be a clusterfuck of an already clusterfuck....with little ancillary benefit to any business strips...versus the realignment to Devon and to Howard (not to mention a tie in to Redline /Yellow / Purple lines).
He actually thought these suggestions were a good idea....but in his words he was more concerned with the traffic passing through his ward.....ie the traffic passing via ridge, and to lesser extents hollywood and bryn mawr....ie where northwest siders and near suburbanites barrel down peterson / ridge through edgewater. And that Devon was not his ward so he wasn't that concerned about it.....that was irritating.
I have also written to Jan Schakowsky (sp??) re ths.