[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by left of center

Any expansion the CTA embarks on should be one that further increases the connectivity of the transit systems the city has in place. Mile for mile, plans like the Circle Line (linking literally all the CTA lines and some Metra stations in a super-Loop), Clinton St subway (direct connection to Union and Ogilvie), or Brown-Blue Jefferson Park connection would add up to more than the sum of their parts, simply because you increase the ease and ability for people to go from point A to point B with the existing system you already have, without necessarily adding too many new miles of track such that a new rail line entirely would entail.

Although that being said, a line going northwest from downtown along the north branch of the river would be a smart move, especially since all that recently rezoned land is currently an blank canvas that can be molded from scratch, and there already exists rail infrastructure that can be repurposed for this use. At the very least, a ROW should be preserved by the city for potential future transit development.

Yes to all of this.