CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[MayorOfChicago]

We already knew this, but I don't know if I'd seen a specific dollar amount:

CTA to close seven North Side Red Line stops for repairs

Seven century-old stations on the CTA’s Red Line will close this summer and fall for six-weeks at a time — beginning with Granville on June 1—to make way for $86 million in repairs to upgrade every aspect of the passenger experience.

The Granville closing will be followed by similar, six-week closings at: Morse (June 29); Thorndale (Aug. 17); Argyle (Aug. 24); Berwyn (Oct.5); Lawrence (Oct. 14) and Jarvis (Nov. 9). No two adjacent stations in Rogers Park, Edgewater and Uptown will be closed at the same time.

In some cases, shuttle buses will be made available. In other cases, passengers will be asked to walk a few blocks to the next open station to make way for improvements ranging from viaduct and platform repairs to new lighting, floors, doors and windows and waterproofing for stations that leak like a sieve.

“These are literally the worst stations in the system…It’s been a source of frustration over the years that they’ve been neglected….We are attacking that problem—finally,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool.

[ardecila]

The news about Sheridan is welcome. I wonder what "advanced engineering" it needs? Assuming the track geometries work out, it would be great to shift the Red Line tracks outward and build an island platform that's twice as wide as the existing ones.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The only way to preserve this level of service would be to create a 4-lane busway or, at the very least, 3 lanes at stations. Switching to consolidated stations would create a problem, because the combined rush-hour frequency of all the bus routes together would quickly stack up buses.

How do other cities accommodate this problem?

Minneapolis has a paired couplet of two-lane, contraflow busways, with passing lanes:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/4833132030/
Buses stop every other block, and weave around one another. (Someday, I should try snapping a photo of its operation from one of their skyways, but I always forget about the skyways when I'm there.)

The Ottawa transitway system has four lanes to allow passing; the one downtown segment where it gets funneled into a single lane gets terribly congested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottawab...719950/detail/

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by paytonc

Minneapolis has a paired couplet of two-lane, contraflow busways, with passing lanes:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/4833132030/
Buses stop every other block, and weave around one another. (Someday, I should try snapping a photo of its operation from one of their skyways, but I always forget about the skyways when I'm there.)

The Ottawa transitway system has four lanes to allow passing; the one downtown segment where it gets funneled into a single lane gets terribly congested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottawab...719950/detail/

That's pretty cool. Chicago needs to do something like this. The buses stop way too much. On Michigan Ave you can walk a mile faster than the buses because they stop every other block. I suggested on the recent CTA server, buses stop every 3 blocks and in some instances 4.

[ardecila]

That plus fare-paid zones would greatly speed up buses... But each bus stop already has 50 or 60 people at rush hour. I don't know if there's enough sidewalk space to for hundreds to wait at huge consolidated bus stops.

[Chicago3rd]

Delete

[daperpkazoo]

Originally Posted by ardecila

That plus fare-paid zones would greatly speed up buses... But each bus stop already has 50 or 60 people at rush hour. I don't know if there's enough sidewalk space to for hundreds to wait at huge consolidated bus stops.

The way it works with the Minneapolis system is that there are gates letters A-H with different routes stopping at different gates. So while each bus only stops every other block, there are 2 bus stops on a side per block. This blog post is the best overview of the Marq2 system I've read: http://cityoflakesurbanism.blogspot....press-bus.html

[emathias]

Train buffs derailed on elevated CTA tracks in South Loop
Link in Chicago Sun-Times

A four-car chartered train carrying about 40 train buffs derailed Sunday morning on the elevated CTA tracks near State and 14th Street in the South Loop, though no one was injured.

A Green Line train carrying 60 to 70 passengers was trapped behind the chartered train, the CTA said.

...

Ooooopppppss ....

[Rizzo]

Originally Posted by emathias

Train buffs derailed on elevated CTA tracks in South Loop
Link in Chicago Sun-Times



Ooooopppppss ....

At least it was train buffs. Sounds like they actually enjoyed the experience of walking the tracks or being rescued in a cherry picker. Had it been regular passengers, there probably would have been a couple people making a big deal about it and wanting to sue or something.

[ardecila]

CTA and CDOT are hosting an open house tonight for BRT (bus rapid transit). The Jeffrey Corridor and Central Area Transitway will be discussed. The Western BRT will also be discussed, although it's probably still in very early stages, and full details for that project will not come out until summer.

The meeting will be at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan, from 5-7:30pm.

http://www.activetrans.org/blog/bren...p-week-may-2nd

[OhioGuy]

The new downtown Skokie yellow line station at Oakton opened Monday morning. The Patch has a good collection of photos from opening day.

Take A Tour Of Skokie's Newest CTA Stop

The online CTA map has also been updated to reflect the new Oakton yellow line station, as well as the new Morgan green/pink line station opening soon.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Fantastic, it's refreshing to see new stations popping up on the map after years of stagnation. I don't think there has been a single addition to the CTA system since I moved here? This would be the first.

Here's to seeing a few more stations pop up in the next 5 years and maybe an extension or two. I'll be thrilled the day I see the map updated with a new line (probably at least 20 years off).

[Steely Dan]

if you put a stop at asbury (planned) and another at crawford (dream), then the yellow line will start to resemble an actual rail transit line.

[OhioGuy]

According to the CTA press release, Oakton is the first new "L" station in 18 years. I assume this goes back to the opening of the Orange line?

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ I'd imagine. All they've done for years is close CTA stations, not add them. Finally the momentum has been reversed. I dream of a day where we see ridership numbers that justify a dozen new infill stations on the South and Southwest sides.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

Here's to seeing a few more stations pop up in the next 5 years and maybe an extension or two.

After the Cermak Green in 2013 Ive got to imagine the next addition would be Madison Pink... after that I dont really see much in the immediate future.

[jcchii]

Morgan should open fairly soon. Seems close to done

[sammyg]

Originally Posted by untitledreality

After the Cermak Green in 2013 Ive got to imagine the next addition would be Madison Pink... after that I dont really see much in the immediate future.

Asbury on the Yellow is also in the works, and there's a huge stretch of the Green line between Ashland and California that could use a stop.

[untitledreality]

Originally Posted by sammyg

Asbury on the Yellow is also in the works, and there's a huge stretch of the Green line between Ashland and California that could use a stop.

Ah yes, I completely spaced on Asbury.

As for the stretch between Ashland and California on the Lake Street branch, I just dont see a need for it. The most worthy area might be Leavitt, but I cant see an infill station in this area not being connected to a bus route, which points towards Western or Damen. Western is very close to California and has nothing around it, while Damen is very close to Ashland and also has very little around it. Its a tough spot, but maybe in another decade there might be a clear choice based on redevelopment patterns.

[ardecila]

Division on the Brown.