What do you guys think of my Blue Line Extension proposal? I wanted to practice my Illustrator skills... but I think this is what we should be pushing for if CMAP/RTA are serious about extending the Blue Line westward.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=...ZmYzN2Nk&hl=en
The idea is that it would be built in three phases: to Hillside, then Oak Brook, and then Yorktown.
A new yard (required to accommodate the large number of new trains) would be built adjacent to the Hillside station, all of which would be on the
Congress Landfill site. I don't know if building there is feasible, but people have built atop landfills
elsewhere. It's really a perfect site for a major park-and-ride: it sits right where 290 and 88 merge, just before the heavy traffic starts. Mannheim is a high-capacity interchange that isn't choked with traffic. The landfill site is big enough to accommodate serious quantities of parking.
There is a settlement risk; this could be okay for parking lots or garages, but not for trainyards. An alternate yard site would be near the Maywood station on a redeveloped industrial property.
I think it's safe to assume $3 billion for this thing, in 2010 dollars. Of course, that's a paltry sum compared to the Second Avenue Subway, so I remain hopeful.