CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[twister244]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

Not extending the ATS tracks over the NCS tracks a few hundred feet during the new car rental facility building is still one of the most shockingly idiotic planning fails I can fathom.

Agreed, but could they do it still? Just re-route the tracks to the facility for a connection, then back to the normal tracks? Re-route from just South of the facility to the connection, the gradually back up to the normal route.

[ardecila]

It's too late to extend the ATS, but it would be much cheaper to just build a nice enclosed passage through the CONRAC garage and a Metra concourse over the tracks like Newark has. It's only about 700' walk if they can make it a straight shot, instead of going down to street level and around the garage.

Of course, there's no point to spending that kind of money for the current pathetic service levels on the NCS. The NCS is neither a busy commuter route or an intercity route, so the only reason to upgrade the station is if Metra makes a commitment to a robust O'Hare Express service.

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

HOLY SHIT! At the Illinois Senate Transportation hearing, Metra said they'll experiment with hourly O'Hare-Union Station service for 10 days during the DNC. They eventually want 15-minute frequency. Metra also said, if they get more funding, they may consider a circumferential route like the STAR Line

I can't believe I'm saying this, but God bless Metra

Lots of people pushing for the O'Hare Express behind the scenes, including Rep. Quigley. Honestly I don't blame Illinois Dems to trying to keep visiting delegates off the CTA while the service is a dumpster fire.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It's too late to extend the ATS, but it would be much cheaper to just build a nice enclosed passage through the CONRAC garage and a Metra concourse over the tracks like Newark has. It's only about 700' walk if they can make it a straight shot, instead of going down to street level and around the garage.

Of course, there's no point to spending that kind of money for the current service levels on the NCS.

Why is it too late? If the demand was there, couldn't they just do something like this?

[Randomguy34]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It's too late to extend the ATS, but it would be much cheaper to just build a nice enclosed passage through the CONRAC garage and a Metra concourse over the tracks like Newark has. It's only about 700' walk if they can make it a straight shot, instead of going down to street level and around the garage.

Sen. Durbin & Duckworth and Rep. Quigley secured $4.8 million to upgrade O'Hare Transfer for "a covered and lit ADA-compliant walkway from Metra’s O’Hare Transfer Station and the entrance of the O’Hare Multimodal Facility and Airport Transit System station". No renderings yet but if it's supposed to connected directly to the ATS station, which is several floors up, and be ADA compliant it'll probably look something like this sketch from the HSRA



Appropriations spreadsheet: https://appropriations.house.gov/sit...d-3.6.2024.pdf
Press Release: https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/new...ckworth-durbin