CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by ardecila

LSD is an urgent project, since the bridges and underpasses (and the shoreline protection) are crumbling. If we're gonna rebuild the whole road, now is the time to have the important discussions about how transit should factor in before we spend billions.

Exactly.

Bus lanes on the mag mile would be gravy.

But that's not the project directly in front of us at the moment.

We gotta get the LSD redesign correct right now, before the window closes and whatever gets built is locked in for another 2+ generations.

[left of center]

Is there any way to create a dedicated BRT route along DLSD? Having the bus lanes in the left-most lane and then having them merge across 3 lanes of car traffic to make the stops sounds like a PITA that would slow the buses down during rush periods. Why not have a dedicated bus road ala the McCormick Busway, running alongside DSLD? To be clear, I am not advocating for more total road lanes. DSLD would be 6 car lanes instead of 8, with a 2 lane BRT route running along its western side. Having enclosed bus station buildings would be a nice bonus as well.

My assumption as to why this would not happen is $$$.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by left of center

Is there any way to create a dedicated BRT route along DLSD? Having the bus lanes in the left-most lane and then having them merge across 3 lanes of car traffic to make the stops sounds like a PITA that would slow the buses down during rush periods. Why not have a dedicated bus road ala the McCormick Busway, running alongside DSLD? To be clear, I am not advocating for more total road lanes. DSLD would be 6 car lanes instead of 8, with a 2 lane BRT route running along its western side. Having enclosed bus station buildings would be a nice bonus as well.

My assumption as to why this would not happen is $$$.

Not really money, it's space. A dedicated bus road to either side of DLSD would lead to a huge "footprint" along the lake, since the busway would have to flare out at every junction along the way, and a big loss of parkland that would need to be offset with lakefill elsewhere.

Granted, a 6-lane road without shoulders would be a lot smaller than the 8-lane road with shoulders that IDOT is proposing - combine the smaller road with the busway and it might even out.

I don't think merging across 3 lanes is a dealbreaker. Buses enter/exit at Hollywood, Foster, Irving Park, Belmont and Fullerton. Traffic dwindles further north and there is typically free flow; for the first three access points, traffic is not so heavy that buses can't change lanes. For the last two, I suggest rerouting those buses (134, 135, 143, 146) to a new, bus-only access at Diversey by the driving range. Southbound lanes would get elevated on a flyover, and there would be a signal intersection on the busway for buses to enter/exit.

[SolarWind]

August 6, 2024

[sentinel]

^Such a cool project, thanks for the photos SW!

[Tom In Chicago]

I thought this article was interesting. . .

IDOT unveils what’s left before construction starts on Rockford-Chicago Metra train

By Nathaniel Langley
Published: Sep. 10, 2024 at 10:57 PM CDT
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Carolyn Cadigan has called Rockford home the last three decades. At an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) open house on Tuesday, she sees a comeback for the community arriving on rails.

“I think we’re growing a lot,” says Cadigan. “I know people are coming from all over the country to live in the Midwest.”

According to the Rockford resident, that “growth” should lead to the return of Rockford passenger rail service – not seen since 1981 when the “Black Hawk” route ended due to limited funding.

IDOT’s public meeting in the Veteran Memorial Hall offered the latest on the Chicago to Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail Program. Since the last open house meeting in 2023, project leaders provided specific details on what’s next for the program.

https://www.wifr.com/2024/09/11/idot...o-metra-train/

Regional but relevant. . .

. . .

[Busy Bee]

edit

[nomarandlee]

Originally Posted by SolarWind

August 6, 2024

Can we cough up 11.5 billion from somewhere to upgrade the rest of the 145 stations to that standard? One wishes.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Tom In Chicago

I thought this article was interesting. . .



https://www.wifr.com/2024/09/11/idot...o-metra-train/

Regional but relevant. . .

. . .

Metra is one of Chicago's transit systems too! It's nice to hear good news and progress on one of these rail projects instead of yet another delay.

I'm not usually a big fan of Metra extensions - instead of supporting small towns and their downtown areas, they drop a giant, 1200-space park and ride in a cornfield with not even a pedestrian connection back to downtown (see Elburn, Manhattan, Grayslake, etc). The only thing you can do is drive to the station, usually from a brand new subdivision that's also in a cornfield. Just a recipe for more sprawl. Amtrak doesn't really care if their stations have a lot of parking, so they usually end up in historic downtowns and, where possible, in historic stations.

For the Rockford extension, it's looking like Huntley will get one of those massive (and expensive) park and rides, but there's no money to build stations in Marengo, Union or Gilberts. Belvidere doesn't want a big park and ride, they want a downtown station but Metra and UP are fighting it.

Rockford is kind of a special case as a large city, they are undertaking a study to figure out the best location for their station. Likely it will end up where the old station was, at the south end of downtown by Main St and Cedar. The old CNW station is long gone, but the freight depot remains and is currently abandoned. Could be a nice renovation...

[left of center]

It seems (from a cursory glance on Google maps) that the most likely routing that Metra will use for the Rockford extension is almost entirely single track. Is part of the $275 million going towards double tracking the line? Or will they just install rail sidings so that trains will be able to bypass each other? Obviously double tracking the whole line would be the most ideal (triple tracking even better to allow for express runs), but that will obviously come with a much larger cost.

[Busy Bee]

I can't find it but I do believe double tracking planned. I also understand that Rockford trains would run express starting/ending at Elgin. Regular Elgin commuters are understandably excited about this.

[left of center]

^ Interesting. The MD-W line is double tracked from Elgin until just west of Mannheim, where it goes triple track. I wonder how they will manage the express trains. There are portions of the route were trains will be able to go around the locals, but the timing might not always work out, and it may cause delays for the locals/express.

[orulz]

Don't get your hopes up too high just yet; it's only going to be two daily round trips. They are putting their foot in the door, and this is a good first step to be sure - but this is a small fraction of the service seen to other outlying destinations.
Compare:
-Harvard has 13 Round trips on weekdays, 10 on Sautrdays, and 7 on Sundays;
-Kenosha has 9 Round trips on weekdays, 7 on Saturdays, and 3 on Sundays;
-South Bend has 7 Round trips on weekdays, 5 on Weekends;
etc, etc. You get the point.

It's run by Metra, but it's basically minimal intercity service, not commuter service.

Double tracking isn't part of the plan for now. As far as I can tell, a track connection about a mile past Big Timber Road station is the only new track that is going to be laid as a part of this project.

It is too bad that they are going to run regular passenger service RIGHT BY Illinois Railway Museum and... not stop there. If they ever change their mind and decide to put a station in Union, I hope they put it at IRM.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by orulz

It is too bad that they are going to run regular passenger service RIGHT BY Illinois Railway Museum and... not stop there. If they ever change their mind and decide to put a station in Union, I hope they put it at IRM.

Metra studied a Marengo extension awhile back and it included a Union stop at the IRM. But that was a much more extensive (and gold-plated) project.

The massive park and ride requirement is an obstacle for any official Metra or IDOT station at IRM, but once the service is up and running IRM will probably work with them to build a barebones flag stop, maybe even using volunteer or donated labor.

Another option is for IRM to extend their demonstration railroad... right now it ends about 1 mile from the proposed Metra stop in Huntley at Coyne Station Road. They'd have to buy the land to extend their tracks parallel to the UP right of way, but it avoids some bureaucratic obstacles of building a Union Metra stop. IRM could do a timed transfer to the Metra trains on heritage equipment.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by ardecila

Metra studied a Marengo extension awhile back and it included a Union stop at the IRM. But that was a much more extensive (and gold-plated) project.

The massive park and ride requirement is an obstacle for any official Metra or IDOT station at IRM, but once the service is up and running IRM will probably work with them to build a barebones flag stop, maybe even using volunteer or donated labor.

Another option is for IRM to extend their demonstration railroad... right now it ends about 1 mile from the proposed Metra stop in Huntley at Coyne Station Road. They'd have to buy the land to extend their tracks parallel to the UP right of way, but it avoids some bureaucratic obstacles of building a Union Metra stop. IRM could do a timed transfer to the Metra trains on heritage equipment.

This was talked about a while back on here. This is 100% the way to go. How great would it be to catch a ride on a green hornet PCC from the Metra stop to the front gate of IRM.

[orulz]

Originally Posted by ardecila

The massive park and ride requirement is an obstacle for any official Metra or IDOT station at IRM, but once the service is up and running IRM will probably work with them to build a barebones flag stop, maybe even using volunteer or donated labor.

There is a roughly 1000-space parking lot at IRM. It's enormous. I'm sure there's pretty much always lots of extra space, especially on weekdays.

Ok, so most of their parking is gravel-and-grass; if Metra were to pave it, I bet that's a few hundred thousand bucks. Not a budget-buster.

I am betting that the schedule will be something like:
AM round trip:
6:00am Rockford
6:40am IRM
8:00am Chicago

8:30am Chicago
9:50am IRM
10:30am Rockford

PM round trip:
4:00pm Rockford
4:40pm IRM
6:00pm Chicago

6:30pm Chicago
7:50pm IRM
8:30pm Rockford

This would be such a win for IRM, that's literally a perfect day trip from Chicago. Leave Union Station at 8:30am, 6 hours at the museum, return at 6pm. I bet it would be quite popular. The extra visitors would be totally worth sharing their parking lot with Metra.


(This schedule leaves enough space for a midday round trip as well
11:00am Rockford
11:40am IRM
1:00pm Chicago

1:30pm Chicago
2:50pm IRM
3:30pm Rockford

[Jstange059]

CTA is creating a plan to reopen the long closed Racine Green line station in Englewood

https://transitchicago.bonfirehub.co...unities/154763

[Randomguy34]

Posting this in the transit thread. While discussing the potential Pink Line station for the 1901 Project, the Blackhawks chariman also mentioned possibly "reconfiguring" the Pink Line. Not sure if this would mean smoothing out the remaining few curves, or something bolder

Danny Wirtz, chairman and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, said the owners have been “really open with the city” about a possible reconfiguration of the Pink Line, and the city has been “very open to the possibilities there.”

“That’s a conversation that’s live right now,” Wirtz said. “I think it’d be great for the city. It’d be great for us, and that’s where we can really get into thinking about how people get to and from [the United Center].”

https://chicago.suntimes.com/real-es...irtz-reinsdorf

[twister244]

I'm surprised nobody has posted this yet.....

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/tran...gNews-20241003

The commuter rail agency said it would require an agreement with Canadian National Railway, which owns most of the track the route runs on, and CPKC, which dispatches trains on portions of the track, in order to permanently expand the service.

This is pretty awesome news if it means we have a regular Metra service to ORD.....

[left of center]

Great news! Its much too difficult to get to O'Hare from the city center. 90/94 is a parking lot most hours, and the Blue Line has too many stops and moves too slowly to make it viable for most business travelers to take to the Loop. Expanding service on the NCS is the most logical approach.

The dream scenario would be to tunnel track into the O'Hare CTA station, branching off from the main NCS line and allowing for express Metra trains from Union directly into O'Hare. The NCS is already triple/quad tracked for most of the route between Union and O'Hare, meaning we just need a billion or two for the tunnel. Easy, right?