CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[Busy Bee]

Decades LOL. Pretty sure China just opened another metro system in the 2 days that have passed.

I don't know what the paradigm shift is going to be to get transit to act with a sense of urgency, but we need it more than ever.

[Busy Bee]

Mayor's picks for new regional transit board announced

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Mayor's picks for new regional transit board announced

Shocker, he's keeping the pastor who never rides the system, but dropping the guy who is an expert on community and transit-oriented development.

How can one guy keep making such shitty decisions? Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Mayor's picks for new regional transit board announced

He's so fucking stupid it's legitimately painful.

I pray he is voted out.

[Steely Dan]

With only 10 months to go before he's booted the fuck out, maybe BJ is just trying to completely lock down the "Worst Mayor Ever" trophy without leaving any hint of a doubt.

I mean, the dude has never displayed the slightest shred of competence in the job for the past 3+ years now; why start now?

[sentinel]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

With only 10 months to go before he's booted the fuck out, maybe BJ is just trying to completely lock down the "Worst Mayor Ever" trophy without leaving any hint of a doubt.

I mean, the dude has never displayed the slightest shred of competence in the job for the past 3+ years now; why start now?

Indeed...nor even the slightest shred of situational awareness. I genuinely believe he thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, when in actuality, he's just the least self-aware.

[left of center]

God thats frustrating. What an absolute oaf. At least these nominees need to pass city council approval. Hopefully they send the mayor back to the drawing board.

[Jstange059]

Walked along the right of way of the red line extension from Michigan to 103rd, taking photos along the way

Michigan Station
Lots of construction equipment in site, but couldn’t really tell the progress of construction from my point of view


115th and Lafayette
Looking NW


114th and Wentworth
Looking NW



111th St. Station
Looking south


Looking north


Not yet much progress here past site clearing, however there was a community outreach building with cut metal illustrations of the future stations





109th street
Looking NE


Looking north

Lots of equipment over here, including what looks to me like a pile driver

107th Street
Looking South


103rd St. Station
Looking South

(Excuse my finger in the photo)

Looking North

[Busy Bee]

Sigh

[ardecila]

RLE is a done deal and a relic of the siloed transit system we've had since... forever. But the new NITA structure should hopefully lead to better planning and better outcomes.

Already Toni Preckwinkle herself is complaining that there is no interchange station planned at 119th where RLE crosses Metra Electric. Unfortunately this will be very expensive/complex to build at a later date. But at the very least, NICTD should build a transfer at 130th next to CTA's planned terminal. It's on a sharp curve, but should be doable.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by ardecila

RLE is a done deal and a relic of the siloed transit system we've had since... forever. But the new NITA structure should hopefully lead to better planning and better outcomes.

Already Toni Preckwinkle herself is complaining that there is no interchange station planned at 119th where RLE crosses Metra Electric. Unfortunately this will be very expensive/complex to build at a later date. But at the very least, NICTD should build a transfer at 130th next to CTA's planned terminal. It's on a sharp curve, but should be doable.

Speaking of upgrading potential connections.....

https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/07/24/s...ot-begins-study-of-long-awaited-upgrades

Obviously funding will be the key to any of these developments getting done. One other potential connection I discovered recently.... The Blue Line to MD-N. If you get off at Montrose, you can walk about a block or two and hop onto the MD-N line at the Mayfair stop. Not as close as the direct connection between Blue Line and UP-NW (which is another station that needs a rehab).... But there's gotta be some sort of bridge or connection they can build at some point down the road.

[orulz]

Originally Posted by twister244

Speaking of upgrading potential connections.....

https://chi.streetsblog.org/2026/07/24/s...ot-begins-study-of-long-awaited-upgrades

Obviously funding will be the key to any of these developments getting done. One other potential connection I discovered recently.... The Blue Line to MD-N. If you get off at Montrose, you can walk about a block or two and hop onto the MD-N line at the Mayfair stop. Not as close as the direct connection between Blue Line and UP-NW (which is another station that needs a rehab).... But there's gotta be some sort of bridge or connection they can build at some point down the road.

I actually think a Brown Line extension should connect with Metra and the Blue Line at Montrose rather than Jefferson Park. Maybe keep going past Montrose and end it at six corners. Mentioned it here before and the idea was not very popular.

[Klippenstein]

Connecting the Clyborn stop to the 606 would be awesome. I really hope they make that happen.

[Randomguy34]

South Loop groups are proposing BRT to connect different parts of downtown. Watch the city still be too afraid to implement BRT even when residents actively support it

https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/30/...-connector-as-development-booms-in-area/

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

South Loop groups are proposing BRT to connect different parts of downtown. Watch the city still be too afraid to implement BRT even when residents actively support it

https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/30/...-connector-as-development-booms-in-area/

When the neighborhood residents want BRT..... That should send a signal to the city.....

Still amazes me we don't invest more into true BRT here - It's such low-hanging fruit. I want connecting L/train routes as much as the next person, but we can get connections much more quickly in the meantime with BRT.

[ardecila]

It's crazy that we haven't done anything major to improve downtown transit since the the Red and Blue Line subways opened in the 1950s. The city has spent many billions only to rebuild and renovate the tracks and stations that existed in 1910.

Pretty much the only new thing we've gotten in 75 years is Loop Link. The only system expansions have been in the Far Bungalow Belt or the suburbs.

[Busy Bee]

They haven't really thought big since the CUTD.

It probably would have cost the equivalent of the current braindead RLE, but would have benefited a hell of a lot more people.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by ardecila

It's crazy that we haven't done anything major to improve downtown transit since the the Red and Blue Line subways opened in the 1950s. The city has spent many billions only to rebuild and renovate the tracks and stations that existed in 1910.

Pretty much the only new thing we've gotten in 75 years is Loop Link. The only system expansions have been in the Far Bungalow Belt or the suburbs.

Camera enforced bus only lanes and signal priority on Michigan Ave are the lowest of the low hanging fruit.