CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[Bonsai Tree]

That really depends- I've seen some doomer takes on it (that it'll be just like Septa or the Mta) but I'm not so sure. The composition of the board actually makes a lot of sense to me.

5 seats- Mayor of Chicago
5 seats- Cook County Board President
3 seats- Governor
1 seat each- Dupage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will

The Mta has much stronger involvement from the governor, and Septa is too heavily weighted towards suburban counties. The breakdown of the board in the bill seems sensible to me. I'm sure the board could be weighted more towards the city if necessary.

[VivaLFuego]

Originally Posted by Bonsai Tree

5 seats- Mayor of Chicago
5 seats- Cook County Board President
3 seats- Governor
1 seat each- Dupage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will

This is not *that* far off of the current RTA board representation, but state government is going to want a much bigger say.

[Busy Bee]

I'm not opposed to this governance restructuring in theory but I definitely want to see the details of what the big picture benefit wouid be exactly. Better coordination is the obvious top-of-list and the state role coukd bring additional funding. Beyond that I'm unsure how this is dramatically different than RTA and seems more like a potential marketing scheme that would be quite costly with dubious benefits though I'm keeping an open mind about that aspect.

The actual branding could be figured out later, but if approved, a huge if, my personal preference is for the entire metropolitan operating authority to be called the CTA. That preserves the most cherished of the three brands and makes complete sense when compared to other regional agencies who's core city creates the obvious branding --- TfL and RATP being two obvious examples.

Just back of napkin but under this scenario current cta operations would remain essentially the same but Metra could become cta regional rail in branding and current Pace cta suburban bus or regional bus or something along those lines.

[Tom In Chicago]

Without sounding too redundant, the RTA should be the over-riding agency that governs and integrates all three agencies. . . which - if dissolved - would hopefully see some efficiencies and better service for existing city commuters. . . but time will tell. . .

. . .

[Klippenstein]

CTA, the brand, won’t need to be replaced even if the governing body changes. RTA has a different name than the agencies it has jurisdiction over. I’d assume they keep CTA branding and probably even Metra.

Does anybody have any insight on the Van Buren station renovation? The station is just falling apart right now. Half of the seating is closed off and more than half of platform 1, but only because it’s crumbling. Still no sign of work moving ahead. I was hoping the closure was going to speed up the renovations.

[Busy Bee]

That could be but I wouldn't have any problem with them scrapping "Metra" or "Pace" as neither of them are particularly old and/or venerated.

I realize I'm focusing on the UX and brand end of this whole thing and this really isnt the right place to mention this again but the ordered universe designer side of me would love to see this be the perfect opportunity to have a nomenclature revamp for the entire system (like Septa just completed) where rapid transit lines received numbered designations or a letter/number combination like "L1" "L2" with current color coding intact AND commuter/regional rail receiving a lettered designation or a letter/number destination mirroring the L like "R1" "R2" etc. In the big scheme of things it may seem unimportant but as for the Cta I've always disliked the color based naming of the L lines. Yes it was better than the clunky mouth full that existed before but a character system is cleaner and better. That may not be the predominant opinion but I'm sure I'm not completely alone on that.

[twister244]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I realize I'm focusing on the UX and brand end of this whole thing and this really isnt the right place to mention this again but the ordered universe designer side of me would love to see this be the perfect opportunity to have a nomenclature revamp for the entire system (like Septa just completed) where rapid transit lines received numbered designations or a letter/number combination like "L1" "L2" with current color coding intact AND commuter/regional rail receiving a lettered designation or a letter/number destination mirroring the L like "R1" "R2" etc. In the big scheme of things it may seem unimportant but as for the Cta I've always disliked the color based naming of the L lines. Yes it was better than the clunky mouth full that existed before but a character system is cleaner and better. That may not be the predominant opinion but I'm sure I'm not completely alone on that.

I agree with this. Instead of Metra UP-NW - Give it something like what you are describing above.

[Busy Bee]

Yep. It's also well past time to divorce line names from the completely irrelevant freight railroad corridors they operate over. That was logically kept at the beginning of Metra's creation when the legacy railroads ceased their own historic commuter services (along with long distance passenger trains with the creation of Amtrak) and passed the torch to Metra but hasn't meant anything to the average rider since.

[Randomguy34]

Steely Dan, you got your wish for an additional train arriving at Ogilvie at 6:55am: https://metra.com/newsroom/north-lin...-station-opens


Also, the Daily Herald has an article about the proposed transit merger. They point out that the RTA is going to pilot a regional day pass!

Interestingly, the RTA plans to pilot a regional day pass that works on CTA, Metra and Pace this summer or fall. The regional day pass will allow riders to seamlessly transfer between transit agencies and be a step forward in simplifying fare policy, officials said.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240506...medium=twitter

[Busy Bee]

This Youtube creators' videos aren't particularly good, but I thought I'd post this here anyway:

• Video Link

[VKChaz]

City Hall thrown under the bus: Report rips 'do nothing' effort to save Greyhound terminal

The city has offered no substantial plan to either purchase the station or propose an alternate site before Greyhound’s lease ends in October, according to the report by DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. “There could be a real mess for our city if no action is taken,” said Joe Schwieterman, one of the authors.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/transpo...rt?tpcc=cst_cm

[Crawford]

So I was just watching a video clip of the new CTA chief. Holy sh-t. We are so screwed in the U.S. when it comes to transit.

The second largest transit system in the U.S. is going to be run by a prosperity preacher who apparently doesn't know jack sh-t about the agency or transit, and proudly proclaims he's now blessed to drive his car. Someone save us.

Can we please have transit experts, not preachers, run transit agencies? Is that asking too much? Can the position be something other than a political patronage job?

[JMBasquiat]

He's not the new chief, he's a board member. Still bad but not as bad as him being the new chief.

[Busy Bee]

The culture of board appointments is nearly as nauseating.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

This Youtube creators' videos aren't particularly good, but I thought I'd post this here anyway:

• Video Link

What a silly idea. A neighborhood that isn't very dense for Chicago gets that many lines?

A classmate and I did a project comparing the Red Line extension to simply upgrading the metra lines in the area.

The amount of people served and cost differences were astounding.

But that isn't a sexy project like the RLE, so no one cares to even consider it.

[Busy Bee]

^Whether or not it comes across in the video, the current lame RLE route is being compared to the median running expressway routes that were originally intended.

[OhioGuy]

The double tracking of the South Shore line between Gary and Michigan City is now complete. This upgrade removed the unique street running section in Michigan City, but as someone who has ridden the train between South Bend and Chicago on several occasions, any improvement in speed is worth it!

NBC5 Chicago: Chicago South Shore Line Improvement: South Shore ‘double track' to streamline commute times

• Video Link


Trains.com: Officials celebrate South Shore Line’s improved capacity, speed, and frequency

Beginning Tuesday, May 14, a completely revamped schedule features 14 additional weekday trains, with nonstop and skip-stop express trains sprinkled through both peak and reverse peak departures. This brings the total number of weekday trains to 53. Dramatic changes to and time savings on the new schedule include 67-minute, limited-stop expresses to Michigan City; the previous average was about two hours.

Noland told reporters the line’s maximum authorized speed remains unchanged at 79 mph, but slow orders were eliminated. Elimination of street running in Michigan City resulted in increases from 15 mph to 25 and 35 mph. Twenty crossings were closed and the remaining 13 have been upgraded with warning devices.

Next up: completion of the $950 million West Lake project south of the main line at Hammond to Dyer, Ind., utilizing the abandoned Monon right-of-way, and a $200 million downtown Chicago capacity expansion in conjunction with Metra.

[Busy Bee]

[ardecila]

It looks like NICTD is now referring to the existing line as the "Lakeshore Corridor", and the new line to Dyer will be known as the Monon Corridor.

I guess this continues the Metra tradition of naming lines after the fallen flags - West Lake was always an odd name.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by Randomguy34

Steely Dan, you got your wish for an additional train arriving at Ogilvie at 6:55am: https://metra.com/newsroom/north-lin...-station-opens


Also, the Daily Herald has an article about the proposed transit merger. They point out that the RTA is going to pilot a regional day pass!

https://www.dailyherald.com/20240506...medium=twitter

If I had a nickel for every time I've seen an ME conductor explain to some hapless tourist or convention attendee that their ventra day pass doesn't work on the ME...