CTA Tattler

I realize that these major service additions take years in advance planning and funding, but this is really quite a joke. The CTA will be busy fixing the Brown Line mess for the next few years, and apparently doesnt have any plans in place for the current Blue Line debacle, yet they've actually put Red Line expansion on their plate? Its going to be difficult enough to secure funding for fixing current problems, much less worrying about adding more service. Why do they insist on biting off much more than they can chew?

Well when the Howard/Linden Branch is eventually declared unsafe due to lack of maintenance they won't have to run it anymore. I'm sure not operating it will free up some money...

If the information I've seen about this is correct, they want to connect the Red Line with the South Shore Railroad. Does the CTA honestly think it can - or should - compete with a 30-35 minute trip to the Loop on a much faster commuter train? If the CTA was able to get "New Start" money for the Brown Line, wouldn't it make more sense to direct their efforts to fixing the Red and Blue Lines first?

You north siders seem to forget that people on the south side WANT this badly and have for 30 years as well as the fact that it has been approved by voters (as much as that is possible by Illinois' non-binding voter resolutions).

Roseland and Pullman aren't wealthy, I'm sure $1.75 or $2.00 is a bargain to them, when compared to the IC's fares (the South Shore doesn't pick up passengers for downtown here).

Actually, the South Shore railroad does allow passengers to get on at the Hegewisch stop (a little further south) and commuters have the option of taking the Metra Electric at 115th instead. The full fare from zone C-A is $3.05, which I think is pretty good, considering this train usually makes only one stop between Kensington and Roosevelt (the morning rush trains) and when its on time, which it usually is, you can make it to Randolph from Kensington in 25 minutes. According to the RTA Trip Planner, the Red Line train from 95th to State/Lake should take 29 minutes, but this is not anywhere close to reality, after including slow zones, broken down trains, track work, malfunctioning switches, etc. So add about 15 more minutes to that if the line is extended to 130th. This line may benefit the Altgeld Gardens residents, Olive Harvey, students at Carver and Corliss high school and make for some decent CTA/Red Line connections in the southeast side as well as people connecting to southeast suburbs via Pace routes. However, Metra is planning on starting diesel service to these areas out of the LaSalle street station and already has the tracks. They just need to build stations and acquire locomotives. I believe if the line was extended these trains would be pretty empty after 95th street. The Metra/South Shore trains also do not reek of piss, BO and are more comfortable than CTA trains. Improved and more frequent bus service to these communities with Metra connections would alleviate the need for this line. I'd attend these meetings, if only I weren't 900 miles away..

This is the only New Start that I support, as the number of buses routed into 95th and the passenger entries there indicate that there is demand, at least to 115th. Thomas makes some good points, including whether integration with Metra would make sense (he apparently refers to the proposed SE Service, and there were other ignored movements to integrate the Metra Electric with CTA). I question whether the Red Line should go south of 115th, and there is also a question whether a right of way exists to 115th, which should be raised at the meeting.

dn, I don't think anyone's saying that the south extension doesn't have merit- it certainly does. To me, the issue is that the CTA needs to get its current infrastructure in a state of better repair before there's serious discussion of building extensions.

Think about all the buses that are now traveling all the way to 95th. By giving them closer terminals you will reduce the number of buses needed (as the routes will be shorter), and you will reduce polution and congestion near 95th. It may not be as important as the link to O'Hare was, or as important as the Orange Line was. But it is more important to get this built than the Silver.

Yes, it would be nice to redirect the money for this project to maintaining what's already there, but that is simply not possible. If you want to reform the way transportation dollars are allocated, that's a bigger job than trying to get the funds needed in the first place.

The question isn't building this extension versus fixing the existing lines. Continuing to approach it in that manner is just wasting your breath. Funding doesn't work that way, no matter how much you wish it were that simple.

This extension is 30 years overdue already. It needs to be built despite any other unrelated problems that may also exist.

Perhaps the CTA can take a page from the DC Metro's book and build some massive parking structures at the new stations and give drivers an alternative to the Dan Ryan.

You mean like the CTA's massive parking structure at Cumberland?

Thomas,
Lake to 95th on the Red Line is approximately 27-29 minutes. I've timed it as recently as a few weeks ago. Seriously. Its FAST.

dn,
Amen, this has been a long time coming....i.e. for like, 30 years. Of course, just starting this process means its still 10-15 years away from operation, optimistically

J-2,
The Brown Line was a new start because it is capacity expansion, i.e. adding "new" service. It's a stretch, but it's doable. The Cermak branch was an even bigger stretch (new service because the line would have been shut down otherwise, and in its detiorated condition, it was hardly a rapid transit line anyway). The North Main would be closer to the Cermak justification, but the DC politicos at FTA and DOT were very clear that they didn't want to ever see another new start like that, so it seems unlikely to happen.

Brian,
I haven't seen that printed yet, but a very large Park n Ride facility that is accessible from an expressway is, I think, one of the main goals of the project as well. The question is where, which will depending on whatever alignment is chosen.

I grew up in Roseland and trust me this project is long overdue. Taking the South Shore or any other Metra service is an additional cost to most people since the majority will still have to take a bus to get to the Metra station (one fare for CTA one fare for Metra). Catching the Red Line would simply be an issue of using a transfer.

If a bunch of foolish south side politicians hadn't screwed this up, you would have had L service to 115th St a couple of decades ago. Maybe even farther south!
The original plan was to move the entire Jackson Park & Englewood lines to the IC Mainline once the Dan Ryan line was operating.
There is unused right of way there.
But the south siders went gaga over rebuilding the 100 year old steel structure instead.
Does anyone actually think that the rebuilt line is better?
It runs just a few blocks from the Ryan, duplicating the service & is woefully underused.
What a waste of money!

I'm neutral about the Red Line expansion.

I live on 118th st and Ewing Avenue, and I take the South Shore Line from Hegewisch to Van Buren Street every single day. The trip is exactly 30 minutes and the route (136th/ Avenue O to Van Buren/Jackson St) is exactly 21 miles. 95th St Red Line to Jackson/ State st is only 12 miles and it takes 29 minutes? The South Shore makes only 2 stops between Hegewisch and Downtown (Kensington and Hyde Park, where picking up passengers is not allowed)

I think the expansion may be of an advantage to those who live in that area and currently have to pay a metra fare and a CTA fare. However, there is a great deal of Metra/ South Shore service on the South Side, so if it'll work, I really do not know.

The Dan Ryan Extension is long overdue. The cost and frequency of Metra Electric trains during off peak and weekend hours is really not a viable option to those living on the far south side. The frequency of south shore trains is a joke - one to three hours during off peak times versus 6-10 for CTA Red Line trains right now. Other cities (Washington) for example have rapid transit trains that extend well into the suburbs and ridership in suburban areas in that city remain strong and is one of the main reasons DC rapid transit ridership has far surpassed that of the CTA/