CTA Tattler

Saturday's rolling art gallery: Chicago Art on Track

An Orange Line train circling the Loop Saturday will cost you $5 to ride -- but you get to view some great art during Salvo's debut event Art on Track. According to the Positive Space blog, Art on Track is produced by Salvo, a group of young Chicago artist and designers, dedicated to the empowerment of the visual arts.

You can board the eight-car train from 6 till 10 pm at Adams and Wabash, Randolph and Wabash, Quincy and Wells, and Washington and Wells. Check it out. (Hat tip to Gapers Block.)

Red Line over the top again. Yes folks, if we want that subway slow zone fixed, we have to endure weekend subway shutdowns. And so it is this weekend, from 9 pm Friday till 7 pm Sunday.  Also, a note to Red Line motormen/women -- the average tourist and occasional weekend El rider really doesn't know what "going over the top" means. So please explain a little better what exactly is going on.

Have a great holiday weekend.

"2nd-hand yak on the Purple Line"

Sun-Times transportation blogger Mary Wisniewski recently featured this "cell on the El" song written by a neighbor of mine, Claude Walker:

"2nd-hand yak on the Purple Line"

by Claude Walker

Sung to the tune of "Jumpin' Jack Flash", (apologies to Jagger/Richards, Weird Al Yankovic & Ron Huberman). Lyrics inspired by one-way conversations overheard on the CTA Purple Line.

I was born
With a cellphone to my ear.
El riders
It's me you have to hear.

CHORUS:
Purple Liiiiiine Ride...now,
Cellphones grow like grass.
Shameless mopes...gab,
2nd-hand yak shows no class, class, class.

Well, my boss
Is a smelly, balding jerk.
I resent
That I even have to work!

(CHORUS)

My boyfriend
Cheats right beneath my nose.
I'm like, dude,
I think I need new clothes.

(CHORUS)

So you need
My Social Security?
Here it is
As loud as I can be.

What I know about Red Line slow zones

My pal KevinB asked about the status of Red Line slow zones after the CTA completes the subway slow zone work in October. I haven't yet asked the CTA about that, but I did review the most current slow zone maps. Here's what I can tell you.

According to the map below, almost 13,000 feet of slow zones between North/Clybourn and Clark and Division should be fixed in October.

So, this map indicates October should mark the end of slow zone work in the Red Line subway.

And what about other slow zones north of the subway? The map below shows we're all clear from Armitage through Belmont. The next slow zones are centered around the curve at Sheridan.

Take a look at the big map to see some slow zones exist from Thorndale to Howard.

New York's MTA to debut seatless car trains

Is New York taking a cue from the Second City? The New York Times reports that the Metropolitan Transit Authority is considering flipping up seats on four of 10 train cars for standing room only to increase capacity by about 18 percent.

CTA Tattler first reported in March on Ron Huberman's plan to put two seatless cars on eight-car Brown Line trains.

I still like the idea. And a strong majority of Tattler readers do too, according to results of a click poll. Almost 65% of readers who took the pool agreed the idea makes sense, as long as there are only two cars.

Sour economy could prompt CTA fare hike

With real estate transactions and sales tax revenues both down this year, and fuel costs way over budget, the CTA will have to seriously consider a fare increase for next year.

The Sun-Times reports that the CTA is expecting to get just half of the expected $100 million in revenue from the real estate transfer tax increase. Also, revenues from the sales tax hike in the six-county area is about 9% lower than expected.

Throw in the fact that high fuel bills could put the CTA budget $25 million in the red, plus the $40 million price tag on free rides for seniors and low-income disabled, and we're looking at a big budget deficit.

The last fare increase in 2006 raised the cash fare to $2. Be prepared next year to pay $2 on your Chicago Card and $2.25 in cash.

CTA weekend update: Blue Line stretch shut down between Irving Park and Jefferson Park

The O'Hare Blue Line branch will be shut down between Irving Park and Jefferson Park from 9 pm Friday will 3 am Monday. Slow zone work, of course. Shuttle buses will operate in both directions.

No southbound service at Diversey. Brown Line southbound trains won't stop at Diversey overnight on Friday and Saturday. That's from 9 pm till 11 am the next morning.   

Over the top on the Red Line. Once again this weekend, the Red Line will avoid the subway and travel on elevated tracks from 9 pm Friday till 3 am Monday. Slow zone work, of course.

Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest in Rogers Park. Hop the Red Line to Morse Avenue and exit the station into the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest.  It runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 am till 8 pm. Lots of music and food, and it's all free.

Baseball on both sides of town. The Red Line will be hopping in both directions this weekend with both the Cubs and White Sox playing at home. You know what they say -- allow extra travel time. And don't forget it goes over the top on Saturday and Sunday.

No worries! The water will still flow at Damen Blue Line station

I do like the CTA Photo Pool on Flickr that appears here on the right side of the page. There usually are some great contributions there.

On Monday I noticed a couple of photos by dane brian of a "Notice of Water Service Termination" at the Damen Blue Line stop:

Well, I asked a CTA spokesperson about that. And the good news is that the water will still flow at Damen:

"The Notice of Water Service Termination posted at the Damen Blue Line station was issued in error, said the spokesperson. "In June, CTA requested that excess credits from a variety of CTA Water Service accounts be applied to other accounts that had balances.

"The majority of these transactions were completed as requested, but a few were not, resulting in the appearance of a non-payment on the Damen account. The CTA contacted the City’s Water Management department and the outstanding credit transactions have now been completed. The Damen account now reflects the current status."

Whew! I was worried about where that customer service assistant was gonna pee.

The teenaged sobber meets the motorman's ire

A young woman in her late teens came running through the car, crying, sobbing, blubbering loudly. It looked like a boy cry. You know -- guy troubles.

She went to the next emergency exit, went through the door and just stayed there between cars, sobbing loudly.

An older guy sitting in the Hobo Corner buzzed for the motorman. At the next stop -- Argyle -- the motorman stopped and walked about halfway down the platform. He found her and asked from the platform what she was doing.

She sobbed: "I'm fine! Leave me alone!

He answered, unsympathetically: "What you should be crying about is that your head is gonna get knocked off between these here trains."

She looked embarrassed, and finally took a seat in the train car, still sobbing softly.

Investigation shows many complaints for paratransit contractor

A Chi-Town Daily News investigation reports on a boatload of complaints against the new Pace contractor for  paratransit rides on the North Side -- a California-based company named MV Transportation.

You can read the story here.

Excerpts:

"One time, on a Saturday morning, they were driving way out of my direction," she says. "I could feel myself getting sick, so I asked them to just take me to Illinois Masonic or take me home, but they said they didn't have enough vehicles. I threw up right outside of Uno's Pizza," she said. "It was so embarrassing."

This happened in Philadelphia: On August 16, 2005, a Philadelphia paratransit driver steered his van off the designated route, parked it, and sat down next to his severely disabled female passenger. The passenger, strapped into a wheelchair, was unable to escape as the driver exposed himself and asked her to perform oral sex, according to court papers.

Yes, I do love CTA's bus tracker

This weekend is the first time I had the opportunity to try out the CTA's new bus tracker program.

And I love it.

I was commuting to St. Joseph Hospital at 2900 N. Diversey to visit my mom, who is recovering from surgery after a fall. (She's doing well, thank you.)

I remembered that the #77 Belmont was added in June to the CTA's Bus Tracker. And I saw that it stops in front of the hospital as it turns around to get back to Belmont. So I tried it out.

I was using my Blackberry on the Red Line south as I approached Belmont from Addison. the text-only interface was easy to use. It told me that the bus was 5 minutes from Belmont and Sheffield. So I figured I was in good shape.

However, when I finally got to the street level at Belmont, the bus was waiting in front of the Belmont station. I think perhaps it was a minute early. I would have missed it if someone else hadn't flagged down the driver after he had already closed the door.

The return trip was much better. In fact, I timed the bus once before I actually caught it. I was able to see it coming down Lake Shore Drive West from the eighth-floor solarium in the hospital, and it was exactly on time. So I noted when the bus was five minutes away, kissed Mom good-bye, and waited just two minutes for the bus to arrive.

All-in-all, I was very impressed and quite happy to spend more time with Mom and not waiting at the bus stop.