CTA Tattler

CTA news update: Student smart card expansion

The CTA and Chicago public high schools plan to expand the student smart card/ID card to all high schools by the end of next school year.  A pilot program this past year showed there were fewer lost ID cards. Plus, the smart cards allow quicker boarding. But the

Public meetings on various proposed rail line expansions. A step in the process to win federal transit funding is the "Alternative Analysis Studies," including public hearings. Go here to read about proposals for extensions of the Red, Yellow and Orange lines, plus the Circle Line. (No Gray Line here.)

Job fair for bus operators. The next job fair is from 9 am till 3 pm Monday at the South Shore Cultural Center. Details here.

Old Howard station closes for rehab. Now that the new south station entrance is open at Howard, the CTA is closing the old north station for about six month for renovation. Details here.

Have a great weekend.

Ron's iPod Top 10: From Kanye to New York Times podcasts

The Tribune Wednesday published a list of various bigwigs' Top 10 iPod selections. That includes John McCain's ABBA songs and Barack Obama's Aretha and U2. (Blago is heavy on Elvis -- Presley, not Costello.)

But CTA Prez Ron Huberman was the only person on the list with something other than music -- the New York Times' podcast. Huberman also is fond of Kanye, Gnarls Barkley and Radiohead. I wonder if he made it over to Lollapolooza?

Art imitates life?

My friend Eric shared this cartoon by Joe Fournier. It was also featured on the Tribune's site.

This is especially dedicated to Unindicted Co-Conspirator. (Screen capture below from Joe's site.)

Animation/illustration by Joe Fournier.

Dire Straits band rides the Red Line to Wrigley for a game

Martha, a frequent commenter here, shares this with us:

Just in case you need some items either to piss off Unindicted Co-Conspirator or excite him/her with transit policy issues in other cities....

Radiohead may have worn shirts, but Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) and his band actually took the Red Line to a Cubs game when they were in town for a show in mid-July.  A friend of mine is a huge Knopfler fan and alerted me to a band member's blog.  There's a lot of extraneous stuff on the link, but there is a picture of band members on the train.

Check it out here.

On that page, Dire Straits' Guy Fletcher also writes the frightening story of the 7-year-old who was hit by a foul ball off the bat of Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly. Thankfully, the lid is doing OK now, but it's interesting to read his account.

The compulsively clean guy protects himself

I've been using the 151 Sheridan lately to visit a relative in the hospital at St. Joseph Hospital. I'm usually an El rider. But I've ridden the bus enough to know that it is a different experience.

I've neally ever seen the compulsively clean guy on a train. But there he was on the 151.

He was wearing a long sleeve, blue oxford shirt. His shirt sleeves were unbuttoned. That's so he could pull his sleeve down and cover his palm with it while grasping a bus pole while standing in the aisle. And I watched as he carefully avoiding touching any surface with a bare hand.

After all, he's the compulsively clean guy.

Have you ever seen a guy or gal like him on your travels?

The weekend miscellany report

CTA Prez Ron Huberman officially anointed the new Diversey station Thursday at the official opening. And yes, the 100-year-old station house will be restored on the north side of the street, so another exit staircase will be available. Diversey is the 11th of 18 renovated Brown Line stations.

Blue Line slow zone work. Blue Lines service will be suspended this weekend between Jeferson Park and Montrose from   9 pm. Friday to 3 a.m. Monday to replace deteriorated rail ties, tie plates and spikes.

Red Line over the top. More slow zone work this weekend sends the Red Line over the top in both directions from 9 pm Friday till 3 am Monday.

Bud Billikin Parade service. Lots of service changes and additions for the big South Side parade this weekend. Go here for details.

Baseball on both sides of town. In a rare scheduling fluke, both the Cubs and Sox play in Chicago this weekend. So look for crowded Red Line trains on afternoons and evenings. Winners of the last four World Series play here this weekend. Needless to say, the Cubs aren't among that elite group, which includes both the Red and White Sox and the Cardinals. Sox fans, don't forget about the Red Line subway being closed. Use the elevated stations from Fullerton to Cermak-Chinatown.

"We have a lot to learn"

That's what Mayor Daley said after his ride on a Beijing subway Wednesday.

(Oh, and some folks already commented yesterday that maybe he should actually RIDE the CTA to determine what we have to learn.)

Here is what the Tribune reported that Daley saw in China:

Back-lighted screens as well as large-scale video panels projected colorful Olympic sponsors' advertisements in the brightly lit, wide corridors, where commuters can buy tickets on bilingual touch-screen kiosks.

The train platforms were wide, with sliding glass doors separating the waiting customers from the arriving trains, much like the set-up for airport shuttles.

Inside the jumbo-size cars, seats back up against the windows, with riders facing the center of the car, which is much wider than CTA cars. When packed full, each can hold more than 400 riders.

And all it takes is $7.7 billion. Why, Blago doesn't even have that much in his ENTIRE capital spending plan, let alone for the CTA alone. And that amount bought four new subway lines since 2002.

But the Olympic Committee has told Chicago it has much work to do on its transportation plan before if we want to host the 2016 Olympic Games. I hope they get to it soo, because, after all, we have a lot to learn.

News update: RTA budget hearings; Diversey station open

The RTA is hosting budget hearings this week and next. Some of the discussion points include:

• The RTA's 2009 budget.
• The new transit legislation and governance reforms.
• A strategic plan on how transit projects will be assessed and prioritized.
• Status of capital investment needs to fund transit projects.

Hearings will be held on the Southwest Side today (Aug. 6) at 6 pm at the Toman Public Library, 2708 S. Pulaski Rd. A North Side hearing starts at 6 pm on Thursday, Aug. 7, at Loyola University's Rubloff Auditorium, first floor, Water Tower Campus, 25 E. Pearson St.

Go here for a detailed schedule.

Diversey station opening. The new station on the south side of Diversey final opened, including elevators for those who made need them. It's a nice looking station. I went through there this week. And interestingly enough, I noticed one new turnstile was already disabled.

Military service passes available. Eligible military personnel NOT in uniform now can get a service pass to ride the CTA for free. Details here.

CTA's car-sharing program grows from 5 to 20 sites

The CTA last month greatly expanded the number of sites where riders can access I-GO and Zipcar vehicles. A total of 45 I-GO and Zipcar shares autos will be phased in over nine months starting in September at 20 CTA sites.

“The CTA is pleased to partner with I-GO and Zipcar to provide customers with travel options that benefit not only their budgets, but the environment as well,” said President Ron Huberman in a press release. "Studies also show that when located alongside public transit, car sharing services have been shown to increase transit ridership."

It's great to see the CTA in creative partnerships like this.

More from the release:

The two-year agreements expand the number of CTA sites where members can access I-GO or Zipcar vehicles at locations adjacent to or near public transportation. The CTA will earn approximately $88,000 from the lease agreements. The car locations:

Under ‘L’ Locations:
Areas under the ‘L’ tracks have been identified as car sharing parking, for exact locations visit the I-GO and Zipcar websites.

• Blue Line: North to Concord, Caton to Wabansia
• Brown Line: Western to Campbell, Western to Lincoln, Chestnut to Wendell
• Green Line: 13th to 18th Street
• Red Line: Thorndale Station, Addison Station, Lincoln/Wrightwood, Dakin to Sheridan, Roscoe to Cornelia

Park & Ride Locations:

• Blue Line: Forest Park, Cumberland
• Brown Line: Kedzie/Lawrence, Kimball
• Orange Line: Midway, 35th/Archer, Halsted/Archer
• Purple Line: Linden
• Yellow Line: Skokie

Radiohead represents the CTA

A Radiohead guitarist at Lollapolooza on Friday proudly wore a CTA T-shirt while wailing away on his bass. Gotta love it.

Check out the fourth photo in the set here.

And a hat tip to Alia.