Brown Line vs. Purple Line on outside tracks...

[dauber]

Just curious...what's the reasoning CTA has for the Brown Line being the only train that runs counterclockwise?? I seem to remember back in the day the reasoning for that was due to the frequency and high use of the Brown Line, which is why the Purple Line Express is on the inner tracks, but I don't buy that...seriously, the Brown Line is NOT that frequent, even during rush periods. It'd just be nice, say, if I need to go from La Salle to Diversey to not have to wait 15 minutes for a Brown Line train but watch two or three Purple Line trains go by on the other side...

Just seems weird that they'd add that traffic to an already-congested track...the Orange Line (which is pretty darned frequent, from my own observation), the Pink Line, and on half of the Loop the Green Line...so yeah, let's jam the track with another line during the rush periods!

[BusExpert32]

The demand everywhere seems to be a quick connection to the Clark/Lake Blue Line. The Brown Line goes all the way around and its last Loop stop is Clark/Lake, but the Purple Line covers the demand during rush hour for Brown Line customers between Belmont and the Loop who need the Blue Line quick.

[Busjack]

The other consideration is that it splits the traffic, at least for passengers going to between Chicago Ave. and Belmont. Before the 3 track business, people going there from Wabash usually used the Brown, and from Wells used the Purple.

With the New Start supposed to be completed in Dec. 2009, we'll see what happens.

Also, the current Brown Line arrangement avoids a left turn at Clark and Lake inbound. If anything, the argument would be to keep the Purple Line straight too.

Also, the Brown Line's interval is 4 to 6 minutes in the Loop during p.m. rush hour; the Purple is 9 to 11, the Orange 6 to 10, and Pink 8 to 10. You can argue about adding the Pink, but there are about twice as many Brown Line trains as either Orange or Purple. Also, since the Brown Line trains are now 8 cars, more passengers waiting on the platform. If more Purple trains are passing than Brown, one or the other route's schedule is seriously disrupted.

It appears that you want a system with only the Green on the outer track on Lake and Wabash, and nothing on the outer track on Wells and Van Buren.

Also, considering how the Loop L was in the 70s (including with the through line being the Lake-Dan Ryan, the congestion is far less now than it ever was then.

[dauber]

It appears that you want a system with only the Green on the outer track on Lake and Wabash, and nothing on the outer track on Wells and Van Buren.

Nononono, quite the opposite, actually....I'm saying, wouldn't it make sense to put the Purple Line on the outer track WITH the Brown Line??? That way you'd have Purple and Brown on the outer track (with Green on the Lake and Wabash sides), and on the inner track you'd have Pink and Orange (again with Green on Lake and Wabash)...given the relative frequency of the Orange Line (I don't care WHAT the "official" schedule is, I'm going by what I see every day) and the relative infrequency of the Brown Line, I think it'd make sense.

Or heck, even if they MUST have two separate lines from the North Side going in opposing directions, move SOMETHING over to the outer tracks and ease up on the tracks...

Or am I just being anal???

[Busjack]

I won't answer the later , but it still seems like you aren't balancing the traffic.

Of course, the really conceptual prospective Circle Line plan is to stick the Purple Line in the State Street subway, and maybe interline the Orange and Pink with the Brown (see chicago-l.org).

Again, if you are seeing relative infrequency of the Brown Line compared to the Orange, something isn't working correctly. I suppose it is all relative to what you are waiting for; since I am usually waiting for the Purple to go to the Wilmette or Skokie areas, it sure seems a lot more infrequent than the Brown. And, in fact, it was less than 1/2 as frequent as the Brown, even worse during 3 track.

Of course, you may also have the paradox of a guy having a girlfriend both northbound and southbound, but saw the southbound one 90% of the time.

[rmadisonwi]

The ratio of Brown to Purple is somewhere between 2:1 and 3:1. If you wait 15 minutes for a Brown Line during rush hour and watch three Purple Line trains go by in the loop, then there'd have to be some kind of service disruption that affected only the branch.

Many passengers like having the choice of being able to ride directly into Clark/Lake or directly to Washington/Wells, and will actually transfer at Merchandise Mart on the way in.