Orange line to Ford City or southward?

[Buslover88]

Has anybody heard about the Orange Line being extended to Ford City or maybe Southward like in Burbank, Worth, Oak Lawn or Willow Springs or even Summit?

[Kevin]

While an extension to Ford City will likely happen within the next five years or so, I don't see it going any further south anytime soon.

[Buslover88]

Okay, thanks. I look forward to it (if i'm still Alive by then lol)

[Vinny]

While an extension to Ford City will likely happen within the next five years or so, I don't see it going any further south anytime soon.

Resurrecting an old thread...

I saw CTA yellow notices on the 53 (Pulaski) bus this morning advertising a public meeting on the proposed Orange Line extension to Ford City. The signs were in Polish and Spanish, so I couldn't quite get the gist of it, but the meeting is on August 19 or 20 (can't remember which).

[artthouwill]

Resurrecting an old thread...

I saw CTA yellow notices on the 53 (Pulaski) bus this morning advertising a public meeting on the proposed Orange Line extension to Ford City. The signs were in Polish and Spanish, so I couldn't quite get the gist of it, but the meeting is on August 19 or 20 (can't remember which).

The sign said there was a public meeting to look at "Alternatives" in the proposed area of the Orange line extension. The area was bounded by 59th and 79th, and Pulaski to Laramie.

Will this be another BRT area? Light rail? Is there land available to build the Orange Line extension elavated? Underground? Grade level? Have athere been any studies? where will the funding come from?

[jajuan]

The sign said there was a public meeting to look at "Alternatives" in the proposed area of the Orange line extension. The area was bounded by 59th and 79th, and Pulaski to Laramie.

Will this be another BRT area? Light rail? Is there land available to build the Orange Line extension elavated? Underground? Grade level? Have athere been any studies? where will the funding come from?

The way to get the answers to those questions is to attend the meeting and find out. As for where the funding will come from, that's up in the air until the state gets off its butt and pass a capital plan. In a news clip shown on the news either yesterday or the day before, can't remember which, Ron Huberman stated that funding for current projects has been coming from federal funds that normally would go toward everyday minor piecemeal rail and bus repairs.

[Busjack]

The sign said there was a public meeting to look at "Alternatives" in the proposed area of the Orange line extension. The area was bounded by 59th and 79th, and Pulaski to Laramie.

Will this be another BRT area? Light rail? Is there land available to build the Orange Line extension elavated? Underground? Grade level? Have athere been any studies? where will the funding come from?

The way to get the answers to those questions is to attend the meeting and find out. As for where the funding will come from, that's up in the air until the state gets off its butt and pass a capital plan. In a news clip shown on the news either yesterday or the day before, can't remember which, Ron Huberman stated that funding for current projects has been coming from federal funds that normally would go toward everyday minor piecemeal rail and bus repairs.

Folks are reading a bit too much into this.

This is the first stage of the Alternatives Analysis for New Starts. They already did it for the Circle Line and Red Line. I guess after a year's hiatus, they probably are starting up again.

If you look at the Alternatives Analysis page and items linked to it (and keep clicking and keep clicking), you'll see that the consultants suggest everything, including Maglev, and then throw out the most obvious suspects. (I guess one surprise with respect to the Red Line was that they threw out the Bishop Ford and Metra Electric corridors at the first step).

Apparently the Yellow Line is also ready for Screen 1, and the Red for Screen 2, and the Circle has gotten past Screen 2.

No word on the Ogden Circulator, and if CTA has any sense, that would have been the last we heard of it.

Basically, the consultants are cleaning up, until such time as CTA is prepared to compete for the federal grants. Now, whether matching funds are available at that point, we'll have to wait and see, but at the rate this is progressing Amy Blago or Lucy Lillian Madigan Byrnes may be governor by then. :wub:

[Busjack]

Also, if you want more background from the FTA's perspective, click here.

Considering all the analyses needed just to get a project into the competition, you can see why I have called it a "consultants' relief act."

[jajuan]

Folks are reading a bit too much into this.

This is the first stage of the Alternatives Analysis for New Starts. They already did it for the Circle Line and Red Line. I guess after a year's hiatus, they probably are starting up again.

If you look at the Alternatives Analysis page and items linked to it (and keep clicking and keep clicking), you'll see that the consultants suggest everything, including Maglev, and then throw out the most obvious suspects. (I guess one surprise with respect to the Red Line was that they threw out the Bishop Ford and Metra Electric corridors at the first step).

Apparently the Yellow Line is also ready for Screen 1, and the Red for Screen 2, and the Circle has gotten past Screen 2.

No word on the Ogden Circulator, and if CTA has any sense, that would have been the last we heard of it.

Basically, the consultants are cleaning up, until such time as CTA is prepared to compete for the federal grants. Now, whether matching funds are available at that point, we'll have to wait and see, but at the rate this is progressing Amy Blago or Lucy Lillian Madigan Byrnes may be governor by then.

The point I was making is if you want to find answers to questions regarding proposed projects go to the public meetings that are held to discuss said projects. I already know it can take years too get large scale projects off the ground. I'm reading anything into this other than suggesting people go to the source to find out what stage different projects may have reached if they really want to know.

As for my comment about capital funding being stalled, my main concern there is that there are more immediate capital concerns that the three service boards need to address than some of these wish list projects that are years from seeing the light of day. The members of our state government from both parties seem to be more concerned with political oneupmanship than acknowledging that they are possibly endangering future federal matching funds by not hunkering down and seriously discussing how to put together a state capital plan. Enough with the 'I don't like you, I don't trust you, Nothing of value will come of these meetings/talks' crap. We pay you to sit down and listen to each other to try to come up with compromises to your disagreements.

[Guest ctafan630]

The CTA is also holding meeting later this month regarding future stations on the Yellow Line.

[Guest metralink]

Anyone go the the Orange Line public meeting?

they should just extend it down to Ford City and forget about the bus option. A new multi-modal center at FC would be a great economic redevelopment tool. Ford City needs a shot in the arm.

[Busjack]

Anyone go the the Orange Line public meeting?

Well, as predicted, the slides are up, and based on the similar studies, nothing surprising here (such as Maglev being immediately eliminated).

[Guest ctafan630]

Well, as predicted, the slides are up, and based on the similar studies, nothing surprising here (such as Maglev being immediately eliminated).

This might be a stupid question but what is the big difference between maglev and monorail? Based on the pictures in the presentation they look similiar

[Guest ctafan630]

Since Ford City is not that far from Midway, why wasn't the Orange Line constructed to include Ford City when the line was 1st opened?

It seems like this short extension would cost more now that it would have back when the line was originally built.

[Busjack]

Since Ford City is not that far from Midway, why wasn't the Orange Line constructed to include Ford City when the line was 1st opened?

It seems like this short extension would cost more now that it would have back when the line was originally built.

Donn't have a direct answer, but several factors:

• Would have to build a bridge over the r.r. yards.
  
• It isn't obvious, from the presentations, where a "mulitmodal" bus terminal would be built, in that the shopping center covers all of the property directly south of the rail yard, and the alternatives analysis indicates that the south half mile or so would have to be diverted to Kostner or Cicero.
  
• I'm sure the real answer is that is how far the money went. [Chicago-L.org says that the money wasn't freed up until several years after the Crosstown turn in, when Lipinski made a deal with Reagan.]
  

I still question whether CTA is that interested in an extension that would primarily benefit Pace, in that (especially after the proposed rerouting of 386 over the Clearing portion of 382), the Southwest division buses could terminate at Ford City, instead of running up to Midway and adding about 25 minutes to each run. However, the AA does seem to indicate that there is sufficient industrial ridership in the area, and a need to take pressure off the Midway Station.

[Busjack]

This might be a stupid question but what is the big difference between maglev and monorail? Based on the pictures in the presentation they look similiar

Maglev uses magnetism to have the train float over the "track." The theory that similar magnetic poles repel, and by the train is propelled by flipping the poles. This only works in practice in Japan.

Monorail is a conventional train running only on one rail. Works in Disney World and to some extent in Vegas. Didn't work in Springfield. Monorail, Monorail, Monorail.

[Kevin]

Monorail is a conventional train running only on one rail. Works in Disney World and to some extent in Vegas. Didn't work in Springfield. Monorail, Monorail, Monorail.

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth like a genuine, bona fide, electrified, six-car monorail!

[Guest ctafan630]

Thanks busjack for those answers.

[MVTArider]

Monorail is a conventional train running only on one rail. Works in Disney World and to some extent in Vegas. Didn't work in Springfield. Monorail, Monorail, Monorail.

A little OT but FYI, technically the Disney monorail could actually be considered a form of BRT if you look at the "rail" and wheels, according to Alan Hoffman of The Mission Group, see the presentation for Eagan from 2006. I went to the forum they had a couple weeks ago which covered basically the same stuff, really interesting :)

[Busjack]

A little OT but FYI, technically the Disney monorail could actually be considered a form of BRT if you look at the "rail" and wheels, according to Alan Hoffman of The Mission Group, see the presentation for Eagan from 2006.

Probably not really, since the rubber isn't on the road, and the monorail can't deviate from the rail. And, as he says:

Why on earth would you ever want to do that, though?

The two that probably are "about the same" are Light Rail and Streetcar, in that each uses about the same type of vehicle, but Light Rail goes faster and has fewer stops.

Based on the illustrations, there is no difference between "Commuter Bus" and "No Build," since the illustrated Commuter Bus is a Pace Nova Classic, which does run in that area, and there was a sign at Midway Station that to go to Ford City, you can take 379, 382, 383, or 384.

The more interesting point he makes about multimodal is the theory that buses can substitute "for the metro" (light or heavy rail). However, that sure isn't the case in Chicago, where the theory is that if there is a right of way, the best utilization is rail. And the stuff he says about the city bus having an image problem applies exponentially to the L.

Getting it back to the Red Line and Orange Line extensions, I have commented earlier that while each has row problems, I can't see how BRT is a solution, unless the buses load in the L's paid area, and even then you have the problem of the "cross platform transfer" or equivalent, since the train still has to unload at 95th or Midway. Without the paid area enhancement, BRT doesn't seem any better than the "No Build" I just described.