Dan Ryan Track Renewal Project

[mkohut]

I would add the lack of service on Metra during off peak.

[jajuan]

I would add the lack of service on Metra during off peak.

Yeah for the most part true though I have the fortune of hearing the UP/North speeding past my townhouse apartment, which is just under a mile south of the Rogers Park stop, until just before 1 AM nightly counting the last outbound trains that leave downtown at 12:34 AM. It's why the Tribune gave us our first notice that Pace would provide some later supplement service to the Heritage Corridor route which turned out to be that one flex routed trip of the 755 on its PM schedule starting early next month.

[Busjack]

I would add the lack of service on Metra during off peak.

That's an issue one way or the other. If Metra got more passengers, it might put on more service, but given the fare difference and once an hour off peak, it won't get more passengers.

jajuan's comment reminds us that Carole Brown talked to Metra to get more service on the UPN during Three Track, but that basically was the additional morning rush hour trips from Winnetka. Still basically once an hour (one hour is skipped late morning) other than that.

And, of course, dropping any charade that there is a joint Metra/CTA 5 day ticket assures that there won't be more demand. Hyde Park (HP-53, 57 and 59) stations are basically unaffected (either use the ME as you usually do, or use your usual CTA bus and just transfer at the Green Line instead of Red), and south of there train service is too infrequent and expensive.

You can probably treat the South Chicago branch the same as Hyde Park, except they mostly have the 6 and 26 buses.

[artthouwill]

I think Metra has done a poor job of touting its service. Perhaps a lack of equipment is behind not being able to add additional rush hour service.

With Metra stations at 115, 111th, 107th, 103rd, and 95th on both the ME and RI, there was an opportunity to promote bypassing shuttle buses for those riders south of 95th. For those whose destination is downtown, this could be successful. This works even better for those who travel beyond downtown, as the Metra ticket gets you downtown faster, and you still have the CTA pass to get you where you need to go. Metra always promotes its on time rate, and you can stress consistency in schedule as a plus. If I were Metra, I would promote a contest or drawing and offer one year's worth of monthly passes for the winner(s). If Metra weren't so far behind on the Southeast Service, that would've been another option.

As far as expensive being concerned, Metra could've promoted RTA transit check where the funds are deducted pre-tax, which could shorten the fare gap between what would be paid on CTA vs Metra. At least Metra could publish pamphlets with RI and ME schedules so that even off-peak riders could see for themselves if Metra could be a viable alternative.

I suspect that any increase in ridership for Metra will be minimal at best because it has done a poor job of promoting itself. Pace has better promoted its new express routes 924 and 925, which stand to hurt Metra in gaining ridership. I think if Metra really wanted to take advantage of this time and help CTA riders, Metra could've implemented a B zone fare within the city limits on those two lines during the 5 month period. Somehow i don't think Metra is really interested in attracting more riders from that part of the city unless they are willing to pony up..

[Busjack]

..Somehow i don't think Metra is really interested in attracting more riders from that part of the city unless they are willing to pony up..

For about the last 8 years, I have said with regard to the Gray Line:

• CTA has no incentive to pay Metra. This episode gave it one, but CTA was content with the bogus 5 day pass.
• Metra really doesn't have any incentive to serve the city, other than Hyde Park, and probably the only reason why the city stations are there between 59th and Kensington and the South Chicago branch still exists is certain loud mouthed politicians, one who is getting his sentencing (or a mental examination by) July 1.

And, as I indicated above, the RTA becoming a eunuch and the service boards insisting on their own statutory power to set fares. You get some interagency fares between CTA and Pace, but they both run buses and do not collect distance based fares.

[New Flyer]

Bottom line Metra dosen't want to be bothered with the folks from the Red Line especially the school kidds and the folks who are always begging for money and the drunks. That would drive away the suburbanites that ride all the time. But of course they won't say that publically so they pretend to come with something to attract riders.

[Mike Payne]

Bottom line Metra dosen't want to be bothered with the folks from the Red Line especially the school kidds and the folks who are always begging for money and the drunks. That would drive away the suburbanites that ride all the time. But of course they won't say that publically so they pretend to come with something to attract riders.

MED In-city and Suburban services are different routes, but still connect in places -- But I can certainly understand them not wanting the "School-Kids-From-Hell".

[chicagopcclcar]

With three weeks to go before the five month Dan Ryan Red line closure, final preparations are inplace throughout the southside, as a quick tour showed. The contractor has a two-block long storage yard across from Du Sable High school on S. State St. between 44th and 46th Streets. The yard is on vacant land that used to be a part of the hi-rise CHA Robert Taylor Homes housing project. Ironically, across the street were more than 20 out-of-service Metra Electric railcars awaiting that "final trip." The contractor's yard that headquartered the five weekend track replacement project on the Englewood branch at 63rd and Stewart Ave. has been completely removed and the temporary stairways to the structure taken down.

A southbound traffic lane and the left shoulder on the Franklin Connector is already taken over by contractors and rails are stacked in the enclosure. Concrete mixing equipment is at the other end. Wood ties were seen in the contractor's yard. There were piles of ballast in the CTA's lower yard at 63rd St. but that might be for Authority projects.

[chicagopcclcar]

Two 2200 Budd series rail cars, 2273-2274, have been placed at the south end of 61st St. yard. These two cars will be used as the "trainroom" for switchmen and operators at 61st St. yard as that yard will be the exclusive south side storage for the Green line. Ashland Yard and the shops there will service the rerouted Red line trains to Ashland/63. Stairways have been built at the north end and on the west side of the cars. The north car features "blackened windows" a sort of the first 'L' car with "tints." I don't know if the cars will contain plumbing. Getting to them will require a little bit of walking for personnel. There is a stairway to the Lower Yard incline, but that is behind a secured fence with a watchman. But personnel will have I.D. There is also a stairway in the tower, but that is a 1/2 block walk down a remote alleyway. Then there is a 1/2 block walk down the catwalk from the King Dr. platform.

This means there will be a huge transfer of cars and work equipment over the weekend prior to the shutdown from 98th St. Yard to Ashland Yard. Also I have been told that the Green line will not be 100 per cent 5000s by the time of the Ryan project as a set of 2400 series work motors will remain assigned to the line and will run in service at times.

[chicagopcclcar]

Work to complete the "paid area" transfer between shuttle buses and the Garfield Green line station is also in the final stages. The temporary stairways are now complete, one on each side serving the inbound and the outbound platforms. The city is cutting a drive through the boulevard median to allow shuttle buses to make a left turn for direct access. It is unknown how shuttle passengers will access the elevators whose entrances are physically within the station building. A large 125 X 125 ft vacant lot west of the station and south of the paid lot has been "paved" with compacted gravel. Will this be used as a supplemental paid parking lot? Several streets near the station have poffered "free" parking and the present paid lot presently see little usage. If the city posts meters and "no parking signs", that will certainly change. Red line passengers fill up a large allocation of a shopping center parking lot at 87th St. and State St.

[jtrosario]

Is anybody else wondering about the impact to the Red Line Trains of the Green Line Cermak construction breaking ground in June 2013? I remember that part of the funding agreement is that is gets completed by the end of 2013. There's a lot of (mostly)Red and Green trains going by that location for the first 4 months of it's construction/remaining 4 months of the Red South Construction/Reroute.

[MetroShadow]

Is anybody else wondering about the impact to the Red Line Trains of the Green Line Cermak construction breaking ground in June 2013? I remember that part of the funding agreement is that is gets completed by the end of 2013. There's a lot of (mostly)Red and Green trains going by that location for the first 4 months of it's construction/remaining 4 months of the Red South Construction/Reroute.

Also, is it possible to perhaps post about the Circle Line, Gray Line, Block 37, consultants, the mayor, and other topics not directly related to or distinctly connected to or impacted by the "Dan Ryan Branch Track Project" in their own appropriate threads? And also to please leave the personal attacks...well, might be best to to leave them out.

(1) I'd imagine it would slow things down. If Morgan or Oakton didn't really impact travel times on those on the rails, I'd argue that it would not be too much of a hassle. Then again, if it's an island station, it would delay travel times, but not as much.

(2) Yes. and (3) Yes.

[Kevin]

Posts related to the Metra Electric District/"Gray Line" discussion have been moved to a different thread.

Posts related to Cermak Green Line have been moved to a new dedicated thread.

[jajuan]

Posts related to the Metra Electric District/"Gray Line" discussion have been moved to a different thread.

Posts related to Cermak Green Line have been moved to a new dedicated thread.

Great. It was getting to be a hassle keeping track of the Gray Line conversation in its proper thread with one person responding in the correct thread to another who was throwing post after post in this one.

[Kevin]

CTA is deploying Red Line "Ambassadors" today to talk to riders about the project. Claypool is one of them, apparently.

https://twitter.com/RedLineSouth/status/329726623580565506

[Busjack]

CTA is deploying Red Line "Ambassadors" today to talk to riders about the project. Claypool is one of them, apparently.

...

That had been announced before at least on the CTA Tattler, but I wonder to what country Claypool was assigned, given his limited conversational English skills.

[mkohut]

That had been announced before at least on the CTA Tattler, but I wonder to what country Claypool was assigned, given his limited conversational English skills.

Didn't you know Brian Steele is his interpor

[BusHunter]

Someone should ask him if they programmed the #5000 series cars yet to go to Ashland/63rd (Red) or are they just going to do a switch from the traditional red line sign to Green line (Ashland/63rd) ones similar to what they are doing with Brown line trains?

[chicagopcclcar]

Someone should ask him if they programmed the #5000 series cars yet to go to Ashland/63rd (Red) or are they just going to do a switch from the traditional red line sign to Green line (Ashland/63rd) ones similar to what they are doing with Brown line trains?

The answer about the programming has been discussed to no end on this forum. How can the answer come up different in two weeks?

[Busjack]

Someone should ask him if they programmed the #5000 series cars yet to go to Ashland/63rd (Red) or are they just going to do a switch from the traditional red line sign to Green line (Ashland/63rd) ones similar to what they are doing with Brown line trains?

There is no point in asking him, similar to there was no point debating with him the luxurious seats in the 5000s, since he had no idea. His competence seems limited to borrowing more money, supposedly to fix the unfixable system.

I wonder if the tweet was more than a photo op, and whether if Claypool was doing anything, it was more than handing out the wrong brochure for that station.

[sw4400]

Let me ask this... are there destination signs in the "L" system for "Jefferson Park"?

[chicagopcclcar]

Let me ask this... are there destination signs in the "L" system for "Jefferson Park"?

This is the sign board list for a 2600 assigned to thje Blue Line. Answer is "Yes."

[jajuan]

All jokes and cynicism aside about Claypool being one of the Red Line ambassadors, it's actually a good thing to see CTA getting out there personally and bringing the public's attention to the fact that the big day for the Dan Ryan Red Line closures are two and a half weeks away so those affected passengers can start thinking about how to adjust their commutes NOW as opposed to waiting until the last minute to figure things out. Though folks should have been already thinking of how to adjust their commutes during the five month reconstruction period.

[artthouwill]

This is the sign board list for a 2600 assigned to thje Blue Line. Answer is "Yes."

I believe a similar lineup was on most of the 2400s that were once assigned to the Green Line, except I think those had Orange Line signs instead of Red Line ones.

[Busjack]

Since one of your points is relevant here:

... Metra hasn't even promoted its underused Kensington local service as a one seat ride alternative to the shuttle buses in some of the areas most affected by the Dan Ryan Red Line shutdown. Neither is CTA touting any trip planning on its Red Line reroute site that employs using ME. ...

As far as I can tell, the CTA site (the best example being the Grand Crossing-Chatham-Park Manor neighborhood piece) has the indication that Metra is providing extra service at the mainline stations between 63rd and Kensington, but the oft-cited Tribune column says "Metra said the Chicago stations will become regular stops for two inbound and two outbound rush-hour trains that normally stop only at customer request." In short, flag stops become regular stops on a couple of trains, but no additional service is being added. And your main post indicates that additional service won't be justified.

I suppose I don't have to repeat that Metra isn't offering any deal on fares, and CTA could have, but did not, offer to subsidize Metra to do so. Furthermore, the South Chicago Branch is fairly irrelevant as far as the Red Line project is concerned.