Blue Line Reconstruction

[jajuan]

3 minutes ago, Busjack said:

They did way before the contract was approved, in fact on April 2, 2014.

So, unless you credit the City Council with great foreseeability, the rest is irrelevant.

No not in the least. Just didn't realize the City Council already did its part in this so far ahead of CTA's Board as legislative bodies aren't generally known for speed or getting things done early these days.

[artthouwill]

The other day,  I had to do a double take.   The California ramp from the headhouse to the platform on the Blue Line (Forest Park branch) looked just like the Paulina ramp.   It appears that they are dismantling the ramp and eventually get rid of that station.   I suppose Koster and Central aren't very far behind.  

[BusHunter]

6 hours ago, artthouwill said:

The other day,  I had to do a double take.   The California ramp from the headhouse to the platform on the Blue Line (Forest Park branch) looked just like the Paulina ramp.   It appears that they are dismantling the ramp and eventually get rid of that station.   I suppose Koster and Central aren't very far behind.  

Probably  worried its going to be blowed away. If the paulina  ramp blew away and it was being maintained what does that say about the unmaintained ramps? Probably safety recommends it comes down. We'll have to see if that's  just the ramps or what 

[artthouwill]

15 hours ago, artthouwill said:

The other day,  I had to do a double take.   The California ramp from the headhouse to the platform on the Blue Line (Forest Park branch) looked just like the Paulina ramp.   It appears that they are dismantling the ramp and eventually get rid of that station.   I suppose Koster and Central aren't very far behind.  

The auxiliary entrance to the Pulaski Blue Line Looks As Though it is ripe for elimination

[BusHunter]

They could always be rebuilding Paulina's ramps using California's ramp but I doubt California's has been updated, the railings and walls are probably plywood. Maybe they could use the roof. I don't see why they would do that though. I would just move Paulina's ramp up to one of the first things replaced for the IMD rehab.

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, BusHunter said:

I don't see why they would do that though. I would just move Paulina's ramp up to one of the first things replaced for the IMD rehab.

I think you answered your own question, as that is what the news story said.

[Sam92]

So I was thinking about the track reconstruction of the forest park branch in the future and I was thinking the options would likely be a two phase project with one phase sending the blue line to 54/cermak with shuttles from the terminal to stations further west as done with the Dan Ryan. Service could also be ramped up on #7, 126 and crosstown westside routes.  The second phase would be the section from Racine to Clinton that couldn't be worked on while sending trains to cermak. 

[Busjack]

Sun-Times says project is complete.

[BusHunter]

Hmm they left. But there is flagman protection for something... flagman protection also for quantum crossings at addison. CTA workers just seem to be at belmont.

[BusHunter]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Sun-Times says project is complete.

Well tell the quantum guys that. The elevator wasn't working two days ago.

[Busjack]

8 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Well tell the quantum guys that. The elevator wasn't working two days ago.

Two days ago wasn't Nov. 28. Apparently it was done enough for Rahm to show up, although I find it hard to believe that he would show up at a project that wasn't on the South Side. Quantum is probably punch list work, which always seems to hang around.

[BusHunter]

Just now, Busjack said:

Two days ago wasn't Nov. 28. Apparently it was done enough for Rahm to show up, although I find it hard to believe that he would show up at a project that wasn't on the South Side. Quantum is probably punch list work, which always seems to hang around.

Hmm I wonder if the elevator sign is in Rahm's press conference? Lol!!

[jajuan]

19 hours ago, Busjack said:

Two days ago wasn't Nov. 28. Apparently it was done enough for Rahm to show up, although I find it hard to believe that he would show up at a project that wasn't on the South Side. Quantum is probably punch list work, which always seems to hang around.

Well he has seen his approval rating drop as low as 18% during the course of this past year according this USA Today article from last month. As with other sources that's been quoted as largely due to the LaQuan McDonald shooting by police and the uptick in shooting deaths which has grown to over 500 and more than LA and NYC combined. There's also been the matter of the city's bad financial footing compared to other big cities and big city metro areas. The article mentions that his political fortunes have started to increase a bit from that political low due in part to the new CPS deal with teachers and a city budget said to be passed with no significant tax increases. Despite that he's still in bad shape with voters, particularly among African American and Latino voters who combined make up two thirds of city voters potentially. So I think it's a matter of his calculating that he needs to get out of just the South Side for his press conferences if he's to have a chance in 2019 should he run again, which the article also notes that he has yet to announce a decision. It's not exactly an accident that the O'Hare leg of the Blue Line has a significant Latin American ridership. The Addison, Irving Park, and Montrose stops are near Latin American populations on the NW side. 

[BusHunter]

Now that's interesting, how did Cumberland/Blue line get a new concrete platform and harlem/higgins/blue line didn't? I thought both stations were supposed to get the marble rehabbed?

[Busjack]

There is a solicitation for Request for Proposals (RFP) for O'Hare Line - Belmont and Jefferson Park Stations Intermodal Improvements.

However, the specs are only on CD, so I can't tell what the scope is, although I assume that the bus terminals get another work over.

[Busjack]

NBC Chicago story that the Infrastructure bill includes money to make the Irving Park, Belmont, and Pulaski stations accessible.

Update: CTA announcement with more details.

[jackathan]

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-approves-contract-to-begin-first-phase-of-track-reconstruction-work-of-the-forest-park-branch-of-the-blue-line/?CategoryId=2&pg=2

Forest Park Branch getting a rebuild as well as Racine getting upgrades to make it vertically accessible..

[Tcmetro]

Good to see them finally getting to work on the FP branch. I wonder if the Phase 1 project includes adding the middle track between IMD and Western to extend the short-turn trains a couple stops.

With the news about the Pulaski rebuild as part of the ASAP project and the MEGA grant application that looks to include Cicero and Austin rebuilds, hopefully CTA is cobbling together other money and applications for the remainder of the line.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, jackathan said:

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-approves-contract-to-begin-first-phase-of-track-reconstruction-work-of-the-forest-park-branch-of-the-blue-line/?CategoryId=2&pg=2

Forest Park Branch getting a rebuild as well as Racine getting upgrades to make it vertically accessible..

Well so far it's just UIC - Halsted to Illinois Medical District

  Whenever that gets done, travel time will improve by a whopping 2 minutes.  Bur i won't despise small beginnings. .

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, jackathan said:

https://www.transitchicago.com/cta-approves-contract-to-begin-first-phase-of-track-reconstruction-work-of-the-forest-park-branch-of-the-blue-line/?CategoryId=2&pg=2

Forest Park Branch getting a rebuild as well as Racine getting upgrades to make it vertically accessible..

 

54 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

Good to see them finally getting to work on the FP branch. I wonder if the Phase 1 project includes adding the middle track between IMD and Western to extend the short-turn trains a couple stops.

...

This is only a minor deal--1 mile from UIC to IMD (Halsted to Ashland). Not going to Western.

As the Press Release further says: "The overall reconstruction of the Forest Park Branch will be done under multiple phases as funding becomes available. Reconstruction of the track between Illinois Medical District and UIC-Halsted is part of Phase 1 of the project..." At that rate, it will take 8 more contracts and 6 more stations (excluding Racine and Pulaski) to get the job done. I'm no saying that there wii be that many contracts, but am noting the glacial pace and how much more needs to be done. This isn't the Dan Ryan project.

 

[Busjack]

This ordinance states the extent of the work: from the subway portal to east of IMD.

[renardo870]

On 1/5/2023 at 11:54 AM, Busjack said:

This ordinance states the extent of the work: from the subway portal to east of IMD.

I was wondering if this project or the next will involve expanding the IMD Station from one into two stations... IMD/Paulina and IMD/Damen which will make the platforms longer on both ends and making the mezzanines wider to make them ADA accessible. Also, would the station and tracks be expanded to accommodate short turns as I believe the O'Hare - UIC trips should and will be extended to IMD. I believe @Tcmetro asked a similar question in an earlier post regarding short turns by possibly adding a middle track between IMD and Western.

Edited January 18, 2023 by renardo870
Adding possible middle track

[Busjack]

10 hours ago, renardo870 said:

I was wondering if this project or the next will involve expanding the IMD Station from one into two stations...

They just rebuilt it a couple of years ago.

[artthouwill]

10 hours ago, renardo870 said:

I was wondering if this project or the next will involve expanding the IMD Station from one into two stations... IMD/Paulina and IMD/Damen which will make the platforms longer on both ends and making the mezzanines wider to make them ADA accessible. Also, would the station and tracks be expanded to accommodate short turns as I believe the O'Hare - UIC trips should and will be extended to IMD. I believe @Tcmetro asked a similar question in an earlier post regarding short turns by possibly adding a middle track between IMD and Western.

IMD is already accessible.   It was done a few years ago.  All three entrances (Paulina, Ogden,  nd Damen) are accessible.  U don't know CTA'S plans but building a middle track west of IMD would require some track realignment which there is room to do.  The question would be whether CTA wants to move the crossover from the Western station to the IMD station. 

I don't think moving the short turns to IMD  accomplishes much.  I think Morgan Middle Track works perfectly.   Not only does it work for UIC which is the busiest station on the Forest Park branch   but it works for rerouted Pink Line short turns at Racine as well.

[Tcmetro]

Moving the short-turn from UIC to IMD was mentioned as part of the Blue Line Vision Plan that was completed a few years ago. The idea was to provide better service levels to the IMD as it's a major job center. Some of the ideas in the Vision Plan seem really unlikely to actually happen, but the IMD middle didn't seem to be the most farfetched.