Transfers from Washington (Blue) to Lake (Red)

[Vinny]

I was riding downtown yesterday morning when I heard Mr. CTA say, "Transfer to Red Line trains at Washington." I was thinking that was an obvious programming mistake, because I looked out on to the platform and the stairwells were still permanently covered. So I chalked it up to a glitch.

But then I saw this morning in the Trib that CTA has made transfers from Washington (Blue) to Lake (Red) free through the Pedway (as opposed to a regular $0.25 transfer):

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/redeye-cta-drops-pedway-transfer-charge-20130515,0,3369941.story

I'm curious as to whether there's been any signage installed to indicate this. But is it that much more of a hassle to transfer at Jackson using the stairs (or elevators and pedway if you need to)? I'll admit I don't know the pedway routing between the Washington and Lake stations.

[Busjack]

I was riding downtown yesterday morning when I heard Mr. CTA say, "Transfer to Red Line trains at Washington." I was thinking that was an obvious programming mistake, because I looked out on to the platform and the stairwells were still permanently covered. So I chalked it up to a glitch.

But then I saw this morning in the Trib that CTA has made transfers from Washington (Blue) to Lake (Red) free through the Pedway (as opposed to a regular $0.25 transfer):

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/redeye-cta-drops-pedway-transfer-charge-20130515,0,3369941.story

I'm curious as to whether there's been any signage installed to indicate this. But is it that much more of a hassle to transfer at Jackson using the stairs (or elevators and pedway if you need to)? I'll admit I don't know the pedway routing between the Washington and Lake stations.

I thought that this meant that the Washington-State station is reopening.

That was closed as part of the Block 37 "airport express station" project, when the platform was cut for supposedly installing the crossover track. Also, the pedway was closed because of the building construction on top of it.

However, Washington is not on the map in the advance Red Line schedule brochure. Update: Rereading the Tribune story you cited, it says only that one can use the pedway without having 25 cents docked from a transit card. It does not say how one gets from the Lake station to the pedway. Not indicated on the pedway map, either.

As a historical matter, there are (or were) two Washington transfer tunnels, the one that became the pedway between the two station mezzanines, and a "paid area" tunnel below that one. The same arrangement is at Jackson. However, as a result of the reference to needing a transit card, the lower one at Washington must still be closed.

You also bring up the point made by someone else on the CTA Tattler that Mr. CTA's program must have been changed a week before the actual routing changes.

[jtrosario]

... how one gets from the Lake station to the pedway. Not indicated on the pedway map, either.

Looking at the pedway map, Black dots show CTA stops/entrances. The red line above the number "27" connects the two black dots. One is the North entrance to the Blue line Washington station, the other is the South entrance to the Red line Lake station. With the main pedway going East/West at that location, the Blue line is on the South side of it under Dearborn, and the Red line is on the North side of it under State. The last time I transferred from a SB Blue to a NB Red there(Paying the .25 to NOT go back and forth to Jackson) Red NB Car 8 stops at the bottom of that staircase. It's a pretty simple up the stairs out of the paid area, East or West through the (very nice) Pedway into the paid area and down the stairs to the next train.

IF I remember right, the signage these days lines up Red NB and SB trains to the South entrance staircase between Randolph and Washigton. Historically, NB Red stopped a lot closer to Lake and it was still a good jog to get to car 8 after coming down that same staircase. It's good that the "free" transfer is back especially for those that need to transfer from North Red to/from NW Blue.

(Edit: CTA should have indicated the free card connection using right angles along the actual walking path-which is primarily East/West, not the weird angle they used on the map. They sure didn't use angles at the elevated Library to Jackson Red and Jackson Blue stops-although that one is not entirely accurate, it is a lot clearer than the Washington to Lake graphic)

[jajuan]

Plus one has to remember that the current Lake Red Line station and Washington Red Line station that is now closed used to be one station under the name Washington. As I recall at different points of the service day during that time, you had the situation of southbound trains stopping at the Washington station position and northbound ones stopped at the current Lake station position.

[BusHunter]

It's the same type of transfer as the State/Lake or Library-State and Van Buren transfer. (cards and passes only) It's on the May 2013 system map. BTW, you can find those maps at Red line stations. Jackson had some yesterday.

[artthouwill]

It's the same type of transfer as the State/Lake or Library-State and Van Buren transfer. (cards and passes only) It's on the May 2013 system map. BTW, you can find those maps at Red line stations. Jackson had some yesterday.

I think the point was why did it take so long to adjust the pedway mezzanines to free transfers with fare card once the pedway reopened?

[Busjack]

Plus one has to remember that the current Lake Red Line station and Washington Red Line station that is now closed used to be one station under the name Washington. As I recall at different points of the service day during that time, you had the situation of southbound trains stopping at the Washington station position and northbound ones stopped at the current Lake station position.

At one time, the stops pretty much through the State St, subway were staggered, in the sense that northbound and southbound trains did not stop at the same point on the platform, but on different sides of the stairs from the mezzanine to the platform. This was opposed to the stopping pattern in the Dearborn subway, where there were signs like you find elsewhere, where one sign pointed to both NB to O'Hare, and SB to Forest Park and 54th and Cermak, and, in effect, both trains stopped opposite each other on the platform. IIRC, if you were on the mezzanine at a State subway station, there was one set of turnstiles to Howard and the ones on the opposite side were to the South Side.

At some point, they made Lake and Washington separate stations, breaking up that pattern (it was a pretty long hike if one were transferring from the L to the subway southbound), and then they closed Washington for the obvious reason.

[Fails the Turing Test]

I'm curious as to whether there's been any signage installed to indicate this.

There are breadcrumbs in the stations now. Lake has platform-level "Blue Line this way, [all the State/Lake transfers] behind you" signs at the stairway to the Randolph-Washington mezzanine and a "Blue Line -->" breadcrumb once you exit the paid area. There's a similar "<-- Daley Center || Red Line -->" breadcrumb by the fare machines in the Washington/Dearborn mezzanine. Washington-Dearborn has long had a "Red Line trains ahead || Blue Line -->" sign overhead facing east when you get to the turnstiles; that's still there (necessarily since the stairs down to that mezzanine are marked with "Washington, CTA Red and Blue Lines"). And, of course, Block 37 has had their own Red Line and Blue Line signs over the doors since it opened.

[pudgym29]

I have utilized the Washington [blue] to Lake [Red] transfer a handful of times already. It is not that difficult to discern and traverse. A particular advantage of this new transfer point is that there is a public washroom available in the pedway. Which is quite like any number of train transfer points in Tokyo, Japan, but nearly non-existant in Chicago.

[Fails the Turing Test]

I have utilized the Washington [blue] to Lake [Red] transfer a handful of times already. It is not that difficult to discern and traverse. A particular advantage of this new transfer point is that there is a public washroom available in the pedway. Which is quite like any number of train transfer points in Tokyo, Japan, but nearly non-existant in Chicago.

Now if we can just get some train pushers we'll be all set!

[Busjack]

I have utilized the Washington [blue] to Lake [Red] transfer a handful of times already. It is not that difficult to discern and traverse. A particular advantage of this new transfer point is that there is a public washroom available in the pedway. Which is quite like any number of train transfer points in Tokyo, Japan, but nearly non-existant in Chicago.

There used to be washrooms inside the subway mezzanines, but I am sure they have been sealed off for decades.

[dmcreif]

Now if we can just get some train pushers we'll be all set!

How much would the 'L''s ridership levels have to skyrocket in order to even need the pushers?

[artthouwill]

Now if we can just get some train pushers we'll be all set!

A. A perfect scenario for perverts.

No thanks, I will either wait for the next train, or find alternate meana.

[Busjack]

Now if we can just get some train pushers we'll be all set!

I thought that was originally suggested in response to the 10% cutback in service in 2010. Now that everything has been decrowded, CTA doesn't need them, unless there is some other reason, such as to hire union labor at minimum wage (as announced with respect to the Customer Assistants and Bus Cleaners).

[buslist]

In the 10+ times I've been to Tokyo I've never seen pushers on the platforms, but have been on some crowded trains.