Where Whould You Plan An Infill Station?

[Around the Horn]

If you could choose where to add stations on the CTA Rail system,where would you put them?

My list:

Madison-United Center-Pink

Dodge or Ashbury -Yellow

Western or Damen -Green

43rd Orange (not 100% about this one)

[artthouwill]

If you could choose where to add stations on the CTA Rail system,where would you put them?

My list:

Madison-United Center-Pink

Dodge or Ashbury -Yellow

Western or Damen -Green

43rd Orange (not 100% about this one)

I have always advocated a Pink Line station at the United Center. Unfortunately, either the people at CTA nor the United Center seem interested in putting one up. The UC people won't pay for one, and CTA is content with running the 19. There is also that idea that the Illinois Medical District Blue Line station and the Green/Pink Ashland stations are in close walking distance as well.

There is a push for a Yellow Line Dodge or Asbury station to be built.

I suppose Damen could be an alternative to building a United Center staion, but I don't think there is enough residential population to justify either.

Due to freight tracks on both sides of Orange Lint tracks, building a 43rd St station for the Orange Line is not physically possible. Also there isn't enought neighborhood in that area to support a new station if one could be built there.

[Around the Horn]

I have always advocated a Pink Line station at the United Center. Unfortunately, either the people at CTA nor the United Center seem interested in putting one up. The UC people won't pay for one, and CTA is content with running the 19. There is also that idea that the Illinois Medical District Blue Line station and the Green/Pink Ashland stations are in close walking distance as well.

There is a push for a Yellow Line Dodge or Asbury station to be built.

I suppose Damen could be an alternative to building a United Center staion, but I don't think there is enough residential population to justify either.

Due to freight tracks on both sides of Orange Lint tracks, building a 43rd St station for the Orange Line is not physically possible. Also there isn't enought neighborhood in that area to support a new station if one could be built there.

Thats why I was not 100 % on that one.Thanks and yes I think the Pink Line should have a Madison station too.

[Busjack]

I'm still waiting on how they would pull off the proposed Van Buren station connecting the Pink and Blue Lines.

[mkohut]

Thats why I was not 100 % on that one.Thanks and yes I think the Pink Line should have a Madison station too.

I do again about the United Center station.

You think it would be a no brainer.Since you save on Labor and Fuel cost.When you all ready have trains going by there anyway.

[Busjack]

I do again about the United Center station.

You think it would be a no brainer.Since you save on Labor and Fuel cost.When you all ready have trains going by there anyway.

Probably looking for a TIF to finance it, and it depends on how much of any TIF money the Bulls need to build their practice center there and the sporting goods arcade, compared to how much TIF money it would generate to fund other projects, such as to build the station.

I'm assuming TIF, since that's essentially what was used for Morgan, and Cermak.

[KedziePink]

I have always advocated a Pink Line station at the United Center. Unfortunately, either the people at CTA nor the United Center seem interested in putting one up. The UC people won't pay for one, and CTA is content with running the 19. There is also that idea that the Illinois Medical District Blue Line station and the Green/Pink Ashland stations are in close walking distance as well.

There is a push for a Yellow Line Dodge or Asbury station to be built.

I suppose Damen could be an alternative to building a United Center staion, but I don't think there is enough residential population to justify either.

Due to freight tracks on both sides of Orange Lint tracks, building a 43rd St station for the Orange Line is not physically possible. Also there isn't enought neighborhood in that area to support a new station if one could be built there.

The proposal is simply for Asbury. The Wikipedia article states that the city studied both locations, and they settled on Asbury because they would have to rebuild the bridge over Dodge, which would have added $10 million to the cost.

[Busjack]

The proposal is simply for Asbury. The Wikipedia article states that the city studied both locations, and they settled on Asbury because they would have to rebuild the bridge over Dodge, which would have added $10 million to the cost.

Again, this was only an alternatives analysis as no source of funding. However. like Oakton, apparently the city would be the applicant rather than the CTA.

[CircleSeven]

The proposal is simply for Asbury. The Wikipedia article states that the city studied both locations, and they settled on Asbury because they would have to rebuild the bridge over Dodge, which would have added $10 million to the cost.

I would've still broke the bank on Dodge than Asbury, because that's the farthest location from Howard, than Asbury, which would be otherwise be a good walking distance to Howard anyway. The only good thing for Asbury would be the proximity of those shopping centers on Howard in Western, and that's a short walking distance there. Other than that, there wasting their dollars for Asbury, if it ever comes to fruition. I hope they change their minds.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

What about somewhere on the Blue Line between Jefferson Park and Harlem? I think something was proposed for Nagle and Bryn Mawr.

[mkohut]

What about somewhere on the Blue Line between Jefferson Park and Harlem? I think something was proposed for Nagle and Bryn Mawr.

I heard about it.When you look at ridership on both 68,and 88 other then Taft High School .Its hard to justify the need for it.

[Busjack]

I would've still broke the bank on Dodge than Asbury, because that's the farthest location from Howard, than Asbury, which would be otherwise be a good walking distance to Howard anyway. The only good thing for Asbury would be the proximity of those shopping centers on Howard in Western, and that's a short walking distance there. Other than that, there wasting their dollars for Asbury, if it ever comes to fruition. I hope they change their minds.

I really doubt that Evanston cares about a station to get to Howard-Western Plaza on the other side of the city line.

There were some senior centers and the like near Dodge and Oakton, but apparently not enough to sway the alternatives analysis.

[See Tea Eh]

Division on the Brown seems like an obvious gap to me. Especially since the area around there has been cleaned up and more is starting to get built.

[mkohut]

I really doubt that Evanston cares about a station to get to Howard-Western Plaza on the other side of the city line.

There were some senior centers and the like near Dodge and Oakton, but apparently not enough to sway the alternatives analysis.

I agree why would Evanston want to give Chicago Sales tax dollars.

[mkohut]

Division on the Brown seems like an obvious gap to me. Especially since the area around there has been cleaned up and more is starting to get built.

Thats a tough call only because of the amount of money being invested in the Clark/Division station.When you also are adding a entrance at Lasalle.

[Busjack]

Thats a tough call only because of the amount of money being invested in the Clark/Division station.When you also are adding a entrance at Lasalle.

There had been talk before about a station at either Oak or Division on the Brown Line. But given that the new LaSalle entrance at Clark and Division is about 3 blocks away, you might have a point. Probably the main consideration is whether people from Ravenswood go the Walter Payton Prep.

[artthouwill]

Who said that there only has to be a 1/2 mile between stations? There is nothing wrong with the gap between Jefferson Pk and Harlem.. If it were possible to break the Blue Line into local service between Jeff Pk and downtown, and local O'Hare to Jeff Pk then express to downtown, you would probably get a significant increase in ridership. If you have ever been on a Metra express from Naperville to downtown, those trains are packed and it is definitely faster than driving. The idea of the L was supposed to be "Rapid Transit".

I don't see a need for a Brown Line at Oak or Division considering the 37 runs parallel to the train.

The Green Line doesn't need an infill station at Damen or Western with Madison bus service 1/4 mile to the south. Still not a fan of the new Morgan station nor am I a fan of the soon to be built Cermak station.

[BusHunter]

I'd look to expand the system, 95th/Red line has way too high a ridership and Rosemont/Blue line gets extremely crowded in the rush hour. Those are both indications of the need for an extension. It would probably be hard to get any suburban extension, but it is needed.

[2200fan]

I'd look to expand the system, 95th/Red line has way too high a ridership and Rosemont/Blue line gets extremely crowded in the rush hour. Those are both indications of the need for an extension. It would probably be hard to get any suburban extension, but it is needed.

Too bad there's no easy way to combine them.

[Busjack]

I'd look to expand the system, 95th/Red line has way too high a ridership and Rosemont/Blue line gets extremely crowded in the rush hour. Those are both indications of the need for an extension. It would probably be hard to get any suburban extension, but it is needed.

For the extension past 95th, Rahm wants it, but can't come up with the $1 billion.

As far as Rosemont, that gets precluded by first the suggestion endorsed by the RTA was the STAR Line, but Metra seems to have said about 2 years ago that it can't get the funding. It seems from what the Tollway Authority has published with regard to the Jane Addams and Elgin-O'Hare Tollways is Pace express service, although there is still the theory that they may leave a median in the Jane Addams in case the STAR Line idea ever comes back. But, obviously, Pace service is going to require a transfer at Rosemont.

[mkohut]

For the extension past 95th, Rahm wants it, but can't come up with the $1 billion.

As far as Rosemont, that gets precluded by first the suggestion endorsed by the RTA was the STAR Line, but Metra seems to have said about 2 years ago that it can't get the funding. It seems from what the Tollway Authority has published with regard to the Jane Addams and Elgin-O'Hare Tollways is Pace express service, although there is still the theory that they may leave a median in the Jane Addams in case the STAR Line idea ever comes back. But, obviously, Pace service is going to require a transfer at Rosemont.

Per Chicago L

As far as the new projects go, none were implemented

during this period, but some had some interesting

developments. The northwest suburban mayors, especially

Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson, and U.S. Senator Carol

Mosley-Braun (before she was defeated in the 1998 election)

actively backed and promoted the extension of the Blue Line

west to Schaumburg for the I-90/Northwest Corridor project.

The fact that a project that was earmarked a Corridor for

Further Study was catapulted to a front-runner without

further study also irked some agencies, most notably CATS

and the RTA. By late 2001, it was one of the

CTA's^® favored

extension projects, especially in view of Mayor Daley's

O'Hare Airport expansion plan. However, the possibility of

this occurring was all but derailed when a proposed 55-mile

Metra route that would run from O'Hare International Airport

to Joliet -- the so-called "STAR Line" -- was approved in

May 2003 by the Northwest Transit Corridor Municipal Task

Force, a consortium of northwest suburban mayors, and by the

Regional Transportation Authority board in June 2003 as the

preferred alternative for serving the congested and

transit-poor Northwest Corridor along I-90 between O'Hare

airport and the northwest suburbs.

[Busjack]

Per Chicago L

As far as the new projects go....

As reflected in the rest of the excerpt, this is all now ancient history (the latest date being 10 years ago).

[BusHunter]

Maybe pace should try a loop express. They might actually take some of the blue line's ridership. Eventually that will overcrowd anyway. A train pulls up there now pretty empty and pulls out with no empty seats. Maybe they could stand to turn a few trains at Rosemont blue line.

[Busjack]

Maybe pace should try a loop express. They might actually take some of the blue line's ridership. Eventually that will overcrowd anyway. A train pulls up there now pretty empty and pulls out with no empty seats. Maybe they could stand to turn a few trains at Rosemont blue line.

Other than 924/925, Pace isn't interested in it (as indicated that anything other than the BOS ones have been dropped). It isn't going to save travel time if the bus is stuck on the Kennedy Expressway. I don't think there is anywhere to run BOS there, and the Kennedy is already at its lane limit (as explained in stories on why the reversibles no longer work). Also, the BOS justification of "nothing else available" doesn't apply.

[garmon757]

Maybe pace should try a loop express. They might actually take some of the blue line's ridership. Eventually that will overcrowd anyway. A train pulls up there now pretty empty and pulls out with no empty seats. Maybe they could stand to turn a few trains at Rosemont blue line.

That would seriously throw the entire operation of the Blue Line way off. It would be very confusing and frustrating among passengers and rail operators. Pretty much saying that it would be a waste of money.