Your New Blue - O'Hare Branch Rehab

[BusHunter 2303]

Whoa Belmont blue is getting the concrete platform. Probably due to that station getting a non elevator rehab. 

[pudgym29 36]

On 8/20/2018 at 5:44 PM, BusHunter said:

Whoa Belmont blue is getting the concrete platform. Probably due to that station getting a non elevator rehab. 

To @BusHunter, perhaps you may want to check in on the surface at Belmont Blue?
There is construction occurring on the southeast corner of Belmont and Kimball to the extent that [i]I believe[/i] the Authority is putting in an elevator. The chamber will be where the former vent was: [i]North[/i] of the station stair and escalator exit.

 

[CTA5750 428]

FINALLY!!!  Pigheaded CTA manage,ent putting some attention on the long very long neglected Blue Line!  3200s are now finally in service on the Blue!  It Only took the CTA 34 years to update the line!   

[strictures 153]

35 minutes ago, CTA5750 said:

FINALLY!!!  Pigheaded CTA management putting some attention on the long very long neglected Blue Line!  3200s are now finally in service on the Blue!  It Only took the CTA 34 years to update the line!   

If the CTA had any people with common sense, the 5000s would've been assigned to the Orange & Blue Lines, because with those wretched sideways seats, they were perfect for all the people with luggage!

[Sam92 300]

12 hours ago, strictures said:

If the CTA had any people with common sense, the 5000s would've been assigned to the Orange & Blue Lines, because with those wretched sideways seats, they were perfect for all the people with luggage!

Can put too many 5000s without upgrading power to blue

[CTA5750 428]

13 hours ago, strictures said:

If the CTA had any people with common sense, the 5000s would've been assigned to the Orange & Blue Lines, because with those wretched sideways seats, they were perfect for all the people with luggage!

I totally agree with you!  Pigheaded management!  Unfortunately CTA has a history of placing too much of its attention and resources on the Red and Green lines. The Blue Line if you ride it has been falling apart for decades. They haven’t had a railcar replacement since the early 1980s. I can still remember the day the line opened up to OHare airport. Sept 3, 1984!  Using brand new 2600 series cars. Those very same cars are still on the line while the rest of the system has been upgraded and re equipped with newer cars.  IMO, CTA Has badly neglected the Blue line for some reason for too many years. The Jefferson Park, Harlem and Rosemont stations are rust covered dirty and outdated. CTA should be equally placing all its resources in all areas of the city, not just on a few areas. Shame on CTA for the way it practices equal Transit service that benefits everyone!  ! 

[CTA5750 428]

On 9/17/2018 at 9:08 PM, strictures said:

If the CTA had any people with common sense, the 5000s would've been assigned to the Orange & Blue Lines, because with those wretched sideways seats, they were perfect for all the people with luggage!

Totally agree!  I personally don’t mind the seating arrange,ent on the 5000s. I just like to see newer equipment for a change. The 3200s I’ve always loved. So I’m satisfied with the 3200s movement. But CTA could always do better!!!

[strictures 153]

On 9/18/2018 at 10:07 AM, Sam92 said:

Can put too many 5000s without upgrading power to blue

They had to build an additional substation at Farwell & Glenwood in Rogers Park to upgrade power on the Red Line a few years ago.                      So why haven't they upgrade power on the Blue?   Money or the most likely answer for the CTA, abject incompetence!

[Busjack 1604]

Just now, strictures said:

So why haven't they upgrade power on the Blue?

Again, you missed the article that upgrading the substation at 1000 N. Milwaukee is in progress.Go look at CTA construction reports.

[Aiden Tabucic 47]

51 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Again, you missed the article that upgrading the substation at 1000 N. Milwaukee is in progress.Go look at CTA construction reports.

Link to the construction reports plz 

[Busjack 1604]

1 hour ago, Aiden Tabucic said:

Link to the construction reports plz 

Not from me. Again my policy is that you can navigate the CTA site.

[BusHunter 2303]

The new belmont canopy is being built, looks done in the belmont turnaround at the blue line they closed belmont last weekend and I noticed the steel arrived. They need to put it in position but I'll see if I can get us some pics. 

[BusHunter 2303]

Been doing some staging in the aldi lot over by belmont and kimball Dont know if it's related to the belmont reconstruction but dont know what else it would be for. 

At jeff pk the steel canopies are up for the north lot. It's just the skeletal steel but it's a start. 

 

[Manny018 1]

When are they going to rehab the Forest Park branch of the blue line? Isn’t that long over due? That sections older than O’Hare and has never had any actually work done on it.

[NewFlyerMCI 242]

10 hours ago, Manny018 said:

When are they going to rehab the Forest Park branch of the blue line? Isn’t that long over due? That sections older than O’Hare and has never had any actually work done on it.

Stations are currently getting renewed, I can't recall what's going on with the tracks

[artthouwill 775]

19 hours ago, Manny018 said:

When are they going to rehab the Forest Park branch of the blue line? Isn’t that long over due? That sections older than O’Hare and has never had any actually work done on it.

I think part of the delay is waiting for IDOT to decide on when and how to reconstruct the Eisenhower.  CTA doesn't want to do major work, then the State comes along and forces CTA to RIP their work up and redo it.  They want to coordinate with the State.  Truth be told, the Forest Park branch needs a complete rebuild like the Dan Ryan branch got a few years ago.  But until the State comes up with a plan for the Ike, it will have to wait.

[Sam92 300]

12 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

I think part of the delay is waiting for IDOT to decide on when and how to reconstruct the Eisenhower.  CTA doesn't want to do major work, then the State comes along and forces CTA to RIP their work up and redo it.  They want to coordinate with the State.  Truth be told, the Forest Park branch needs a complete rebuild like the Dan Ryan branch got a few years ago.  But until the State comes up with a plan for the Ike, it will have to wait.

Yeah basically forest park is scheduled to coordinate with IDOT who plans on redoing the right of way of I-290 itself which may involve blue line change a bit of its footprint in the area as well so they don't want each other's projects to bump heads

[BusHunter 2303]

3 hours ago, artthouwill said:

I think part of the delay is waiting for IDOT to decide on when and how to reconstruct the Eisenhower.  CTA doesn't want to do major work, then the State comes along and forces CTA to RIP their work up and redo it.  They want to coordinate with the State.  Truth be told, the Forest Park branch needs a complete rebuild like the Dan Ryan branch got a few years ago.  But until the State comes up with a plan for the Ike, it will have to wait.

It will be interesting when the time comes. Cta has alot of land in the congestion zone for the ike from austin to forest pk. They need 4 lanes there. They might just put the blue line back in the center of the median. Cta has alot of land also east of there. They cant do too much to areas that have already been redeveloped like IMD stop or halsted. 

As far as cta they are up to their eyeballs in this red line project. Dont know if they can do another big project at the same time or not.

[artthouwill 775]

38 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

It will be interesting when the time comes. Cta has alot of land in the congestion zone for the ike from austin to forest pk. They need 4 lanes there. They might just put the blue line back in the center of the median. Cta has alot of land also east of there. They cant do too much to areas that have already been redeveloped like IMD stop or halsted. 

As far as cta they are up to their eyeballs in this red line project. Dont know if they can do another big project at the same time or not.

To add to that, there was talk about extending the Blue Line westward to Manheim.  To me, there's no room anywhere on the Ike past Forest Park to do that.  I think there's a path north of the Expressway that could have potential for that. Another plan touted covering the Ike through Oak Park.  I suppose if you could put the Blue Line on elevated structure on top of that, that could help.  Just how much that would cost seems extreme.

I actually thought the Feds approved a project for the Ike but I can't  seem to find it. 

[BusHunter 2303]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

To add to that, there was talk about extending the Blue Line westward to Manheim.  To me, there's no room anywhere on the Ike past Forest Park to do that.  I think there's a path north of the Expressway that could have potential for that. Another plan touted covering the Ike through Oak Park.  I suppose if you could put the Blue Line on elevated structure on top of that, that could help.  Just how much that would cost seems extreme.

I actually thought the Feds approved a project for the Ike but I can't  seem to find it. 

Just was looking at the blue line forest pk. I forgot when built it was envisioned to have express services 4 tracks. That was due to the interurban that was running west of forest pk.  Probably theyll get express bus shoulder west of forest pk they could use something the whole ike is gridlock 

[artthouwill 775]

12 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Just was looking at the blue line forest pk. I forgot when built it was envisioned to have express services 4 tracks. That was due to the interurban that was running west of forest pk.  Probably theyll get express bus shoulder west of forest pk they could use something the whole ike is gridlock 

Did a little research.  Supposedly they want to have 2 express lanes from Manheim to Racine.  Buses and cars with 3+ passengers could use those express lanes for free and everyone else would have to pay a toll to use them.  This concept of "managed tolls" was also supposed to be on the Stevenson,  but as usual, there are no funds.

Your comment about Express service makes perfect sense.  That explains the extra wide r.o.w in the middle of the Ike between Halsted and Kedzie and maybe even the extra portal into the subway east of Halsted.

[Juniorz 253]

It's not happening anytime soon, the funding is not available. 

If there was a dire need to rehab, it would've been fast tracked.

We know the infrastructure is bad, but it's more cost effective to collaborate both projects at once.

[BusHunter 2303]

Snapped this pic this morning at belmont blue line. They are installing the glass canopy (might be polycarbonate) on the new metal structure. I thought that it was supposed to be facing south but maybe it cant fit. It is pretty big. 

[BusHunter 2303]

19 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Did a little research.  Supposedly they want to have 2 express lanes from Manheim to Racine.  Buses and cars with 3+ passengers could use those express lanes for free and everyone else would have to pay a toll to use them.  This concept of "managed tolls" was also supposed to be on the Stevenson,  but as usual, there are no funds.

Your comment about Express service makes perfect sense.  That explains the extra wide r.o.w in the middle of the Ike between Halsted and Kedzie and maybe even the extra portal into the subway east of Halsted.

Thought of just like an illinois politician. They can ease congestion but at a price. Hope they at least put a 4th lane. They always coordinate projects I'm thinking maybe when the circle interchange get done theyll start but that's like the slowest project in history.

 

 

[Aiden Tabucic 47]

49 minutes ago, BusHunter said:

Snapped this pic this morning at belmont blue line. They are installing the glass canopy (might be polycarbonate) on the new metal structure. I thought that it was supposed to be facing south but maybe it cant fit. It is pretty big. 

Belmont station will be closed again for the 3rd weekend in a row I wonder why this time my guess is to put repaint everything and pour cement in the terminal