If I ran Transit for one day...

[NewFlyerMCI]

It's not walking distance if you have trouble walking, which is why people are going to the largest hospital in the city.

I myself, once went there during my first gout attack. There wasn't a 4 at 55th St. for 15 minutes, so I walked to 58th. That took over 30 minutes & still no 4 ever passed me going south.

4 is a miserably run route, one that I personally believe is the worst on the South Side.

I agree, the 4 could really use help. However, aside from shortchanging at 63rd or adding artics, I don't think CTA would really respond. Also, had no idea U of C Hospital was in top 10 (#6) in Chicago

Stop List for #55 reroute

EB:

57th & Cottage Grove (SE Corner)

57th & Drexel (SE Corner)

Ellis & 56th (SE Corner)

55th & Ellis (Current Location)

WB:

Same as above, flip corners for location OR

55th & Drexel (Current Location)

Cottage Grove & 55th (Move current 4 stop to SW Corner)

Cottage Grove & 57th (NW Corner)

[strictures]

I agree, the 4 could really use help. However, aside from shortchanging at 63rd or adding artics, I don't think CTA would really respond. Also, had no idea U of C Hospital was in top 10 (#6) in Chicago

Stop List for #55 reroute

EB:

57th & Cottage Grove (SE Corner)

57th & Drexel (SE Corner)

Ellis & 56th (SE Corner)

55th & Ellis (Current Location)

WB:

Same as above, flip corners for location OR

55th & Drexel (Current Location)

Cottage Grove & 55th (Move current 4 stop to SW Corner)

Cottage Grove & 57th (NW Corner)

Your plan would be sending the 55 down some crowded side streets in Hyde Park. I've taken some of the 170s down those streets & it's a hairy proposition in the winter, with snow piled up on the sides.

I'd go for a much simpler plan. Remember, the 55 is already as far south as 56th at the intersection of Morgan & Rainey.

The current route of the 55 through Washington Park is Garfield, Morgan Dr., Rainey Dr., Payne Dr., & 55th [EB] & the reverse for WB.

I'd just reroute it so it stays on Morgan to 57th & then East on 57th to Cottage Grove & then NB on Cottage to 55th & resume the current route east of there & the reverse for WB.

That gets people two blocks closer & at the corner of the new building & just a block west of the proposed new ER, which will be in the new parking garage under construction.

The stop signs at Morgan & Rainey would also have to be change around to give the buses priority there with a new routing.

The intersection of Garfield, Ellsworth & Morgan at the west end of the park also needs to be realigned. The current layout is from horse & buggy times. I'm amazed there aren't regular head on crashes there, due to this bizarre street layout. I've shown people how to go through there that have never been there & most are terrified of it the first time.

It makes Cumberland Circle in Des Plaines look sane.

[Busjack]

Stricture's point on routing on narrow streets (some of which the U of C probably wants to turn into pedestrian malls; there are current plans for 58th, but Ellis is now obstructed by construction for the replacement for the Research Institutes). 171 and 172 provide local circulator service, and are open to the general public; just transfer like any other route with a Ventra card.

But,. as far as realigning the streets, one would have to get over all the Friends of the Park opposition to tearing up the park (most recently indicated by the Obama Library committee having objections to park sites). It took the tour by the Olympic Committee just to get the roads repaved after what looked like 60 years of neglect.

As far as reconnecting Hyde Park to Chicago there is the combination of Hyde Park traditionally hasn't wanted it and the traditional portal has been Metra. The U of C has taken over much of Hyde Park, and I am surprised they replaced Harper Court with a more "suburban" like office developemnt (LA Fitness and the like). At least Valois is still around there.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Some minor aesthetic changes, assuming I have unlimited funds

-Some station names can include neighborhood names in captions. Not all, due to the fact that some community areas are served by 4, possibly more stops, such as Edgewater (Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Granville and Thorndale, which funnily enough are named after old stops on the PRR Main Line, currently operated in some cases by SEPTA) and Grand Boulevard (Indiana, 43rd, 47th and 51st).

-Some routes would be renamed to better give an idea of the areas/directions served or to fit better with routes similar to the changed one.

-> 15 becomes Jeffery/Hyde Park

-> 6 and 26 switch names and the 26 becomes the "South Chicago", "East Side" or combo of the two express (SPOF: S. Chicago is a street)

-> 49B becomes 49N and switches to "Route 49N: Kimye"

-> 52A becomes 52S

-> 53A becomes 52S

-> 54A becomes 54N

-> 54B becomes 54S

-> 62H becomes West Archer/Harlem and/or switches to 62W

-> 51 becomes West 51st

-> 71 becomes East 71st/South Deering or East 71st/South Chicago (SPOF: S. Chicago is a street)

-> 85A becomes 85N

-> 93 becomes North California/Dodge

-> 95E: I want to say something here, but CTA got it here with the E, so i'm going to leave it alone.

-> 97 becomes Oakton-Skokie

-> 103 and 106 could become 103E and 103W

-> Combine 124 and 130 OR 125 and 130, thus making Navy Pier - Museum Campus or Water Tower - Museum Campus

-> 146 becomes Inner Drive Express

Although this would most likely be impossible, I would widen the single-island platforms, especially in places like 35th (Green) and Loyola (Red).

[Busjack]

Some minor aesthetic changes, assuming I have unlimited funds

-Some station names can include neighborhood names in captions. Not all, due to the fact that some community areas are served by 4, possibly more stops, such as Edgewater (Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Granville and Thorndale, which funnily enough are named after old stops on the PRR Main Line, currently operated in some cases by SEPTA) and Grand Boulevard (Indiana, 43rd, 47th and 51st).

-Some routes would be renamed to better give an idea of the areas/directions served or to fit better with routes similar to the changed one.

...

-> 49B becomes 49N and switches to "Route 49N: Kimye"

-> 52A becomes 52S

-> 53A becomes 52S

-> 54A becomes 54N

-> 54B becomes 54S

-> 62H becomes West Archer/Harlem and/or switches to 62W

....

There never was a reason why they went half baked with the --N and --S. The consistent thing would have been to get rid of the As and Bs and do something like the above. A similar half baked job was when they changed 50A to 48, but kept most of the other As and Bs. 49B became a mess when 49A was killed. There was also a time when there was a 54B without a 54A.

...

-> 51 becomes West 51st

-> 71 becomes East 71st/South Deering or East 71st/South Chicago (SPOF: S. Chicago is a street)

Here, there really isn't a point, because there isn't east and west routes on those streets and hence no ambiguity (unless one wants to make an argument about 67 67/69/71),

Also, at one time, 51 went to Lake Park.

....

-> 93 becomes North California/Dodge

-> 95E: I want to say something here, but CTA got it here with the E, so i'm going to leave it alone.

....

95 93/95 goes back to streetcar times, but if I were doing anything (like the 1976 renumbering), I would have used 93 because it is mostly on 93rd, not 95th.

I'll also note that the Crowd Reduction Plan did away with several others that were no longer on the indicated streets--1 Indiana-Hyde Park (not on Hyde Park) and 145 Wilson-Michigan Exp. (Grace trips never made it to Wilson).

[ChicagoNova]

Actually, they have a good use for LRT on LSD. As the population is growing CTA is not growing so the Red line is basically overwhelmed with all these new riders. Now opening up Wilson to Purple line traffic is smart in a way but all they are doing is putting a bigger crowd on the Purple line which just has 6 cars. There is still alot of traffic on LSD and alot of high rise condos filled with potential riders of those routes. Plus add in all the lakefront attractions and it is really a no brainer. I mean with one LRT line you could serve the north side LSD crowd, Lincoln Park Zoo, Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue, The Museum Campus, Millennium Park, and maybe with an extension Hyde Park riders and MSI. There's alot of bus traffic that can be eliminated off the drive and it will help the environment to clean up some of this pollution. Plus all this adds to the tourist value of our city and makes it just that much greater. It's either that or lose a lane of traffic to BRT which is probably coming in the future.

I agree with BusHunter. LRT wouldn't be too bad an idea, as we don't even have LRT here in Chicago.

[strictures]

Some minor aesthetic changes, assuming I have unlimited funds

-Some station names can include neighborhood names in captions. Not all, due to the fact that some community areas are served by 4, possibly more stops, such as Edgewater (Berwyn, Bryn Mawr, Granville and Thorndale, which funnily enough are named after old stops on the PRR Main Line, currently operated in some cases by SEPTA)

A minor correction.

The developer of Edgewater named the streets after the stations on the PRR Mainline out of Philadelphia, so the L stations have those names.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Imagining that CTA somehow got $2,880,000,000, here are a couple of Jump suggestions. Feel free to discuss at your lesiure. I came up with these along with another friend of mine who is a transit enthusiast as well. He also made an accompanying map of his suggestions and I will also list them below. Mine are in bold, if there is none, then I agree. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z4XYh3EUFxoU.kXbbh5Vyz3Pg

J3 (Navy Pier to Musuem Campus via 55th or 79th)

J4 (Illinois Ctr or Michigan/Wacker to Cottage/63rd.)

J8 (Belmont R/B/P to Halsted Orange or 79th)

J9 (Paulina Brown or Ashland/Belmont to 35th/Archer Orange or 79th)

J11 (Western Brown to North/Clark)

J12 (Current Routing w/ extension to Musuem Campus)

J20 (Current Routing w/ Special terminal for United Center service)

J22 (Navy Pier to Devon/Clark)

J44 (Racine/95th to State/Polk)

J49 (79th or 35th/Archer Orange to Western Brown or Berwyn)

J52 (Current 52A routing)

J53 (Cicero/24th Pl to Pulaski/Irving Park or Devon/Kedzie)

J55 (Current Routing)

J66 (Current Routing, ends at Pulaski)

J77 (Red/Brown/Purple to Blue or Octavia)

J79 (Current N.O. routing)

J82 (Current Routing, no service to Devon/Kedzie, extended to Cicero/24th Pl)

J151 (Current Sunday Routing, ends at Navy Pier instead of Union Station)

Side Note: In the neighborhood of Central Station, sandwiched between Near South Side and Musuem Campus, did the petition for bus service. Because I remember when the 3 was rerouted to serve Michigan only and soon after, the they canceled 12 service to Musuem Campus and had it going to 16th/Indiana. Why do the residents of Central Station, especially those on Indiana Ave between 16th and Roosevelt get bus service, especially which Michigan is 1 block west, and by comparing that to the typical Chicago block length, isn't that long (walking troubles aside).

[NewFlyerMCI]

I would move some of the Garages, I think they are too close together, with the exception of 103rd. If there is a reason for that, I would like to know. (Disclamier: I assume I have unlimited funds and the persuasion of the gods)

Kedzie gets moved to either 4501 W 26th St OR 2501 W 26th St and becomes Blue Island ( B )

74th gets moved to 3900 W 41st and becomes Pulaski (4)

North Park gets moved to 2235 W Oakdale Ave and becomes Clybourn ( C )

[MetroShadow]

I would move some of the Garages, I think they are too close together, with the exception of 103rd. If there is a reason for that, I would like to know. (Disclamier: I assume I have unlimited funds and the persuasion of the gods)

Kedzie gets moved to either 4501 W 26th St OR 2501 W 26th St and becomes Blue Island ( B )

74th gets moved to 3900 W 41st and becomes Pulaski (4)

North Park gets moved to 2235 W Oakdale Ave and becomes Clybourn ( C )

But why move them to begin with? Those existing locations are strategic.

Kedzie is centralized (ever since Limits closed in '92)

74th is relatively new.

Moving NP to Lincoln Park does nothing for the north side routes, nor is the location even doable (I worked in that project area - and that space doesn't sufficiently accommodate 175+ buses).

If nothing else, they need something downtown and perhaps something to replace Archer (if that).

[NewFlyerMCI]

But why move them to begin with? Those existing locations are strategic.

Kedzie is centralized (ever since Limits closed in '92)

74th is relatively new.

Moving NP to Lincoln Park does nothing for the north side routes, nor is the location even doable (I worked in that project area - and that space doesn't sufficiently accommodate 175+ buses).

If nothing else, they need something downtown and perhaps something to replace Archer (if that).

The olympic commitee had an area they wanted to use to build the stadium but Chicago didn't get the bid. Would that be a good downtown location? The suggested locations for either Blue Island or Pulaski could be a replacement for Archer. Or maybe even the area behind Halsted Orange

[Busjack]

The olympic commitee had an area they wanted to use to build the stadium but Chicago didn't get the bid. Would that be a good downtown location? The suggested locations for either Blue Island or Pulaski could be a replacement for Archer. Or maybe even the area behind Halsted Orange

The Olympic Stadium would have been built in Washington Park (which you will never get given for a bus garage, even though it is opposite where the 52 garage used to be). If the park district is having trouble giving it for the Obama Library, it isn't going to give it for a bus garage.

If you were thinking the Olympic Village, that would have been on Michael Reese property (roughly 27th and King Dr.) and there is no need for a bus garage there.

...

Moving NP to Lincoln Park does nothing for the north side routes, nor is the location even doable (I worked in that project area - and that space doesn't sufficiently accommodate 175+ buses).

....

Metro Shadow is correct on that one. If I were assuming infinite money (which I don't), arguably the NP garage should be near the Howard station, where most of its routes originate.

I would argue that some garage is needed near the far end of Archer, but by demolishing Archer, apparently CTA does not see the need.

I still don't see where NFMCI gets his arbitrary addresses.

[MetroShadow]

The olympic commitee had an area they wanted to use to build the stadium but Chicago didn't get the bid. Would that be a good downtown location? The suggested locations for either Blue Island or Pulaski could be a replacement for Archer. Or maybe even the area behind Halsted Orange

Neither would be good places. Placement is everything, and those are still too close to many of the routes in the system (especially when finite space is at issue).

[Busjack]

Neither would be good places. Placement is everything, and those are still too close to many of the routes in the system (especially when finite space is at issue).

I'm not as convinced as you are that the locations are strategic. For instance, the reason why North and Cicero was not rebuilt in place is that someone said they would develop that property (hence the move to Chicago and Pulaski), but it took about 10 more years for the city to unload it.

However, it is what it is.

[geneking7320]

A minor correction.

The developer of Edgewater named the streets after the stations on the PRR Mainline out of Philadelphia, so the L stations have those names.

Your post reminded me of my visits to Philadelphia in 1998 and 1999 [on business].

While there I noted that the Fern Rock terminal of the Broad Street Subway connected with a SEPTA regional rail station. I'd do something like that here. Another SEPTA idea I'd steal would be to electrify all Metra lines and have one downtown station where they would interconnect [which of course would be served by rapid transit]. Of course that would cost triple digit billions.

[rvwnsd]

Your post reminded me of my visits to Philadelphia in 1998 and 1999 [on business].

While there I noted that the Fern Rock terminal of the Broad Street Subway connected with a SEPTA regional rail station. I'd do something like that here....

CTA did that in 1970 when it built the Kennedy Extension, now part of the Blue Line. Jefferson Park Terminal (now Transit Center) is an intermodal station that connects several CTA and PACE buses, the Blue Line, and the Metra UP Northwest Line. In Evanston, Davis Street is an intermodal station between several PACE and CTA lines, the Purple Line, and the Metra UP North Line.

[artthouwill]

Your post reminded me of my visits to Philadelphia in 1998 and 1999 [on business].

While there I noted that the Fern Rock terminal of the Broad Street Subway connected with a SEPTA regional rail station. I'd do something like that here. Another SEPTA idea I'd steal would be to electrify all Metra lines and have one downtown station where they would interconnect [which of course would be served by rapid transit]. Of course that would cost triple digit billions.

Union Station ,orany other station could never handle that type of rail traffic. Also, most of the other tracks are NOT OWNED by Metra, so I don't know how the UP and BNSF and CN would feel about having wires above their tracks. The reason we have so many terminals to begin with is because the commuter rail business was once run by the freight railroads and they all abandoned that business.

I won't even mention all of the new equipment that would be needed for 10 Metra lines

[NewFlyerMCI]

Union Station ,orany other station could never handle that type of rail traffic. Also, most of the other tracks are NOT OWNED by Metra, so I don't know how the UP and BNSF and CN would feel about having wires above their tracks. The reason we have so many terminals to begin with is because the commuter rail business was once run by the freight railroads and they all abandoned that business.

I won't even mention all of the new equipment that would be needed for 10 Metra lines

I would actually suggest that Metra buy Union Station, but they have budgeting issues nor the money to do so. Amtrak could buy Metra, but it has taken MARC so long to even reach their current status and they are co-owned with MTA. Not to mention that, Amtrak, like Metra is also in need of money and have more pressing issues than suburban rail transit for Chicago. Possibly with their own terminal and some trackage rights, they could combine Og/Union routes and RI.

[Busjack]

I would actually suggest that Metra buy Union Station, but they have budgeting issues nor the money to do so. Amtrak could buy Metra, but it has taken MARC so long to even reach their current status and they are co-owned with MTA. Not to mention that, Amtrak, like Metra is also in need of money and have more pressing issues than suburban rail transit for Chicago. Possibly with their own terminal and some trackage rights, they could combine Og/Union routes and RI.

Part of the CREATE plan is to get the SWS OUT of Union Station.

Although Oglivie and Union Station adjoin on the Madison St. side, there is no room at Union Station to add another 19 trains during the 5:00 p.m. hour, for instance (per the schedules for the UP-N, UP-NW, and UP-W lines). The grand lobby is underused, but the concourses are crowded as anything.

Why are you suggesting hypotheticals that would require condemning everything between the Chicago River and Kennedy Expressway? That's about what it would take.

[Brandon93]

I would move some of the Garages, I think they are too close together, with the exception of 103rd. If there is a reason for that, I would like to know. (Disclamier: I assume I have unlimited funds and the persuasion of the gods)

Kedzie gets moved to either 4501 W 26th St OR 2501 W 26th St and becomes Blue Island ( B )

74th gets moved to 3900 W 41st and becomes Pulaski (4)

North Park gets moved to 2235 W Oakdale Ave and becomes Clybourn ( C )

Kedzie & 74th are fairly new garages, so I don't think they should close. Kedzie & Chicago are kinda close to each other, but there are many routes that serve the West Side, so I would keep it the way it is. If they close & move 74th to 41st & Pulaski where there would have to redistribute some of the routes meaning there might be more work for 77th, 103rd and some other garage(s) for that change I would change the garage code from 4 to P and change the code at North Park to N. North Park has the same concern and change I would make Chicago has the C Sticker on it's buses, so I would give the 5 to the proposed Clybourn Garage and let Chicago keep the C. 77th, North Park, and Forest Glen are the oldest garages in the system and need new facilities particularly indoor facilities.

[strictures]

Part of the CREATE plan is to get the SWS OUT of Union Station.

Although Oglivie and Union Station adjoin on the Madison St. side, there is no room at Union Station to add another 19 trains during the 5:00 p.m. hour, for instance (per the schedules for the UP-N, UP-NW, and UP-W lines). The grand lobby is underused, but the concourses are crowded as anything.

Why are you suggesting hypotheticals that would require condemning everything between the Chicago River and Kennedy Expressway? That's about what it would take.

There was once a plan from decades ago to extend the Northwestern tracks to Union Station & have them enter at the second floor level from the Great Hall.

Nothing happened then & now it's impossible with the Citicorp Building in the way, along with all the other buildings between Madison & Adams.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Would it be at all useful to build more transit center-esque places, especially on the North Side? What I am suggested would be something similar to Howard, Jeff Park, Midway, 95th, Harlem to Rosemont. However, I think that even these places need some sort of expansion, maybe Jeff Park the most, due to end point of the 85? It just seems curious that it doesn't end at Jeff Park seeing as the 85A seems to cover that same routing I think the North Side could be better served if there were slightly larger areas in which buses could terminate in a centralized location. And if Berwyn Station where the buses end was given a bus only lane during weekdays (The # of buses with regular service went from 2 to 3, possibly 4 and 5 total during rush hour).. Below is a list of centralized terminal locations, especially since there is no space to build a transit center anywhere near the lakefront on the North Side. These are hypothetical of course, wouldn't want to get rid of anyone's parking.

50 - Reroute to Western/Berwyn Terminal or Berwyn Red Line

84 - The turnaround for the 84 seems spotty at best. Reroute to Berwyn Red

77- Reroute to Notebaert

134/143 - Reroute to Belmont/Halsted

151 - I would reduce trips to Belmont/Halsted, but since I don't know the exact reason, I will withold judgement. Especially with all the start/end terminuses this route has (Howard, Devon/Clark, Foster/Sheridan, Belmont/Sheridan, Belmont/Halsted

148 - Reroute to Berwyn Red Line

80/152 - Reroute to Halsted/Waveland

81/135 - Reroute to Marine/Montrose

Another idea to add to the "Superdawg." There is currently

-Extend to Central/Caldwell

-Extend to Milwaukee/Imlay

-Combine the above with the second idea being rush hour only

-Extend to Cumberland Blue

-Extend to O'hare (Terminal 5 and/or Airport Train K'n'R-Pace Bus Stop)

New Idea: Combine 96 and 155 service into bi-directional loop

[Busjack]

Would it be at all useful to build more transit center-esque places, especially on the North Side?....

Aside from you cont8nuing to ignore the Community Guidelines, why do you keep proposing things that would only tick off passengers?

It just seems you want to combine things (Metra stations, bus routes) without concern for traffic generators, different frequencies of operation, etc.

Maybe someone can find NewFlyerMCI a transit sim game, and let him try out his fantasies.

[NewFlyerMCI]

Aside from you cont8nuing to ignore the Community Guidelines, why do you keep proposing things that would only tick off passengers?

It just seems you want to combine things (Metra stations, bus routes) without concern for traffic generators, different frequencies of operation, etc.

Maybe someone can find NewFlyerMCI a transit sim game, and let him try out his fantasies.

My justification was consolidation of space and an attempt to make things slightly easier to understand, at the very least. That would be easier is somethings were in one place or places, instead of all over the place. It seems like you take things a bit too personally, it was a suggestion, not a personal affront to your honor. Besides, I did state

"Below is a list of centralized terminal locations, especially since there is no space to build a transit center anywhere near the lakefront on the North Side. These are hypothetical of course, wouldn't want to get rid of anyone's parking."

Only reason I have these disclaimers it because of you, it was stated several times before that this was at the very least semi-fantasy. I don't need a sim, these are hypothetical suggestions, because, as I've also stated before in a previous post, if I ran CTA, especially without interferance, me and everyone who made it possible would need a psych eval.

[Busjack]

...

Only reason I have these disclaimers it because of you, it was stated several times before that this was at the very least semi-fantasy. I don't need a sim, these are hypothetical suggestions, because, as I've also stated before in a previous post, if I ran CTA, especially without interferance, me and everyone who made it possible would need a psych eval.

I'm not impressed by the disclaimer.

The point of "If I ran CTA" is to accommodate passengers. Obviously, Kruesi, Rodriguez, and Claypool had a very weak concept of that, but they were not combining stuff just for the sake of combining stuff and making the system incomprehensible to users.. And when Kruesi proposed something like this (his renumbering plan), Mayor Daley told him to forget it.

MetroShadow stated what the guidelines were, so I suggest you follow them.