what Metra service expansions to currently unserved communities, would you most like to see happen?

[Busjack]

3 hours ago, richii0909 said:

 

From what I have heard, the PTC system has to be reprogrammed with how many cars/locomotives and the route/line/run itself. I believe it only takes 5-10 minutes to program it.   

Which is consistent with Metra saying it takes 6 minutes.

[Pace831]

Metra will expand reverse commute service to Lake County

[Busjack]

10 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Metra will expand reverse commute service to Lake County

Reading this indicates a bit of chicken and egg. Currently, reverse commute trains go to or from Deerfield, and fill in gaps when the single track to Fox Lake can't support reverse service. Looks like Metra got better signals and private funding to run a couple of trains to Lake Forest and will put in the crossover later. However, unless Abbvie and others provide private shuttles (I was told at one time that Abbott did to Waukegan), it isn't going to accomplish much, as this gets the train about 3 miles further into Lake County, while a Wadsworth extension would go right past Abbort Park.

[west towns]

Let em walk to work its good exercise

[Pace831]

30 minutes ago, west towns said:

Let em walk to work its good exercise

A fair point, but most of the potential passengers are currently driving to work and could presumably continue to do so.

[Busjack]

13 hours ago, west towns said:

Let em walk to work its good exercise

 

13 hours ago, Pace831 said:

A fair point, but most of the potential passengers are currently driving to work and could presumably continue to do so.

Neither the Deerfield nor Lake Forest station is walking distance to much work. Abbott Park, which was mentioned in the article, is about 8 miles from the Lake Forest MilwN station. Only employers near the Lake Forest station are Sunset Foods, a NorthShore Health System where Lovell's used to be, a  couple of bank branches, and the world's most architecturally correct Mickey D's.

As I said above, a shuttle is needed for the Lake Forest extension to make any sense.

[west towns]

Whos payimg for shuttles must be those companies

[Tcmetro]

A lot of the north suburban office shuttles are jointly funded by Pace, Lake Cook TMA (private sector partnership) and the companies. 

 

https://tmalakecook.org/shuttle-bug/about-the-shuttle-bug

[west towns]

But these would be new ones and a great disyance grom lake cook

[Tcmetro]

Looking further into this expanded service, the news for the reverse commuters is the new early AM train leaving Chicago at 5:35 AM. I believe that a few years ago, Metra and Pace collaborated (unsuccessfully) to create the early morning 638 bus to serve this market. Also, these reverse commute improvements enable some regular commute improvements. The afternoon express trips from the north suburbs to downtown will probably also be well received. 

I did some internet sleuthing, and it looks like Abbott has their own private shuttle system that connects to the Metra stations. So, they may be planning to take advantage of the new run to get people into work for the 7 am hour.

[Busjack]

28 minutes ago, Tcmetro said:

I believe that a few years ago, Metra and Pace collaborated (unsuccessfully) to create the early morning 638 bus to serve this market.

It was 618, and didn't last long. Intent was to get to Lake-Cook by 6 a.m., so this is about the same time frame.

[Busjack]

On 10/9/2018 at 10:11 PM, Pace831 said:

Metra will expand reverse commute service to Lake County

Tribune suburban article with more details, including financing and the times of the additional trains.There's also a picture of corporate shuttle buses using the Lake Forest station, which answers one of my questions.

[artthouwill]

Just read an article that Cook County and Metra are exploring reducing fares again on the ME and RI

  Stations along those lines within the city of Chicago wod see their fares drop to $2.50, the same as CTA.  Suburban Cook County stations on those lines would see their fares lowered by 2 fare zones.  University Park (Will County) would be included but Hegewisch would not.  This was discussed at a June 18th hearing in Harvey.  There's no timetable for approving or implementing those plans.

[NewFlyerMCI]

On 7/23/2019 at 12:16 PM, artthouwill said:

Just read an article that Cook County and Metra are exploring reducing fares again on the ME and RI

  Stations along those lines within the city of Chicago wod see their fares drop to $2.50, the same as CTA.  Suburban Cook County stations on those lines would see their fares lowered by 2 fare zones.  University Park (Will County) would be included but Hegewisch would not.  This was discussed at a June 18th hearing in Harvey.  There's no timetable for approving or implementing those plans.

There has to be a UP-N rider wondering why they aren't afforded the same courtesy

[geneking7320]

1 hour ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

There has to be a UP-N rider wondering why they aren't afforded the same courtesy

Just between you and me I live in Rogers Park and ride UP-N once in a moon. My church is a member of CMME www.modernmetraelectric.org 

An admitted pipe dream is for ALL of Metra to be electrified, service increased and city fares reduced. ?

 

[strictures]

2 hours ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

There has to be a UP-N rider wondering why they aren't afforded the same courtesy

As a Rogers Park UPN rider, I'd love a service increase & electrification.   But then so many people would be riding to get away from the rotten Red Line, they would need trains that flip at Davis or Central in Evanston.

[artthouwill]

5 hours ago, geneking7320 said:

Just between you and me I live in Rogers Park and ride UP-N once in a moon. My church is a member of CMME www.modernmetraelectric.org 

An admitted pipe dream is for ALL of Metra to be electrified, service increased and city fares reduced. ?

 

1.  All of Metra can't be electrified because Metra doesn't own a lot of the track on most diesel lines.  RI could be electrified, but that's about it

  Maybe UP N and NW.  But now you're going to need new cars with pantographs. Will they all be cab cars or will some be gallery also?  Would there be a push to make those other lines high platforms?

2.  This proposal seems like another Gray/Gold Line proposal unbundled.  So now we're going to pull ridership from CTA and Pace to prop up this low ridership service

3.  If I live in the city along SWS, MD-N, MD-W, NCS, UP-N, or UP-NW, I am looking sideways at Cook county and Metra.  Though there are Whites among the ME and RI ridership, the dominant ridership is African American compared to the other aforementioned Metra lines.  Surely there would be some sort of  pushback from them if this fare structure weren't extended to them as well.   It would be about fairness,  but because of the racial makeup of the Chicagoland area, a plan to boost ridership has racial overtones that will eventually surface. 

Personally I don't think this is a good idea.   Metra's main ridership is for people traveling to and from downtown.   Everyone riding Pace 352 to 95th isn't necessarily going downtown.

Who is going to pay for increased conductor and engineering staff?  Who is going to pay for new rolling stock, power upgrades, station maintenance,  equipment maintenance, etc?  Do CTA and Pace have to cut services, reduce frequencies on bus routes AND the Red and/or Green Lines?  What about the south lakefront Express bus services?  There's only a finite number of people to serve which means something(s) has to lose.  It seems like the losers will be taxpayers.

 

[strictures]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

1.  All of Metra can't be electrified because Metra doesn't own a lot of the track on most diesel lines.  RI could be electrified, but that's about it

  Maybe UP N and NW.  But now you're going to need new cars with pantographs. Will they all be cab cars or will some be gallery also?  Would there be a push to make those other lines high platforms?

2.  This proposal seems like another Gray/Gold Line proposal unbundled.  So now we're going to pull ridership from CTA and Pace to prop up this low ridership service

3.  If I live in the city along SWS, MD-N, MD-W, NCS, UP-N, or UP-NW, I am looking sideways at Cook county and Metra.  Though there are Whites among the ME and RI ridership, the dominant ridership is African American compared to the other aforementioned Metra lines.  Surely there would be some sort of  pushback from them if this fare structure weren't extended to them as well.   It would be about fairness,  but because of the racial makeup of the Chicagoland area, a plan to boost ridership has racial overtones that will eventually surface. 

Personally I don't think this is a good idea.   Metra's main ridership is for people traveling to and from downtown.   Everyone riding Pace 352 to 95th isn't necessarily going downtown.

Who is going to pay for increased conductor and engineering staff?  Who is going to pay for new rolling stock, power upgrades, station maintenance,  equipment maintenance, etc?  Do CTA and Pace have to cut services, reduce frequencies on bus routes AND the Red and/or Green Lines?  What about the south lakefront Express bus services?  There's only a finite number of people to serve which means something(s) has to lose.  It seems like the losers will be taxpayers.

 

All of Metra, except the Heritage & SW lines will eventually be electrified, due to pollution & climate change problems.   New rolling stock will be needed only when it's worn out, electric locomotives would be used until then.  UPN is the simplest to electrify, as it has almost no freight interference from North Ave. to Lake Bluff.  It also could be turned into high level platforms, unlike any of the other low level lines Metra runs.

If they do make the ME & RI cheaper in the city, Metra will be forced to lower all Zone 2 fares throughout the system, as they will be inviting a federal lawsuit under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

As for pulling riders from the CTA, pulling them from the rotten Red Line would be good, maybe it will wake up the numbskulls at the CTA & change the horrible seats on the 5000s & either bring back the A&B trains or even better, close the stations from Wilson north to Howard that are too close to other stations, such as Lawrence, Thorndale & Jarvis!

[artthouwill]

5 minutes ago, strictures said:

All of Metra, except the Heritage & SW lines will eventually be electrified, due to pollution & climate change problems.   New rolling stock will be needed only when it's worn out, electric locomotives would be used until then.  UPN is the simplest to electrify, as it has almost no freight interference from North Ave. to Lake Bluff.  It also could be turned into high level platforms, unlike any of the other low level lines Metra runs.

If they do make the ME & RI cheaper in the city, Metra will be forced to lower all Zone 2 fares throughout the system, as they will be inviting a federal lawsuit under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

A

 

It would affect the entire Metra System.  Under the proposal, suburban Cook ME and RI riders would see their fares go down by two zones.  Wouldn't an Aurora BNSF rider like that?

Here's the crazy thing.   Hegewisch riders, who live in the city on the far south side (southeast) who are mostly White would NOT get these benefits.   I understand that giving Hegewisch riders these benefits would shift all of Hammond's riders and a sizable chunk of East Chicago riders to  Hegewisch,  which is already NICTD's busiest station.  But if Metra sets the fare for Hegewisch,  and they are in the target area,  why don't they benefit?  Hegewisch riders dont get weekend fares like Metra does.

The other question is whether the Red Line extension to 130th is on death row?

[NewFlyerMCI]

2 hours ago, artthouwill said:

It would affect the entire Metra System.  Under the proposal, suburban Cook ME and RI riders would see their fares go down by two zones.  Wouldn't an Aurora BNSF rider like that?

Here's the crazy thing.   Hegewisch riders, who live in the city on the far south side (southeast) who are mostly White would NOT get these benefits.   I understand that giving Hegewisch riders these benefits would shift all of Hammond's riders and a sizable chunk of East Chicago riders to  Hegewisch,  which is already NICTD's busiest station.  But if Metra sets the fare for Hegewisch,  and they are in the target area,  why don't they benefit?  Hegewisch riders dont get weekend fares like Metra does.

The other question is whether the Red Line extension to 130th is on death row?

To clarify, isn't Hegewisch a Metra station operated under contract by NICTD?

[artthouwill]

20 minutes ago, NewFlyerMCI said:

To clarify, isn't Hegewisch a Metra station operated under contract by NICTD?

NiCTD owns and operates the line.  NICTD  sets fares in Indiana  and Metra sets the fares in Illinois.  Hegewisch falls in Zone D.

[MetroShadow]

On 10/19/2018 at 4:46 PM, west towns said:

Let em walk to work its good exercise

Paying for parking at the job site would solve the problem easily. 

[Pace831]

Mayor Lightfoot opposes Preckwinkle’s plan to lower fares and increase service on ME and RI, on the grounds that it would only shift riders away from CTA.

[artthouwill]

9 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Mayor Lightfoot opposes Preckwinkle’s plan to lower fares and increase service on ME and RI, on the grounds that it would only shift riders away from CTA.

In the article you posted, Lunda Thisted said something very interesting.   To paraphrase, she said the proposal should be about people and not agencies.  The transit systems should be integrated. 

I don't know if that would happen in my lifetime,  if ever.

[artthouwill]

On 7/25/2019 at 1:46 PM, artthouwill said:

1.  All of Metra can't be electrified because Metra doesn't own a lot of the track on most diesel lines.  RI could be electrified, but that's about it

  Maybe UP N and NW.  But now you're going to need new cars with pantographs. Will they all be cab cars or will some be gallery also?  Would there be a push to make those other lines high platforms?

2.  This proposal seems like another Gray/Gold Line proposal unbundled.  So now we're going to pull ridership from CTA and Pace to prop up this low ridership service

3.  If I live in the city along SWS, MD-N, MD-W, NCS, UP-N, or UP-NW, I am looking sideways at Cook county and Metra.  Though there are Whites among the ME and RI ridership, the dominant ridership is African American compared to the other aforementioned Metra lines.  Surely there would be some sort of  pushback from them if this fare structure weren't extended to them as well.   It would be about fairness,  but because of the racial makeup of the Chicagoland area, a plan to boost ridership has racial overtones that will eventually surface. 

Personally I don't think this is a good idea.   Metra's main ridership is for people traveling to and from downtown.   Everyone riding Pace 352 to 95th isn't necessarily going downtown.

Who is going to pay for increased conductor and engineering staff?  Who is going to pay for new rolling stock, power upgrades, station maintenance,  equipment maintenance, etc?  Do CTA and Pace have to cut services, reduce frequencies on bus routes AND the Red and/or Green Lines?  What about the south lakefront Express bus services?  There's only a finite number of people to serve which means something(s) has to lose.  It seems like the losers will be taxpayers.

 

 

13 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Mayor Lightfoot opposes Preckwinkle’s plan to lower fares and increase service on ME and RI, on the grounds that it would only shift riders away from CTA.

Mayor Lightfoot brings up an issue I raised in my above quote.  Now my next question is where is the County getting funds to subsidize this service?  While I am still not a fan of this idea, I could go along with it IF it were implemented as a stopgap measure while construction of the Red Line Extension to 130th was taking place.  However we don't know if that will ever happen.