1. HYDE PARK! - The most vibrant dense neighborhood not served by rapid transit, and don't say the express bus counts because its a bus.
2. 26th Street/Little Village - Its amazing how isolated this ultra-vibrant community is. It could also serve
3. Navy Pier/Streeterville - The Michigan Avenue area could use one more line cutting through it.
4. Devon St/Little Bombay - If they could find a way to extend the Brown Line North, this would be great.
5. South Shore - If they built a Hyde Park branch, it should naturally traverse this neighborhood also.
6. McCormick Place/South Loop - Its crazy how there's this huge gap between Roosevelt and 35th on the Green Line
7. 79th/Cottage Grove - A vibrant commercial area, probably one of the most vibrant in the South Side.
8. Division St/Humboldt Park - There used to be a line that ran close by this neighborhood.
9. Halsted/35th in Bridgeport - The Orange Line is kind of nearby, but it doesn't do it justice.
10. The 100's - Chicago ends at 130th st and the Red Line only goes to 95th.
11. Milwaukee - Hey, why not! It could stop in Great America also.

They need a light blue line that cuts (underground) up the lakefront. It's not so bad in the south loop, but it's like 7-8 blocks to Navy Pier from the Red Line

have you heard of that propsed grey line?

fix most of those problems, heres the link:

http://grayline.20m.com/

Where's the United Center at? It needs a stop. That would be cool if they had a subway go to Navy Pier.

Is there a station near McCormicks Place or Soldier Field?

I think combining the CTA with METRA and South Shore would be good because the Gary Airport could have an easier connection with the CTA.

there are stops for both. here's a picture of the proposed grey line

http://www.mypetrobot.net/chicago/grey.jpg

will I get stoned if I throw in a little for suburbia (both of which have been greatly discussed):

Yellow/Skokie Swift at least up to Old Orchard and preferably continuing up the Edens corridor to Northbrook

Blue from O'Hare to Woodfield

Hyde Park is served by transit. It is served by Metra. Consolidating CTA and Metra is one of the final obstacles of turning Chicago's transit into a world-class system.

The gray line, Circle Line, Mid-city line would solve pretty much everything (and then some) on Goonsta's list. Add to that Metra's Star Line and you have a WINNER!

What, of what I listed, will happen in our lifetimes (assuming we're all in our twenties and we'll live to be in our 80's)?

I think they all will, even being very NON-optimistic. Why? Friggin 50 years is a long time, and at some point America will have to come to terms with gasoline and sprawl. Surely at some future point increased spending for transit will occur

will I get stoned if I throw in a little for suburbia (both of which have been greatly discussed):

Yellow/Skokie Swift at least up to Old Orchard and preferably continuing up the Edens corridor to Northbrook

Blue from O'Hare to Woodfield


I think anything 20 miles away from the city should be served by Metra. If you built a subway line all the way to Schaumburg, most of its stops would be the same as the ones the Metra line already hits.

do you think the city or cook county would ever impose a their on gas tax of say 1-3 cent tax a gallon and have most if not all the tax revenue for that goto public trans.?

how much do you think that would generate?

also, what exactly is the Mid-city line? i've heard aobut it but don't know much about it.

I think anything 20 miles away from the city should be served by Metra. If you built a subway line all the way to Schaumburg, most of its stops would be the same as the ones the Metra line already hits.

DeMaFrost, there really is no major Metra line that follows the NW Tollway Corridor. The O'Hare region would be well served by an extension of the line, which could conceivably cut down suburban drives to O'Hare. Ridership would be great and a lot of NW side residents would take advantage of a Woodfield connection that would have no appreciable negative effects on Loop/Mag Mile shopping. Metra, for however great its service is (and IMHO, that service is excellent), still does its best job in getting commuters downtown. With hourly schedules, at best, in midday, it can not offer the more comprehensive (if a helluva lot less comfortable) service provided by CTA.

Hyde Park is served by transit. It is served by Metra. Consolidating CTA and Metra is one of the final obstacles of turning Chicago's transit into a world-class system.

The gray line, Circle Line, Mid-city line would solve pretty much everything (and then some) on Goonsta's list. Add to that Metra's Star Line and you have a WINNER!

What, of what I listed, will happen in our lifetimes (assuming we're all in our twenties and we'll live to be in our 80's)?

I think they all will, even being very NON-optimistic. Why? Friggin 50 years is a long time, and at some point America will have to come to terms with gasoline and sprawl. Surely at some future point increased spending for transit will occur

Wouldn't that ray Line concept be hurt as being the only one in the entire system without a direct station link with any other line? I suppose that the pedway system could be used to make a good linkage to the red line's State St subway and Wabash is only a block from Michigan Ave. Still, this line could cause some issues with integration into the system.

I've been told repeatedly that there is no way to bury a line that close to the lakefront anywhere near downtown because all that land is simply fill.

The grey line proposal is very interesting and that should be pushed through, converting metra's electric line. There should be express service on that line as well. The line should function like a typical JR line in Tokyo (only those have two levels of express service). Extending the East 63rd branch of the green line to meet up with the gray line in Woodlawn would also be smart as well.

I've been told repeatedly that there is no way to bury a line that close to the lakefront anywhere near downtown because all that land is simply fill.

They can tie it directly to the system where it parallels Michigan Avenue actually. I believe the city dug tunnels for a subway under Monroe Street from Clinton to either Wabash or Michigan, but it was never used. There's one under Franklin Street as well, if memory serves me correct. There's talks in the Central Area Plan to convert that into an express busway that would eventually go to North Michigan Avenue... so what they could do is extend the tunnel less than one block to come out at the metra tracks below grade and have it tie into the red, blue, and future Clinton Street subways.

Great information Claimore!

^agree; I forgot all about the underground busways that were a part of the Central Area Plan.

BTW, have you guys noticed that once the Circle Line gets built, it will be the ONLY existing line in the Chicago metro region that ties the entire CTA system to the entire Metra system? IMO, the Circle Line is the first step to consolidation. Also, it will service the near-loop neighborhoods that are booming. The Circle Line is MUCH, MUCH more important than many people may realize

how long do you think it'll take to actually have circle line built?

^If built in phases, probably 10-15 years. That gray line proposal should also be built by that time as well, if they can find a way to do it. That would bring the South Side up with the North Side's level of transit access almost instantly. Combine that with more stations on the green line and that would be awesome.

^Whewee! I can't wait for that to happen.

BTW Claimore, what are you doing in Alabama? Why not move to the Chi?

^agree; I forgot all about the underground busways that were a part of the Central Area Plan.

BTW, have you guys noticed that once the Circle Line gets built, it will be the ONLY existing line in the Chicago metro region that ties the entire CTA system to the entire Metra system? IMO, the Circle Line is the first step to consolidation. Also, it will service the near-loop neighborhoods that are booming. The Circle Line is MUCH, MUCH more important than many people may realize


This is only a technical point, Urban Politician, because I agree with you about the Circle Line's unifying powers....but the Yellow (Skokie Swift) is the only the one without a link to the Circle.

I would add that I don't see the best of linkup between the Circle Line and the two metra stations (Union, Ogilvie/NW) west of the river.

This is only a technical point, Urban Politician, because I agree with you about the Circle Line's unifying powers....but the Yellow (Skokie Swift) is the only the one without a link to the Circle.

I would add that I don't see the best of linkup between the Circle Line and the two metra stations (Union, Ogilvie/NW) west of the river.

^yeah, but that linkup isn't really necessary. They are already going to get hooked up with busways to the east loop/Michigan Ave. Also, the Clinton St. subway should be hooked up with them. Finally, both will eventually become the gargantuan West Loop Transportation Center, which will link busways to CTA trains to Metra trains, all of which will be linked to the Midwest High Speed Rail system! GOD, I hope this all happens in my lifetime..

^Whewee! I can't wait for that to happen.

BTW Claimore, what are you doing in Alabama? Why not move to the Chi?

I'm 21 years old and have lived here since I was 3. I'm currently seeking my BA in Political Sciences here at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (Huntsville is the only socially moderate city in the state) and plan on moving to Chicago for grad school (New York, Philly, and Japan are my other considerations). I already know quite a few people through the forum and other means in Chicago itself, and I do have some cultural connections with the Midwest. My dad's side of the family is from Illinois.

edsg25, the circle line doesn't need to link up any downtown metra stations. They'll be linked up by an aditional subway under Clinton Street with a new blue-line underground loop. The Ogilvie TC and Union Station will be linked up with a new West Loop Transportation Center straddling Clinton Street. It's in the central area plan and it looks VERY good. This is the kind of shit that needs to get built here in the US. Japan's been doing it for 20 years and I will never stop praising their vision when it comes to rail transportation.

I've spent some time thinking in my head what Chicago could do not only to expand coverage and ridership of CTA, but how to make metra and region rail more efficient in the region. The downtown system, while great for getting commuters in from the burbs, needs work in terms of circulating trains. I've found ways in my head to tie the whole commuter rail system together cohesively with another loop in the downtown area of commuter rail, but it would require some track modifications as well as building a tunnel under the Chicago River's main branch. I'll see if I can do a diagram of it off a map.

And Urb, all those things should happen by 2020 or 2025. Wouldn't it be cool if I was helping to work on these projects as an urban/transportation planner myself in Chicago.

With all due respect... what's the point in talking about all of this? By January 2nd, the CTA will be well on its way to collapse (these are, in addition to my own words, the words of several CTA officials and employees that I have spoken with). I'm well aware that operating and capital budgets are two entirely different animals, but, there will be no point in executing capital improvement plans if there's no ridership and, subsequently, no system to improve.

With all due respect... what's the point in talking about all of this? By January 2nd, the CTA will be well on its way to collapse (these are, in addition to my own words, the words of several CTA officials and employees that I have spoken with). I'm well aware that operating and capital budgets are two entirely different animals, but, there will be no point in executing capital improvement plans if there's no ridership and, subsequently, no system to improve.

The CTA won't collapse. The city govt, especially Daley, and even the state government (Blagojevich, himself a resident of Chicago) will ultimately not let it happen. Even if nothing is accomplished in this veto session, temporary measures will be put in place to bail the CTA out.

Remember, Illinois, opposite to the nation, is in a democratic trifecta. Democrat mayor, Democrat Governer, Democratic-controlled state legislature. Chicago stands to gain much from this.

And don't forget, Democrat Dick Durbin is poised to become the next Senate Whip, which will bring much power to the State of Illinois.

It's a bad time for the country (Bush), but a good time for Illinois

^yeah, but that linkup isn't really necessary. They are already going to get hooked up with busways to the east loop/Michigan Ave. Also, the Clinton St. subway should be hooked up with them. Finally, both will eventually become the gargantuan West Loop Transportation Center, which will link busways to CTA trains to Metra trains, all of which will be linked to the Midwest High Speed Rail system! GOD, I hope this all happens in my lifetime..

There was another proposed plan (I assume dead) that would have created a second, underground loop on the blue line. that loop would have been bordered by the currrent Dearborn subway on the east and new underground trackage would have gone under Canal or Clinton on the west, thus tying both Union and Ogilvie/NW directing into CTA (with a better connection than the NW Passage on the Green Line).

Anyone know anything about what must be the demise of this plan?

^I believe that's still on the books because it's part of that new West Loop Transportation Center. It's just on the plans. No funding has been allocated for it yet, so it's in the early planning stages if anything.