Post some photos and info on your city's mass transit system.



Here is Chicago's.

The CTA operates the nation's second largest public transportation system and covers the City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs. On an average weekday, nearly 1.5 million rides are taken on the CTA.

CTA has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 152 routes and 2,273 route miles. Buses provide about 1 million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. CTA's 1,190 rapid transit cars operate over seven routes and 222 miles of track. CTA trains provide about 500,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations. The Chicago has 723 miles of track which includes over 70 miles of subways. Metra is Chicago's "other" train system, but together with the "El" they are collectively called the RTA. Metra has 230 station in 7 Chicago area counties, and plans are in the works for a route to downtown Milwaukee.

Here are some photos of Chicago's mass transit system. Enjoy.

Chicago Subway Logan Square Terminal On the NorthSide.
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/logansquare.Kedzie03.jpg

Logan Square Subway Platform
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/logansquare05.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/logansquare13.jpg

Jeffeson Park NorthSide Station Elevated Terminal
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/jeffersonpark01.jpg
Ohare airport Terminal BlueLine
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/ohare07.jpg

Redline Madison St. Subway in the Loop
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/madison-monroe01.jpg

Montoe St. Subway
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/monroe-state01.jpg

Monroe above ground enterance
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/monroe-adams02.jpg

Loop Clark/Lake Terminal
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Loop/clark-lake.SOIC01.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Loop/clark-
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/MilwaukeeDearbornSubway/jackson-vanburen01.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/adams-jackson01.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/chicago-state11.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/MilwaukeeDearbornSubway/madison-monroe02.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/MilwaukeeDearbornSubway/monroe-dearborn01.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Evanston/central01.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Howard/wilson16.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/north-clybourn06.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/roosevelt-TransferTunnel05.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Lake/kedzie-lake07.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Douglas/18th03.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Douglas/centralpark21.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ohare/harlem02.jpg
Loop Adams/Wabash above ground
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Loop/adams-wabash09.jpg
Belmont Elevated Platform NorthSide RedLine
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Howard/belmont02.jpg

South Loop Subway Roosevelt/State
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/roosevelt-state02.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/StateSubway/roosevelt-TransferTunnel02.jpg

Midway Airport Station SouthSide
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Midway/midway05.jpg

ChinaTown SouthSide Cermak Station
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/DanRyan/cermak-chinatown04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/krzycho/wrigley%20field/PA060040.jpg
Annoyed by the photographer
http://www.hogli.org/chicago2/DSCF1516.JPG

Kedzie Stop BrownLine in Albany Park NorthSide
This is a block from my house:
http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/images/Ravenswood/kedzie01.jpg

http://www.trainweb.org/midrail/Photos/METRAPhotos/metra1001.jpg

http://www.trainweb.org/midrail/Photos/METRAPhotos/metra1253.jpg


http://www.photosbystevenjbrown.com/metra/2000/1265_metra202_110300_chicago_bnsfline.jpg
http://www.photosbystevenjbrown.com/metra/2000/3024_metra600_101603_chicago.jpg

http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpchipics/ctamanartic2.jpg
http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpchipics/ctamanartic4.jpg

Pace is Chicago's suburban bus system
In 2004 it had a ridership of 34.4 million.
http://www.pacebus.com/images/transit_centers/transit_centers.jpg


CTA El
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/maps/fwebmaptrain.gif

Metra
http://metrarail.com/System_map/images/zone_map_01_05.gif

This next post is about the MTA-LA MTA, that is. You might be saying "What? LA has buses and trains? Nah man!" well, your wrong. The bus/train system is the 2nd largest in the US(yes, bigger than Chi-Town, even though those pics above look dope as hell). Well, here's the whole rail system: http://mta.net/images/planning_trip-4.gif
As you can see, everywhere you'd probably wanna go, it takes you there. If it doesn't take you there, the buses will. That's how the whole system runs.
The station I take everytime I have to go somewhere is the Del Amo station.
This is the best picture I could find, it looks MUCH better than this: http://www.transit-rider.com/ca.losangeles/images/1737/1737-22.jpg
http://www.soulofamerica.com/images2/photosca2/LA_Metrorail.jpg (not sure which station this is, I'm guessing downtown long beach)
http://www.atosconvention.org/images2/MetroRail.jpg
(This is a blue line train colored like the historic Red Car trains)
http://www.atosconvention.org/images2/BusPlaza.jpg
(The huge transit center at Union Station downtown)
http://www.atosconvention.org/images2/ARTSBusinOldPasadenaSM2.jpg Now this funky bus, is not part of the LA MTA system. There are quite a few different municipal lines that go throughout LA, like the Torrance Transit, Carson Circuit, Culver City Bus Lines, and Santa Monica's "Big Blue Bus"
http://kr.studentyouthhostel.com/Images/LosAngeles/Kr_USA_LosAngeles_PublicSubway_2.jpg
Beautiful station, though I'm not sure which one
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/lsan/la-blue-rosa-parks1.jpg
Train leaving the Rosa Parks(Imperial/Wilmington) station in Watts
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/lsan/la-gold-3.jpg
Gold Line, making the journey to Pasadena
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/lsan/la-highland1.jpg
Hollywood/Highland station(AKA the Center of Hollywood)
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/lsan/la-red-hv1.jpg
An example of the beautiful architecture of the station, which helps relieve the stress of being pushed and shoved around by the large amount of people on the trains, IMO
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/lsan/la-unioncity1.jpg
Just another late day, at the Universal City station
http://www.chaffeeyiu.com/labus/mta-5317-751.jpg
The newest fleet of buses, the Rapid Buses, are designed to take you faster to major destinations by only stopping every mile or so and going on places where buses are usually packed.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/06/05/hln.connect.italian.job/story.minicoopers.jpg
I'm sure some people remember this :)
http://thetransitcoalition.us/PicturesWeb/MetroMaintenanceYards/images/LosAngelesLightRailYard.jpg
Train rail yard, in 2004

Too much can be said about the MTA, somebody else will have to continue for me.

Here is Boston's. Luckily my buddies from ArchBoston (justin) had just posted three great looking station in Boston. Enjoy! (Not all stations are like this but many of them are under reconstruction. The new Charlie Tickets will be use in the near future but is only available in Aquarium and Airport Station. Some pictures are made by justin while other are googled images)

WTC Silverline station:
http://img299.echo.cx/img299/5340/wtc159on.jpg

http://img291.echo.cx/img291/1491/wtc11gg.jpg

http://img299.echo.cx/img299/2941/wtc180ln.jpg

http://img291.echo.cx/img291/5934/wtc50cg.jpg

Courthouse Silverline Station:
http://img160.echo.cx/img160/4185/ch22qo.jpg

http://img236.echo.cx/img236/596/ch298lz.jpg

http://img160.echo.cx/img160/6346/ch267lt.jpg

South Station
http://img97.echo.cx/img97/2258/ss37.jpg

Aquarium Station
http://img270.echo.cx/img270/925/faregates17qm.jpg

http://www.nantaskart.com/bvaa_Blue_Line.JPG

Airport Station
http://home.comcast.net/~jleistikow/blog/airport_station_large.jpg

North Station
http://images.nycsubway.org//i32000/img_32115.jpg

http://images.nycsubway.org//i32000/img_32117.jpg

MBTA Map
http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/mbtatrolley/media/mbta-map.gif

MBTA Commuter Rail Map
http://www.mbta.com/traveling_t/images/commuterrail/maps/cr_map.gif

Bus stop
http://www.ichizen.com/goat/goat_mbta/images/2003_05_10_01.jpg

Bus
http://www.subres.net/subRes/images/ned-boof/mbta_out_of_service.jpg

http://www.jeffandcarol.com/images1/toweb/cng_mbta.JPG

Train
http://www.transitconnection.net/images/other-transit/mbta/red/01804-wollaston.jpg

http://www.transitconnection.net/images/other-transit/mbta/red/01748.jpg

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~jy6q/Boston/Boston%20Sightseeing/T%20Blue%20Line.JPG

http://www.mbta.com/insidethet/images/press/fullsize/orange%20line%20train_Lg.jpg

http://www.trolleystop.com/images/lrvriverside1.jpg

http://www.ichizen.com/goat/goat_mbta/images/2001_08_16_04.jpg

http://www.transitconnection.net/images/other-transit/mbta/commuter-rail/1135.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jleistikow/blog/mbta.jpg

[QUOTE=CarsonCaliBrotha]This next post is about the MTA-LA MTA, that is. You might be saying "What? LA has buses and trains? Nah man!" well, your wrong. The bus/train system is the 2nd largest in the US(yes, bigger than Chi-Town, even though those pics above look dope as hell). QUOTE]

L.A. picks look pretty dope too!
I'm impressed with L.A.'s progress in mass transit!

Actually L.A.'s mass transit is the third largest in the U.S. Chicago's is second.
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/West/10/14/transit.strike.ap/

L.A has a slightly larger bus service (Chicago 1 million daily passenger trips to L.A.'s 1.2 million).
Chicago has a much larger train service On the RTA (The El and Metra combined) there are over 800,000 daily passengers. That's four times as many daily passengers than the L.A. train service.

Los Angeles Metro bus service

Metro Buses

Statistics as of April 2005
Average Weekday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 1,214,831
Average Saturday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 849,347
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 635,417
Annual Boarding FY2004 (Includes contracted services) 330,581,642
Bus Stops 18,500
Square Miles in Service Area 1,433
Number of Bus Routes 189

Los Anngeles Metro Rail service

Total Metro Rail System
Average Weekday Boardings 236,176
Average Saturday Boardings 174,779
Average Sunday Boardings 128,959
Route Miles in Service 73.1

Source:
http://www.mta.net/press/pressroom/facts.htm



Chicago Bus Service:

CTA has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 152 routes and 2,273 route miles. Buses provide about 1 million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops.


Chicago Rail System

Chicago El:
CTA's 1,190 rapid transit cars operate over seven routes and 222 miles of track. CTA trains provide about 500,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations.

Source:
http://www.transitchicago.com/welcome/overview.html#a


Metra Rail:
500 miles of track
230 stations
2004 yearly ridership 73.8 million passengers
Average daily ridership 300,000 passengers

Source:
http://www.metrarail.com/

Are there any New York subway pics ?
( yeah I know I could easily search for them online but I'm not).

LA has buses and trains? Nah man!" well, your wrong. The bus/train system is the 2nd largest in the US(yes, bigger than Chi-Town, even though those pics above look dope as hell). Well, here's the whole rail system:

^ Sorry dude, but that's just plain wrong...

NYC

Heavy Rail

Subway
230 route miles
468 stations
of which 277 are underground, 153 are elevated, 29 are on an embankment, and 9 are in an open cut.
6,058,400 weekday trips

PATH
13.8 route miles
13 stations, of which 10 are underground and 3 are above ground.
197,000 weekday trips

Staten Island Railway
14 route miles
24 stations
13,000 weekday trips

Commuter Rail

LIRR
124 stations
339,200 weekday trips

Metro North
120 stations
257,400 weekday trips

NJ Transit Commuter Rail
161 stations
227,250 weekday trips

Light Rail

Hudson-Bergen Light Rail
10 route miles
15,050 weekday trips

Newark City Subway
5 route miles
17,250 weekday trips

NYC buses

NYCT Bus
2,445,000 weekday trips

NYCDOT Bus (Private bus operators)
393,200 weekday trips

Suburban buses (Only the three largest operators)

NJ Transit Bus
500,150 weekday trips

MTA Long Island Bus (Nassau County)
103,300 weekday trips

Bee-line bus (Westchester County)
93,500 weekday trips

@Chicagogeorge, subway pics (and pics of other NY area transit systems and transit systems around the world) can be found at nycsubway.org

Thanks for the info chief.

Amazing numbers on daily passenger ridership. Over 6 million on rail. Just amazing.

Baltimore's sorry excuse for a public transportation system is primarily comprised of light and heavy rail and bus. There's currently a study to develop the red and green lines of the metro. I think they've pretty much ruled out heavy rail because of cost contraints, so we're looking at either more light rail lines or rapid bus lines. Aside from not having enough heavy rail, its actually not that bad. You can catch the MARC commuter trains or take the light rail to BWI, then take a bus from BWI to connect to the DC Metro. Also, we're probably going to beat out Pittsburg to be the test dummies for a Maglev system to connect DC and Baltimore by rail in less than 20 mins. No one really wants it as it'll cost like $26 one way just to get to DC.

Here's a map of Baltimore's Rail System

http://www.urbanrail.net/am/balt/baltimore-map.gif

Metro station pictures. These are the ones I could find online. After 9-11 the MTA stopped allowing people to take pics of Penn Station and all of the Metro stops.

Inside a Baltimore subway car
http://images.nycsubway.org//i32000/img_32239.jpg

Charles Center Metro Station
http://images.nycsubway.org//i21000/img_21892.jpg

Milford Mill Metro Station
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/balt/milford-mill1.jpg

Johns Hopkins metro Station
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/balt/johns-hopkins1.jpg

NYC's weekday rail total (subway, commuter rail) is about 7.1 million, which would average out to probably 6.6 million daily. That's almost 1/3 the metro population, practically European standards!

[QUOTE=CarsonCaliBrotha]This next post is about the MTA-LA MTA, that is. You might be saying "What? LA has buses and trains? Nah man!" well, your wrong. The bus/train system is the 2nd largest in the US(yes, bigger than Chi-Town, even though those pics above look dope as hell). QUOTE]

L.A. picks look pretty dope too!
I'm impressed with L.A.'s progress in mass transit!

Actually L.A.'s mass transit is the third largest in the U.S. Chicago's is second.
http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/West/10/14/transit.strike.ap/

L.A has a slightly larger bus service (Chicago 1 million daily passenger trips to L.A.'s 1.2 million).
Chicago has a much larger train service On the RTA (The El and Metra combined) there are over 800,000 daily passengers. That's four times as many daily passengers than the L.A. train service.

Los Angeles Metro bus service

Metro Buses

Statistics as of April 2005
Average Weekday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 1,214,831
Average Saturday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 849,347
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings (Includes contracted services) 635,417
Annual Boarding FY2004 (Includes contracted services) 330,581,642
Bus Stops 18,500
Square Miles in Service Area 1,433
Number of Bus Routes 189

Los Anngeles Metro Rail service

Total Metro Rail System
Average Weekday Boardings 236,176
Average Saturday Boardings 174,779
Average Sunday Boardings 128,959
Route Miles in Service 73.1

Source:
http://www.mta.net/press/pressroom/facts.htm



Chicago Bus Service:

CTA has approximately 2,000 buses that operate over 152 routes and 2,273 route miles. Buses provide about 1 million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops.


Chicago Rail System

Chicago El:
CTA's 1,190 rapid transit cars operate over seven routes and 222 miles of track. CTA trains provide about 500,000 customer trips each day and serve 144 stations.

Source:
http://www.transitchicago.com/welcome/overview.html#a


Metra Rail:
500 miles of track
230 stations
2004 yearly ridership 73.8 million passengers
Average daily ridership 300,000 passengers

Source:
http://www.metrarail.com/

Since we're just talking about the MTA vs the CTA, we can't use Metra or Metrolink numbers. Metra is not under the CTA and Metrolink, LA's 500 mile equivalent to Metra, isn't under the MTA either.

So in comparing JUST the CTA versus JUST the Los Angeles MTA, the two systems are almost identical in size. LA's metrorail system has a daily ridership of about 250,000 (and growing fast) vs the CTA's 500,000, while the MTA buses serve over 200,000 more than the CTA's. In the end, they are roughly parallel. In a few years however, the MTA will surpass the CTA in ridership due to some really big rail lines opening up. Ridership should easily surpass 300,000 by then. Plus, the El does not have 222 ROUTE MILES. It has 222 TRACK MILES. The El's route mileage is substantially less. And LA's figure expands to 94 route miles by 2010, and 120 miles by 2015.

Also, remember that if you want to include ALL public transit in LA, LA's system would dwarf Chicagoland's. Chicago's CTA provides a larger share of the regions public transit than does the MTA. LA has many large suburbs which provide their own bus services.

Considering LA's MTA covers a region of 10 million people, about the same size as Chicagoland, the MTA is pound for pound as heavily used as the CTA.

[QUOTE=chicagogeorge][B]

Since we're just talking about the MTA vs the CTA, we can't use Metra or Metrolink numbers. Metra is not under the CTA and Metrolink, LA's 500 mile equivalent to Metra, isn't under the MTA either.

So in comparing JUST the CTA versus JUST the Los Angeles MTA, the two systems are almost identical in size. LA's metrorail system has a daily ridership of about 250,000 (and growing fast) vs the CTA's 500,000, while the MTA buses serve over 200,000 more than the CTA's. In the end, they are roughly parallel. In a few years however, the MTA will surpass the CTA in ridership due to some really big rail lines opening up. Ridership should easily surpass 300,000 by then. Plus, the El does not have 222 ROUTE MILES. It has 222 TRACK MILES. The El's route mileage is substantially less. And LA's figure expands to 94 route miles by 2010, and 120 miles by 2015.

Also, remember that if you want to include ALL public transit in LA, LA's system would dwarf Chicagoland's. Chicago's CTA provides a larger share of the regions public transit than does the MTA. LA has many large suburbs which provide their own bus services.

Considering LA's MTA covers a region of 10 million people, about the same size as Chicagoland, the MTA is pound for pound as heavily used as the CTA.

In terms of bus service betweent the two cities, I would gather L.A. overall would have a larger ridership. In terms of train service. Chicago easily has the larger system.
The CTA and Metra are under one umbrella organization known as the RTA or Regional Transit Authority. Metra ridership is 375,000 a day. I would say that is very significant, and should not be excluded from the discussion just because it isn't labeled CTA. Alone, it has a daily ridership more than L.A.'s rail system. In fact it has a larger daily ridership than L.A.'s MTA and Metrolink combined. L.A.'s Metrolink is nowhere near as large of a system as Chicago's Metra. Im not speaking about route miles (because MetroLink covers a larger area), but the ridership numbers on MetroLink are pitiful all in all they barely reach a daily ridership of 35,000.http://www.metrolinktrains.com/about/facts_and_timeline.php#tmrs There is another suburban Chicago rail line, South Shore Line, which serves Northwest Indian suburbs. It to has a daily ridership of 10,000 passengers.http://www.nictd.com/



The difference between mass transit in L.A. and Chicago is that L.A. relies heavily on bus srvices, while in Chicago rail is just as imoprtant. I guess this goes to show that even in the world of mass transit, L.A. is still an automotive oriented city, while Chicago is somewhat a mixture. As for L.A.'s suburban bus oriented services dwarfing Chicago's suburban mass transit, I would like to see some statistics.
If the MTA expands it's routes, I think that would be a positive for L.A. mass transit. I read that the Metro Gold line expansion is expected to have a daily ridership of 23,000. That's good news if the expected ridership goals come true. The CTA rail ridership is increasing sharply as people are moving into the central city, and since the economy is on the rebound. There are also plans to expand the CTAwithin the next 15 years, the famous circle line which is suppossed to add 7 miles of route track and 11 new stations. It iwill also link Metra and the CTA L directly.
http://www.chicago-l.org/plans/images/CircleLine/RoutingPlan.jpg

^^^ That looks good, I also like the Grey Line idea I've heard about for CTA.

Actually your discussion was based solely on the CTA. If you were actually interested in doing an RTA comparison, then the MTA would not be a good comparison because the agencies are not analagous. LA's MTA and the agency responsible for Metrolink are not interrelated whatsoever. And noone said LA wasn't auto-oriented. My point is that the CTA and the MTA are about the same size, and in talking about both, you already excluded Metra and Metrolink from discussion, period. If it befits you to change your criteria as you go, then that's your issue. And be sure to stay consistent. Track mileage isn't the same as route mileage.

If you would like to see stats on our municipal bus systems, I challenge you to search yourself. It would be a very daunting task as there are so many large agencies throughout the region.

Actually your discussion was based solely on the CTA. If you were actually interested in doing an RTA comparison, then the MTA would not be a good comparison because the agencies are not analagous. LA's MTA and the agency responsible for Metrolink are not interrelated whatsoever. And noone said LA wasn't auto-oriented. My point is that the CTA and the MTA are about the same size, and in talking about both, you already excluded Metra and Metrolink from discussion, period. If it befits you to change your criteria as you go, then that's your issue. And be sure to stay consistent. Track mileage isn't the same as route mileage.

If you would like to see stats on our municipal bus systems, I challenge you to search yourself. It would be a very daunting task as there are so many large agencies throughout the region.

If you look at the title of this thread it is called your city's mass transit system. This encompasses every aspect of mass transit that a city has. I never meant it to be a competion between cities. If you recall, I posted a response correcting CarsonCalibrotha, when he claimed that L.A. has the second largest mass trasit system. L.A. does not have the second largest, it has the third largest system. Maybe one day it will surpass the CTA, maybe it wont. If we just look at the CTA and the MTA they are almost the same in terms of ridership, however the CTA still egdes the MTA. In the future the MTA may expand, but so may the CTA. I included Metra and Pace as well as the CTA in analyzing the Chicago metro area's mass transit as a whole, because they together make up the entire Chicagoland mass transit system.
As for route miles and track miles I do know the difference. You claimed that I did not. The CTA website where I got my info did not differenciate between the two. It just stated the CTA operates 222 miles of track. As for changing "criteria" in this discussion, I never set out any criteria to begin with, but apparently you did.
The fact remains in Chicago, one metro mass transit system is emerging known as the RTA. In several years the two systems will be completely unified (If the circle plan is completed). As a whole the mass transits of both cities are nothing in comparison to NYC's. Between the two however, Chicago has the advantage, which is a well established rail system. If the funds are ever allocated it would be fairly easy to expand mass trasit in the form of rail service. After all, there is literally hundreds of miles of track here (Chicago is the rail capital of the U.S.). Mass transit is much more a part of life here than it is in L.A. (especially in the central city). The CTA caters to the city of Chicago plus 40 suburbs. That's about 4 million people, which is not even all of Cook County. Over all dailly ridership on both bus and rail is about 1.8 million. I believe you stated that the MTA caters to an area with 10 million people with total daily ridership numbers of about 1.5 million. If the MTA serves an area of 10 million people (all of L.A. county) and ridership numbers are that low, than L.A.'s mass transit is alot worse off than I thought.

See? You included the Metra and Pace. If I included MTA and the Metrolink numbers would be much higher. It also serves the suburbs of LA for that matter. Okay, now lets add those numbers. 73.1 Route miles plus the 512 route miles of the Metrolink, that gives LA and it's suburbs 585.1 route miles, by your standards. These seven lines brought 37,410 in December '04. So add all that up and see what it gets. And also, i don't understand why your crying about how 1.5 Mil is a small amount. For a city that was built on rail transit, got that taken away because of the car culture, and just barely started rebuilding 15 years ago, and is still on that car culture tip, that is really good. Sure, it ain't no Chi-Town, but that's why the cities are different.
Also, I find it hard to believe the Upper-Class Caucasians use the trains and buses in Chicago as a part of life. Hell, even most middle class ones probably don't ride it. Just like LA, mostly "minorities" ride the trains, especially in the hood. I used to go to church in South LA, and at least half of the kids had bus passes, and if you spent time out there, you'd find out most kids use the trains and buses to get around.
And believe it or not, LA trains get very full, especially during Rush Hour. Here's some more pictures, taken at 9 AM(after rush hour):
http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/7759/betawards050030ns.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/4235/betawards050043my.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2083/betawards050122eo.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5236/betawards050833ux.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/9296/betawards050878jg.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/2237/betawards050889tv.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8197/betawards050956oi.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

Very nice pictures.

I'm not crying about anything. L.A. has the third largest mass transit system in the nation. That is great! In a few years it is possible that they will surpass Chicago's mass transit. Who knows.
Let's put this Chicago vs L.A. stuff aside. L.A. has come a long way in many aspects of urban infrastructure, yet it needs much more, especially if their mass transit system would accomadate over 10 million people in Los Angeles county and 18 million in Greater L.A. Chicago has had a fairly adequate transit system in place for decades. The problem lies out in the suburbs, this is why the region as a whole is consolidating mass transit under one umbrella orginazation known as the RTA. As for ridership being Upper class Caucasians, I think the demographics on the CTA's rail system is fairly evenly divided. Bus services are probably more frequently used by minority groups (minority groups make up the majority in Chicago).

This is just plain stupid!

To not include Metra and Pace in Chicago's transit discussions is plain silly. The CTA is just one aspect of a fractionated transit system in Chicago, if you ask me. Total rail and bus ridership that excludes Metra/Pace contributions fails to express the importance of transit in the Chicago area.

Rail ridership on the CTA is slowly growing, as Chicagogeorge said. But with the right infrastructure funding, it has the potential for large growth (it's like pulling back on a slingshot and finally releasing it) once the Federal Govt gets their heads out of their asses. And Metra ridership, for years, has already been growing rapidly, due to high population growth in the suburbs. Chicago just needs to make good choices--build the Circle Line, the Block 37 superstation, and the STAR Line, and it will remain ahead of the ball game...

this is why the region as a whole is consolidating mass transit under one umbrella orginazation known as the RTA.


^I'll call it an umbrella organization when they finally have a unified fare system for CTA/Metra/PACE. Nothing like synergy to boost ridership...

New York MTA

MTA New York City Transit is the largest agency in the MTA regional transportation network, which also includes MTA Staten Island Railway (part of NYC Transit’s Department of Subways),
MTA Long Island Rail Road, MTA Long Island Bus, MTA Metro-North Railroad, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, and MTA Capital Construction.

Hours of operation: 24-hour-a-day bus and subway service throughout the five boroughs.

Rolling stock: The largest subway car fleet in the world.

Equipment: More buses than any other public agency in North America.

Features: All NYC Transit subway cars and buses are air-conditioned and either new, remanufactured, or overhauled.

Fare Collection: More than 90 percent of trips taken on NYC Transit are made with MetroCard. Buses also accept exact change.

Ridership: Ridership on NYC Transit is approximately seven million daily - more than 2 billion annually.

Administration: NYC Transit President Lawrence G. Reuter took office in March 1996.
President Reuter and 8 department heads comprise NYC Transit's senior staff. The MTA Executive Director is Katherine N. Lapp.

Work Force: NYC Transit employs nearly 47,000 people in more than 20 major departments and divisions.

In addition to employees responsible for bus and subway operations and maintenance, the work force also includes attorneys, engineers, electricians, computer programmers, ironworkers, masons, teachers, physicians, mechanics, carpenters, accountants, environmental specialists, and hundreds of other job titles.

MTA New York City Subways
http://images.nycsubway.org//i27000/img_27182.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i3000/img_3597.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i3000/img_3606.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i3000/img_3523.jpg

DID YOU KNOW? NYC Transit - with 468 subway stations - has only 35 fewer stations than the combined total of all other subway systems in the country.
DID YOU KNOW? Laid end to end, NYC Transit train tracks would stretch from New York City to Chicago.
Miles of Track: Approximately 660 in passenger service. Counting track used for “non-revenue” purposes (e.g., in subway yards), the number is more than 840 miles.

Annual Subway Ridership
1. Moscow 3.3 billion
2. Tokyo 2.6 billion
3. Seoul 2.2 billion
4. Mexico City 1.4 billion
5. New York City 1.4 billion
6. Paris 1.2 billion
7. London 970 million
8. Osaka 957 million
9. St. Petersburg 821 million
10. Hong Kong 786 million

Number of subway cars: Roughly 6,400 at the end of 2002.
Number of train trips: 1,721,115 annually
Subway car mileage: The fleet travels 347,188,000 miles annually.

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/facts/images/r143_subwaycar.jpg
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/facts/images/utica_station.jpg

MTA New York City Bus
http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/images/bus_45foot.jpg
This 45-foot long over-the-road coach, a newer bus model,
carries express bus customers in comfort from Staten Island,
Brooklyn, and Queens into Manhattan.
http://www.mta.info/nyct/bus/images/busmain.jpg

Serves: Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
Ridership: 2.5 million daily – 762 million annually.
Number of Buses: 4,566

Accessibility: NYC Transit has the largest accessible fleet in the world. Every bus is accessible to people in wheelchairs via front or rear-door lifts; some newer buses have low floors that enable customers to enter via front-door ramps.
DID YOU KNOW? New York City buses do not accept paper money because
NYC Transit uses giant vacuum hoses to empty fareboxes, a process that would shred bills.

Number of routes: 181 local and 38 express bus routes in the five boroughs, covering 2,109 miles.
Number of trips: 15,800,000 annually.
Number of bus stops:12,355

Longest rides: The longest local bus routes are Staten Island's S74 and S78; each travels a distance of 16.5 miles from the St. George Ferry Terminal to Main Street in Tottenville.

Depots: Buses are housed, washed, and maintained at 18 depots.

DID YOU KNOW? Jackie Gleason played a Brooklyn bus operator on
"The Honeymooners" TV series. In real life, his mother worked as a railroad clerk
for 15 years.
DID YOU KNOW? Bus maintenance involves more than 7,000 separate parts.


MTA Staten Island Railway
MTA Staten Island Railway (SIR) service runs 24 hours daily between the St. George and Tottenville stations. At the St. George station, customers can make connections with Staten Island Ferry service.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/images/sirmap.gif
http://images.nycsubway.org//i22000/img_22043.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i22000/img_22025.jpg

MTA Long Island Rail Road
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr/pubs/M7.jpg

The MTA Long Island Rail Road is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying an average of 274,000 customers each weekday on 730 daily trains. Chartered on April 24, 1834, it is also the oldest railroad still operating under its original name. Throughout that time, the LIRR has been an essential component of the region's transportation infrastructure, leading to the development of the Long Island communities it serves and providing a gateway to the economic growth of the region. A subsidiary of New York State's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the MTA Long Island Rail Road will mark its 170th Anniversary in 2004.
The LIRR system is comprised of over 700 miles of track on 11 different branches, stretching from Montauk -- on the eastern tip of Long Island -- to the refurbished Penn Station in the heart of Manhattan, approximately 120 miles away. Along the way, the LIRR serves 124 stations in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, providing service for some 81 million customers each year, taking them to and from jobs, homes, schools, sporting events, concerts, beaches, Broadway shows, and the multitude of other attractions around the New York metropolitan region.
Nearly 500 of the railroad's daily trains originate or terminate at Penn Station in Manhattan. Most of the remainder originate or terminate at Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, with a number of others originating or terminating at Hunterspoint Avenue and Long Island City in Queens. All of these terminals provide convenient connections to MTA New York City Transit subway service. All but one of the 11 branches pass through the important Jamaica hub, where customers may change trains to connect for other branches or terminals. Third-rail electric service is offered on the lines to Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, Babylon, Hempstead, Huntington, West Hempstead, Long Beach and Far Rockaway, and diesel service is provided on the lines to Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Montauk and Greenport.
A number of recent investments in the Railroad's infrastructure have brought improved service and added convenience to the Railroad's customers. Diesel territory customers have seen the total replacement of the diesel train fleet with modern, comfortable bi-level coaches and new diesel and dual mode locomotives. On the Railroad's electrified branches, new state-of-the-art M-7 electric MU cars are currently arriving, replacing the oldest of the long-running M-1 cars, and providing customers with new levels of comfort and convenience. In addition, more than 65 LIRR stations throughout the system have been rehabilitated in recent years.
The Railroad is also preparing for the future with several major projects in work. The Port Authority's new AirTrain provides a convenient rail link between the LIRR's Jamaica hub and JFK International Airport. As part of this project, the Jamaica Station is undergoing an extensive rebuilding, turning this important hub into a first-class transportation facility allowing fast, easy connections between LIRR trains, AirTrain JFK, and NYC Transit subway and bus service. The Flatbush Avenue Terminal rehabilitation will provide Brooklyn customers with a modern, efficient facility. And the East Side Access Project will eventually bring LIRR trains to Grand Central Terminal, allowing direct LIRR service to the east side of Manhattan.

The LIRR operates 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, including all holidays, with service intervals varying by destination and time of day.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr/images/lirr.gif

MTA Long Island Bus
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/libus/siteimages/bus3.jpg
More than 100,000 times a day, people who live or work in nearly 100 Long Island communities board our buses and arrive at their destinations safely and comfortably. Long Island Bus provides convenient service throughout Nassau County, western Suffolk County and into eastern Queens. Our 54 routes serve 48 Long Island Rail Road stations plus colleges, museums, parks, theaters, and beaches throughout our area. If you're traveling on Long lsland, chances are we're going your way.

Long Island Bus is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the network of transportation agencies that serves the public transit needs of our entire region.

MTA Metro-North Railroad
http://images.nycsubway.org//i20000/img_20126.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i20000/img_20090.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i20000/img_20100.jpg

MTA Metro-North Railroad, the second largest commuter railroad in the United States, provides approximately 250,000 customer trips each weekday and some 73,000,000 trips per year. A subsidiary of New York State's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Metro-North was founded in 1983 when the MTA assumed control of Conrail commuter operations in the states of New York and Connecticut.

Metro-North's roots can be traced back to the New York & Harlem Railroad, which began in 1832 as a horse-car line in lower Manhattan. Today, with 384 route miles and 775 miles of track, Metro-North goes to 120 stations distributed in seven counties in New York State--Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester, Bronx, New York (Manhattan), Rockland, and Orange--and two counties in the state of Connecticut--New Haven and Fairfield. The total population in these counties is 4,797,320. Three main lines east of the Hudson River--the Hudson, the Harlem, and the New Haven -- operate out of Grand Central Terminal in New York City, and two lines west of the Hudson River--the Port Jervis and the Pascack Valley--operate out of New Jersey Transit's terminal in Hoboken, N.J. The Hudson Line extends 74 miles from Grand Central Terminal to Poughkeepsie; the Harlem, 82 miles to Wassaic; and the New Haven, which also has three branch lines--the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury--72 miles to New Haven. The Port Jervis Line runs 95 miles from Hoboken to Port Jervis, with 30 of those miles in New Jersey; the Pascack Valley Line extends 31 miles from Hoboken to Spring Valley, 25 of those miles being in New Jersey. Total square mileage of the service territory is approximately 2,701 miles.

Service intervals vary according to destination and time of day. Weekdays, peak-period trains east of the Hudson River run every 20-30 minutes; off-peak trains run every 30-60 minutes; and weekend trains run hourly. Hours of operation are approximately 4 AM to 3:40 AM.
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr/gifs/mnrmap.gif

Information from New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Important Systems not part of the New York MTA
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Path Trains)
http://www.nycsubway.org/img/maps/calcagno-2003-path.gif
http://images.nycsubway.org//i27000/img_27455.jpg

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Air Train)
http://www.panynj.gov/airtrain/images/left_img_about_history.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i34000/img_34484.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i34000/img_34485.jpg
http://images.nycsubway.org//i32000/img_32312.jpg
^ Air Train/MTA Subway/MTA LIRR Terminal in Jamaica, Queens, NYC

Built, managed, and maintained by The Port Authority of NY & NJ, AirTrain JFK is the 8.1-mile light rail system that connects JFK to the New York City area's mass transit system.
A project of historic significance, AirTrain enables thousands of air travelers and airport employees to travel to, from, and within the airport quickly and conveniently every day. It is part of the Port Authority's capital improvement plan, designed to deliver fast, convenient, and more comfortable travel experiences to all travelers who visit and use our facilities

Hudson Bergen Light Rail
http://images.nycsubway.org//i13000/img_13142.jpg

The ultimate commuter :)
Acela on the Metro North Track
http://images.nycsubway.org//i3000/img_3558.jpg

New York Underground
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/nyunderground/docs/images/mainmen.jpg

Sources
http://www.lirrhistory.com/
www.mta.info
http://www.nycsubway.org
http://www.panynj.gov/

If you look at the title of this thread it is called your city's mass transit system. This encompasses every aspect of mass transit that a city has. I never meant it to be a competion between cities. If you recall, I posted a response correcting CarsonCalibrotha, when he claimed that L.A. has the second largest mass trasit system. L.A. does not have the second largest, it has the third largest system. Maybe one day it will surpass the CTA, maybe it wont. If we just look at the CTA and the MTA they are almost the same in terms of ridership, however the CTA still egdes the MTA. In the future the MTA may expand, but so may the CTA. I included Metra and Pace as well as the CTA in analyzing the Chicago metro area's mass transit as a whole, because they together make up the entire Chicagoland mass transit system.
As for route miles and track miles I do know the difference. You claimed that I did not. The CTA website where I got my info did not differenciate between the two. It just stated the CTA operates 222 miles of track. As for changing "criteria" in this discussion, I never set out any criteria to begin with, but apparently you did.
The fact remains in Chicago, one metro mass transit system is emerging known as the RTA. In several years the two systems will be completely unified (If the circle plan is completed). As a whole the mass transits of both cities are nothing in comparison to NYC's. Between the two however, Chicago has the advantage, which is a well established rail system. If the funds are ever allocated it would be fairly easy to expand mass trasit in the form of rail service. After all, there is literally hundreds of miles of track here (Chicago is the rail capital of the U.S.). Mass transit is much more a part of life here than it is in L.A. (especially in the central city). The CTA caters to the city of Chicago plus 40 suburbs. That's about 4 million people, which is not even all of Cook County. Over all dailly ridership on both bus and rail is about 1.8 million. I believe you stated that the MTA caters to an area with 10 million people with total daily ridership numbers of about 1.5 million. If the MTA serves an area of 10 million people (all of L.A. county) and ridership numbers are that low, than L.A.'s mass transit is alot worse off than I thought.



uhhuh. You used track mileage figures to dick-measure against LA's route mileage numbers. If you knew the difference like you said you did, why the hell did you compare them so innocently? I'm not even going to get started with the dozens of other inconsistencies you've introduced in this ESSAY. Don't dick around man or I'm going to have to resort to calling you "double-back man". your responses are beginning to stench of donkey ass whatwith all the fase pretense oozing out of them. Have a ball.

OK whatever you say. You are right, I am wrong.

Septa is the red, white, and blue vehicles that run around Philadelphia. we have regional rail, city and suburban trolleys, bus, 2 subway lines, trackless trolleys (being replaced in 2007), the route 100 (norristown high speed line). Also in our city we have the NJ Transit Atlantic City rail ine and the Patco which connects lindenwold and center city Philadelphia. Please check out these websites devoted to our cities transit:

http://www.orenstransitpage.com/otpphilpics/philhome.htm
http://www.drpa.org/patco/index.asp
http://www.angelfire.com/geek/rh/Philly/philly.htm
http://groups.msn.com/Philadelphiatransitvehicles/shoebox.msnw
www.septa.org
http://septaredarrow.s5.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/septapix/
http://www.cleanairbus.com/transit/septa/septabuses.html
http://groups.msn.com/TheSEPTABusPhotosandSEPTAMessageBroad/pictures

OK whatever you say. You are right, I am wrong.

Okay so where's the smart rebuttal now? I thought so.

Okay so where's the smart rebuttal now? I thought so.
The CTA has 90 miles of route track according to this website.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/7000/7300/7310/761406.pdf
If the circle paln is approved, the poject may be completed by 2015. This would add 6.6 miles of new track. The project would also use an additional 6 miles of existing track. 22 rebuilt or new CTA stations ( several of them subway) would open up, plus a number of Metra transfer station. If the project goes through it is expected to draw 40,000 riders daily.

http://www.chicago-l.org/articles/images/circleline.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/plans/images/CircleLine/RoutingPlan.jpg

Being a smaller city than the ones discussed so far, Charlotte's depended primarily on buses in the past. Recently the old streetcars have started running again, and construction is under way on light rail lines. I think the amount of people moving to the inner part of the city has really helped add to the growth of the mass-transit system, which for many years was left in the dust of suburbanization.

But the coolest thing in town is the free-ride Gold Rush trolley, which can take you anywhere you want to go in the central business district. No better way to spend a lunch break on a sunny day :)

The CTA has 90 miles of route track according to this website.
http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/7000/7300/7310/761406.pdf
If the circle paln is approved, the poject may be completed by 2015. This would add 6.6 miles of new track. The project would also use an additional 6 miles of existing track. 22 rebuilt or new CTA stations ( several of them subway) would open up, plus a number of Metra transfer station. If the project goes through it is expected to draw 40,000 riders daily.

http://www.chicago-l.org/articles/images/circleline.jpg
http://www.chicago-l.org/plans/images/CircleLine/RoutingPlan.jpg


NOW we're moving. Anyhow, 6.6 miles and 40k riders adds up to heavy ridership.

Okay so where's the smart rebuttal now? I thought so.

Holy shit man, take it easy... are you ok? It's alright, breathe, relax. Remember, this is an INTERNET THREAD, no need to waste such energy here. I'm sorry if youre girlfriend dumped you or anything, but it's ok, just take it easy.

St. Louis:

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113121.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113119.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113170.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113178.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113188.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/25113194.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/jivecity/image/21093795.jpg

Damnit I want a subway I can ride in Houston besides the airport. Those cities, especially New York City, and Chicago have great transit systems.

I have a question about the circle line in chicago. Is this new section of the system going to be made from existing ROW's? or is it a brand new row planned to be built and will its path travel down commercial streets or existing expressways?

The Circle Line can be built in three discrete, phases with tangible benefits to CTA customers after each phase. Depending upon funding availability, all three phases could be completed over a 10 to 15-year period.

Phase 1 Paulina Connector

The first step is to rebuild the 0.75 mile "Paulina Connector" on Chicago's near west side. This section of existing but underutilized elevated structure connects the Blue Line at Harrison Junction with the Green Line at Lake Street, but is presently only able to handle out of service train movements for repositioning equipment.

Two new CTA stations are proposed in Phase 1: Madison-United Center and Van Buren-Medical Center (which would be a transfer station with the existing Blue Line Medical Center station on the Congress Branch).

One new Metra station is proposed: Ashland Avenue on the BNSF Line in Pilsen (transfer station with existing 18th Street station on the Douglas Branch)
CTAcustomers would benefit from improved service levels and increased operational flexibility.
The Douglas Branch, now under reconstruction, could be operated as an independent line to the Loop (Option 1: Douglas-Loop operations). Significantly improved service frequency on both the Douglas and Congress Branches, benefiting the entire west side.
Frequent CTA rail service to the West Side Medical Center from both the Loop Elevated and Dearborn Street Subway.
In addition, CTA rail service on the Loop Elevated could be restructured allow:
Through-routing Orange and Brown Line trains between Midway Airport and the Southwest Side and Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Ravenswood and Albany Park on the North Side.
Reroute Purple Line Express service through the State Street Subway Through-route trains between the Douglas branch and the Brown Line (Option 2: Douglas-Ravenswood operations).
The United Center would join Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field with direct "L"TM access. A new Metra-CTA rail transfer station would be created in Pilsen.

Phase 2: Cermak-Archer Connector

The second link involves building 1.5 miles of new elevated track connecting the existing Douglas Branch at Wood Curve (near Cermak/Ashland) with the existing Orange Line station at Ashland/Archer.

One new CTA station is proposed on the new link: Blue Island/Paulina

One new CTA station is proposed on existing Orange Line track: Wentworth-Chinatown (which would be a transfer station with existing Red Line station at Cermak-Chinatown)

One rebuilt CTA station is proposed: Ashland/Archer (which would be a transfer station with the existing Orange Line)

Two new Metra stations are proposed: at Archer Avenue on the Rock Island Line in Chinatown (transfer station with Red and Orange Lines), and on the Heritage Corridor Line at Ashland/Archer (transfer station with Orange Line).
Customers would benefit from improved system connectivity and added operational flexibility.
Direct service could be initiated between the State Street Subway and the near southwest and near west sides via the rerouting the Purple Line Express via the subway, 13th Street Incline, Orange Line, Cermak-Archer Connector, Douglas branch, and Paulina Connector.
Faster rail trips would be possible between the south, southwest, and west sides.
South and southwest side neighborhoods would gain direct access to the Medical Center and the United Center.
Access to Midway Airport from the west side would be improved significantly.
Two new Metra-CTA rail transfer stations would be created: one in Chinatown and one in Bridgeport.

Phase 3: North-Ashland Subway

The final step would be to complete the circle by building 3.35 miles of new track linking the Paulina Connector with the Red Line at North/Clybourn (via the Blue Line O'Hare branch station at Division).

A subway alignment via Ashland and North avenues is preferable for customer convenience, efficient railway operations, and neighborhood aesthetics.

The existing elevated Brown Line would be rerouted into a new one mile tunnel between Sedgwick and Armitage stations to serve a new "super station" with the Red and Circle Lines at North/Clybourn. The new alignment for the Brown Line would also eliminate several sharp curves around North and Halsted that slow Brown Line operations, an easement project the CTAhas looked at since the 1950s.

Four new CTA stations are proposed on the new link: Ashland/Lake (which would be a transfer station with the existing Ashland Green Line), Chicago/Ashland, Division/Milwaukee (which would be a transfer station with the existing Blue Line O'Hare branch station at Division), and North/Elston

One rebuilt CTA station is proposed: North/Clybourn (which would be a transfer station with the existing Red and Brown Lines)

Two new Metra stations are proposed: Milwaukee District, UP-West, and North Central Service at Ashland/Lake (transfer station with Green and Circle Lines), and UP North and Northwest Lines at North/Elston (transfer station with Circle Line).

I just found this really interesting article on Wikipedia about the early rail system in the Twin Cities. Too bad most of it is gone now, we could've still had a kick-ass inner city rail system:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_City_Rapid_Transit

Los Angeles red line:

http://www.digiboi.com/images/cool_subway.JPG

http://www.tetch.com/pix/labrea/img_2094_std.jpg

http://www.railroadarchive.net/photos/transit/redline1_08-03-03.jpg

http://img324.imageshack.us/img324/2046/randompic042s0iv.jpg

The Most Expensive U.S. Metropolitan Areas in transportation costs.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey of 28 major metro areas shows that households devote the highest portion of their household budget to transportation in Houston, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Miami.
Table 2. Household Spending on Transportation in 28 Metropolitan Areas

Rank
Metro Area
Transportation Expenditures
as Percent of Total

1
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, TX
$8,840
22.1%

2
Atlanta, GA
$8,513
21.7%

3
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
$8,717
19.7%

4
Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL
$6,684
19.0%

5
Detroit-Ann Arbor-Flint, MI
$6,710
18.8%

6
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
$8,683
18.4%

7
Phoenix, AZ
$6,826
18.2%

8
Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$6,904
18.1%

9
Kansas City, MO-KS
$6,489
18.1%

10
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
$5,864
17.8%

11
Anchorage, AK
$8,770
17.7%

12
St. Louis, MO-IL
$6,489
17.6%

13
Cleveland-Akron, OH
$6,384
17.5%

14
Pittsburgh, PA
$6,331
17.5%

15
Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, CA
$7,224
17.4%

16
Denver-Boulder-Greeley, CO
$7,361
17.2%

17
Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, WA
$7,387
17.1%

18
Portland-Salem, OR-WA
$6,848
16.8%

19
Cincinnati-Hamilton, OH-KY-IN
$6,145
16.7%

20
Milwaukee-Racine, WI
$5,800
16.0%

21
San Diego, CA
$6,319
15.8%

22
Washington, DC-MD-VA
$7,207
15.4%

23
Boston, MA-NH
$5,788
15.2%

24
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA
$7,150
15.1%

25
Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI
$5,436
14.9%

26
Baltimore, MD
$5,236
14.7%

27
New York-No. New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CT-PA
$5,956
14.5%

28
Honolulu, HI
$6,136
14.4%


http://www.transact.org/images/reports/fige.jpg
http://www.transact.org/images/reports/figeleg.jpg

http://www.transact.org/images/reports/figf.jpg
http://www.transact.org/images/reports/figfleg.jpg

http://www.transact.org/images/reports/figg.jpg
http://www.transact.org/images/reports/figgleg.jpg

I think Chicago members are forgetting that the ridership for CTA does not include the entire metro, but rather an area that only equals up to 4 million people. (The city of Chicago and 20 suburbs). That gives you a picture of how strong transit is in the city. Its nothing compared to NYC, but easily 2nd in the US.