CHICAGO | Public Transport

[Northsider]

El has graded crossings? I know it isn't the UP west kedzie station.

This is the Kedzie Brown Line at station at ~4650 N Kedzie. On the Brown line from Rockwell to Kimball is at-grade. On the Purple line from Central to Linden is at-grade. Blue line from Kostner to 54th Av is at-grade. In all we have about 9 stations at-grade...all on the outskirts of the system. It's pretty wild to see actually...a full blown subway car flying through a rail crossing.

Where would they extend UP west to? There used to be a train that went to Dekalb but it was discontinued in the seventies

They've already extended to Elburn (aka middle of nowhere). Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think they plan on extending it further at this point...maybe just add capacity.

[Night Hawk]

Yes that is what I thought as well, but the title of that newspost was kind of confusing

As for El, they need a third rail for power. So, does the brown line run on battery there since I can't see how it can magically start using cables there

[Northsider]

They aren't visible in the picture, but just past whatever those blocks of wood are called that keep people off the tracks. The 3rd rail is easily seen here from streetview.

Not every car needs to be touching the 3rd rail for the train to have power. The crossing is only about 1 car length, so 7 more cars are getting enough power to push it along. The purple line at-grade section though I remember a train getting stuck because of exactly what you are mentioning...they had to call another train out to push it past the intersection. I believe it was here that it got stuck...you can see the distance between 3rd rails is significantly longer.

Interesting snippet from wikipedia:

The trains on the street-level section are powered by third rail rather than overhead catenary (the technology used by most other U.S. electric-powered at-grade rail systems), a decision that exposes wayward pedestrians to the risk of electrocution. A fatal accident in 1977 involving a severely intoxicated Korean immigrant who attempted to urinate on the third rail at the Kedzie station eventually resulted in a famous Illinois Supreme Court decision in 1992 affirming a verdict of $1.5 million against CTA.[2]

I also forgot to mention the Yellow line has at-grade crossings as well. The Yellow line used to have overhead catenary power source, but switched to 3rd rail technology to be compatible with the rest of the system. On the 3200 series cars (Brown, Orange, Yellow) you can still see some remnants of the equipment for the catenary.

[TheKorean]

LIRR, a commuter rail, uses 3rd rail and has crossings as well.

[Night Hawk]

Originally Posted by Northsider

They aren't visible in the picture, but just past whatever those blocks of wood are called that keep people off the tracks. The 3rd rail is easily seen here from streetview.

Not every car needs to be touching the 3rd rail for the train to have power. The crossing is only about 1 car length, so 7 more cars are getting enough power to push it along. The purple line at-grade section though I remember a train getting stuck because of exactly what you are mentioning...they had to call another train out to push it past the intersection. I believe it was here that it got stuck...you can see the distance between 3rd rails is significantly longer.

Interesting snippet from wikipedia:


I also forgot to mention the Yellow line has at-grade crossings as well. The Yellow line used to have overhead catenary power source, but switched to 3rd rail technology to be compatible with the rest of the system. On the 3200 series cars (Brown, Orange, Yellow) you can still see some remnants of the equipment for the catenary.

Yes I have yet to take purple and brown line all the way north and west. I have pretty much taken all the line to their endponts, except pink to 54th and green to cottage grove / 63rd. Maybe one of those days I can sit in the el and explore the uncharted territories!

[Chicagoago]

Originally Posted by Northsider

This is the Kedzie Brown Line at station at ~4650 N Kedzie. On the Brown line from Rockwell to Kimball is at-grade. On the Purple line from Central to Linden is at-grade. Blue line from Kostner to 54th Av is at-grade. In all we have about 9 stations at-grade...all on the outskirts of the system. It's pretty wild to see actually...a full blown subway car flying through a rail crossing.


They've already extended to Elburn (aka middle of nowhere). Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think they plan on extending it further at this point...maybe just add capacity.

Elburn has doubled in size since 2000 though as the suburbs finally reached the small farm town.

I believe the reason they can't just finish the line out to DeKalb is because the RTA only goes as far as Kane County, and DeKalb is in DeKalb County. At least that's what I'd heard somewhere.

Extending Metra to DeKalb makes a lot of sense though - it's county of over 100,000 people now, and you have over 25,000 students at the Northern Illinois University. An overwhelming number of those students are from the Chicago area, and/or come to Chicago to hang out downtown and go to events. I'm sure they'd love taking a train in as opposed to driving through 55 miles of traffic.

[Northsider]

double post

[Northsider]

Elburn has doubled in size since 2000 though as the suburbs finally reached the small farm town.

Yea, but doubling 2,000 people isn't that much. Metra/RTA are anticipating continued growth in the area, but that is WAY down the line...the whole area is still very very rural.

DeKalb isn't that far of a stretch admittedly. Metra already serves Harvard IL, ~70 miles from Chicago and in the middle of nowhere.

[filos-ippos]

i'm italian and I went to visit chiago last week (5-10 march). The city is very beatiful and particular. I never been in Usa and i was surprised. For the transport i have some notes. The first thing is the tecnology of underground between terminal of o'hare: fantastic. In rome there is same but for example Paris C.D has bus. The blue line to the loop makes a good service (in Milan we havent' any underground to centre - airport) but i think is not to fast and the train are very hold and with lugguage is difficult to move expecially in rush hour. I think Cta should update the blue line with new trains like this ( http://milano.corriere.it/media/foto...23/TRENO_f.jpg). In general i think this train cta should put in all the lines of underg.
I notice that the bus are semi totally ibrid and this is very good and is very good the system of tickets on board. In italy i think that isn't possible for our behaviour and haste. I think is better to have a system like milan 75 minutes of trip in all routes (urban routes). In chicago you'cant make something like this. And the last things negative: there aren't timetable at bus stop!! i think is very important... and i think should be introduce a wait panel with minutes to wait.
I'm ask sorry for my english if is not good and i ask to give your opinion about this post and chicago transport!

[Northsider]

I think Cta should update the blue line with...

New rolling stock are coming to the Blue Line soon! Blue line has some of the oldest rail cars in the entire fleet, so it's time for an upgrade which is coming soon.

I think is better to have a system like milan 75 minutes of trip in all routes (urban routes). In chicago you'cant make something like this.

What do you mean by this? I can't think of a route that would be more than 60 minutes, unless you are going clear across the city.

And the last things negative: there aren't timetable at bus stop!! i think is very important... and i think should be introduce a wait panel with minutes to wait.

I agree, I love how European cities mostly have this at many bus stops. However, we have CTA bus tracker, compatible with smart phones. We also have a texting service for the next bus.

I'm ask sorry for my english if is not good and i ask to give your opinion about this post and chicago transport!

Most of it was clear to understand. Thanks for the comments, I'm always curious what non-USA tourists think of our city.

[filos-ippos]

Originally Posted by Northsider

What do you mean by this? I can't think of a route that would be more than 60 minutes, unless you are going clear across the city.

Maybe you don't understand me exactly. In Milan you can buy a ticket (not in the bus - only in two lines for linate airport) and you can move in all route (tram, bus not subway) in maximum 75 minutes and you can take all the bus etc. In chicago and is the same in Uk every bus you take you mast pay 2$ for example...

[lkstrknb]

I would love it if they updated the look of the CTA train cars, but the new cars on order look identical to the current rail cars. The train cars are much shorter than the subway cars used in most other systems around the world because our cars negotiate such tight curves. The train cars physically couldn't be any longer.

I would love the CTA to get subway trains with walk-though capability, where you can walk from one end the train to the other like most trains in Japan and China.

[Northsider]

Ahh, I understand you now. Well, in Chicago you can transfer freely between subway routes...you only have to pay again if you exit the system and it's not at a transfer point.

For the buses it's a 25 cent transfer and second transfer is free. So you never pay more than $2.50.

The CTA is really struggling for funding so I don't see them removing the transfer fee anytime soon.

[TheKorean]

Yea thats what sucks about the El. There isnt a lot of free transfer between Red/Blue lines and the Loop lines. I think only Jackson has free transfer?

[filos-ippos]

ah an other things. I think Chicago must have more lines of subway because there are a lot of street/avenue without bus or subw. For example i think is very important to built a subway in the michigan avenue (north-south) and i should put other buses in the other street. For example randolph street is very important but if you came from michigan avenue you must walk a lot!!

[Northsider]

Originally Posted by TheKorean

Yea thats what sucks about the El. There isnt a lot of free transfer between Red/Blue lines and the Loop lines. I think only Jackson has free transfer?

Washington as well until the whole Block 37 debacle began. I don't see it as much of a problem though for Red-Blue transfers. The only time it's a problem is when you are coming from the north and need head back up north...then you need to go all the way to Jackson and head back up.

I disagree on your other point though, at each "entrance" to the Loop you have a transfer for Red and Blue to the Loop elevated lines: Clark, State, and Jackson. Lake and Jackson transfers are indeed free, even though you leave the system.

Originally Posted by filos-ippos

ah an other things. I think Chicago must have more lines of subway because there are a lot of street/avenue without bus or subw. For example i think is very important to built a subway in the michigan avenue (north-south) and i should put other buses in the other street. For example randolph street is very important but if you came from michigan avenue you must walk a lot!!

Every single major street has a bus route. Admittedly, I HATE buses, but the city is well served by them. Also, Michigan Ave is a mere two blocks from the Red line...

I would love the CTA to get subway trains with walk-though capability, where you can walk from one end the train to the other like most trains in Japan and China.

I can't see walk-through capability (I think I know what you are talking about) because again of the tight turns. I bet it's possible, but why bother?

[filos-ippos]

@Northsider. Why you hate the bus? I saw that there isn't much traffic in Chicago. In Milan is a disaster. I didn't see a loto of cars parked in the street: in milan we have a lot wild stop (for example up the bycicle lane). And to procect the bus lane the best thing is to put cameras but i saw that the people of chicago don't go in this lane,fortunally!

[Northsider]

@Northsider. Why you hate the bus?

*It's slow
*Capacity sucks
*It's not a smooth ride, always jerking about
*Shares road with cars...slow
*Timetables cannot be met in Chicago. Buses ALWAYS late, always bunching.
*Queues to board the bus are ridiculous...slow
*Bus stops EVERY SINGLE BLOCK...slow
*Inefficient, related to above comment. Stops every block to pick up one or two people.

...probably more, but this is what I thought of off the top of my head.

[FDW]

Originally Posted by Northsider

*It's slow
*Capacity sucks
*It's not a smooth ride, always jerking about
*Shares road with cars...slow
*Timetables cannot be met in Chicago. Buses ALWAYS late, always bunching.
*Queues to board the bus are ridiculous...slow
*Bus stops EVERY SINGLE BLOCK...slow
*Inefficient, related to above comment. Stops every block to pick up one or two people.

...probably more, but this is what I thought of off the top of my head.

Do you guys have any limited stop routes?

[filos-ippos]

Fwd. What do you mean for your sentence: Do you guys have any limited stop routes?

???