These memories, coupled with a lifelong interest in trains, prompted Payne to work for 16 years on a proposal to improve public transit to the South Side: the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Gray Line L Route Project. Though neither Metra nor CTA are currently considering his plans, Payne, 63, has opened the way for other projects and has caught the eye of advocates for transit reform.
His stint at a railroad company in the 1970s allowed him to plan, perfect, and lobby for the Gray Line, which would convert the two inner tracks of the Metra Electric District into L lines. Trains with new decals would run every 10 minutes instead of every hour, as they sometimes do now, and turnstiles and fare boxes would be installed at stations. Metra personnel would continue to staff the trains.
Payne estimates that the project would cost $200 million, create 8,000 to 10,000 permanent jobs, and encompass 40 stops over 25 miles. In contrast, he said, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed Red Line extension would cost about $1.4 billion for three stops along five miles.
The Gray Line was ranked first in a 2003 study of city public transit projects by the Chicagoland Transportation and Air Quality Commission. However, CTA found that Payne’s plan inadequately addresses South Side transportation needs that are better served by the Red Line extension, which would run up to Howard Street, while the Gray Line would stop at Millennium Park, according to CTA spokesperson Catherine Hosinski.
Payne responded that passengers could transfer from the Gray Line to other CTA trains to go farther north.
Hosinski also said that the Gray Line would not be able to run as frequently as Payne desired because the Metra tracks cannot be shared between trains as efficiently as CTA tracks.
Payne claims that the real problem is tensions between Metra and CTA.
“It’s completely, 100 percent political,” he said.
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) is leaning toward the less ambitious Gold Line, whose designers were inspired by Payne’s work. “The Gray Line wasn’t the option the community was most interested in,” said Brenda McGruder, the coordinating planner at CDOT.
The Gold Line, spearheaded by Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL), would convert only the Metra’s South Chicago branch, which runs along Lake Park Avenue. SOUL originally supported the more expansive Gray Line, but opted for a plan that seemed more feasible at the time. “We thought that was the most practical thing to do,” SOUL board member Linda Thisted said.
SOUL, along with Fourth Ward Alderman Will Burns, has successfully lobbied for the introduction of a universal fare card for CTA and Metra systems that will take effect in 2015.
Payne, who also anticipated fares as one of the largest hurdles in improving transportation, is grateful for SOUL’s work. “I never could have come up with that,” he said.
While struggling to find support for the Gray Line, Payne was let go from his repairman job in 2006, leaving him homeless, spending many nights sleeping on the L for six months. After finding his current job at a B.P. station outside the city, he moved and bought a car.
“I’m a gas station attendant. I have no political power whatsoever.”
Yet Payne remains optimistic. Social security checks and a discount from a former employer have allowed Payne to print fliers that he plans to pass out at community meetings and on L stops.
Though the Gray Line would no longer benefit him personally, he has no intentions of giving up now. “It’s been a part of my life for too long,” he said. “It’s my goal.”
Very interesting,
A thought…cut the red tape and bull sh__!
and do something for the public and the transportation … that makes sense; ie. this sounds like a great idea, if the infrustructure is already there and modifications can make it a viable resource for the public…make it so!
Commen sense my friends, can go a long way for a fraction of the altrnatives. Make our tax dollars work for us…not the opposite!!!
For detailed information Google Search: CTA Gray Line
So I suppose you asked him how the suburban trains would interface with the “cta” trains? I’m guessing you didn’t, because it would become painfully obvious that his $200M would be woefully inadequate, since ALL stations would need to be rebuilt (his response to this question was that suburban services would run on outside tracks and cta in inside [or vice versa], however, at three of the four Hyde Park stations, this would require total rebuilding of the stations, platforms, infrastructure of the viaducts including track reconfiguration since THREE platforms would be required for this service platform, since mixing THREE different fare systems would be logistically a nightmare) not just to accommodate new service patterns, but also new fare collection systems – and the amount of construction necessitated by this would push the project to the point of required full ADA compliance, no small cost when massive viaduct reconstruction would be required. Of course, one would begin to suspect that the plan was half-baked when it’s author didn’t even know that the faregates (turnstiles) had been removed nearly ten years ago….
The CTA is completely correct, ME as it stands does not directly connect to any other transit lines and is less useful than the Red Line extension which is adding service where none now exists, especially since it offers more bus connections throughout the city as well as direct connections to other CTA lines. The bi-level cars are also not really suitable for high frequency service either, especially the new cars which only have one door.
A better long term goal is increasing service frequency on the line as is and a universal fare card, which is coming anyway, if not anytime soon, as it has already been mandated.
This has/is explained quite clearly for years on the Gray Line Website: http://bit.ly/GrayLineInfo
N O Stations would have to be rebuilt in any way, which is the cost benefit of the Project.
Anybody that can R E A D can see this for themselves FG, and I believe most people are smart enough that your attempted “Jedi Mind Tricks” WON’T work on them.
Fine, my plan stinks FG – what’s Y O U R plan for providing CTA ‘L’ service to Hyde Park and the University?
btw: Read this:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/12807933-418/rta-seeks-consolidation-of-services-between-cta-metra-pace.html
Here are the Red Line Extension, and the Gray Line Conversion Side by Side FG:
http://www.grayline.20m.com/photo.html
Please explain FG to the people of Hyde Park and the University how the Red Line (at $1.4 Billion) will benefit them, since it starts only South of 95th St.
And why doesn’t Hyde Park deserve ‘L’ service,
E V E R Y other part of the city has it – as this geographically accurate map shows.
Along with how Metra and Gray Line trains would operate on the E X I S T I N G Metra Electric Physical Plant:
http://www.grayline.20m.com/photo4.html
And how the Gray Line was recognized by CATS (now the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) as “Gray Line Rapid Transit Element”
“Jedi mind tricks”? If you were truly serious about your proposal you wouldn’t insult critics but actually listen and answer.
Why should Hyde Park get improved service over the far south side which has NO rail service at all? I don’t hear people in Hyde Park complaining about transit constantly? Every other part of the city does not have el service – Beverly, which is somewhat similar to Hyde Park doesn’t.
There is no real reason the Red Line extension should benefit Hyde Park at all, you’re just trying to get support for your plan (which is understandable).
Your web site does NOT address the interface of suburban services and “cta” services – I’ve been on it enough times to know and on many other forums you’ve refused point blank to answer that question and just refer people back to your web site, which, as I’ve said, has real NO information about it. You still don’t say how two separate fare systems will be integrated on ONE platform –
http://www.grayline.20m.com/images/cta_gray_line_track_diagram.jpg
How will that work exactly? CTA and Metra sharing ONE platform for each direction, please explain – do you really think that South Shore and U Park riders would be willing to give up stops? You either have to revise your plans for running or build a third platform for the CTA between the local tracks, which I suspect is impossible due to ROW issues. And in other locations another new platform would be needed since the “cta” and Metra service would need to stop there (McCormick Place for instance – one platform currently, would absolutely need two for your proposal – and three for the way you have it configured).
You’ve also refused to be transparent in your cost estimation, which says you have no idea about construction and engineering costs, what truly would be involved in making your proposal happen.
Also – as to “The CTA is completely correct, ME as it stands does not directly connect to any other transit lines”
This is published 3/4 of the way down on the
Home Page of the Gray Line website for a LONG time; you’ve said that you have looked at the site many times.
How did you and CTA manage to miss it, or ignore it (so they can quash it): http://www.Grayline.20m.com
Access and Transfer Information between the CTA Gray Line and ALL other CTA ‘L’ and Bus Services in Downtown Chicago:
ACCESS: Downtown at the Millennium Park Station Metra Electric/South Shore/Gray Line Terminal, the entrance on the SW corner of Randolph & Michigan is one short block from the CTA Loop ‘L’ Station at Randolph & Wabash (Orange, Green, Brown, Pink, and Purple Lines).
CTA’s Red Line and Blue Line Subway Routes are accessible Downtown from Millennium Park Station through the ADA Compliant Underground Pedway System.
The Metra Electric’s Van Buren St. Station’s ADA Compliant Van Buren & Michigan entrances are 2 blocks from the ADA Compliant CTA Harold Washington Library/State & Van Buren ‘L’ Station; and the adjacent ADA Compliant CTA Red Line Jackson Blvd. Subway Station.
Additionally the Van Buren St. Station’s Jackson Blvd. entrance is 2 blocks from the CTA Adams & Wabash Loop ‘L’ Station.
TRANSFERS: Presently at the State & Lake, and Harold Washington Library/State & Van Buren Stations transfers for riders connecting between CTA ‘L’ Lines and adjacent CTA Subway Lines are accomplished via the street using a valid CTA Fare Instrument (Transit Card, Transit Pass, Chicago Card, U-Pass, etc.).
An additional Fare or Transfer is NOT deducted if connecting within 2 hours of initial boarding of a Rapid Transit (‘L’) Line – thus granting a FREE transfer between ‘L’ Lines without having an actual physical paid-fare connection like the tunnel between the Red/Green/Orange Lines at Roosevelt Rd.
The same procedures would allow FREE Transfers between the CTA Gray Line and ALL other CTA ‘L’ and Bus Services in Downtown Chicago.
FG – “Jedi mind tricks”? If you were truly serious about your proposal you wouldn’t insult critics but actually listen and answer.
>> “Jedi mind tricks” was a childish response to your childish, condescending, and insulting statement about my “half-baked” plan, and how the author “didn’t even know” about the fare gates: “Of course, one would begin to suspect that the plan was half-baked when it’s author didn’t even know that the faregates (turnstiles) had been removed nearly ten years ago….”
The M E T R A turnstiles were removed after a fire on a Electric District trestle South of Kensington, MED riders were switched to the Rock Island – where they discovered NO turnstiles and (REAL) nice station facilities; and more importantly – only one on-board fare showing (versus 3 on the Electric District – boarding turnstile, on-board, and exit turnstile).
They DEMANDED the MED turnstiles be removed, and they were – the turnstiles to be installed for the Gray Line are C T A turnstiles (the same as on any other ‘L’ line), to Fare Integrate with the rest of the CTA ‘L’ and bus system.
FG – “Why should Hyde Park get improved service over the far south side which has NO rail service at all? I don’t hear people in Hyde Park complaining about transit constantly? Every other part of the city does not have el service – Beverly, which is somewhat similar to Hyde Park doesn’t”.
>> Hyde Park, South Shore, and South Chicago, Hegewisch and the Ford Plant also have NO rail service, and funds should be distributed as EQUALLY as possible among A L L communities lacking service; rather than being used as a political tool to garner minority votes.
FG – There is no real reason the Red Line extension should benefit Hyde Park at all, you’re just trying to get support for your plan (which is understandable).
Your web site does NOT address the interface of suburban services and “cta” services – I’ve been on it enough times to know and on many other forums you’ve refused point blank to answer that question and just refer people back to your web site, which, as I’ve said, has real NO information about it. You still don’t say how two separate fare systems will be integrated on ONE platform.
How will that work exactly? CTA and Metra sharing ONE platform for each direction, please explain – do you really think that South Shore and U Park riders would be willing to give up stops? You either have to revise your plans for running or build a third platform for the CTA between the local tracks, which I suspect is impossible due to ROW issues. And in other locations another new platform would be needed since the “cta” and Metra service would need to stop there (McCormick Place for instance – one platform currently, would absolutely need two for your proposal – and three for the way you have it configured).
>> This is going to be a L O N G explanation, so get some drinks and popcorn:
Presently during Weekday Rush Hours, the Metra Electric and South Shore/NICTD trains operate on this format:
Metra in-city Kensington and South Chicago trains operate on the Center (Local) Tracks between Roosevelt and Kensington, making ALL stops..
Metra University Park suburban trains, and NICTD trains to Indiana operate on the Outer (Express) Tracks from Roosevelt to Kensington, stopping at Millennium Park, Van Buren, Roosevelt, 55th or 59th ONLY, and then Kensington and further South or East.
In the present Metra Electric District/NICTD operation – A L L fares are collected on-board by hand by Metra/NICTD train crews – there is presently NO off-train fare collection on the entire system.
The same Local/Express format is also used on the North Side’s Red Line between Addison and Jarvis, where the Red Line operates on the Center Tracks – stopping at all the Center Island platforms, and the Purple Line Express operates on the Outer Tracks non-stop. These operations do not interfere with each other, as on the Metra Electric District during Rush Hours.
The Gray Line would use the same operating format at ALL times, Gray Line “CTA” Kensington and South Chicago trains operating on the Center Tracks stopping at ALL stations – while Metra University Park suburban and NICTD trains would operate on the Outer Tracks with only ONE (new) in-city stop to be constructed at 58th St; as shown on this diagram: http://www.grayline.20m.com/photo4.html
I hope you know that the Gray Line would use the new (modified) Metra bi-level EMU’s 1/2 without washrooms – paid for, and awaiting completion of the new Nippon-Sharyo Manufacturing Plant in Rochelle, IL for construction – and N O T CTA ‘L’ cars.
Modified utilizing the NICTD EMU configuration – to have more doors per side (along with standee space in the empty washroom bays) for less station dwell time: http://www.nipponsharyousa.com/tp101020.htm and with a big CTA decal on the sides.
Fare collections would N O T be complicated at all – mostly Metra Electric stations A L R E A D Y have space for Fare Collection equipment from where the old Metra turnstiles were removed.
And during the Illinois Central Electric Suburban era (predecessor of the Metra Electric) of services through the early half of the 20th Century, all of the stations were manned with a ticket booth, and a gate collector – and all those empty spaces are still there.
+ At Millennium Park station, Platforms 5 and 6 would have the new CTA (the S A M E as the ‘L’s) turnstiles installed on the mezzanine level behind the platform access doors (with a barrier to tracks 3 and 4), which would handle the “CTA” Kensington and South Chicago trains.
There would also be CTA turnstiles installed at the North end of the track 5 and 6 platform at South Water St. (which is ADA Compliant with an Elevator), providing OFF-TRAIN Fare Collection – with N O Fare Collection required by the on-board train crew.
There would also be a barrier between Tracks 4 and 5 at track level to stop Fare evaders from crossing to the Paid-fare tracks 5 and 6 platform.
These are all the modifications that would be required at the Millennium station, N O major re-construction of any type, to the Physical Plant (Tracks or Platforms); just the installation of a few CTA TVM’s (6 to 8 @ – and one is already AT Millennium), and 8 to 10 @ CTA turnstiles; and a few fences – THAT’S A L L – would this cost “Millions”.
Tracks 2, 3 and 4 would be open Metra Platforms for the 3 Rush Hour Metra University Park zones (Riverdale to Harvey, Hazelcrest to Flossmoor, and Olympia Fields to University Park, and fares would continue to be collected on-board by train crews.
There would be no interface of the two systems – CTA Barrier Fare controls on Tracks 5 and 6, and Metra open platforms on Tracks 2, 3, and 4 (NICTD has their own separate open Platforms East of the Metra Terminal).
+ At Van Buren, a new exit platform would have to be constructed on farthest East Track 4 for Northbound Metra and NICTD trains to discharge passengers; it need not be connected to the existing Van Buren Station as it would NOT board any passengers – only discharge; with stairs at the Jackson Blvd. end, and an ADA Compliant ramp up to the Van Buren footbridge at the South end.
Gray line NB and SB trains would berth at the Center Platform (with CTA TVM’s (4 to 5 @) and turnstiles (5 to 6 @) in the lower tunnel from Michigan Ave.), and SB Metra and NICTD trains would use Track 1′s un-barriered Platform.
Again no Fare Collection conflicts because CTA (Tracks 2 SB and 3 NB), and Metra/NICTD (Tracks 1 SB and 4 SB) trains use entirely different platforms.
+ Only Metra UP and NICTD trains would serve 11th St., Gray Line trains (on the Center tracks) would not stop there; a new Center CTA Platform would be constructed between Roosevelt and McFretridge to serve the Museum Campus, and Soldier Field. NO Fare conflicts.
+ Metra and NICTD train’s next stop after 11th St. would be a new pair of (NB and SB) Platforms at 58th St. – extending from 59th to 57th St.’s, with an ADA Compliant ramp down to 57th St., and accessing only the Outer tracks (Gray Line trains on the Center Tracks would not stop there – again NO Fare conflict).
+ Metra’s next stop after 58th St. would be Kensington, where some type of Track and Platform re-construction would be required.
+ After Roosevelt/McFretridge Gray Line trains on the Center Track would stop at the E X I S T I N G unaltered Center platforms at 18th, 23rd/McCormick Place, 27th, a new station at 35th, and 47th.
Metra and NICTD trains would be on the Outside Track not stopping at these stations, so there would be no Fare or Operational conflicts.
+ At Sheridan Rd. on the Red Line, Red Line trains are on the Center Tracks and STOP there – Purple Line trains are on the Outside Tracks and DO NOT STOP there.
The same would hold true at the dual Hyde Park platforms at 51st/53rd, 55/56/57th, 59th/University of Chicago, and 63rd – Gray Line trains on the Center Tracks stop there, Metra/NICTD trains on the Outer Tracks DON’T STOP THERE (they stop at their own platforms at 58th ONLY); again, NO Fare conflicts.
+ South of 63rd, the South Chicago Branch has all new stations – A L L of which have space for TVM’s and Turnstiles, and the old stations on the Mainline to be used by the Gray Line also ALL have space for Fare Collection equipment, and could easily be equipped with relatively inexpensive ramps for ADA Compliance: http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wls/documents/011712-cdot-cta-release.pdf
If they can fit an ADA ramp between 2 CTA ‘L’ tracks, like is proposed at the South end of the new Cermak ‘L’ station – they can certainly fit one between the Electric Districts wide track centers.
FG – You’ve also refused to be transparent in your cost estimation, which says you have no idea about construction and engineering costs, what truly would be involved in making your proposal happen.
>> – It is true I cannot make extremely accurate cost estimates, but I KNOW that O N L Y installing a few CTA TVM’s and turnstiles at the vast majority of the affected stations is NOT going to cost all that much.
If you like FG, I will personally take you on a tour of all the Facilities in question – so I can SHOW you how it can be done easily and cheaply.
Does any of all this answer any of your questions FG??
Please let me know.
New South Shore/NICTD Bi-level Gallery EMU’s equipped with side doors at one end – in addition to the center doors, for faster boarding and alighting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9-jVCZK48
For the Gray Line application they would be also be equipped with Grab-irons and Stanchions for standees and crowds in the empty washrooms bays – adjacent to the end and center doors (no seats in that area).
G-Gauge EMU model under construction right now with a big CTA Decal on the side; should be completed within two weeks.
LOL
You’ve really just blown your 200M statement with your descriptions above.
Doing the “58th Street station” alone would be easily 50 million. Building a new station there would be a massive undertaking which would take probably two years to design correctly and then easily two years to build.
You still don’t understand ADA requirements – the CTA got a pass on it because they have existing facilities, but a complete changover would require full compliance to new ADA codes, which have changed since the South Chicago stations were rebuilt (even if only a ‘contract’ service from the CTA to Metra). As an example there is no room for ramps at Van Buren up from the platform, the distances are too small (not width, length) and the bridges would block ramp headroom. And it would have to be able be a fully functional platform – ME already runs two suburban trains at once from both platforms in the evening and morning – two platforms won’t cut it.
I ride ME EVERY DAY, so I am actually MORE familiar than you are with operations. The turnstiles were removed because they were a bother for riders, they were always broken and so the stations were rebuilt without provision for new faregates.
I still don’t understand why this is so important with the coming of a ‘universal’ farecard the only issue would be train frequency and it’s pretty obvious there is no money for increase frequency for either agency at the moment for ANY service (and believe me, with two staff per train, plus station agents, and the increase in mechanics to repair trains and cleaners with the increased frequency, massively increased policing [in fact, with your comments about how bad the el is crimewise, I'm surprised you would want to degrade metra riders to this], that would be expensive right off the bat).
Then there are connections. You have to leave the downtown stations to make other rail connections, and for cash fares that’s a big problem (yes, people still pay with cash). And then there are all the SOUTH SIDE connections from the red line. You are essentially forcing somebody who wants, say, the 55 bus to Western from the red line to add 20 minutes by going along the ME alignment. All the analysis for the red line extension show that forcing people to the ME alignment would slow people down and add an additional transfer which would discourage use of it, and for people with the option of driving, get them into their cars.
I made the L O N G explanation knowing up-front that W H A T E V E R thing I said – that you would shoot it down; do you work for Metra – or CTA??
Have a nice day, and Thanks for your input.
I have just read over what you said about “forcing somebody who wants, say, the 55 bus to Western from the Red Line to add 20 minutes by going along the ME alignment”
What does that mean?
Why would anyone “have” to use the ME alignment – and how would it affect the Red Line??
HYDE PARK and the University of Chicago get SCREWED AGAIN:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/12908475-761/cta-to-buy-425-new-buses-as-part-of-500-million-overhaul.html
“The (BROKE) City” and CTA found $300 Million to build the Airport Express SuperStation at Block 37 (how did that work out).
N O W “The (BROKE) City” [Teachers Strike/CTA Unions] can “find” $500 Million for new buses.
B U T they can’t find $200 Million to provide Hyde Park and the UoC CTA ‘L’ service.
They could spend $300 M on buses, and $200 Million to give Hyde Park an ‘L’ – but they DON’T GIVE A F*** About Hyde Park (or the UoC).
DO YOU NEED ANY MORE P R O O F ? ? ?
RECENTLY CTA ANNOUNCED a 5 MONTH SHUTDOWN of the entire South Side Red Line from Chinatown to 95th St.
FOR INFORMATION: http://www.transitchicago.com/redsouth/
CTA plans to use “Shuttle Buses” (Express and Local) to replace the Red Line service — This plan however is fraught with possibilitys for disaster: A traffic accident, a fire, bad weather and/or storms — MANY things could easily disrupt such a service, and cause thousands to be late for (or miss) their jobs, or important events
At just about any large event – CTA can assign portable Fare Boxes (at the back door of busea, and/or additional spaces in an ‘L’ station, like at Addison on the Red Line).
With NO (REPEAT — NO) changes to the Metre Electric Infrastructure whatsoever, you could assign TA Staff with portable Fareboxes (and a Cop) at the bottom of the MED station stairs (111th, 103rd, 95th, 87th, 83rd, 79th, 75th, etc., etc., etc…….), or in the station house — to control access to the platforms, and then just run the MED trains more frequently.
This service would terminate at 111th St., so as not to interfere with Metra University Park and NICTD trains.
NO “Shuttle Buses” needed, and as an added benefit Far South riders would not have to ride down to 95th t. to transfer to a “Shuttle”, to transfer to the Green Line at Garfield, to finally get where their going (3 vehicle changes, no matter what the fare situation).
CTA and Pace bus routes from the Far South (#’s 34, 103, 106, 108, 111, 112, 352, 353, etc., etc…) could Terminate at 111th & Cottage Grove instead of 95th & State — GREATLY reducing travel times and fuel usage.
CTA and Metra might N O T like the idea, but once the PUBLIC gets ahold of the possibilty of a R A I L alternative, I don’t think they will be satisfied with “Shuttle Buses”!
I will be at ALL of those CTA Town Hall meetings to distribute Gray Line literature, hope to see you there.
I will be commenting to the June CTA Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday June 13th at 10am, on utilizing the Metra Electric District as a RAIL replaement for the Red Line shutdown.
Please attend if you can.
http://chicagoist.com/2012/06/11/cta_promises_more_alternate_trains.php
CTA Promises More Alternate Trains, Shuttles For South Siders During Red Line Rebuild
The Chicago Transit Authority is going to great lengths to assure south side residents reliant on the Red Line that their commutes will be minimally affected by the five months the south branch of the line will be shut down for a complete rebuild next year.
When CTA made the announcement last week they said the 40-year-old branch was in such a state of disrepair that a complete shutdown was required, instead of working on the repairs on nights and weekends. The overhaul is expected to save the transit agency $75 million.
That’s all well and good, but it’s the alternate transportation plan—the train routes and shuttle services intended to get South siders who regularly use the Red Line to get to their destinations‐that left many scratching their heads. Here are the travel alternatives CTA has announced so far:
Free shuttle buses with 24-hour service from 69th, 79th, 87th and 95th/Dan Ryan stations to the Garfield station on the Green Line (including express service from stations with free entry at Garfield for shuttle bus riders and a local, station-to-station shuttle from 63rd to 95th/Dan Ryan)
Free rail entry for shuttle bus riders at Garfield on the Green Line
50 cent discounted bus rides on many South Side routes
24-hour Red Line service on Green Line tracks between Roosevelt and Ashland/63rd
Expanded bus service on existing routes
Sorry, but this isn’t much. Tribune transportation reporter John Hilkevitch said as much and asked CTA, Metra and the Regional Transportation Authority what else was being considered, noting the plan was “hastily drawn” and relied too much on shuttle buses to move an average of 250,000 passengers a day from closed Red Line stations to Green Line stations.
Hilkevitch posited this would be an ideal time to put in place an integrated fare policy to allow affected Red Line commuters to board Metra’s Rock Island Line, for example, easier.
The response Hilkevitch received from Metra spokesman Michael Gillis may as well have been a no comment.
“We have plenty of time to work on this before next May.”
No, you don’t.
It will be important to allow riders to transfer seamlessly between the CTA and Metra without being hassled about the different fares — a solution that has eluded (or been avoided by) the Chicago area’s mass transit network for decades.
The RTA faces a Jan. 1 deadline to submit a fare-integration plan to the transit agencies for input, approval and implementation. The Illinois Legislature has set a 2015 deadline for the RTA system to implement common fare media, also known as a universal fare card, to be accepted by all three transit agencies.
To their credit last week, CTA officials quickly realized it will take time to get it all right, which is why they pushed for an initial meeting with Metra operations officials for this week, said CTA spokeswoman Molly Sullivan.
If Metra isn’t being proactive about this—par for the course for them—CTA recognnizes the bad PR generated from this and is actively working on alternatives besides integrated fares. They’re promising to boost train capacity and to run Red Line trains a little bit past Roosevelt so that some South side riders can still ride from, say, Bronzeville to points north without catching a shuttle. CTA also told Hilkevitch that what they’ve announced so far is a first draft and that, once the shuttle services begin next May, they’ll be monitoring the progress and tweaking what isn’t working to improve travel times.
For those of you wondering if this isn’t going to happen on the North side, CTA president Forrest Claypool threw a gold glass of reality on that.
“I got news for people,” Claypool said Tuesday on WBEZ’s Afternoon Shift. “The north Red Line has to be rebuilt as well. And we’re not that many years away from that happening.”
Claypool said he would not want to completely shut down the North Side Red Line.
He said the Red Line is longer on the North Side than on the South Side and construction would likely be staggered, rather than have the entire stretch closed at one time.
“There clearly will be disruptions at that time, but at the end of the day years from now, assuming we get the proper federal support for that project, you will have literally a brand new railroad from the far northern suburbs to the very southern portions of the City of Chicago,” he said.
TO: Members of the South Lakefront Community
FROM: O-H Community Partners
DATE: June 12, 2012
RE: Flyer for South Lakefront Public Meeting on June 28th, 2012
Public Community Meeting for the South Lakefront Corridor Transit Study
When: Thursday, June 28, 2011 from 6pm-8pm
Where: Apostolic Church of God – Banquet Hall, 6320 S. Dorchester Ave. (at 63rd Street), Chicago, IL 60637
You are invited to the public community meeting for the South Lakefront Corridor Transit Study. This meeting will present the project evaluation results and the draft recommendations of the South Lakefront Corridor Transit Study. The study has focused on improving public transportation and enhancing Transit-Oriented Development in order to enhance mobility for residents and increase access to jobs within the South Lakefront Corridor. It is the third in a series of meetings.
We want to hear from you. Please join us for this important public meeting and feel free to invite others. A copy of the flyer is attached.
For more information please visit our website http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cdot/supp_info/south_lakefront_corridortransitstudy.html and follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/South-Lakefront-Corridor-Transit-Study/199444600080441
RSVP: lisa.green@o-hcommunitypartners.com
*If you require ADA assistance please let us know.
Lisa Green
Senior Associate
O-H Community Partners, Ltd.
372 West Ontario Street, Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60654
Direct: 312.705.6860
Main: 312.850.0600
Fax: 312.850.0601
lisa.green@o-hcommunitypartners.com
http://www.ohcommunitypartners.com
http://www.thefundwell.com
http://www.cityofchicago.org/dam/city/depts/cdot/SouthLakeFront/SouthLakefrontCorridorTransitStudyPublicMtgSept12.pdf