by Aaron M. Renn
Chronicling life riding the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Visit The Weekly Breakdown on the web at http://www.urbanophile.com/breakdown/
Another project of mine is an effort to get Louisville added to the proposed Midwest high speed rail network. I've put up a web site about this which has lots of information about the existing proposed network that might be very interesting to railfans. In my own (not so modest) opinion, it is the best site on this network on the web. See:
http://www.urbanophile.com/arenn/trans/rail/lou/lou-hsr.html
The CTA reported that ridership increased slightly on both its bus and rail systems in 1998. This is the first time that has happened in 13 years. Rail ridership was up 1.9% to 132.4 million and bus ridership was up 0.9% to 291.7 million. [ Source: Chicago Sun-Times, 18 February 1999 ]
Metra also reported ridership increases. Ridership was up 3% to a record 77 million. This is the second consecutive year that Metra has set a ridership record. The new North Central Service line saw the biggest percentage increase at 27%. The Milwaukee-North, BNSF, Rock Island, and UP-North lines also showed strong ridership gains, though the percentages were much smaller. [ Source: Chicago Tribune, 17 February 1999 ]
The CTA announced that it is adding park and ride lots at two stations on the Orange Line. There will be 400 spaces at Marquette and Cicero. Riders can catch the 49B-South Cicero to the Orange Line terminal at Midway. Normal fares apply. ($1.50 for the bus plus $0.30 transfer to the Orange Line). Another lot is planned for 48th and Kedzie. These lots are to aid motorists in finding alternate modes of transportation during the two year, $567 million Stevenson Expressway (I-55) reconstruction project. [ Source: Chicago Tribune, 18 February 1999 ] [ No word on who paid for these lots, but I sure hope it is IDOT - AMR ]
Not all the news was good for the CTA this week. While CTA President Frank Kruesi pointed to ridership gains as proof that his plans for rebuilding ridership are working, the Center for Economic Policy Analysis released a study harshly critical of the CTA. It called on federal and state governments to change the funding criteria for awarding the CTA grants from financial need to improved performance and ridership. Service cuts are "a mechanism to keep themselves in a state of budget crisis so they can justify the need for subsidies" according to Jason Hardy, one of the studies authors. The study says that "Attracting riders would require the work of operating more buses and trains, keeping them clean and having them run reliably, while attracting subsidies mainly involves managing financial documents." [ Source: Chicago Sun-Times, 18 February 1999 ]
Officials studying transportation needs in the northwest suburbs are expected to release a report that recommends narrowing the choice of solutions to eight, and performing further study on those. Highway, bus, and rail solutions are all proposed. The bus option was the cheapest at less than $150 million to implement. (This plan includes some dedicated bus lanes and ramps). Suburban mayors say they prefer an extension of the Blue Line - one of the costliest alternatives still under consideration. [ Source: Chicago Sun-Times, 19 February 1999 ]
Service was interrupted on Thursady when a 45 year old woman was struck by a Red Line train in the State Street subway at about 3:45pm. According to witnesses, the woman jumped in front of the 30-ton L car in an apparent suicide attempt. [ Source: Chicago Tribune 18 February 1999 ] [ Thanks to Matthew Robert Zanon (nospam-mzanon@knox.edu) for bringing this item to my attention ]
The Rachel Barton trial continued this week. Rachel herself took the stand and described herself, her life, and the accident. This testimony made the front page of the Chicago Tribune on Saturday. She denied that she attempted to save her expensive violin rather than herself, as Metra maintains.
The Weekly Breakdown is a small Internet journal devoted to the trials and tribulations of being a regular rider of the Chicago Transit Authority. I would be happy to hear about and include your experiences. Just send mail to breakdown@urbanophile.com.
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