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/
CTA news for this week:
The CTA is planning to hold fares at their current level next year.
CTA Board Chairman Valerie Jarrett was appointed to another seven year term.
Older 2600 series cars are being equipped with solid steel undercovering in an attempt to prevent them from shorting out in the snow.
The CTA received only $7 million from Congress for its Blue and Brown Line projects. Metra received $25 million. These figures were in line with earlier committee recommendations.
Source: Chicago Tribune 28 September 1999 and 1 October 1999.
Ryan Szekeres wrote in with a tip on some Metra repair work:
"They're fixing the columns for the bridge at the Mayfair station. I can't for the life of me remember the street. It looks like they chip away all the cracked stuff, erect forms around the column and then pour the concrete. When it's done it looks really good. Smooth as glass. I saw some guys working on the tracks past the Forest Glen station too though I'm not sure what they're doing. It looks like they might work their way into the city because all the bridges have new railings and some have walkways added."
He also reported:
"Looks like Metra is also replacing the tracks on the MD north line. They started around Forest Glen and are making their way into the city. Brand new welded rail. The joints look really cool in the morning light."
While Metra is making repairs, nospam-SOLIDPLAT@aol.com tells us about one place the CTA isn't:
"The escalator on the Red Line at Chicago has been broken for some time. Today, 3 senior citizens had to climb the 'dead' escalator. One had a cane. Do we need yet another fare increase to get the thing fixed?"
The CTA scored a rare hat trick this week. When I was taking the L to see the Moonshine Willy/Retsin show on Thursday, there were three trains blocked at the Howard yard interlocking waiting to get into the station, a Red, Yellow, and Purple Line train.
Edward Hungler is yet another reader who hates smoking on platforms.
"I just got this website from the paper today and I wanted to complain about the amount of people who smoke at the Logan Square underground L stop on the Blue Line. I just started taking the train and the other morning there were 10 people chain smoking. There are signs but no one follows them. I hate smoking anyway but it is people's right to smoke and they always have at previous stops on different lines but it sucks when it is underground and the smoke is not going anywhere. Everyday when I am there ther are thousnads of old butts on the tracks and grounds. What can be done to rectify the situation?"
My only suggestion is to ask people to quit, and if they do not, inform the CTA's platform supervisor. People should not smoke in the subway.
nospam-cmmalone@uhlaw.com wrote in with this complaint:
"Please allow this humble commuter to make the following observations: I can never decide whether it is the filth at the Clark & Division L stop (nothing like watching rats scurrying on the tracks first thing in the morning, I say) that I detest the most or the pathetic, grossly overcrowded, completely rundown trains. I don't recall being on one air-conditioned train all summer, and I ride the Howard Line Monday through Friday. On one typically hot and humid day in July (July 8th, to be exact) I boarded a northbound train at Washington and Madison and, with nary an announcement, the train didn't stop again until Belmont! Do you think they might have mentioned this?! Do you think they could have apologized?
"I firmly believe that the CTA needs to get their hands on the operational manual for the Metro system in Paris, regardless of cost. I have traveled extensively all over Paris on the Metro and not once was a train delayed, dirty or overcrowded. How can that be? Not to mention the fact that every Metro employee I came into contact with was exceedingly polite and knowledgeable. I cringe when I see tourists or travelers from out of town vainly attempting communication with a CTA employee. This is particularly evident when these people are trying to figure out how to purchase a transit card. I mean, I'm not expecting the quality of customer service that the Ritz Carlton provides to its guests, but I do think it's not asking too much to expect these morons to do more than just grunt, for God's sake.
"My final complaint for today: Is it completely out of the question to hope and dream that some day the CTA could install a simple system advising riders whether an approaching train is northbound or southbound SO I DON'T HAVE TO FEAR FOR MY LIFE WHILE PEOPLE STAMPEDE DOWN THE STAIRS ONLY TO FIND THE TRAIN IS GOING THE WRONG WAY?!"
Sean M Gash wrote in with an update about the Red Line fire at Clybourn I reported last week.
"The Red Line fire did occur on Thursday the 9th I think. I have a scanner now so I can listen to railroads (that's a railfan thing). The train did catch fire, and it was extingushed by the operator just north of the subway portal. The train then deadheaded to Howard St. and was laid up in the yard for inspection. The car that caught fire has returned to service. The Tuesday before, at two seperate times of the day, the elevated section of the Brown/Purple line just north of Chicago Ave. caught fire. A supervisor was out there for a time, but there are no catwalks like on the Red and Green lines, so only train operators could easily reach the fire. Regarding the Blue Line delay of the 14th, service was restored at 4:30pm, and trains were turned at Austin station because there are crossovers at Lombard. A couple of trains did get through by operating on the undamaged track. The 'stones' referred to are crushed rock that is used for ballast below the track. The practice of the CTA using bulldozers is standard on rail lines in the expressway, so it wasnt some first time thing.
"The program of rebuilding the 2600-series cars is going well...there are approximately 88 cars (44-units) that have been rebuilt by Alstom. All are assigned to the Red Line, but it doesnt help much that the Red Line is short of cars (that's why nothing gets fixed). The automated voice announcement system will go into operation by the end of the year on the Red and most likely the Purple line. Personally I dont think it is a good investment because if the PA system is not working in a car, then what's the point of having a recorded voice?"
Thanks, Sean. And finally, "smr" wrote in with this interesting tale:
"Last Friday, I left work as usual around 7pm and hopped the Green at Clinton to transfer at Clark & Lake to the Orange. Got off at Clark, usual-sized crowd awaiting, and settled in to wait for the Midway train. About 5 minutes later, the Orange pulls around the corner and begins to slow down to stop at Clark. Right before it hits where it should usually stop, it picks up speed and accelerates out of the station. I watch it and it does stop at State, the next stop down. So everyone's rather pissed (there have been no announcements from either the train driver as he pulled through or from station employees), especially the one freakin' lunatic, old and bitter-looking, who kept screaming at the top of his lungs 'We have a right to service! I demand to know why that train didn't stop!' etc, etc.... Now, mind you, he's not yelling at any CTA employees, no, the only people who have to hear this crap are his co-commuters. Thanks, buddy.
"So about two minutes later a female commuter comes on the platform comes up from the Thompson's Temple entrance onto the platform and hears this guy bellowing, so she informs him (and us, by proxy) that there's been a bomb threat and no trains are stopping at Clark. The crazy guy, ever thankful, starts screaming at her like it's all her fault and bombards her with questions along the lines of 'What right do They (yes, you could hear the capital T) have to deny service?'. She, wisely, walks on. So we all get off and head down to the much smaller State stop, with an overcrowded platform and unhelpful CTA guys kinda lolling about the farecard machines. They were offering free entry to people from Clark, but they weren't going out of their way to mention it. You had to walk up and ask them and then they'd farecard you in.
"So, my complaints are:
"1. Bomb threat. So, it's okay to move to trains on through, but not bother to inform the people on the platform that they might want to move?
"2. No announcements at all? That sucks.
"3. No info at State, either. Does the CTA care at all about customer relations? Or just making sure their trains don't get damaged, as opposed to their customers?"
Thanks to everybody who wrote in. I've still got more for next week. Just a reminder, if you don't see what you've sent me immediately, don't panic. I'll get it in within a couple weeks. Thanks for reading everybody.
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. The views expressed by contributors are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the publisher.
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