I remember as a young child in the 1960s reading a magazine (popular science?) touting the urban planning idea that as cities started building freeways, it would be a clever idea to put mass transit trains in between the two sides of the freeway. If you’ve ever driven through Chicago on the freeways, you can’t miss them.
The Dan Ryan was the poster child for this concept – the Red Line runs South from the Loop out to 95th street. It has had significant suburban ridership from people willing to ride a “safe” train through the south side of Chicago to avoid the hassle of parking downtown.
But the South Side already had “L” trains – they run from the loop down to 59th street – one branch then heads east toward the Site of the World’s fair on the lake (much of which has been torn down). The Western Branch goes over the Dan Ryan below and ends at 63rd and Ashland. The South ChicagoRapid Transit company built what is now the CTA Green Line in 1893 to reach the World’s fair. Mass production automobiles didn’t exist yet. Electric powered streetcars were brand new.
The Dan Ryan is 50 years old and worn out. The daily ridership is 50,000 – the State of Illinois is closing the Dan Ryan tracks for 5 months to do a complete $480 million rehab (mostly Federal Obama Bucks of course. That works out to about $9000 in capital expense for each daily rider.
In order to have any service, the CTA is spending $20 million in temporary repairs to try to lift the slow zones that limit the green line to barely above walking speed.
It’s not hard to see why people find Jesus on the Green Line
http://youtu.be/kjrIz-DLzww
It’s worth mentioning that the Illinois Central and Rock Island Metra lines serve the same area – but you never want to let federal handout go to waste!
Slight correction: Never want to let federal handout, that leads to graft, go to waste!
I wonder how many riders are homeless and living there. It is popular with the NYC subways and the suburban trains feeding them:
http://transportationnation.org/2013/04/03/one-train-ticket-in-new-jersey-can-be-valid-for-years-if-you-never-get-on-a-train/
The CTA was a mixed bag when I rode it every day back 20 years ago. The North Bound red line trains ended at Howard Street – CTA security would walk the train rousting everyone off of the train – many of the trains were going to be parked in the yard for the night. You don’t want some drunk waking up at 3 am in a darkened train and open the door and urinate on the third rail.
I seem to remember though the system wasn’t completely effective. Once they found a corpse in rigor mortus sitting in a seat. He apparently made several round trips down to 95th street
Well look at this about a week ago. When I see YouTube videos like this, I tend to suspect the video maker of causing the incident
http://www.chicagonewsreport.com/2013/03/video-cta-blue-line-train-catches-fire.html
Are you going to start bringing up Alan Funt references next?
At some point, I remember seeing him do a version of Candid Camera for cable. I believe one of the stunts was an attractive woman asking to learn how to ride a horse bareback, then showing up for the class and taking off her top and seeing what the instructor’s reaction was to her breasts blowing in the wind – misunderstanding of what bare back meant.
I don’t know – I was always a little creeped out by him, Art Linkletter and Mr Rogers. Rocky & Billwinkle I didn’t understand, but in retrospect I understand that was the point.
Or could they be stuck on CTA the way Charlie was stuck on MTA?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU
Are you going to start bringing up Vaughn Meader references next?
Meader’s career was killed by the single bullet that that Scots law charlatan from Pennsylvania had documented so thoroughly.
It was magic!
I found Charlie! Behind me is his wife with a sandwich to hand him. Have a look-see:
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/rawfile/2013/04/train.gif
Will he ever return?
They must have really long station platforms in Boston
April 19, 2013- Charlie is free! “All modes of public transportation were shut down, including buses, subways, trolleys, commuter rail and boats, said Joe Pesaturo, spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.”
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLICE_CONVERGE_MASS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-04-19-07-09-32
This was a great BLOG!