The Missing Link in Chicago Transit
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- čas přidán 17. 02. 2024
- In this video, we will discuss a popular CTA proposal: extending the Brown Line to Jefferson Park.
Sources/Further Reading
transitfuture.files.wordpress...
www.chicago-l.org/operations/...
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onthemap.ces.census.gov
www.transitchicago.com/assets...
Pictures
www.chicago-l.org/stations/im...
www.chicago-l.org/stations/im...
www.chicago-l.org/stations/im...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicker_...
www.pexels.com/photo/elevated...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_L...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffers...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffers...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montros...
www.pexels.com/photo/the-larg...
If you go to Paris or London, you can take the train for almost every trip, most cross-town trips in 30 minutes. The problem with the L is that many cross-town trips take 60 minutes because you are going so far out of your way. The circle line is a no brainer. This would be a great start.
Yes, but transit was cheaper to build when those metros were built, there wasn't competition from cars, and the fare box covered most of their costs. They didn't take as long to build as transit projects do now. They were also safer, more convenient and ran more often.
@@charlesreidy2765transit was not safer back then. And its still way safer than driving a car now
@@charlesreidy2765just because you buy into populist scaremongering doesnt mean its true
@@charlesreidy2765
Plenty of cities around the world have recent lines running through and around metro areas.
I don't think that's an excuse.
You have so much undocumented, cheap labor and can't find even an underhanded way to build out transit systems??
@@charlesreidy2765it's not cheap today, yes. But it's gonna get even more expensive as decades pass, and then in two-three decades Chicago will have to bear the cost of not having better transit that it could have.
Dorval Carter at CTA is running it like Spirit Airlines, and would be very surprised if he even allows the AC to be turned on. He needs to go and be replaced with a CTA President that will ACTIVELY work as a public utility, not a president who all but selling it for parts. So until he's gone, no extensions, let along trains and buses running on time, will happen. We are going to enter 2040 with the same level of service we have today and that's frightening.
Especially upsetting given that other cities are getting many billions to expand rail as part of the enormous infrastructure bill that was recently passed. What did we ask for? What are we getting?
I agree with you generally, but the Red Line Extension is going to happen and the Red-Purple Modernization is currently ongoing and making good progress.
@@junktrunk909 We're getting nearly $2billion for the Red Line Extension.
@@lmbrjckwharfie Thank god we're extending the Red Line to a part of the city nobody lives in instead of simply running more trains
You literally have no clue what you are talking about. Under Carter he's secured funds to extend the red line. Not sure if you've been living under a rock but He has the red/purple line being modernized. Service did not shut down during the pandemic. There are new rail cars on the red and blue lines...with more to come. He's secured a contract to introduce electric buses to the system. Learn your facts before typing false bs information
For an extension in the same vein but for the South Side, a potential idea is running the Ashland branch of the Green Line either elevated/underground along 63rd to Midway, and then building a new Green Line station at 63rd next to the Dan Ryan, which would allow a transfer to the Red Line.
This will be even more useful once the Red Line gets extended down to 130th, since communities like Riverdale and West Pullman are historically underserved and would benefit significantly from better connections to job opportunities in the Midway area.
The only issue being that the branches of the Green Line are essentially transit deserts, and the headways on this new branch would be terrible.
Another option I believe is worth looking into is adjusting the Illinois Medical District station on the Blue Line to allow for a new transfer station with the same name on the Pink Line, providing transfers between both the Green and Pink lines to the Blue Line.
the walk from polk to IMD along paulina is about a quarter mile, but then again so is the ramp from paulina to the platform at IMD. i’m sure they *could* move the platform at IMD to improve the connection, but then it’s a longer way to the damen exit of IMD. and unfortunately, it would be incredibly inconvenient to move the polk station at all because of where the interlockings for the connector are. a protected walking path is also a potential solution, but it’d likely be a jackson tunnel situation
additionally, i don’t think ridership would justify the changes because ridership plummets west of IMD on the forest park branch, and south and westside residents seem to have a preference towards the buses from what i’ve gathered anecdotally
You would also have to convert the Cottage Grove branch of the Green Line into a shuttle service for headways on the Ashland Branch to make sense, but you could argue it should be a shuttle service already. It's also a smart time to extend the CG branch back to the Metra Electric station at Dorchester, two blocks east of where the Obama Center will be.
There used to be a station at 63rd and Harvard, right by the Ryan, but nobody used it so they demolished it.
Thank you for including the option of connecting at Montrose instead of Jefferson Park. So many proposals have the connection at JP, but there are a few reasons I think Montrose is worth serious consideration.
1, Regional Connections. You alluded to this, but it's worth exploring more. Two Metra lines that serve McHenry, Lake, and northern Cook counties (UP-NW and MD-N) converge by Montrose. Also, the Amtrak service to Milwaukee runs through that junction. A bigger project that includes a new station for these lines (and likely grade separation) would further increase the connectivity of the Brown Line.
2, TOD Hub. With the connectivity improvements from the previous point, the area around Montrose could become a satellite business district to the Loop, helping Chicago transition to a more polycentric model. It would have rail access to Wisconsin and the north suburbs. Brown Line would link it to the North Side, and Blue Line would make it about 15min to ORD and the convention center at Rosemont. Portions of the Kennedy here could be decked over to provide a park.
3, Existing Right-of-Ways. Just west of the Edens is an unused rail right-of-way (ROW). A new Brown Line elevated structure along Lawrence could use this ROW to reach the Montrose station site. That ROW has some interesting connectivity potential further north as well that could benefit a major transfer station at Montrose. It runs by the Lincolnwood Mall, then to the Yellow Line. This gives the option for another future L service providing a direct route from Howard to Montrose. Going south from Montrose, the ROW is still used by freight trains, but could form the basis for another new L line close to Cicero Ave someday. (Providing a further axis of connection for Montrose.)
Now, I get that changing the northwest side's big transfer center from JP to Montrose would involve revising a lot of bus routes. But, given the potential rail connections at Montrose that would provide a link between the city and the greater metropolitan area, I think the potential is at least worth further study.
An Amtrak connection there would be superb, I hadn't realized that was a possibility before! If Amtrak does eventually go through with their proposed service upgrades on the Hiawatha line I think that further bolsters the Montrose alternative as well
You don't need to trade off between "Brown Line to Montrose" and "Brown Line to Jefferson Park." It can go to Montrose and then follow Blue Line tracks to Jefferson Park, keeping the Jefferson Park transit center intact :)
You read my mind! Going home from O'Hare or Rosemont, I always wondered why the Brown Line didn't just connect with Jefferson Park (or Montrose, as you mentioned). It would be so convenient as I usually come home late, so it's too late to take the busses, and I have to take a ride share. Edit: I love the idea of a subway after Western!! It makes sense as the train is already moving down, and no one wants their homes moved. Also, there won't be a traffic jam on Kedzie when the street has to close for the train to pass.
A lot of city needs orbital lines
It is quite odd to me how Hyde Park, which pops up as a major employment center on the map, is completely disconnected from the L, as is the South Shore neighborhood, which features a dense mix of high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise apartment buildings akin to those in Edgewater, Uptown, and Lakeview, and is located south of Hyde Park.
I personally am lucky to find the L to be one option for commuting to my classes at Illinois Tech from where I live, but it requires me to go well out of my way on the Orange Line, and then transfer to the Green Line, heading back south. The trains have sometimes taken over 15 minutes to appear, in my experience. Meanwhile, driving, which I would prefer to do less of, takes only 10 minutes, making it more convenient than taking the L. I find the L is best for going to the Loop or the North Side, but if I am going anywhere else, it honestly makes more sense for me to drive - and I really wish it was not that way.
Metra. The map is missing metra/South shore line which fills a lot of 'gaps' (like Hyde park and South shore) though there are indeed still CTA train additions that should be built, for sure
As was said, Metra runs what is essentially a streetcar/light rail route (masquerading as commuter rail for some reason) through both Hyde Park and South Shore. Many of the residents along the Metra Electric South Chicago branch have asked for more frequent service akin to L trains, and more seamless transfers between the "Gold Line" as it was once called and the CTA system (both buses and the train stations near the Gold Line terminus downtown)
@@TeslaDystopiait’s a heavy rail line akin to interurban services. The South Shore is a true interurban and is heavy rail. Much different from light rail in this case.
As a former resident of Hyde Park the usual thing to do was to take a bus over to the ‘L’. There once was a Kenwood branch but it didn’t have enough ridership. Also the only problem with Metra Electric is cost.
Hyde Park and South Shore are well served by express buses to the Loop and Metra. No need to extend the L in that direction. If anything, the Green Line could be restored along 63rd St. to Stony Island connecting with Metra Electric.
Lol, I floated this idea back in 1987 when I was in high school. It sucks having to get off the Ravenswood L and take the Lawrence Ave. bus to Jeff Park.
Another Transit line that should be Built should be the Midcity Transitway that uses The Belt Railway of Chicago (Includes the UP Cragin Sub) and it should be called the Lime Line.
I live near the Brown line and was just thinking about this extension the other day. I even mapped it out on Google maps and had the same idea for stops. It’s only 2.5 miles between the Kimball and Jefferson Park stops. Good timing on the video. 😂
Many northsiders like myself don’t take transit to O’Hare because it’s so inconvenient. This would make things so much better. Also the area near this extension is pretty densely populated and I’m sure residents would love having a nearby L stop.
I also think deep bore is likely the only option to appease the NIMBYs and avoid having to acquire property.
Same, glad to hear other people have been thinking about this. It’s always strange getting recommended videos about very specific topics you were already thinking about.
Why not an EL over Lawerence Avenue instead since it has a similar width to Lake Street so an El over Lawrence Avenue would be Cheaper than a Subway
There is an easier route to Montrose:
- Elevated along Lawrence to the western side of Cicero, then connecting to an abandoned rail bridge, continuing along the abandoned railroad and terminating at montrose and Knox Ave. The station could be built right there and it could service UP-N, Milwaukee-N, and brown line trains. It could have a pedestrian bridge that connects to the Montrose Blue Line on the other side of I-90.
Only 1-3 properties would have to be acquired which appears to be a warehouse at Montrose and Knox.
Yes, yes yes yes yes yes, yes. We moved to Ravenswood about two years ago and while we love it we have serious considerations to make when we want to go to O'Hare. We eventually settled on taking a rideshare car to the Blue line Western and then taking the Blue line in to the airport; more recently we've tried taking a car to the Jefferson Park station with quicker, and cheaper, results. But, ultimately, we've been craving an extension of the Brown line to the Blue line, and I suspect that as time goes on more and more people will want that or something similar. But, as you said, this all takes a lot of money, and with the Ashland BRT moving forward I can foresee a BRT proposal before a dedicated - and costly - rail extension. But something has to happen eventually, because one of the places we fly to is NYC, and while it can be confusing the MTA presents way more options for getting around by rail.
The Loop is still important, and maybe Fulton Market is about to shift the center of gravity westward a little bit, but with more people not only working away from the Loop but also form home in general, the "center" of Chicago is becoming less and less of a thing. If Chicago wants to stay competitive as a place to live, especially for those of us who never want to own a car, it has to start figuring that out sooner than later.
Similar-ish boat here. In the Edgewater neighborhood along the Red and for all my trips to get to ORD in particular I've resorted to some kind of rideshare as the bus connections to make any west-east travel even along the same latitude (I've checked from my own apartment and we are exactly in line with runway 27C lol) as the airport is an absolute pain especially with any extra baggage. And taking the Red all the way down to Lake just to then have to take the Blue all the way back up just feels bananas in all the times I've done it.
@@raphaelkinney Right! Same! Yes! I mean, I do get having a direct line straight from the major airport in the region connecting straight to downtown businesses and hotels, 100%, makes sense. But not everyone here in the north and all of Evanston drives, and I think the population is going to keep pushing north of the Loop, so the city and the CTA are going to have to make some decisions, and soon.
@@raphaelkinney also Edgewaterian and take a rideshare to JP to catch the blue, sometimes I just take the rideshare the entire way
@@raphaelkinneyPulse Dempster bus from Davis station. Every 15 to 20 minutes straight to the O'hare rental car complex
Kimball station would have to be put underground if an extension to Jefferson Park is built
or maybe they’d build an el, since it’s cheaper
I think the best thing to do would be to keep the current property and Rebuild the Kimball station platforms (not the yard) to be elevated with a bigger station, and then be a modern elevated along Lawrence Avenue to a stacked platforms layout at Jefferson Park. They should probably be a new station with the Metra and brown line between Elston and Jefferson Park. If this really is about connections.
the metra station is in terrible condition so having it rebuilt would make sense
if they want to elevate the station at kimball, they’d have to either elevate the entire railyard at kimball (dangerous and inconvenient), or they’d have to build a long ramp to connect the yard to the main tracks, meaning getting trains from the yard into service would take 10 times as long as it currently does
Unfortunately the Circle Line (essentially a large loop) was, as you say, was taken off the table
And it wasn't even a very large loop. This city needs more decisive leaders to actually get anything done instead of talking about it until the project just dies like the circle line.
@@junktrunk909 Tbf, the circle line, which I do think was definitely the best option, wasn't really killed by indecision and development hell as much as, yknow, *2008*. Floating a massive new train line at the time the CTA had to cancel half its busses (from which it still hasn't recovered, btw - we're only back up to ~130 lines) was never going to work.
In Santiago de Chile we have a system that lowers the costs of tunnel construction. First, the tunnel is divided into several sections, and for each section a construction company is defined, where they are given benefits and bonuses for finishing the project before the other. , in effect it is a kind of competition to see who finishes the tunnel first. It is much more economical for only one company to be in charge of the project as a whole.
Chicago weather doesn't allow for full time construction. We swing from -37c to 37c. We have a joke here, "there are only two seasons in Chicago, Winter and Construction."
And we do construction by bids all the time. Anything done though needs lots of planning. We have hot, freezing cold, flooding, clay, sandy, landfill and bedrock to dig through. :-)
Interesting idea with the Montrose station. Personally, I think either way you go, you have to grade separate the line west of Western. The grade crossings cause a lot of problems. I also don't think Kimball Yard is worth saving...it's not ideal to have a yard in the middle of a line and the yard is small and awkward anyway. Something else to consider, which actually works better with the Montrose version, would be to continue down Cicero Ave to Midway, then go east to Ashland/63rd to make a large loop. This picks up a lot of people on the west and south sides and would connect all of the west side lines to avoid having to go downtown to get to the airports and other outer destinations.
I wonder if you could make up for cutting that yard by somehow making it so the brown line trains arriving at the Jeff Park station could switch to the Blue Line tracks and use the Rosemont yard instead. It kinda looks like if you cut out the yard then you'd also have enough room to curve the train onto Lawrence instead of cutting through that residential area too.
@@PreparationH67 I think Rosemont is too small for that, plus it is busy enough with the Blue Line. Also, consider that a longer route will require more railcars. I think another yard would need to be added somewhere.
It would add tens of millions to the economy just by opening up the entire north side to fast, cheap cross-town mass-transit, and it would fast-track the much needed building of an orbital line connecting the whole outer city, while simultaneously freeing up traffic and congestion in the loop. This is a no-brainer. Especially for anyone who has tried to take a slow bus across town.
Chicagoan here. I’m in favor of the Jefferson Park (above ground) extension with the added stop in Pulaski. But I also think the Brown line should be extended in the opposite direction as well to connect with the Red and Purple lines at Wilson (this would create a forking path, but we already have that with the Green Line, so I don’t see this as a problem, and would greatly help people in the North East area get to the central and North West areas faster since they wouldn’t even have to wait for a transfer at Belmont this way).
Also, I’m in huge favor of a circle line and think we should definitely do that at some point, but my vision is a little different than the one shown. Basically start at the Yellow line and go South West to O’Hare. From there go South East connecting with the southern Blue Line, Pink Line, and Orange Lines along the way. Then it goes across the Southern edge of the city (Red Line extended down to connect with it) before traveling up along the coast of Lake Michigan and riding along the center line of Lake Shore Drive and connecting with to the Red Line at Argyle.
I would love to see this extension built, along with new line along the Belt Railway tracks (alignment of the cancelled Crosstown Expressway), connecting the Jefferson Park or Montrose Blue Line, the CTA Green Line/Blue Line (Forest Park branch)/Pink Line (near Cicero Ave), Midway Airport, and the CTA Red Line (around 90th/91st St). Having that new line could be useful for residents along the "bungalow belt" and on the far west/southwest/south side, as it would connect those neighborhoods and Midway Airport to the CTA Blue Line without going through the Loop!
What a nice video!
But why couldn't you use the existing CTA rail yard property to facilitate the incline to a subway/el? don't know how unfeasible it might be but I'd imagine something like:
1) as construction starts, Brown and Orange Line merge and the new line stops short at Kedzie. This allows the half-full Midway Yard to be used as a temporary substitute for Kimball Yard. (Maybe run some service from Cottage Grove to take advantage of excess 63rd St Yard space too)
2) this allows for decommissioning of Kimball Yard and a sufficiently long ramp to cut across the property diagonally.
3) a new yard for the Brown Line Extension is built along vacant land in between the Edens and Metra UPN tracks along Lawrence, as a permanent replacement for Kimball Yard
4) after construction, the parts of Kimball yard not used for the ramp are redeveloped into affordable housing.
curious for your thoughts!
sorry, new yard is between the Edens and MD-N tracks, not UPN!
A quick measurement of the site you identified yields about 10+ acres, versus the 7+ existing at Kimball. It's tight considering the additional rolling stock needed to service the additional ridership this extension will surely generate, but it's vacant or at least underutilized and CTA should take it over. And the existing Kimball yard/station will present an excellent transit-oriented development site right on top of a new Kimball subway station. After Pulaski I like the idea of angling the subway (in deep bore tunnel) from Lawrence down to Montrose (as the author proposes at 8:11) for several reasons - (a) it allows interlining Brown and Blue line service, (b) it lines up well with the new yard you identify, and most importantly (c) it provides an opportunity to interconnect with commuter rail (which should be a regional goal). It's a huge and messy infrastructure project but worthwhile - ideally I'd like to see a new Montrose "superstation" that facilitates transfers between Metra and the Blue/Brown Lines. The CTA station would be moved a couple hundred feet north and perhaps underground, and the Mayfair Station moved south to provide smooth transfers.
At 5:00, if you shift that red line to the east till it fits in the original train yard, you'll have only 4 buildings to tear down.
Very interesting video and proposal. I lived in Albany Park near the Kedzie stop for a couple years and have a few thoughts:
1. Tunneling, although more expensive, would be highly preferential to building at grade or elevated on Lawrence. Lawrence Avenue from Kimball to Jefferson Park is an incredibly vibrant street with a large number of small locally owned businesses. It also contains very tight nit immigrant communities. Street vendors are commonplace and give the street a unique and homey feel that is replicated in very few sections of the city. Building an elevated rail line on Lawrence would likely disrupt and potentially destroy many of these businesses and communities that live in the neighborhood. Tunneling would preserve the businesses and the character of the street;
2. The tunneling could easily begin at or after the Francisco station so that you don't need to tunnel under the Chicago River. The costs would absolutely balloon for the project if you started moving tunneling near the Western station. Additionally, there is a brand new transit oriented mid-rise development that was just built right next to the Western station. Shifting that station to the west and away from the new development would be counter-productive;
3. I'm not sold that you would have an easy time removing residents from the area just west and north of Kimball for purposes of building the extension. This section is extremely dense and is made up of mostly those from immigrant communities who would be disproportionally affected. This isn't a case of NIMBYs but more so local leaders believing that more vulnerable and less politically connected groups are being targeted;
4. Albany Park is a hidden gem in the city and very affordable. The Brown Line extension would be a huge boon for the neighborhood and I don't believe current residents would be gentrified out if the extension were built. The neighborhood is still far from downtown even with the extension and this would limit how much prices could increase. If anything a Brown Line extension would make the neighborhood more attractive for those who commute to the suburbs for work but wish to live in the city at the same time. Albany Park is geographically on the relative outskirts of the city and makes for a great in between spot for those who reverse from the city. With the extension you can be connected to downtown via transit but also easily commute to the northwest suburbs via the Edens Expressway. The businesses on the Lawrence corridor could also benefit massively from an extension.
I don't really like tunnels also Lawerence Avenue has a similar width to Lake Street so an El over Lawrence Avenue would be Cheaper than a Subway
Someone, please, send them free-licensed image of tunnel-boring machine. I don`t have one and I cant suffer this image of Collider instead of TBM more!...
It's "Machine".
@@durece100 oh, thanks
why does a complaint get so many likes while ones that actually add to the discussion not?
im glad im not the only one that noticed that
Really, a tunnel in the age of global warming and floods?
i live in Chicago.Your ideas are good and have been talked about in Chicago before.So many extension ideas have come and gone.they wanted to extend the blue line past Ohare.they wanted to extend the yellow line to Old Orchard mall.i do not think that people would except the idea of an elevated track along Lawrence.
brown line to jefferson park would be great.
imo it should go underground.
I’ve been contemplating an Ashland aligned line that brings back some of the elements of the Paulina connector/branch and heads north, maybe connecting to ohare or Lincoln wood. This would slash some of the outer neighborhoods trip times. Also loved this video it seems like it could be a small win with major impacts for the cta
I also had an Idea similar to that one
I would love to see more investment in the brown line. do keep in mind that if the brown and blue line connect, it would likely be advantageous to link them as we have had to swap cars between the two at times.
Great video - really learnt a lot. I've heard of the failed circle line but didn't know about this brown line idea - definitely feels like low-hanging fruit that would radically improve the entire network.
Great idea, I’ve always thought of an extension there too. But keep the Rockwell stop. I’m a Rockwell station user. We love Rockwell!! As a resident, grade crossings in the Ravenswood area aren’t as bad as it seems, it give it a nice neighborhood aesthetic. I can see it being an issue for major streets crossing or long commuter or cargo trains. But for small streets it’s fine, it has its benefits.
The underground idea it ain’t bad, but what if it went underground after Kedzie diagonally heading towards Kimball/Lawrence, or open cut as it transitions to then yeah underground fully on Lawrence till Jefferson Park. Kind of how the “note” on 6:13 says it. I like that idea. Therefore, no current stations get eliminated. Elevated works too, But I feel like elevating it over Lawrence Ave. would be disruptive.
We need this so badly
Chicago here. I'm skeptical for a few reasons. Kimball is already over 30 minutes from the Loop, and the extension would add 10-20 minutes to that trip. I get that many riders on the extension wouldn't be riding from Jefferson Park to the Loop since they could just take the Blue line - they aren't the problem. The problem is that the longer a transit line gets, and the more riders it adds, the greater the chances of delays. Also the Red/Brown/Purple trunk is quite busy and often delayed already.
Another reason for skepticism is that Lawrence isn't a big street - it's only 66 feet building to building. I know you can easily fit an El structure into that space, but it's going to be quite close to the adjacent buildings. I know modern elevateds aren't nearly as noisy and hulking as they used to be, but Chicago never got that message. Even rebuilt sections are still crazy loud from ground level and the new concrete structures are still massive, not the elegant minimal beams you see in Kuala Lumpur.
Last, I'm really hesitant to destroy a whole block of mostly affordable housing right near transit and hope that it gets replaced in the future. Almost certainly any replacements will be out of the price range of current residents. It doesn't seem worth it for the small potential ridership.
On the other hand, a fast tram on Irving Park Road with a central reservation and signal priority could have huge ridership. It would connect the southern part of O'Hare, where all the cargo and ground service operations are, with the dense and inexpensive neighborhoods to the east (Portage Park, Old Irving Park), and also connect the Blue line at Irving Park Road with the Northside further east. Yeah, pipe dreams.
The Kenwood line that used to exist would be really nice these days
Living and growing up in Roger’s Park, I have been touting a brown line extension as you mention since back in the 80’s when I started flying from O’Hare.
as someone who takes the blue line and addison bus everyday for school, this would genuinely be a lifesaver for me. I think there should also be an ohare expresss to the blue line, from the loop to ohare (maybe stopping at a few more along the way)
Looks like a good connector to catch ridership not just from busses but also cars, mostly cabs, ubers, and lyfts. It's a win-win!
If you’re tunneling down to Montrose, you can also tunnel back up to Jefferson Park. There’s no iron law that says you can only have one of those stations.
Honestly I'd prefer Grade Separation by an Elevated ROW over Lawerence Avenue because it would be much cheaper to build than a Subway and Plus most of the Brown Line is already Elevated so it should be no problem to grade separate the existing at grade sections.
I 100% agree this should exist. I live basically touching the Blue line Damen station and went to Rockwell for a volunteering opportunity. Whole trip took maybe 50 mins bc I had to ride for a combined 20 stops on blue and brown lines rather than like 6
One thing you missed is the university. Any extension has to involve Northeastern.
Here's an Idea: A Foster/Elston Ave EL from Devon Ave in Norwood Park to Kimball and an Ashland EL from Paulina Brown line to Lake Street, then it goes counter-clockwise in the Loop and the Ashland/Lake station would replaced with an Ogden Avenue station and this would be the Gold line.
@@maas1208 That's the ARC that has been proposed many times. One would be Howard to Kimball to Jeff Park. Any circle would be good. It has also been suggested as Bus Rapid Transit.
Please! Would love more Chicago vids
From Chicago and I actually work for the CTA. I agree looking at our rail map, it only feeds downtown. They would rather put more buses on those routes that feed outside of the loop than to extend the brown line. They finally decided to extend the red line after it was proposed 30yrs ago.
I think an outer "loop" would solve many issues.
Start Red line Argyle along Foster to Cicero w/ connect to Blue Montrose. Then down Cicero with connect to Green Lake, Blue Cicero, Orange Midway. Then back along 79th with connect to Red 79th and end at Metra Cheltanham/79th.
Although this "misses" Jeff Pk it still creates many new routes
The northern E/W run allows the North side much quicker connection on to ORD.
The N/S run along Cicero connects so many underserved NW neighborhoods, many of which rely on buses, including from Jeff Pk.
Also the N/S run allows the NW areas to access MDW much quicker.
The southern E/W run connects many neighborhoods via the Red line.
This route would likely require deep bore tunneling, but it would be interesting to evaluate if areas along Cicero could be dug using Cut & Cover.
And, not to miss the point of your video, I think the path of the Brown Line extension could be viable for the northern E/W run of this outer loop, but I think it'd be more impactful connected on to Red up near Argyle, to help support those northern most shoreline communities, incl Evanston.
It's very interesting to see the parallels between the Chicago L and the suburban rail systems of Australia. In particular, the Upfield and Craigieburn or Alamein and Glen Wavereley lines. Both of these have short missing connections (ironically both of which used to have connections that got severed) just like in Chicago. It's also quite interesting to look at the topologies of both systems, first with the city centre loop, then the loop bypass tunnels and now missing links. American cities could learn a lot from Australian cities since both face similar problems with regards to sprawl except that one has much more developed transit systems than the other.
For 72 years of living in Chicago, I have always lived within three to four blocks of one Ravenswood (yes, I know, Brown Line) station or another, and I went to Northeastern for BA and MA. I was always amazed that the city never extended the line past Kimball, either due west, due north, or northwest. Construction techniques having advanced since the late 1800s, running an elevated line down the middle of a street (such as Lawrence or Kimball) would be much less intrusive than the old elevated iron rigging style. And I do not see why one cannot make the left turn angle onto Lawrence by angling through the existing Kimball yard and not having to destroy homes and businesses just north of Roosevelt High School (another big stumbling block). On the other hand, I look at what Red Line restructuring is doing to businesses along Clark, and I am amazed at what disruption just crossing over a street can cause. And the disruption with the 400,000,000 million dollar plus Brown Line Flyover (although one still has two intense choke point loop crossings for multiple lines which will never be "fixed"). And I saw "cut and cover" wipe out any number of Milwaukee Ave. businesses back when they extended the Blue Line. Great ideas can cause great grief. Given the financial constraints for the city and state, federal dollar contributions will make or break any plan.
I lived in Jefferson park and dreamed about this all the time. It would have been amazing and made so much sense. It would have been so much easier getting around and would eliminate a ton of problems the blue line has with overcrowding if you gave people an alternative option into the city and gave them more sensible options when not going downton.
I definitely think the elevated stations above Lawrence would make the most sense, as tunneling under 2 highways sounds like a disaster. Both Montrose and Jefferson park could use some walkability improvements but Monstrose would really need an overhaul if you used it as a connection point (which could be a benefit)
Jefferson Park would seem the obvious choice but, given the poor connectivity between the L and Metra, the ability to connect the L system with both the UP-NW and the MD-N lines at Montrose seems like a better transit hub to me. This would allow easier commutes between the North Side and the northern and northwestern suburbs. The North Side of Chicago is a significant job market as are the northern and northwestern suburbs. I had always imagined the line proceeding underground from Western to I-94 where it would turn south and come up from the tunnel to become elevated along Cicero to a station on top of or adjacent to the existing Montrose Blue Line station. The Montrose MD-N station would be connected by elevated walkway to a new station for the UP-NW line and then to the Blue/Brown line station. This would also allow connections between the UP-NW and MD-N Metra lines, which would probably be more useful to Chicago commuters to the suburbs.
if it get built metra should build a new station at jefferson park.
This strikes me as a very expensive connector, bring Kimball station underground (like Logan Square), cut-and-cover subway under Kimball Ave, then connect (😱) to the Kennedy median ROW. Consider a similar proposal to connect the Yellow Line south of Oakton using the existing C&NW ROW, new stops at some of Howard, Touhy, Devon, Peterson, Foster etc. Nightmare connection near JP.
You’re also forgetting Jefferson Park is a Metra station too I believe.
IMO currently the red line south extension should be their main priority and they’re already having trouble with funding that, but after that’s built I think they should move on to this project, it would be very beneficial for the community
As someone who lives right by the Francisco stop, I for one loved all the footage you took there and have also been hollering about this expansion for ages. I regularly go west to the blue line, and rue the fact that I have to be ultra precise with the Lawrence or Montrose bus each time, both of which can have some really inconsistent timings and are generally not to be trusted. Nothing will be done with Dorval in office though 😠😠
Got this recommended to me while waiting 25 minutes at the Jackson blue line
Such a great idea, I feel that this could be done in the next decade or two. Maybe Chicago can also use this same technique on the Pink Line, extending it to Harlem or North Riverside to better connect residents and jobs to not only downtown, but also between the nearby suburbs, especially with how Cermak is such car heavy the further west you go
Nice video, love to see how good the CTA would be with better ridership and management.
Would love to see a video exploring the possibilities of a BL California - BL/RL/PL Fullerton connection instead. It would almost entirely be over Fullerton and actually shorter distance than the Kimball-JP scenario you showed. I feel like this would be even better and make loads of people go car free since it connects 4 lines and not just 2.
Looking at President Jefferson now, and I'm thinking this city could use more then a few east-west connects, north-south connects, circles and transfers. Alas we've been a city of "no plans" for a very long time. Great vid.
The Ashland BRT proposal would do a great deal to help with loop transfers as well but I think has the same NIMBY issues as a rail extension
I live near Jefferson Park and commute to Loyola in Rogers Park exactly like the last example you gave, I completely agree this would be a great extension. I also think the Green Line should be extended to Midway to have a second connection to the airport. It's a real shame the circle line was never built.
The brown line extension would be a great boon to passengers, and you've covered it pretty well, so I don't have much to add there. The yellow and purple lines have some interesting opportunities for system expansion, too. The yellow line could have an extension to Rosemont, but it also could be extended north to Old Orchard Mall and possibly all the way to Lake Cook Rd. The purple line could also be extended north to Winnetka or possibly even Highland Park. The Green Line Ashland branch should really be extended to Midway on the south side, and provide regional project balance; this could potentially set up another attempt at creating a new circle line in the future (possibly heading north down Pulaski until reaching the blue line in Irving park).
The real transit connectivity, I think, will actually come from an abandoned Metra project. there was a proposal called the Star Line which would have connected Ohare to Joliet on the EJ&E Line, and this project should be restarted; the line should hopefully be extended north all the way to Waukegan and to the east as far as Frankfurt and possibly even Hammond or Gary.
Yeah, good luck trying to convince CN to go in on that one.
@@paulj6756 I mean I'm a big fan of government dictating the private corporations and telling them to kick rocks and if they really don't like it eminent domain is on the table.
Here's some Ideas I have: A line that uses The Belt Railway of Chicago (Includes the UP Cragin Sub) and it should be called the Lime Line. A Blue line Express (Indigo), a restoration of the Humbolt Park branch using an EL over North Avenue, a Blue local (Cyan) that runs from Humbolt Park to UIC-Halsted. The Silver (Gray) Line which would provide a direct connection to OTC, Union Station, LaSalle Street Station and the Blue and Red lines. A Foster/Elston Ave EL from Devon Ave in Norwood Park to Kimball and an Ashland EL from Paulina Brown line to Lake Street, then it goes counter-clockwise in the Loop and the Ashland/Lake station would replaced with an Ogden Avenue station and this would be the Gold line. Brown line extension to Jefferson Park using Grade Separation by an Elevated ROW over Lawerence Avenue because it would be much cheaper to build than a Subway and Plus most of the Brown Line is already Elevated so it should be no problem to grade separate the existing at grade sections as well as sidings from Willow street to Illinois street on the North side main line with restored Halsted and Oak streets stations. Yellow line Extension to Old Orchard Road. A Red line branch to Navy Pier. A Green line branch to 69th/Halsted. A Michigan Avenue Subway which would be the Maroon line. Expanded O'Hare and Midway stations as well a Terminal 5 Blue line station. An Ogden Avenue and Blvd system LRT. And Finally a spur off the Southwest corner of the Loop to a station on Roosevelt Road (where the Former Chicago Grand Central Station was) to act as an Alternative Terminus for the Brown and Orange lines to ease congestion in the Loop.
You wouldn't need to demolish anything at Kimball except the station to get onto Lawrence, just start the grade from Spaulding then have another turn like the one there is now on the north end, no reason for it to be on a diagonal and no reason to knock anything down.
I think I've ridden CTA all of once post-pandemic (Damen bus end to end, before sunup; I avoid crowded transit and might never ride the rails again at any hour)
In any case, I'm acquainted with the concept here (like) and drew up a Paulina Street line that would run the length of the city north to south with limited stops, bypassing downtown while linking to existing stations on the Green (twice), Orange, Pink, Blue (also twice), and Brown Lines, plus the Purple and Yellow at its northern terminus at Howard Street
excellent video!! i'm surprised there isn't a junction station for the brown line, blue line, and Metra already. while the technical and financial feasibility of expanding bus service is better than extending the brown line, there's much greater potential for improving service + increasing ridership with the brown line extension to Montrose
Don't forget about the Ashland BRT that would've also been a ring route but didn't got shelved. I commute from Evanston to the Union Stockyards and instead of taking the UP-N to the Ashland 9 bus, I have to take the Purple to the Orange to the Halsted 8 bus to avoid delays on crowded crosstown buses.
The gaps in US transit are ASTOUNDING, honestly! Even in "very-walkable and transit-friendly" cities like Chicago!
Hell, I have a bit- however small- of personal experience. I went to a trip to Chicago (stayed in Rosemont) in late 2022. One of my first stops was a certain arcade in the more-suburban part. Funny enough, while I *could* take a CTA bus to an intersection that, more or less, allowed me to "go straight" (sorta) to the arcade, even by foot, for the 2-3 miles *after* the stop, there was NO TRANSIT ACCESS!
No stop whatsoever, along the 2-3 miles thereafter, til one *gets relatively close* to said arcade
I'm like, "what...?"
Did a bunch of NIMBYs in the area with a shit-ton of sidewalks and bungalows "prevent" extra stops, or something??
Not only that, but, from what I later learned, there seems to be an unfortunate amount of "dumb bus stops" in THE WEIRDEST FUCKING LOCATIONS (esp. in the more-suburban parts of Chicago), including areas WITH NO SIDEWALK OR WHERE SIDEWALKS "cut off", and you're left w/ just a curb near a bunch of grass!
Made no sense to me...
Maybe the people who plan transit should, like... get out of their "bureaucratic bubble" and, like, ACTUALLY TALK TO AND GET TO KNOW REAL PEOPLE in the city who *use or would like to use transit more* but, perhaps, "can't", simply because the transit *doesn't really "serve" their area well*??
The "condescending" or "paternalistic" way so many transit planners, in this country- and, perhaps, others as well- *set up stops and places to pick up passengers* is really irksome. Transit, in theory, is supposed to help make the area MORE LIVEABLE AND EASY TO GET AROUND
but.... so many 'transit planners' seem to think they "know all" about "the best way to accomplish transit", w/, perhaps, virtually "no input" from actual residents about where to put stops or where to drop people off
I live in Chicago and frequent the area around the Kimbell Brown Line. I would say first the deep tunnel is the only real option. You cannot just level that square block around Kimbell and Lawrence. That is not a NIMBY thing. It's a don't literally destroy my home or life's work business thing. Second, I think you are underestimating the east-west buses in Chicago. If I need to go from the Morse Redline area to O'hare without a car, I'd take one of the east-west buses to the Blue Line then transfer. No one is going downtown to go back out to O'Hare. It is not the worst idea in the world, but your presentation can be more realistic.
Why not an EL over Lawerence Avenue instead since it has a similar width to Lake Street so an El over Lawrence Avenue would be Cheaper than a Subway
I sent a letter to CTA years ago about this, and pretty much said what you said. However, its not gonna get attention unless you include all the people on the north side that need airport services. It can be wrapped up as: track it on top of Lawrence all the way from Red line Lawrence station, replacing the northern track along Leland with track on Lawrence, and go all the way on top of Lawrence to Blue line connecting whereever. No large house demolition. You can continue to use Brown line yard (with a short track up to Lawrence). Terminate brown line at Lawrence. Most of what is along Lawrence are businesses who wont mind the noise if it steers more traffic (they wont get a vote anyway). Lawrence (and Lincoln) are already the slowest streets in Chicago (dump a bus route). This is what you say in your video, but add the north side to the mix (and the north shore suburbs as well). Fast trains, limited stops from lakefront (Red line) to Blue line via 100% Lawrence on top. I call it the "Light Blue Line." :)
With how big of a Pace hub Rosemont is (along with being a huge parking lot for a CTA facility), being able to transfer at Jefferson Park to the Brown Line would ease a LOT of downtown congestion both on the Blue Line and bus lines near there.
One question I have is why can't the blue and brown lines be interlined where they meet up? Rather than building a new station or platform, just have them run on the same tracks while they're in the same right of way. This should save costs, and increase frequency at the connecting station.
I'm sure there's a practical reason as I've no experience with Chicago transit, but it at least seems like an option that should be on the table.
When I first moved to Chicago in 2015, I remember red line trains at rush hour coming every 2-4 minutes. Now I have to give myself an hour buffer every time I use the system because of how bad it’s gotten. 😭😭😭
Montrose is my local station.
Never in a million years would it be able to handle a bus hub
I swear CZcams reads my thoughts and makes videos for me
You forgot - or likely never heard about - the Mid-City Transitway, a routing that would have created a new line from Jefferson Park south along Cicero to 74th Street, then east on RR alignments to the Red Line with a sharp turn towards the 89th Street station. Would have moved lots of people and created a major route around Downtown Chicago, but at 1 Billion Dollars in 1995 dollars (up to 3-4 billion probably by the time it's finished), the city was loathe to ask for it, so it was killed and the Circle Line you talked about was pumped up before IT was killed (although with The Paulina Connecter fixed for regular use, so at least THAT had some benefit).
i thought the mid-city transitway was proposed to run south along the old right of way near cicero (i believe along kenton)
i wish the paulina connector still extended to the north branch of the blue line, though. if something happens in the dearborn milwaukee subway delaying service, trains from damen to ohare are stuck on the branch. if paulina still connected north, they could at least route blue line trains over the top into the loop at lake street, similar to how they sometimes route red line trains over the top when the state street subway is having issues
@@laitentierdotcom Whoops! Thanks, my entry has been corrected.
Hey, can you cover the MTA Maryland Purple Line and why it’s been delayed for so long? Would love to see a video like that.
Albany Park here to say "Yesssssss". We moved here partially for the reason having reasonable access to both Blue line and Brown line neighborhoods. This would be such an improvement.
.My idea would be to build a new grade level station on the west side of Kimball at Leland. It would continue west on Leland at grade level then rising back to an elevated structure before turning northwest on Elston. If desired, a station could be built on Elston between Leland and Lawrence. Then the elevated tracks could turn west on Lawrence tithe Kennedy Expressway, then turn northwest to Jefferson Park. Thus routing requires little demolishing, it keeps the Kimball Yard intact abd accessible and should be the least expensive way to extend the Brown Line. The only issue is losing Leland as an east west street for cars and parking as the train line would replace the street between Kimball and Elston East West traffic would have to use Lawrence or Wilson. The only alternative is to allow a small portion of Leland to be a one way on either side * but not both ( of the tracks with no parking and no trucks allowed . Some residents may balk at a train running down their street and will also balk at a structure rising from ground to elevated level in front of their residences but this is the least expensive and least painful to the fewest amount of people.
A law might have to be changed. There was a law enacted that prohibited me building of L train tracks over streets Besides the Loop, Franklin, Lake Street and 63rd Street, which already had been built, the rest of the train lines run next to or over alleys or other pre existing train structures or medians of expressways If this law remains in place, tunneling is the only option on Elston and Lawrence
First of all, the 82 needs a rush hour 82X. Secondly, I lived at/attended one of the unis in this neighborhood, and I still frequent the area. Can't say I'd love seeing the city demolish that patch of area to the west of the Kimball yard, but I like your idea of turning surrounding stores into taller buildings with guaranteed residency. Would love to see NIMBYs go, but I'd also love to see the at-grade stops go below grade anyway, they do nothing but split the neighborhood in half. I think I used the Rockwell stop once--good riddance.
I think redirecting to Montrose would be... a choice. Not one I'd enjoy. The area has some nice community spaces and urban exploration (for instance, right behind the tracks is a walkway where you'll stumble upon a bizarre house with a lot full of abandoned trolleys and buses from across the USA...) and it would be a shame to tear it down for another huge hub when Jefferson Park is already built up. It would make more sense economically to keep it connected at JP, wouldn't it? Idk I'm not an urban planner, just a sentimentalist.
Also, the Circle Line is still so needed and would connect the west and northwest sides so much more than they are! Personally, I'd be able to teach in more areas of the city if I could get there in a practical way. But God forbid the city desegregate its urban design.
None of what I said made sense I think so if you get anything out of this it's that we need an 82X LOL, I need Chicago to hear me tf out on that one point
Just a question, to avoid nimbys can't you use NATM instead of cut and cover?
Honestly in order to extend the Brown line to Jefferson Park (and potentially Norwood Park), it needs to grade separated, I'd prefer Grade Separation by an Elevated ROW over Lawerence Avenue because it would be much cheaper to build than a Subway and Plus most of the Brown Line is already Elevated so it should be no problem to grade separate the existing at grade sections.
In this day and age there's practically no chance of environmentally clearing an elevated line through a dense corridor like Lawrence Avenue. You're looking at a subway for sure.
@@finemusician4770 Lawerence Avenue has a similar width to Lake Street so an El over Lawrence Avenue is possible and plus an El would be Cheaper than a Subway
Damn that circle line looks great. Just do that
Unlike the Yellow, Orange and Red Line Extensions, I've never heard this discussed before. Some kind of Circle Line might be a good idea. But my gut says this particular proposal wouldn't be worth the huge investment required. In any event, the CTA needs to focus on more basic issues at this point: getting violent crime under control, stopping people from smoking weed on trains, curbing public urination in the subway stations, dealing with mentally ill homeless menacing people in stations. I've seen all of those except the first one myself. The first one comes though on the news pretty regularly. No system is perfect. But the CTA is still one of the most comprehensive in the country. A lot of cities would love to have what we have.
as a new yorker deep bore tunnels are a horrible idea. they will go way over budget and the planning process will probably be longer and more expensive than the actual build. to tunnel use cut and cover. even though utilities will have to moved and it will be disruptive it will create a cheaper and faster construction time while improving rider experience by making the stations right below the street rather than 100ft down an escalator that's frequent to breaking. a massive win for riders, congestion, and disabled riders. New York has realized that the best way to do it is the way we did it 120 years ago for the second Ave subway and I'm all for it.
The loop centered transit is what makes transit in the Chicago area useless for so very many.
Anyway there's no need to take all that property. Simply go through the yard elevating the train and make a curved right angle turn and follow the street. Over such short distance it doesn't make travel time all that much. The yard can remain mostly intact as the train line will be going up and over. Alternatively go down into a tunnel following the street.
I think this is all an excellent idea eventually, but ultimately the priority of connectivity and increased accessibility to transit in general needs to center around the South and Southwest side neighborhoods. The red line extension down to 130th street is just a start
What we really need is a deep bore line that connects ALL of the lines together in the suburbs. So basically take this brown line extension, and just keep on extending it all the way down to the red line lol.
Not a Chicagoan but this was my first thought looking at Kimball Station. Leave the brown line as is but make a new line. Have it start at Kimball (which is its terminus station). Construct an elevated or tunneled line just next to the current terminal along Kimball Ave. It'd have a stop at Irving Park Rd and connect to the Blue at Belmont. Share tracks until Logan Square and then branch south along Kedzie Blvd. Stop at Armitage, North, Division, Chicago, Kedzie (UP-W), Kedzie (Green), Harrison St, Roosevelt, 21st (Kedzie-Pink), 26th, 31st (all the TOD potential you could ask for), Pershing, Archer/44th, turn east to Western (Orange). Use the abandoned right of way to go east through to Ashland, Halsted, then arc north and east to 47th (Red), 47th (Green), and 47th (Kenwood). With mostly elevated, minimal tunneling and some reusing abandoned track you can get a circumferential line that hits most lines 4-7 miles from the Loop.
Ever heard of the STAR line?
ive always felt there should be more semicircular lines that connect neighborhoods that aren't so central in relation to downtown. the one you mentioned is a great example. something that connects uptown-logan square-garfield park-little village-back of the yards-hyde park is another. and i'm not even touching on the devastatingly underserved south side.
You talk to enough Chicago people who take the CTA and they ALL agree that there needs to be a slide to connect to the blue line to get to the airport.
Jefferson Park is the best choice because it links to Metra, 3 Pace routes, and 9 CTA bus routes and has the off street bus bays to support that. Montrose couldn't handle that many transfer options, so many would have to take the blue line for one stop to make a transfer.
Technically, you can get off at the Lake Red Line, and take the South exit which will have underground access to the Washington blue line station.
I like the idea of building elevated over Lawrence. Using the existing yard area to transition to Lawrence would be good I think and could be an elevated station. The problem is that there is an existing above grade rail line that already crosses Lawrence between the two expressways. What are your thoughts on solutions?
Funny enough, one other "weird" transit 'route' I recall- though I ultimately decided not to go there (for various reasons)- was by that 'Japanese megastore' in a Chicago suburb
Supposedly you technically "can" get there via bus and walking, but... fwiw, the closest stop is at a sidewalk *by* the entrance to the strip mall, not actually IN the strip mall, let alone fairly close to the store entrance! And I'm thinking, "the hell? What if someone really wants to go there but has little transit option? Do they expect the person to, like, take an Uber *into* the strip mall from their destination?"
Tbh, the fact that transit seems "allergic" to stops in certain "more-residential" areas with lots of sidewalk and/or areas with stores outside the denser, downtown parts, is very weird to me. It's like a lot of folks in the area see these parts of the town as "too private" or "no-go" parts for transit. "Don't do it! We don't wanna see or mingle w/ those 'dirty' or 'weird' folks who use the 'gross' public trains and/or buses"
Like, wtf do they "think will happen"? A bunch of "thugs" from "the ghetto" using transit to "invade", say, Naperville or Rosemont via transit, to 'shoot up the place'? lol
Oh yes- the "fairly-public", fairly-wide 4-lane road by your *cornucopia of bungalows for miles on-end* CAN'T be "disturbed" by a bus or 2 every hour, near the sidewalk.
It's almost like those in charge of transit are "too afraid" of 'NIMBY's complaining about "gross public transit" so close to them, or something!
"I saw a Pace bus on my way to the residential grocer! HOW DARE THEY. Get me away from those POORS"
Whereas, maybe, if the bus stop is "far enough" from those more-affluent and snobby folks, they can put it "out of sight and out of mind", so to speak?
If memory serves, the bus stops for Metro even in my old 'stomping grounds' of West County, within St. Louis County, were similarly-placed, I think. You could kinda notice them once in a while, but... for hte most part, they were "almost forgettable", really. It's a very-annoying way to "do transit." "We kinda want to fulfill our obligation to serve the community, buuuut... we're 'too chickenshit' to deal with the MORE-AFFLUENT, SNOBBISH folks *complaining if we 'get too arrogant' about placement of transit and transit routes*, so we BETTER NOT RISK IT"
I always called West ridge the cta black hole of Chicago. I worked in Lincoln Park and the lack of useful public transit from my neighborhood eventually forced me to prioritize buying a car over getting an apartment which seems opposite in this city
I think that there needs to be an express blue line to ohare atleast. The current blue line system is so slow and congested between not only the loop and ohare but also the loop and forest park. The brown line idea seems cool but I don’t know how feasible it would be. And moving the busses to montrose is a hard no. Also an extension of the metra is much needed, not only to ohare but also midway. The existing metra line that runs along 55 should divert to midway, then get back on 55 after.
I rarely use my car since I moved near redline station 🤷♀️
Why do you use an image of a particle accelerator instead of a boring machine?
If we had a circle line I think it would be great, but for the proposed circle line you showed, I think Ashland BRT is a better solution. Sadly it was also shut down. This would also directly connect more of the south side than that circle line would. The brown line extension is a good idea. I just live on the southwest side, so I'd rather see transit development here, although I don't know if we need a rail extension, or just better bus service. An orange line stop in Chinatown would be nice. More orange line stops in general would be better for the community down here.
Pulaski Brown line would be clutch! 🎉🎉
When are you going to do a rating of the BMT Lines video cause i think it's overdue
When the MTA finishes the 63rd St Tunnel Reconstruction Project.
One problem with putting it above the blue line is that there is also already a regional rail (metra) station above jefferson park although I bet you could squeeze it between the two, however the current lobby area for the blue line would have to be moved because that is already there.
Chicago needs this, two north-south crosstown lines, a circle line, and the Metra Electric line converted to a CTA line with trains coming by every 15 minutes (if the CTA can handle that interval).
I think the South Chicago Branch can be made into a CTA line but the Main Metra Electric Line is too long for the CTA so the Main Line would still be ran by Metra
@@maas1208 Definitely the South Chicago branch. In fact, if they could extend that to 99th street in the East Side neighborhood, that'd be awesome!
I'd add the word Scattershot. Having lived there I can tell you that the L while being very handy could be a whole lot better. given the handful of old raised abandoned lines that run mostly east west, you'd think these would be a natural for more L trains. if they really want to reduce traffic to downtown they need to add lines to the core of Chicago and not just add lines. Trust me the upcoming extension of the Red Line to 130th at Cottage grove with yard in Riverdale is very long in coming, but they still nee to add lines in the gaps between the lines. They might have to go to different colors, or even combined colors, say the "Red Yellow line. It would be rather confusing to start but the advantage that would be got would be very very well worth it.
This would be an absolute dream, but sadly there's about a zero percent chance it would happen any time soon. Think of all the recent CTA rail infrastructure. All of it was built on existing or cheap rights of way: Orange line used freight right of way, blue line used the highway median, red line extension will use basically empty fields and freight right of way. We haven't had a new subway since the 40s. Not to mention, the brown line currently goes down the alleyway at steet level through a quiet residential neighborhood. Theres absolutely no way that neighbors would be cool with a tunnel boring machine working through their backyard, even if the CTA somehow came up with the money.