#fbf 95/Dan Ryan - 1971

Wanted to share this ig post from CTA earlier this week. It shows trains departing and arriving at the 95th terminal in 1971 which was back when the line was brand new. I wrote a lot about the history of operations at 95th since the Dan Ryan branch of the CTA Red Line has been in operation over at The Sixth Ward.

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A streetcar named retire

According to an ig post from CTA the last streetcar ran in Chicago on June 21, 1958 - 60 years ago. The last streetcar route was the 22A which after that date was converted to buses and survives currently as the 24 Wentworth. The 22A was split from the 22 Clark in 1957 according to chicagorailfan.com - relevant page here. Note that many of the numbers for CTA bus routes are derived from the streetcars that formerly ran throughout the city.

TBT: 60 years ago, CTA ran its last streetcar. So, you could call this final Green Hornet run down Vincennes Ave. on 6/21/58, “A Streetcar Named Retire.” Bus service replaced streetcars, but tracks are buried under many streets.

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While buses replaced streetcar service 60 years ago, evidence of streetcars exist throughout the city. Michigan Avenue was once host to a streetcar route. You may see former streetcar tracks near the intersection of 95th & Michigan which often surface once the pavement is worn down. I snapped this shot for The Sixth Ward over 10 years ago.

Pic from The Sixth Ward May 2008

BTW, just think there's a current light rail - a more modern name for the streetcar - proposal on the north side. Question to ask is whether or not transit starved areas of the south side can get some action as far as light rail. Especially in those areas that doesn't have ready access to the L. Some of which are located in Chicago 8th, 9th, and 10th wards.

Chicago Reporter: Instead of extending the Red Line, some see promise in the Metra Electric

Red Line Extension

The future of the greater Roseland area will be affected by the future CTA red line extension. It's something that I'm very excited for and evidently the debate continues over whether or not this is the transit project the far south side of Chicago needs right now.

Another part of this debate - especially with the uncertainty of funding for this project which is only expected to be built during the course of the next decade - includes improvement of the Metra Electric line. Better yet should the Metra Electric (or IC for you old timers) be converted to a rapid transit line operated instead by CTA.

In January, the city announced the final alignment for the 5.3 mile extension to 130th Street. That’s key for the CTA to secure $1 billion in federal funding needed for the project that wouldn’t see construction start until 2022. Though the city has proposed using transit TIFs (tax increment financing) to fund part of the extension, some transit advocates contend that wouldn’t be nearly enough to make a dent in the cost. And others question whether the Trump administration would give the city $1 billion for a project of this scope.

Some transit advocates say there is a quicker and less costly way to improve transit on the South Side by converting the Metra Electric District (MED) main line into rapid transit. Retrofitting Metra’s existing rail infrastructure to accommodate rapid transit, they say, could be completed in less time than it would take to build the extension and without displacing privately owned properties, as the Red Line extension would.

But putting the Red Line extension on the backburner where it has sat for decades would be a disservice to the Far South Side, community members say. Mayor Richard J. Daley promised to extend it beyond its 95th Street terminus when he cut the ribbon on the transit line nearly 50 years ago.

A former candidate for 9th ward alderman - well not identified as such in the article - was quoted in this piece:

South Side resident Michael LaFargue says extending the Red Line south is all about equity – transit equity, economic equity and environmental equity. The loss of manufacturing jobs, he said has devastated the Roseland community economically while lack of rapid transit has made access to jobs and opportunities even more difficult.

The 111th Street station, LaFargue added, could be branded as Greater Roseland Hospital Medical District similar to the Blue Line’s Illinois Medical District. The Michigan Avenue station could reinvigorate that mile-long business corridor, making it the ‘Magnificent Mile South,’ he said.

“This is a catalyst for economic development and branding,” said LaFargue, president of the Red Line Extension Coalition, a community-based group.

And what's the difference in cost?

Policy analyst Daniel Kay Hertz of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability says both projects are important and would have significant impact. He estimated a cost of $27 million per mile to convert the Metra Electric’s South Chicago branch into rapid transit. Hertz based that figure off a 2012 Chicago Department of Transportation report  which puts the cost of converting MED’s South Chicago branch to Millennium Station — not the entire line — at $350 million. Hertz said there’s no reason the per-mile costs would differ substantially to convert the entire MED line. In comparison, the Red Line extension would cost about $434 million a mile.

“It is basically logistical stuff that they need to do as opposed to the physical engineering and  construction of several miles worth of new rail lines and stations,” Hertz said.

Finally a brief history of the Metra Electric and the advocacy for it's conversion to a CTA rapid transit line:

The MED originally ran as rapid transit and the line’s South Chicago branch ran every 10 minutes during the 1940s under its then-operator, Illinois Central. That frequency reduced when it became part of the Regional Transit Authority. Now the line has frequent service during peak evening and morning hours but runs every one to two hours during the mid-day.

The idea to convert the commuter-rail into CTA-style “L” service resurfaced again when transit advocate Mike Payne touted the plan as the Gray Line in the 1990s. It has gained traction in recent years thanks to advocacy groups like Coalition for a Modern Metra Electric and Active Transportation Alliance who want the MED to run every 10-15 minutes. Last year Metra increased mid-day frequency on the line to every 20 minutes between Hyde Park and Millennium Station.

But Metra’s fare structure could create a burden for low-income riders. Metra’s fares are distance-based where CTA charges a flat fee. And since there is no fare integration between Metra and CTA, riders would have to pay two full fares. There’s no fare discount to transfer from one transit system to the other.

What do you all think? Metra Electric (especially serving segments within the city) converted to the "grey line" operated by CTA  or the red line extension which certainly could benefit residents south of 95th through to Altgeld Gardens or perhaps there is a way to make both happen?

Found this article via Chicago-L.org.

CTA celebrates 70 years

On Sunday in downtown Chicago there will be activities and will include rides on vintage CTA vehicles, especially buses and trains. You can see more details here. Posters marking CTA's 70th anniversary will be handed out at a "Community Connection" bus and at select CTA stations you will find a commemorative Ventra paper ticket. The ig post below from CTA shows an example of the poster.

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Many of us take CTA for granted and yes even complains about the service or even the projects that slow down our commutes. At the same time it's a vital part of getting around our city, as easily as the streets and expressways and especially more recently our bicycles.

Update on the planning for CTA Red Line extension

CTA Red Line extension

Recently got an update with regards to where the Chicago Transit Authority is currently with the planned Red Line extension south from 95th Street to 130th St. near Altgeld Gardens. You can read a two sheet update here from their official website.

With this in mind there are two videos with regards to the extension which in my opinion is beneficial to the far south side of Chicago. However, what I strive to do on this blog is to be fair and the first video is a local homeowner who is opposed to the Red Line extension because it's construction means the destruction of homes as far as whatever alignment the CTA will choose.

This first video is courtesy of The Chicago Reporter - and posted to YouTube in December 2016 - and shows commentary by Shari Henry who opposes the extension as the project could threaten her family home. We see a drive around through the communities that are affected by this proposed project. As I may hope there could be further development Henry uses 95th as a guide with little business development around the 95th Terminal. [VIDEO]

The next video shows a proposal for the revitalization of the intersection at 115th & Michigan - although yeah they refer to this as 116th & Michigan. This is geared towards transit oriented development with mixed use buildings that hopefully will include storefronts, low-income housing, a grand entrance to the nearby L station, and greenspace to be used for community events. Seems like a great plan that should be considered even if it must be refined. The video was posted to YouTube in May 2017. [VIDEO]

Here's yet another video which was posted to YouTube in Dec. 2012 - 4 years ahead of The Chicago Reporter video with Shari Henry. Of course this is a video that is in favor of the Red Line extension to 130th Street and certainly wants us to know the benefits of building this extension. An hour commute to downtown Chicago for cultural, education, or even jobs. The far south side won't be so disconnected or it won't take so long to take advantage of all the opportunities the city of Chicago has to offer. [VIDEO]

Forgot to add the above video was before the 2013 Red Line south reconstruction and before the current redevelopment of the 95th Red Line terminal.

What you see below is the project development phase which is the final environmental impact statement and record of decision as far as the Red Line alignment along the Union Pacific Railroad route. I suppose this means which side of the tracks will have their properties impacted which is also explained in the two-page report from CTA.

Curbed Chi: Proposed Trump budget could threaten Chicago’s mass transit network

Future 103rd St. Red Line stop

A variety of transit projects in our fair city could be on the gun but I want to emphasize one project that could be derailed - no pun intended - by the priority on people who drive their own vehicles:

Amtrak isn’t the only transportation network expected to feel the squeeze from Washington. While CTA’s $2.1 billion Red-Purple Line modernization program managed to secure $1.1 billion in matching federal funds during the waning days of the Obama Administration, Trump’s proposed budget could cast serious doubts on a plan to extend the Red Line beyond 95th Street to Chicago’s Far South Side.

If there was a time for Chicago's south side leaders to make sure we get that extension funded now, this is the time. And yes I realize Trump doesn't have many friends or allies here in Chicago.

Crossposted from The Sixth Ward

1970: 95/Dan Ryan CTA terminal

As of now the CTA terminal at 95th endures. It has undergone some changes over the years, a reconstruction in 2003-04, the shutdown & reconstruction of the Red Line south in 2013, and of course the expected overhaul expected to be completed in 2018. The ig post below from the CTA's ig profile shows a scene not too unfamiliar to today's transit riders who begin or compete their commutes at 95th street.

This 1970 photo (from our historical photo collection) shows a busy 95th/Dan Ryan bus terminal as people get off of buses and make their way to the train, not long after it opened. In 2014, construction began on the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project, which will expand and greatly improve the 95th/Dan Ryan station (the south terminal of the CTA Red Line). #cta #cta70 #chicago #ctaredline #buses #terminal #busterminal #princetonpark #westchesterfield #roseland #longwoodmanor

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Transit Matters - Pullman open house

This open house about a Pullman Transportation and Access Plan to take place January 26th at the Pullman National Monument Visitor's center located at 11141 S. Cottage Grove from 6:30 to 8:00 PM with a presentation set to start at 7:00 PM. Refer to flyer below.

And checkout this website www.pullmantransportation.com

At 95th an unused disconnected phone #gogreyhound

On Tuesday I noticed the remnants of a phone which about where Greyhound buses used to stop for pick-ups and drop-offs. It's been a few years since I've taken a Greyhound from 95th Street and remember Greyhound personnel perhaps the drivers using the phone. The station where you can buy your tickets was actually in the terminal near the fare controls, however, that changed in the late 90s.

By 1999 at least one of the last few times I took a bus from 95th the actual ticket office was moved to the back where the 29 State bus starts its journey. Sometime after an overhaul which had been in 2002-03 Greyhound began drop-offs and pick-ups at their ticket office in the back of the CTA terminal.

Sometime during the past decade this phone was disassembled and then the line cut. Funny part is that I knew it was there but hadn't thought about it in years until seeing this recently. Whenever CTA finish the new 95th terminal this ancient device will be history.

CTA Red Line Extension Public Comment Period Ending

 An e-mail from the Chicago Transit Authority

• Public Comment Period Ends November 30
  Red Line Extension Project
  Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation
  
  CTA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are proposing to extend the Red Line 5.3 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street. Click here to learn more about the project.
  
  CTA and FTA have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) based on the technical analysis of impacts of the proposed project. The Draft EIS documents the benefits and impacts of the alternatives being considered, which include impacts to parks and wetlands. Click here to review the Draft EIS on the RLE Project website. Hard copies of the Draft EIS also are available for review through November 30, 2016. Click here to learn more about reviewing the Draft EIS.
  
  Comments on the Draft EIS are being accepted until November 30, 2016 at 4:30 PM. You may submit comments via e-mail to RedExtension@transitchicago.com or by mail to Chicago Transit Authority, Strategic Planning, 10th Floor, Attn: Red Line Extension Project, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
  
  Do you require assistance?
  If you have questions or need assistance, contact Gerald Nichols, CTA Government and Community Relations at 312-681-2710 or GNichols @ transitchicago.com.
  Para más informacion en Español, llame al 312-681-2710
  Customer Information: 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282)
  
  Thank you for your continued interest.
  
  RLE Project Team
  Chicago Transit Authority

EVENT: Red line extension hearing

A public hearing for the red line extension project's draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to take place at the St. John MB Church at 211 E. 115th Street on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. For more information please refer to the flyer below.

As an aside at the 9th Ward meeting this past Tuesday, there was a nice presentation to update us on this project which is moving along at this time. We saw a presention on how this project would affect the parks along the right of way. Also we learned that through a state supreme court ruling, the CTA can't use eminent domain to purchase the right of way from the Union Pacific Railroad. Also there were handouts available including the flyer you see above and a citizen's guide pamphlet for the extension project. It would interesting to see what will be said at this hearing this coming Tuesday.

ALSO, click this link for other documents that are downloadable and printable for this project.

Red line extension moves forward

Rendering of the 103rd CTA station

I'm somewhat disappointed that the red line extension to Roseland may not open until at least 2026 at the earlier according to what was written by Greg Hinz. Regardless more progress is being made in the future progress to bring the CTA L system further south from 95th street. This project is expected to cost about $2.3 billion.

As CTA continues to move forward we will see a draft environmental impact statement which will be seen on this project's website. In addition as hopefully construction would begin at 2022 at the earliest another step is to purchase those properties within the footprint of the route whether or not the CTA goes with the two options for their preferred routing.

Discussions on converting Metra Electric to a rapid transit line

Found this article via Sloopin that was published on June 24. There is official interest in turning the Metra Electric Line into a rapid transit service with more frequent trains.

A proposal to convert the Metra Electric District Line into a rapid-transit line with more frequent stops to serve the South Side and suburbs has drawn the interest of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has asked the head of the Regional Transportation Authority to facilitate discussion on the issue, RTA officials said.

During the transit agency's monthly board meeting Thursday, Chairman Kirk Dillard told a representative of a coalition of South Side and south suburban groups that Emanuel had reached out to him about the rapid-transit idea last month, and that talks had begun.

Dillard said he spoke with Metra Chairman Martin Oberman about the proposal Wednesday.

"The RTA is working with the CTA and Metra," Dillard said after the meeting. "We need to get a handle obviously on the finances, as well as ridership numbers historically in that area. We're in the preliminary fact-finding stages."

We've been hearing about grassroots proposals to turn the Metric Electric (aka IC line) into a rapid transit service as opposed to a commuter rail service. It even has two different color designations such as the Gray or Gold Line.

Question to ask here is how this could benefit the many communities on the far south side if there was more frequent service on the Metra Electric line if CTA institutes more frequent service? This could very much benefit the neighborhoods of Pullman, Roseland, West Pullman, South Shore, South Chicago and perhaps even the near suburbs of Riverdale. And hopefully wouldn't take as much time to institute as finally building the CTA Red Line extension from 95th to 130th Streets.

BTW, part of me wishes that instead of using those double decker Metra coaches prevalent on all Metra lines if only it was possible to turn this into a typical third rail service instead of overhead traction. Perhaps find a way to connect this to the L system at some point. Perhaps more express service for Metra Electric & South Shore riders coming from the south suburbs and Indiana

Better yet if only such service could exist along the Metra Electric's South Shore and South Chicago branch and it could be converted to a third rail service. I realize these are all questions of later study and probably won't be instituted immediately. Even the Yellow Line aka Skokie Swift had been in service years before it was converted to a third rail traction line.

CTA service to improve on south side

By James T4

 Announced at the 95th Red Line terminal on Thursday these are the changes expected to start this summer:

• The 95th Street bus, which will combine separate east and west segments to create a continuous route.
• The No. 4 Cottage Grove bus, which will extend service south from 95th Street to 115th Street.
• The No. 71 71st Street bus, which will extend all trips from 73rd to 112th and Torrence, and see increased frequency.
• The No. 26 South Shore Express, which will add earlier and later service.
• The No. 34 Michigan and No. 119 Michigan/119th bus routes, which will add increased frequency during midday and evening hours.
• The Cottage Grove and Ashland/63rd branches of the Green Line will have increased frequency during the a.m. and p.m. rush hours.

Also:

The improvements will cost an extra $5.7 million a year and are planned to be implemented in September, but some could be seen as soon as the beginning of the summer, said CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman.

“These improvements are related to CTA President Dorval R. Carter's goal of looking at service from a holistic perspective and providing the most effective service possible,” Tolman said. “These improvements will further improve the quality and reliability of service for riders."

Words from the Mayor himself:

“With this expansion, the CTA is continuing the important work of connecting more residents to jobs and economic opportunities,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This announcement builds on the strides we have made to improve connections to and from downtown. These types of investments help our economy to grow, our neighborhoods to prosper, and our city to thrive – and we will continue to make them to ensure that every resident has an opportunity to succeed.”

CTA Red Line Extension

Yup I did promise a post on the Red Line extension. This post was originally posted to The Sixth Ward blog on August 23, 2009. Of course there has been further updates since then and will be crossposted here. In addition some of the information here is out of date as there have been CTA and Pace bus service changes over the years. However, I do sincerely hope to be on the first run on the first day of service on the future extension.

The following pictures in this post were taken from the slideshow presentations of Red Line extension alternatives. Particularly the presentations you would have seen at either Woodson Library or Olive Harvey College on June 3 & 4, 2009.

This route is the locally preferred alternative. It would roughly leave 95th Street and would be elevated along the Union Pacific Railroad with stops at 103rd, 111th, 115th, and 130th streets. There is no indication of where exactly the terminal would be although other stories about the CTA's approval of a Red Line extension would have the terminal near the South Shore rail line.

This pic is a conception of the 103rd Street Red Line station. One aspect of the proposed L extension is to eliminate the long bus rides to the 95th Terminal. If the Roseland L gets built I can only imagine that we may see another reorganization of bus routes along the extension.

For example, if students at Julian & Corliss High Schools in addition to Olive Harvey College may have to get off at 103rd Street to get to their respective campuses. That could mean that the 103 bus may no longer be routed to 95th and it'll just be an east-west bus between the current 103 bus terminus at 104th & Pulaski and the current terminus of the 106 bus at 103rd & Stony Island (well it's that bus barn on East 103rd).

I can only imagine that the 106 will be eliminated especially if the 103 will no longer be routed to 95th Street. If a bus rider had to go north on Michigan they would have to change buses instead of being able to stay on the bus to ride North on Michigan Avenue. Either way this routing should eliminate any concern there might be regarding our young people from area schools or any other traffic that comes into 95th on any given weekday.

Also since there are stations along the way I could see other routes being changed such as the Pace 353 bus. If the route of the 353 bus could terminate at the 115th Street stop instead of going to 95th. When that happens King Drive south of 95th could lose their bus service.

Well I know I can't figure out all the possible changes and before anything should happen the extension has to be built first.

Take the CTA Red Line from 95th to Howard street on YouTube

[VIDEO] Recently I discovered videos provided by CTA which provided real-time documentary footage of all routes of the L system. It's very interesting to see the trains on the various routes and the neighborhoods they roll through everyday during their daily services.

Also since we're in the middle of winter, it's nice to see Chicago during much warmer and sunnier weather as you will see here.

Anyway, since this is the "Shedd School" blog it was important to me to share this footage of the Red Line from 95th Street to Howard. During my time in elementary school often my weekends would consist of me following my mother downtown as she mostly went to the office to do some work. Even better these were the days when I could sit at the front of the train to watch the city roll by.

Of course as an aside the Red Line as we know it today didn't exist then as the train went up instead of into the subway near Cermak-Chinatown. You will see that when the train gets to that point where the train used to go upwards and at times they still do with reroutes.

This is a one-hour video as the train will move from the far south side to the far north side and will roll through the subway under State Street. And again it's really cool to see where the Red Line heads north from 95th Street. 

Even better when you get downtown, Fullerton, Belmont, and Howard you will have the opportunity to change/transfer trains and see where those other rail lines go after you reach those change/transfer points. So this is really cool and an adventure that worth taking, especially if you don't really leave the neighborhood.

BTW, for greater enjoyment you should put the video into theater mode or if you're on a PC full screen - those are the buttons you see in the play/time area. Also in that area is what looks like a gear set it to HD either 720 HD or 1080 HD. If you use a smartphone you can probably just turn your phone from vertical to horizontal and it will be on full screen.

Enjoy! And click here for a Red Line map to see which stops the train makes during this hour video.