BestParking.com is a handy site that lets users compare daily and monthly parking rates based on neighborhood, address, cross street, or attraction. Previously only available in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and D.C., the site recently added Chicago to their system.
The U of C's Main Quad will be undergoing a dramatic transformation this summer, including converting its streets into pedestrian thoroughfares. A map is also available through the Facilities Services site.
At least 17 cars were set on fire in Humboldt Park and Ukrainian Village early this morning.
FoGB, designer, (and frequent festival photographer) George Aye snapped a pic of his special Lollapalooza edition CTA transit cards which are showing up in station vending machines now. He snagged his at Logan Square.
The ongoing battle between (some) taxi drivers and their customers who want to pay their fare with a credit card might be a thing of the past, thank to some new technology.
The Reader's Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke continue their outstanding coverage of the parking meter privatization scandal this week with a report on who actually benefits from the deal. Read their previous stories here and here.
There's a rally against parking meters at Alderman John Pope's office tomorrow morning. Protesters want to make sure some new meters don't go into their neighborhood, in light of the meter deal debacle.
The most interesting thing about the Tribune's story about best and worst CTA stations is the chart of ridership changes at the end. Roosevelt (Red) up 165 percent, Clinton (Green) up 157 percent, Rosemont (Blue) down 22 percent.
The CTA Tattler reports that the CTA is hoping to work out some glitches in the screens displaying next train times at six El stations. No word if fares need to be increased to help fund the fix.
Time Out Chicago's website has links to photos and video clips of the Chicago version of the World Naked Bike Ride held over the weekend. We're guessing it's NSFW.
The rodeo's in town this weekend--the Rail Rodeo, that is. As part of the American Public Transportation Association's annual conference, rail operators and maintenance teams will compete to see who's the best in North America. The competition takes place tomorrow morning on the Yellow Line, which, of course, means that the permanent weekend Yellow Line service announced earlier this week won't be happening until Saturday afternoon. [via]
A blue line train headed northbound towards O'hare was struck by a car this morning. Yes. Really.
The CTA Tattler celebrates five years of reporting on Chicago transit.
AT&T service will soon be available in CTA subways. Gmail in the station!
O'Hare isn't just an airport. It's an aerotropolis. [via]
The Active Transportation Alliance serves free coffee to those who ride a bicycle to work (or to Metra) next week. Stop by a Bike Commuter Station -- throughout Chicago and at various Metra stations.
The CTA is holding public meetings tonight and tomorrow regarding the long-discussed Red Line extension south of 95th. You might want to take a look back at Craig Berman's CTA Map for 2055 here on GB.
...and into Ferrari Guy For Hire's car. [via]
Business honchos in Green Bay are pushing for an Amtrak rail link between that city and Chicago, with an eye toward getting some of those possible 2016 Olympics bucks. And it will make it easier for Bears and Packers fans to deliver the hate personally.
The nifty bike valet at Millennium Park is in jeopardy of closing this summer due to chief underwriter Chase Bank's "refocusing on business matters."
Not really. Due to a rash of parking meter payboxes not working, Police have been instructed not to issue parking tickets in the loop today.
The official websites for O'Hare and Midway airports so old-looking that someone decided to build new ones.
Your downtown commute may get a little more interesting around 6:30 this evening thanks to the throngs of participants and spectators expected for the 28th annual J.P. Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. Detours are being considered for 19 CTA bus routes that run in the general vicinity of Grant Park.
Chicago's Circle Interchange makes an appearance in part 2 of The Infrastructurist's collection of freeway interchanges (part one). Don't know the Circle? Read about it and other local road jargon here.
The Chicago Reader's politics blog rounds up recent parking meter news, and provides links to the parking meter contract here and here.
In the seemingly endless barrage of transportation news is a another change to the way the city handles cars. Among other changes, the main city vehicle sticker will be combined with resident permits and will include a license plate number.
One of O'Hare's runways was shortened by 4,000 feet in just one 8 hour shift last week, as part of a project to cut down on planes cutting across each other's paths at the airport.
Chicago Critical Mass aficionados likely already know about the collection of route maps on the CCM site, but Andrew Bedno recently created another directory that includes selected flyers from early as 1998, set up gallery style.
We already know the parking meter privatization deal was a bad one -- but three months later we're still finding out just how bad. And in the meantime, Ald. Ed Burke canceled planned hearings on the meter deal. Great.
The RTA has launched Goroo, a new travel planning site where you can work out how to get from one place to another on Metra, CTA and roads.
... the Trib for its coverage of Chrysler closing 789 dealerships, 44 of which are in Illinois: "No-haggle end for hundreds of Chrysler dealers."
On May 18th the CTA Bus Tracker project will be complete!
With so many broken parking meters out there, it's important to know that you can't be fined for parking in a spot with a broken meter. Just in case, take an extra step and print out a few of these flyers explaining the law to whoever's handing out tickets these days.
LAZ Parking officials have come to the oh-so-surprising conclusion that it wasn't ready to acquire the city's 36,000 parking meters in February.
Chicago fits right in on Gadling's list of places with the worst potholes. [via]
One of the approximately 60 WWII era aircraft remaining in Lake Michigan has been recovered for inclusion in a New Orleans museum. The plane crashed on Nov. 24, 1944 while attempting to land on an aircraft carrier during a training mission.
You'll never be able to ride again in that scary-yet-exciting accordionish corridor thingy again. UPDATE: Actually, only one type of articulated bus is being decommissioned; the CTA just recently leased new articulated buses from New Flyer. (Thanks, Rob!)
Crime is on the rise on the CTA: robberies up by 77%, theft up by 6%.
Times are tough, but not too tough for Pet Airways, a pets only airline that will begin service to our fair city beginning in July.
Vote for the worst pothole in Chicago Public Radio's Adopt-a-Side-Street project. The winning pothole will be the subject of a news story.
Eight Midwestern states have united to reinvigorate plans for the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative as a way to increase their odds at getting federal funding. If the plan succeeds, you know who will be in the center.
The system of signals behind CTA farecards is more complex than you might think.
The Trib visited RedSpeed Illinois and Redflex Traffic Systems to get the inside scoop on red light cameras and how the companies who operate them interact with the city.
The Reader's Ben Joravsky and Mick Dumke take a look at how Daley and friends managed to push the parking meter privatization deal through City Council with such ease.
A car on fire across the street is not the usual way we greet out of town guests. [Thanks, Marc!]
A protest about road conditions in Englewood was foiled by a Department of Transportation road repair crew who, following months of complaints, showed up by "coincidence" minutes before the demonstration was to begin. Right.
If so, tell them to get in touch with Amtrak, who wants to speak with and honor them. The NY Times has more background information.
The RTA is working on improving fare collection on buses and trains, the goal being "to allow customers to travel on different parts of the transit system with a single fare payment." [via]
The Paulina Brown Line Stop reopens tomorrow morning (if you're counting, that leaves just the Wellington stop closed and Fullerton and Belmont still under construction). All weekend long, various businesses in the area, including Frasca, Fizz, Finley Dunne's, Dinkel's, Sam & Willy's, and The Shire, will have specials to celebrate.
Progressive Railroading.com (and it's OK to admit it's your favorite website) reports that Amtrak is reintroducing sleeper cars to the Chicago-to-Boston route. So if you had plans to head to Beantown anytime soon, you can now do it flat on your back.
WBEZ wants to know -- and wants you to photograph it in all its pockmarked glory for the Adopt a Side Street project.
There are a lot of bridges over the Chicago River -- but there used to be a few more.
Since the City is more interested (apparently) in repaving park district roads, maybe we can get KFC to fill some of Chicago's 25,000-plus potholes.
The Expired Meter uncovers additional parking meter abuse and destruction following the LAZ takeover -- including an effort to overstuff meters with pennies.
It's not a competition, but if it were, the L would be beating the Metra in which one is the more high tech train service.
Given recent complaints about parking meters, it should come as no surprise that some people are taking matters into their own hands... however unsuccessfully.
Chicago Public Radio's blog wants to help you get your street fixed. Just follow their guidelines to send in a picture of your street's issues. They'll then track how fast it gets fixed (or not).
Oh, here's a surprise... Apparently, people aren't particularly pleased with the recent parking meter changes or the transition process.
Thousands of potholes on our city's streets, and the parks are getting repaved first. Thank the Olympic bid for your smooth ride to see the duckies.
The CTA might have some new local competition. A Sun-Times story says it's actually cheaper, in some cases, to take Metra to the Loop rather than the L or bus.
Since December, the city filled more than 200,000 potholes, leaving -- supposedly -- a surplus of 7,000 unfilled potholes.
Tesla Motors, the company behind the electric Tesla Roadster, is opening its first dealership outside of California here in Chicago. [via]
Besides not mentioning the CTA Daley still hasn't revealed much of his wish list from the stimulus package. Not that it mattered since Illinois has yet to submit any project for funding. With all the distractions in Springfield its easy to forget there is work to be done.
Chicago continued to rank third in the US for traffic congestion on INRIX's annual National Traffic Scorecard. Cook County has 26 of the worst 100 bottlenecks in the country. Throw in thousands of potholes, and we've got a whole lot of lousy driving.
Apparently complaining about red-light cameras actually does something.
Red light runners aren't the only ones whose tickets come with photographic evidence anymore.
Developing Story: The CTA has pulled 90 articulated buses from this evening's rush hour commute after a structural crack was discovered. Right now, there's nothing some affected route information posted to the bus status page at the CTA's site. UPDATE: the Trib reports more than 200 buses will be affected immediately.
Yesterday, 5,000 DePaul students' U-Passes were deactivated by mistake, leaving more than a few students a little less confident about the CTA.
The lightning-quick towing of Chicago drivers who defy the overnight winter parking ban has been cut in half, thanks to the city's 2009 budget eliminating nearly all of the field vehicle investigators whose job it is to seek out and ticket illegally parked cars. Of course, this also means that the city's losing out on a lot of fast revenue over the winter months.
Pedestrian deaths rose from 49 in 2007 to 56 in 2008. Prevention funding is also up, but it doesn't seem to be helping.
Thanks to the economy, the now-annual CTA doomsday call may be even more dire than usual.
More bus trackers are on the way, according to CTA Tattler. As things are now, about 75% of all the CTA bus routes will be on the bus tracker system by the end of March.
You can show just how much you love our home-town president with some temporary Obama license plates (they're only valid for two months) from, of all places, the Illinois Library Association.
Jon Hilkevitch reports that Chicago's Olympic bid book doesn't include an overhaul of the CTA -- only shuttle service between train stops. You can review the whole bid book by downloading it here. Let us know what you think of the Olympic bid in Fuel.
It's taken a while, but the new parking rates will start to take effect tomorrow.
The Polk Street entrance to the Harrison Red Line stop opened this week for the first time in 41 years.
The city's ticket amnesty program, which gets you reduced or waived fees on certain outstanding parking and red-light tickets, ends on Saturday. Check the Department of Revenue site for a full list of eligible tickets, as well as an option of paying online. (tip from The Expired Meter)
The City has discontinued its free trolley service due to budget cutbacks. Navy Pier will continue to run its own trolleys to and from the Grand Red Line stop, but otherwise the only trolleys you'll be seeing from now on will be full of drunk wedding attendees.
InterContinental's new O'Hare hotel is part of a wave of high-end design sites replacing no-frills airport hotels. It has amenities like an art gallery with in-house curator in adddition to an overall contemporary design.
The Expired Meter reports that budget cuts have led to a huge backlog on traffic and parking ticket court hearings. If you're not up for the hassle, you can pay your ticket online.
Speaking of the CTA, the Damen Brown Line stop recently reopened, featuring some very cool new public sculptures. (That leaves just Paulina and Wellington still closed, incidentally.)
Top CTA managers did pretty well last year income wise; nonunion executives got 6 percent salary raises before 2009. Ron Huberman says it was necessary to keep the high caliber of talent. Hmmm, so how much does it cost to get executives that get the trains to come on time?
The CTA's Red Line disruption of service alert hinted at a particularly unsettling kind of delay.
If the Gov is indeed ousted today, the Illinois Tollway will almost immediately shroud all those signs proclaiming Rod's awesomeness (like this one). Then they'll take them down.
Dorval Carter will be the acting head of the CTA until a permanent successor to Ron Huberman is found.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning has released incredibly detailed graphs of traffic congestion in Chicagoland. Study up on your route to learn when not to hit particular problem areas.
Every time a CTA bus driver gets caught running a red light the taxpayers pay for it.
The City is cracking down on the "dibs" tradition, asking residents to remove junk or have it removed for them. The Expired Meter has a handy note you can print out and give to your neighbors if you'd like.
Unfortunately, that one thing is cost. It's the most expensive transit system in America, according to a survey by Citizens Taking Action.
The Parking Ticket Geek reports that although the sale of the city's parking meters was pushed through quickly, the actual lease deal is taking a lot longer. Don't expect the switch-over till around March.
Chicago, meet the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. You may be driving one soon.
CTA ridership is breaking records this year. According to a press release:
The CTA today announced that 2008 combined bus and rail ridership increased by 26.8 million rides, a gain of 5.4 percent over 2007 ridership, for a total of 526.4 million rides. It is the highest ridership level since 1992 and the highest single year ridership gain in 34 years.
Southbound Metra riders, be warned, your trip home will be slow. An Amtrak train derailed near Union Station this afternoon, cutting off three Metra lines.
Perhaps it's one of those Jerry-Lewis-is-big-in-France deals, but for some reason the CTA Bus Tracker is popular in Norway, receiving 15,000-plus hit from that country, more than any other country outside of the U.S. *Incidentally, the headline translates to "Was that a 22 or a 36?", a pretty popular phrase among CTA users.
The Expired Meter finds no evidence of rate increase two weeks into the leasing of the city's parking meters. Meanwhile, the Trib reports that there will be fewer coin meters on the streets in the near future.
Saturday was Improv Everywhere's No Pants Day on trains around the world. Chicago's entry got some press; photos from the event are here.
Power to the southbound tracks on the CTA's Blue Line downtown has been shut off after a woman was struck and badly injured by a subway train at 8:15 this morning. Blue Line customers are being advised to use alternate service into the Loop.
Following a federal appeals court decision, it looks like 330 more red light cameras are on our way.
Our city's freaky up-and-down weather has one bone-jarring side effect: potholes. As of Monday there were more than 1,100 dotting the city landscape and threatening to bust axles. The city says it's on it and you can file a claim for any damages. Incidentially, if you're driving east past the Heart 'O' Chicago motel, don't let that shallow looking puddle on the right side of the road fool you. Trust me.
Chicago Carless follows up on his story breaking the CTA's homeless ridership crackdown with a late-night ride with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.
Hope you're not headed out of town today -- the weather has snarled pretty much every mode of transportation: planes, trains and automobiles. Even ice skates.
The CTA returned the Belmont station to four-track service on Saturday, much to the relief of commuters. Meanwhile the tunnels got some glow-in-the-dark paint.
Unfortunately sometimes public indecency is a fact of life on public transportation. CTA Tattler has a good post exposing one particular lowlife and some suggestions on what to do if you become a victim.
First they sold off the parking meters, now City Council is weighing a proposal for a "congestion reduction fee" on parking spaces downtown. Proceeds would theoretically go to the CTA for service improvements.
Double Bike Match launched today: donate to World Bicycle Relief through the site and an angel will match it, so that two bikes can be purchased for needy people.
The CTA debuted a completely redesigned transitchicago.com today (you may need to hard-refresh the page if you've been there lately.) The site is a big step forward in the agency's effort to standardize messaging and streamline information. Service alerts are made clear and are available by RSS.
The Active Transportation Alliance will be giving out 200 free bike headlights tonight at Chicago and Wells from 5:30-7:30pm.
Commuting.in prettifies the CTA Bus Tracker for your mobile device, but also allows you to save favorite bus routes and stops.
The Chicago Journal reports that in 2009 the CTA will begin construction to add a new stop to the Green Line at Morgan Street. This will help close the massive gap that goes Clinton to Ashland with no stop in between. Construction is expected to be completed in late 2010 or early 2011.
Just when you thought that parking meter privatization deal couldn't get any worse, someone read the fine print: all parking holidays will be off, and no free parking on Sundays, either. City Council votes today; call your alderman. UPDATE: The deal passed City Council 40-5.
The CTA unveiled new hybrid buses today that plug into an electrical outlet at night and run on battery power for most of the day. The move is estimated to save the CTA almost $7 million annually in maintenance, labor and fuel costs by retiring aging buses.
It will cost you considerably more to park at a meter in the near future. But don't worry: You probably won't be able to move your car from in front of your house anyway.
The good news: some downtown bus shelters are going to have warm air piped into them over the winter. The bad news: it's not part of a CTA improvement program, it's an ad for stuffing. More details in Drive-Thru.
The CTA appears to be cracking down on homeless ridership -- just in time for winter weather -- by posting signage at train terminals reminding passengers that they must pay for another fare to ride a train board a train going the opposite direction. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has begun tracking any ejections of homeless people by CTA employees.
Tired of dodging the city tow trucks thanks to that fistful of parking tickets you've collected? The Department of Revenue is giving you a break.
The CTA is once again mulling offering naming rights to individual CTA stations. The RedEye's Kyra Kyles has some suggestions; I always thought Dunkin' Donuts should sponsor Library -- where the Pink, Orange and Brown lines stop. GB readers had some other good ideas in Fuel back in 2005. (By the way, if you're interested in discussing the proposed Red Line extension below 95th, there are a couple meetings this week.)
Crain's examines the linkages between Chicago and Detroit and the effect the current calamity with U.S. automakers could have on us.
Hopefully you remembered not to park on snow routes tonight, because whether there's snow on the ground or not, Chicago's winter parking regulations go into effect at 3am Dec. 1 -- very late tonight or very early Monday morning, depending on your perspective. Hope you don't wake up to a missing car!
Believe it or not, you can get gas in Chicago for less than $2 a gallon. Not in a nearby suburb, not across the Skyway in Indiana, but actually within the city limits, specifically at a BP and Mobil station at 76th Street near the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Whether they're called HOT (High-Occupancy Toll) or Green Lanes, four (to be determined) Illinois toll roads are going to be changing in 2010. Aimed at reducing congestion, commuters will be rewarded for driving with a buddy (or 2, or 3), or taking the bus, with access to a designated lane for vehicles with more than one passenger.
Commenters at the CTA Tattler are discussing which CTA bus route would get the "Bunchie" for slowest and least reliable service.
Looks like the trusty Chicago Card may become obsolete in the near future. The CTA is claiming that a new "smart" version of credit and debit cards will be accepted for payment of bus and train fares in about a year. Seems like a rather bold prediction, but it could mean more money for other improvements if it pans out.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation has become the Active Transportation Alliance, to reflect a broadening of its focus beyond bikes.
Because I'm going to need it when the CTA raises fares by 25 cents starting in 2009. An unrelated upside to this news is that the gas surcharge for taxi rides ends today, as oil prices have declined; however, cab drivers are lobbying for a 16% raise in their base fare.
It looks like CTA is going to vote to raise fares as much as 50 cents today.
"Chicago Geek Girls is a network of groups devoted to supporting the work & play of women who identify as geeks."
The blog Hyde Park Progress explores the transportation options available to the area from a U of C (ex)undergrad perspective.
If Chicago ever becomes a high-speed rail stop, we've already got the station for it. Or at least the design for the station.
A pool report of President-elect Obama's ride to his first intelligence briefing highlights what many of us already know about downtown traffic.
Some Metra riders recently had a surprise guest engineer: a teenager.
Construction shortcuts on the new brown line stations result in splintering wood in the platforms and rust on canopies and railings. Expect things to look uglier as winter sets in.
While it's running short on funding, Metra says it won't raise fares in 2009 or (probably) 2010. That said, if it doesn't get some cash soon, service will be "slower, bumpier and less reliable."
Starting today, CTA riders can sign up for emails from the agency to alert them to construction, delays and changes in service. OMG.
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning found an interesting paradox in its recent transportation study: Chicagoans are driving 5% less, but congestion is actually worsening.
Wondering what to make of the CTA's budget proposal? The CTA Tattler breaks down the fare hike as well as the budget over all.
iGo car sharing and the CTA have signed a deal where iGo members will be able to use one smart card for both their iGo and CTA rides. Pending board approval, the program should be in place by the end of this year.
City Council has banned texting while driving. It'll be a $75 fine, rising to as much as $200 if you get into an accident.
The CTA released its proposed 2009 budget today, and it's full of fare hikes. Apparently "belt tightening" is the new "doomsday."
Life's drama recorded on a bus shelter wall. [via]
In an effort to balance the city budget, Mayor Daley announced today that Midway Airport has been leased for $2.5 billion to an outside group who will operate the airport on a 99-year contract.
Want to show some love to your favorite El stop (and if you have favorite El stop that might be a sign of something altogether different)? The CTA unveils its new online gift shop with items featuring various city stations. And who doesn't need a train system shower curtain?
If you use Twitter, you can now follow your favorite El line, buses or the CTA as a whole, and send updates to the group thanks to CTA Tweet, created ex-GB staffer Dan O'Neil, who also created the cellular CTA Alert System and works at Everyblock. More details on CTA Tattler.
Stickers stating "Someone opened a door and killed my friend" have been popping up on parking meters and signposts around town, courtesy of Anti-Dooring.org.
GB staffer Sandy reports that there's been a street cave-in on Lawrence just east of Western due to a water main break. Buses and traffic are being rerouted.
Add another voice to the debate over a third airport for the Chicago area: the FAA chief who says another airport is needed in addition to the $15 billion expansion at O'Hare.
While we spend plenty of time fretting about our public transportation system, the American Public Transportation Association reminds us we're not alone.
Fortunately, today's CTA cuts hit administrative staff and not service. But that doesn't mean we won't see that later this year or next.
We've mentioned it previously on GB, and here's another reminder/warning: to help ease overcrowding, seatless train cars will start showing up on rush hour El trains starting in late October or early November.
There's some disappointment with the Sundays Parkways plan for car-free streets in October. John Greenfield traveled to NY to experience their version of 'ciclovia' and offers some tips on why New York's worked where Chicago stumbled.
Last call on Metra's bar cars comes this weekend.
For the third year in a row, Hotwire.com declares Chicago the top destination for the Labor Day weekend. And if you do choose Chicago as your vacation destination, a New Zealand travel site tells you the best way to spend 48 hours here.
Speaking of nightmares, four buffalo escaped from an area just outside of Joliet and found their way onto 55, which ended up being a bad move.
The good news: Lake Shore Drive north of Irving Park is finally being resurfaced, saving countless tires. The bad news: it'll be shut down to one lane in each direction for hours a day for the next few months.
The Expired Meter is passing around a petition to get the City to reverse its decision to start booting cars after two unpaid tickets instead of three.
Does the little smudge in the sky in this photo look like a UFO to you? Read a report by the National Aviation Reporting Center on Anomalous Phenomena on the infamous 2006 sighting here [PDF].
The Sun-Times reminds drivers to use their turn signals. Why don't they? Well, 7% said they want to "add excitement" to their trips. Hm.
The Windy Citizen launched a new blog on Thursday to cover Bensenvile's plight in the O'Hare expansion. Particularly interesting is a google map highlighting the places discussed on the blog.
Want to figure out how much your next cab ride should be (or want to make sure you're not getting ripped off when cabbing it in other large cities)? TaxiWiz estimates fares for a handful of cities, among them Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. I calculated some standard trips I take, and was very surprised by the resulting accuracy.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is launching a new program called Sunday Parkways, which will give riders and pedestrians in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Little Village the opportunity to bike through their neighborhoods on streets without cars.
With gas prices still above $4, scooters are booming in popularity. Did you know that Chicago is home to one of the only scooter companies in the US?
A new study says that congestion and gridlock in the Chicago area is costing us more than $7 billion in lost time and wasted fuel.
Just got notice from Drive-Thru Editor Robyn that the Grand Blue Line stop is closed due to a fire in the area as of 4:45pm. Details as we get them. While we're at it, the southbound Blue Line tracks will be shut down between Racine and the Medical Center from 9pm to 4am tonight. Southbound trains will run on the northbound tracks -- won't that be fun. UPDATE: No details ever emerged. I assume it's back to normal.
If you'd like to learn more about what the city is doing to improve bicycling, attend a discussion at the Chicago History Museum this Tuesday. Titled "In the K/Now," a representative of Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the Chicago Cycling Club will pass on tips for Big City Biking as well as tell you more about what to expect as more Chicagoans move on two wheels.
The CTA added its popular Bus Tracker to more routes last week, and a little birdy (FoGB George Aye, now working at the CTA) let us know that they plan to roll it out citywide by the end of the year.
Prompted by a Red Eye story on the lakefront bike path congestion, architecture critic Blair Kamin resurrects a 1998 column of his which shows that nothing much has changed. On your left...
The city has 104 red light cameras. They plan on installing 25 more. They expect to collect more than $50 million in fines because of them. If gas prices weren't enough to make you ditch the car, this might do it.
The work on the CTA Blue Line track between Rosemont and O'Hare is finishing four days early. Starting tomorrow, Blue Line riders will get to experience the thrill of Blue Line trains going to O'Hare at 55 mph. Yee haw!
Introducing Where the El?, twitter-driven live tracking of CTA trains.
High gas prices has created a rise in the number of gas siphoning incidents here in Chicago, which in turn has resulted in a rise in the sale of locking gas caps.
The TSA at O'Hare will soon have Superman vision.
This fall, the CTA's going to start experimenting with seatless L cars.
We just got notice that the Red Line is currently shut down southbound from Howard to Argyle Addison for "an emergency situation" at the Argyle stop. We'll keep you posted. UPDATE: Here's the current alert from the CTA. UPDATE 2: Service down to Granville has been restored, and shuttle buses are running between there and Addison. UPDATE 3: As of 5:50pm, according to the CTA, Red Line service has resumed.
Good news for bike riders who use the trains: the CTA is building bicycle parking structures at 4 of its El stops where demand for bike parking has exceeded supply.
Don't forget, today's the day that the CTA is starting shuttle service between the O'Hare and Rosemont Blue Line stops, so that the CTA can work on the track between the two. Train service to O'Hare is expected to resume July 28.
O'Hare continues its stellar rankings among large airports, this time placing last in on-time departures and third to last in on-time arrivals. As usual, Midway fared better.
On Monday, an Air Nippon jet dropped about 1,450 gallons of its fuel into Lake Michigan. The Trib asks about the event and what's happening to the fuel.
Attention all "playas": You may want to think about removing the tint from the front window of your "hooptie" (do they still call it that?). The city is considering raising the fine for having a tinted front car window from $25 to $250. Now as for that booming bass...
Jessainthebox creates embroidery based on photos shot on CTA trains. [via]
The Expired Meter is a blog devoted solely to Chicago parking tickets. And yes, there's plenty to say on the topic.
Beyond calling the taxi company, if you lose something in a cab, you might want to put a listing in the Chicago Dispatcher, the weekly newspaper for the taxi industry. The paper's Lost & Found service covers all your bases.
GB staffer Jenni reports that there's been some sort of accident at the Wilson Red Line stop. Rumor on the street below is that someone jumped in front of a train. We'll keep you posted as details come out -- this might affect the evening commute. UPDATE: Still no details on what happened, but the CTA reports that service has resumed. Tribune has details about the accident.
The streetcar in Chicago is long gone, but leave it to a gas crunch to get people talking about bringing back the "Green Hornet."
The subject of a Sun-Times article in today's paper, who complained about the hardships of not having a car, gets a bit of a dressing down by (naturally) the author of the blog Chicago Carless.
Today, United Airlines announced it's following the trend set by American Airlines a few weeks ago, and will start to charge you $15 for that first checked bag. Analysts expect other airlines will follow suit with similar fees, as well as some others popping up for luxuries like selecting your seat ($10 for a window, $5 for a middle).
Remember Peotone? Me neither.
Due to rising project costs the CTA is looking to private companies to develop the airport express project that will originate at Block 37.
As of 5:106:44pm today, the Red Line is shut down up and running again between 47th and Grand after a train hit killed someone a robbery suspect (who was fleeing a store he had just tried to rob) on the tracks near the Chinatown stop.
Clinton Miceli was killed last night when he was doored by an Xterra and thrown into oncoming traffic on North La Salle. This morning, a cyclist was struck by a CTA bus in Lakeview. Please, please, please be careful out there, drivers and cyclists alike. This week is Bike to Work Week, so let's be extra vigilant.
The Sun-Times profiles Elmhurst resident Maureen Sullivan, who runs her car off of vegetable oil.
Yesterday, 101 cars were ensnared in a police sting designed to remind drivers they need to stop for pedestrians at all crosswalks.
Well, it really began on Saturday, but if you're a Monday-Friday commuter, now's your time to shine. Get information about bicycle commuter stations and events at the Chicago Bicycle Federation's website.
Unlike other cities, Chicago is showing no special preferences to owners of hybrid cars by giving them a break on feeding the meter and providing them with free parking spaces to encourage their use. Should we really be surprised?
A CTA train derailed for the second time in a week -- this time on the Red Line, near 95th.
Drivers looking to get the "lowest reported gas station prices" can call the city's new hotline at 312-742-4427 or look online. The website is also where the city asks users to report gas station prices.
Planning on flying to Buenos Aires or Honolulu before the year is over? Better move that date up. American Airlines announced it's cutting flights from Chicago to those two cities on September 3 and January 5, respectively.
A Green Line train derailed on the South Side this morning, injuring about 10 people.
Apparently fewer people are taking limos to O'Hare and Midway, thanks to rising fuel costs and shrinking pocketbooks.
Post your subway crush here.
In case you've forgotten since the last time this article was rolled out, the Sun-Times would like to remind you that decibel levels on the CTA can sometimes be dangerous. (This time there's video.)
Flickr user BlueFairlane demonstrates why it's important to wear a helmet when cycling ... and why cars drivers need to watch what they're doing.
If you're trying to get to work today via the I-80, you're already well aware that a semi carrying 10 tons of Oreo cookies crashed near Morris, IL early this morning. Although crews had successfully brushed the last of the crumbs to the side of the road by 6 am, the morning commute for those going eastbound is still totally dunked.
Currently holding the top spot in the country for gas prices: Chicago. Personally, I'd like to know where to find gas at the city's average of $4.07/gallon.
From the Chicagoland Stolen Bike Registry, a project to help understand patterns in comes this unfortunate report: "I locked my bike up very well to a metal pole/street sign in front of my friend's house... When I came out at midnight, the pole had been sawed through and thrown into the alley and my bike was no longer there." (Note: if you own a Specialized, be careful. They seem to be very "hot" lately with thieves.)
The Sun-Times takes a look at the best and worst of the CTA trains.
The CTA Tattler has a rundown on the CTA train reroutings this weekend. Due to work on the elevated tracks there will be some serious re-routing in the Loop. You might want to check out the details if you're planning to be downtown.
The publishers of Grand Theft Auto 4 are suing the CTA over those GTA ads that were pulled from buses in April. The ads were originally supposed to stay up for six weeks between April and June.
This Wednesday is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day! Safe Routes to School and the Chicagoland Bike Federation want your help thanking the crossing guards who keep kids safe as they walk or bike to and from school. So buy the crossing guard in your life something sweet or a new whistle this Tuesday.
IDOT is so overwhelmed by the volume and severity of potholes that it's hiring contractors to help catch up on the repairs. Meanwhile, CTA buses will soon get dedicated lanes, prepay kiosks at busy stops and other upgrades to help reduce congestion downtown.
The federal government will likely give Chicago a grant to study innovative traffic reduction techniques in the city. Among the options to be considered are increased parking charges in specific locations and congestion pricing, which notably recently went out in a blaze of glory in New York.
Beginning today, taxi drivers will be adding a $1.00 surcharge to cab fares to compensate for rising fuel costs.
A semi-truck hit the north stairwell of the Chinatown/Cermak Red Line station around 5:20pm today; reportedly two people have been killed and many more injured. If you're heading that way, take an alternate route, as the area is swarmed with emergency response and the trains are delayed. Very sad.
If you haven't been to the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry in a while, it's worth visiting even if you haven't lost a bike. While you're there, check out the stolen bike statistics and theft map to help you know what to look out for and where to be particularly careful. Given 99.34% of the listed thefts were unrecovered, being careful is probably the way to go.
Carfree Chicago has launched a new line of L Stop buttons for fashionistas who are interested in displaying neighborhood pride, support for public transit, or both. The buttons' bright, bold colors are perfect for springtime.
Amtrak says a Chicago-to-Iowa City rail line would carry 187,000 round-trip passengers a year, for a $55 million investment. National security and energy efficiency concerns have made rail lines an increasingly attractive alternative to flight for regional travel.
Remember yesterday's blue line snafu? Check out images of the passenger revolt with some additional details via the NYTimes.
The city has put together a helpful web page about where you can recycle/donate your old unused bike (with some helpful suburban locations too) as well as link to a company who's willing to recycle bicycle tires. Since tires aren't supposed to go to a landfill, this is a huge help!
In July 2006, after the Blue Line derailed and started a small fire near the Clark/Lake stop, 85-year old Elfa Lari suffered major injuries. Today, on the same day that the Blue Line once again had to be evacuated near the Clark/Lake stop, the agency reached an agreement to settle the case for $1.25 million.
Hope you didn't need it today: there's a train stuck at Clark & Lake, and it's shut down the line. Read a first-person account after the jump.
CTA announced that digital screens that announce real-time arrival information for trains will soon be added to more stations; the signs will also display advertisements, which the CTA expects could earn millions in revenue for their coffers.
Popular Mechanics listed the Circle Interchange and O'Hare as two of the "10 pieces of U.S. infrastructure we must fix right now." Not sure how you'd fix the Circle, but Daley's right on top of it with O'Hare... right?
Google has teamed up with the CTA to make planning your trip a whole lot easier.
Today begins the CTA Bus Tracker program for a handful of routes, with more to be added in May.
Because you're not flying ATA today. Or ever again.
The CTA permanently added two cars to all brown line trains yesterday, though no one seems to have noticed yet. Sounds like you might score a seat if you head for the ends of the platform.
Wondering how much that cab ride is gonna be? Check with Taxi Fare Finder. [via]
The CTA has successfully sent a 24-year old to jail for two years for spray painting the outside of an El car back in December. I think vandalism sucks and all, but couldn't time and money have been better spent hiring some cleaning crews for the inside of the cars instead?
CTA will be soon be unveiling the selected bus routes that will have GPS tracking ability, with riders able to track routes online by April 7. ChicagoBus.org already has a list of the majority of the routes on hand, among them the Western 49/x49 line.
...by plane, anyway. A week after they started flying to Gary-Chicago, SkyBus Airlines cut its service to Greensboro, NC (its only service) in half. Not to be outdone, AirTran is stopping flying between Midway and Minneapolis on May 5.
Wake Great Uncle Billy: Free rides for seniors began today on the CTA. Get the details on the program here.
The CTA will be eliminating the Blue Line service to 54th/Cermak for six months beginning April 27, claiming that Pink Line service to the same terminus has gobbled up the rider share and made the 54th/Cermak Blue Line the least-used in the CTA network. Along with making several experimental bus lines (78, 170-174, 192) permanent additions to their schedule, CTA claims that it will increase operating hours and service on several bus lines, and up the Forest Park and O'Hare Blue Line train service as a result.
The CTA is recruiting riders for its Mystery Shopper program. Good observational skills are required; trench coats and spy glasses are optional.
As Ron Huberman says, "Gum is the nemesis of transit."
Due to rising fuel costs, ATA will discontinue its domestic service at Midway Airport on April 14 and international service on June 7. If you have a flight that will be impacted by ATA's departure, you can visit the airline's website for refund information.
The city is about to install as many as 220 new red light traffic cameras. They've only announced six locations, but two are likely regular intersections for driving GB readers: Belmont and Lake Shore Drive along with Belmont and Halsted.
French company JCDecaux is offering to renegotiate its bus shelter contract in order to bring low cost bike rentals to the downtown area.
The CTA is going to expand its GPS bus tracking system this spring, one garage at a time. (Didn't know there was such a thing? Check it out.)
NPR shares Chicago's scourge with the nation: 250,000 potholes.
Yesterday, the RTA heard a $5.5 billion proposal to extend the Blue Line as far as Yorktown Center.
You'll always know where you're going in these shoes. [via]
And what does Phase 2 mean, I hear someone ask? The CTA Tattler has all the details; 20% reduced capacity on the Red Line (boo!), larger trains on the Brown Line (yay!), and the southbound trains will start to share a single track, while northbound trains will have access to two tracks (boo! yay!).
Commuter Feed is a new traffic reporting service built on Twitter. Follow Chicago's traffic patterns here.
Once again helping provide cheap posts for city-focused blogs all over the country, US News and World Report published a list of America's Most Miserable Airports, with O'Hare coming in at #1 (lots of delays & very full flights).
Got a complaint about the TSA? Register it on this site, developed by Chicago programmer Matt Dennewitz. (Thanks, Paul!)
Wednesday, Mayor Daley, who has given "salutes...in the Chicago way" to motorists who have perhaps dangerously impeded his progress as a cyclist, proposed raising fines to as much as $500 for turning right in front of a bicyclist, opening a door into the path of a cyclist or passing too closely.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, the League of Illinois Bicyclists, and Trek Bike Corp. are sponsoring a bicycle safety essay contest for Illinois fourth- and fifth-graders. Winners will receive Trek 820 mountain bikes and helmets for submitting the best essay. All entries must be postmarked no later than March 31, and must be 100 words or less.
The 100th annual Chicago Auto Show opens Friday, so we here's a couple things to get you ready: Jalopnik's newness cheat sheet, Showlopnik, the derivatively named intern blog, and the 8th annual Auto Show Shutdown. After the jump, links to car blogs' CAS category archives.
That beautiful fog that swathed the city in film noir magic last night? It also canceled about about a thousand flights at O'Hare and Midway.
CTA art isn't usually all that interesting, but this work by Jonathan Gitelson looks amazing, at least online. We'll have to wait for the Armitage stop to reopen to be sure.
The REI Bicycle Friendly Communities Grant Program has awarded the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation with a $15,000 grant in recognition of its mission to make Chicago a more bike-friendly city. The Federation will use the grant to fund Sunday Parkways, a program that provides traffic-free biking on selected city streets during weekends and holidays.
CTA announced yesterday the purchase of 400 new rail cars that will roll into service in 2010. The cars feature live video security cameras, flat-screen monitors that display the train's current location, state-of-the-art diagnostic systems, and stain-and-smell resistant seat fabric. The new trains can run up to 70mph, unless you're in a beloved slow zone. Sadly cattle prods to move doorway loungers into the cars during rush hour will not be included.
Chicago rapper Kid Sister tips her hat to I-Go on the Canadian MuchMusic blog. [via]
If you were hoping transit funding from Springfield would stave off Metra fare hikes, you're going to be disappointed.
ChicaGO, a new mapping service developed by two Loyola students, tries to give you an idea of how long it'll take to get from one point to another using the CTA.
The Senate and the House just approved a long-term plan to aid the CTA. Relief is in the air - provided Blago doesn't veto. If you'd like to give the Gov your two cents about transit, call (217) 782-6830 or email, asking that he sign the bill.
The Chi-Town Daily News looks into the lives of musicians in the CTA subway.
Folks flying to Columbus will soon have an option other than Southwest at Midway -- Skybus at Gary. (I think I'll stick with Midway, thanks.)
You may want to check your I-PASS balance.
How bad is the CTA's budget crisis? Bad enough to catch the attention of The Economist. (Thanks, Jill!)
Wired reports that all the major airports suck in terms of delays, but Midway is the ninth least sucky of them all. (O'Hare is toward the back of the pack, naturally.)
If you're planning to go out tonight for your New Year's Eve celebration, keep in mind that the CTA will be increasing the frequency of some downtown bus lines and all train lines. Full details over at the CTA Website. And if you're saving up your pennies for those famous "1-cent fares," you might want to read this post at the CTA Tattler for the startling truth about penny fares!
A little birdie told me about this shindig, especially if you're into bikes and bike people. Ring in this New Year in high style at Holy Roller's New Year's Eve. This dance party benefits West Town Bikes. The evening's entertainers include Matt Roan + E, DJ Andrew Foster and DJ Coyote DG. Enjoy a midnight dance-a-long with Chicago's own Team Band. There's a secret location that you have to RSVP for, as well as some other fancy spy like stuff. Details in Slowdown.
Senator Dick Durbin earmarked some cash for a few local projects in the big Federal spending bill this week. Included were millions for CTA Circle Line development, Brown Line reconstruction, Metra expansion and bus and train service statewide. (Thanks, Sarah!)
The CTA's Holiday Train will be finishing its 2007 run this weekend, so if you haven't caught the train yet, it's your last chance! The train will be running on the Yellow Line today, and on the Orange Line this Saturday. See the CTA site for a schedule, and check out the Holiday Train photos on Flickr.
The SRAM grant program has awarded $10,000 in mini-grants to four causes that advance bicycling, including Bike Winter and West Town Bikes.
A new study sponsored by AXE (a male grooming brand) finds that flight delays can lead to romantic connections. Thanks to its poor on-time percentage, O'Hare places a respectable 13th on the list of major US airports; Midway limps in at number 31. The best matchmaker? Philadelphia International Airport. Start rearranging your connecting airports, people.
The Center for Neighborhood Technology wants pedestrians to be as safe as possible. So they're offering a new PDF "Pedestrian Rules of the Road" (PDF) to keep you out of danger.
Frequent flyers take note: O'Hare and Midway will be offering flu shots near the gates this year.
Submit questions now and show up today at 2pm for a live video chat with CTA President Ron Huberman.
As if the city could predict the arrival of the first winter storm of the season, the December to April winter parking bans go into effect tomorrow morning. Check your street (or these maps) for the snowflake-emblazoned signs, and don't count on any leniency from the tow truck drivers if you're car's in the wrong zone come 3am.
Parking rates at O'Hare and Midway airports are moving on up as of tomorrow. You'll feel the biggest hurt parking in the international lot at O'Hare, where the daily rate leaps from $30 to $50 per day. Other increases are more modest, unless you roll big and valet, which will run you $45 (as opposed to $32). All this plus proposed city and county tax hikes? 'Tis the season!
A mere 12 days after the latest near-miss of two planes near Chicago, Lewis University announced Tuesday in timely fashion that it will be the first Illinois school to offer an air-traffic controller degree. What a great job: "marked by high stress levels, bad work hours, little glory and the fear never far from a controller's thoughts that one mistake could kill a lot of people."
Apparently, it's national news when travel goes smoothly at O'Hare, a.k.a. "the hub that has been the scene of so many traveler nightmares."
We wondered what the mayor's plan was for the CTA. Well know we know.
Facing a $4 million shortfall, Metra ratified a proposed budget containing a series of 10% fare increases along with a weekend rate jump to $7 a pop. The RTA still has to sign off before the rates are set.
Illinois drivers' understanding of traffic laws ranks 45th out of the 50 states.
Well, there's one cut the CTA hasn't made (yet): the Holiday Train. Get your fix of twinkle lights, garlands and Santa all while moving down the tracks on your favorite CTA line. The Red and Purple lines get the train first, starting this weekend. Check the CTA's website for a full schedule of when the train'll be at your station.
The Beachwood Reporter is asking what the Mayor and the folks in the Hall are doing to prevent a CTA meltdown -- besides, of course, hiring a guy plucky enough to come up with a show-stopping number like rolling "doomsdays."
Although it's reportedly unlikely, Delta Airlines is thinking about buying United in an effort to deal with rising jet fuel costs.
ParkingAnyTime.com, is "a free community generated parking guide that connects motorists with on and off-street parking". Somewhat useful, especially in finding garages and getting the actual parking restrictions on a street, but areas covered are severely limited thus far.
According to New York magazine, the fastest flight from NYC to CHI is on ATA from Laguardia to Midway. The worst? Kennedy to O'Hare on Delta.
Not that anyone thinks airports are safe, but recent security breeches and bomb threats relating to Chicago operations sure make the TSA look even more incompetent.
The newest CTA doomsday date: January 20, according to a CTA press release. 81 bus routes eliminated, 2,400 employees laid off, 3 garages closed, and new fare pricing structure.
Looks like Monday will be a commute just as usual, in more ways than one. CTA and Pace have accepted short-term assistance from the Governor. Again.
The now annual Sadie Hawkins' Day Race & Style Ride is back again, November 10th. What is it? "Sadie Hawkins Day Race/Style Ride is an on-street, in-traffic, point-to-point bike adventure for couples or pairs... There are prizes for the fastest couple, fastest tandem team, fastest out of towners, best dressed, and more." Last year's inaugural event drew people from out of town, generated a ton of missed connections and suffice to say, there were a few couples that are still together to this day.
In an unlikely application of high technology, 10 Chicago Shell gas stations are getting fingerprint scanning payment systems. Expect a mad rush on Play Doh locally as well.
A pitiful email from CTA President Ron Huberman with the subject line "Please Prepare for Next Week" appeared in my inbox tonight. "I ask that you take the time to prepare for next week's commute," he begged me, asking that I review the service cuts and fare increases expected to begin this Sunday and create a new transit plan, if needed. Given the media blackout on this topic, I'm grateful for the update. Someone get that guy a copy of this book!
Not as civil as the Tattler, but a good venue for transportation woes: CTA Sucks.
USA Today reports that screeners at O'Hare missed about 60% of hidden bomb materials that were packed in everyday carry-ons. LAX did worse -- missed 75% -- while SFO missed only 20%. The head of the TSA says the the high failure rates stem from increasingly harder tests.
Dmitry Samarov blogs about his experiences as a Chi-town cabbie over at HACK. He even draws his passengers. The Sun-Times recently profiled this Soviet immigrant turned driver, including some fun quotes about getting propositioned.
The City of Chicago just launched a new six-month in-car parking meter program. Drivers pre-pay an initial $15 either at City Hall or online and they get the device for free. The rate will depend on what zone the meter is located, and you have to call which explains all the recent zone stickers. It's a pilot program limited to 1,000 people.
The City ordered the "Party Cab" to clean out the decorations by Thursday, meaning there's one less interesting ride home.
The FBI is investigating the removal of a dozen spikes from Metra tracks near 100th Street and the Bishop Ford.
GB alumni and fellow teammate Luke Seemann recounts a hit-and-run during the team's weekly Saturday morning ride up to Highland Park and back on his excellent Chicago Bike Racing. Clearly an attack on the riders who were paying attention to the rules of the road, the culprit turned himself in and is now facing felony charges in court. Luke has further details on Thomas Lynch.
Maybe the reason the CTA changed its mind on the Chicago Card is because its president, Ron Huberman, rides the rails, too.
Good news for Chicago Card holders who were going to have to jump through CTA's hoops. The CTA is reversing its decision.
If you want to check out the undeniably nifty Smartcar then you've missed your Chicago chance for a test drive -- the Smart Team came through in June. But next week they'll be in Louisville if you fancy a roadtrip, and St. Louis on Oct 3rd.
When it takes you a half hour to get from the circle interchange to Roosevelt you may not need a national study to tell you Chicago traffic is one of the worst in the nation. Well here it is anyway.
Since pinching pennies is the rule of the day with the CTA, make sure your pennies stay right where you put them on your Chicago Card. If you ran out and got a card when they were first offered four years ago, your card might be expiring as early as October 17th (note: this doesn't affect Chicago Card Plus users). To check the status of your card, and to replace it, talk to a customer service agent in person, go online or call 888-968-7282.
The Tribune sent a reporter and photographer along with two Chicagoland Bicycle Federation employees to ask the question in an article with video. Of course, they find out what most of us already know: cars mean trouble. Go ahead and take the poll, if you're so inclined.
The juggernaut-like O'Hare expansion plan won another victory when the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the notion that relocating 1,600 graves in 158-year-old St. Johannes Cemetery in Bensenville, IL, to make room for more runways violated the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act. "We are very excited about this decision," said our not-at-all-ghoulish mayor.
The plan to increase sales taxes in Cook and neighboring counties to raise funds for Chicago-area mass transit systems failed in the Illinois house. Supporters hope to build more support for the plan in the days to come, but service cuts and fare increases loom on September 16. As GB reported earlier, it's probably a good time to get your Chicago Card.
Given the pending fare hike, the CTA is waiving the $5 fee for the Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus until Halloween. The cards will make riding 50¢ to $1 cheaper, depending on the time of day and location, so it's worth the effort to find a sales location [pdf] or use the separate online ordering sites for the Chicago Card or Chicago Card Plus.
The Block 37 project is millions over budget, to the surprise of nobody. Crain's reports that the city is now in talks with the same firm that leased the Skyway to privatize the CTA station below the block.
Tonight's Critical Mass bicycle rally ended with police action, including some arrests. Bikers were turned away from the planned route to 12th St. Beach by police, who came by paddywagon, ATV, Segway and even bike to stop the throng. Visit CCM to upload your personal ride report.
Chicagoist answers a question I've been wondering the last week or two: What's up with the new "Zone #" stickers on all the parking meters?
If you've ever been down Ravenswood near Wilson, you might have seen the rather large stickered and logoed truck with bright red, yellow and black graphics that say, "On the Fly." The Chicago Traveler has the scoop: On the Fly is a mobile bike mechanic shop. Joe Ebervein and Rich Kwaitkowski will go where you are to get you on the road again.
HACK is a blog by taxi driver and artist Dmitri Samarov, created as a companion to his pretty amazing website. Check out his other "Hack," a minicomic about his day job.
A new state law signed by Gov. Blagojevich this past weekend gives bicyclists something to be happy about: more room. The law allows bicyclists to move further into the travel lane to avoid getting cut off by right-turning cars. It also requires drivers to give bikers three feet of room when passing. To aid in communication, the new law allows bike riders to signal a right turn with the right arm (effectively letting you point to where you're going).
The CTA Tattler runs down a list of some of the CTA's rules of behavior.
The Sun-Times' Transportation section features a fun little article about some of the more random stuff found in the CTA's lost and found. So, if you're wondering where your porn, bicycle, or prosthetic breast (all items mentioned in the story, btw) ended up, now you know.
If recent talk of some riders wanting to disband the Chicago Critical Mass has you riled up, you may want to weigh in on the matter.
I found out about this transit change the hard way this past weekend: on the weekends of July 14 and 21, as well as August 11 and 25, CTA trains will not run between the O'Hare line's Western/Milwaukee and Clark/Lake stations (on August 11, the Jackson/Dearborn station will also be closed). Instead, a bus shuttle will run between all closed stations to substitute for the faster, more convenient train service.
The September 28 celebration of the 10th anniversary of Chicago's Critical Mass ride may also be the marking of its end, as reported in the Sun Times. The large draw of participants dedicated to showing the benefits of cycling is apparently causing more problems than displaying productive transit solutions; apparently no one likes a group of loud, drunk folks on bikes (but if you've seen a Critical Mass ride, you know that hardly describes the majority of riders). Before you start crying in despair, note that no formal plans have been made to shut down the ride, which is scheduled for the last Friday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in Daley Plaza.
Amtrak and GrandLuxe have teamed up to bring high-end GrandLuxe Limited service on regular Amtrak routes that primarily involve Chicago. Of course, a luxury train ride isn't cheap; routes start at $789.
Lee Bey of The Urban Observer directs our attention to a CTA study I've not heard of before. The Chicago Central Area Transit Plan made a case for tearing down the Loop's elevated lines and replacing them with subways that connected with the existing lines in the rest of the city. Unfortunately the project ended up $500 million short so it died before it ever got off the ground. But I think Lee is correct in asking if the city will ever dream that big again.
Hope you didn't try to fly out of O'Hare on United yesterday. Nearly all of the Chicago hometown's computer system crashed, bringing the fleet to a screeching halt. In today's Crain's, UAL COO Pete McDonald blamed it all on one guy. Wonder if his last name is "Bartman."
As of today, Cheikh "Bamba" Dione is the first fleet-based hybrid taxi driver in Chicago. Oh, and if you attend the formal unveiling, you may be lucky enough to watch David Hudson receive CCC's Cab Driver of the Year award and then witness his hand print and signature rendered in wet cement for CCC's "Walk of Fame."
Happy birthday to The CTA Tattler! The blog celebrates its third anniversary today.
ChicagoTows.com is a nearly real-time database of Chicago vehicle towing. Keep your eye on those pirates. (Thanks, Pat!)
The CTA may suck in a lot of ways, but at least there's one employee willing to retrieve the walkman you dropped on the tracks.
The Methods Reporter site has pointed out an article by Taryn Luntz that reveals the city paid as much as $7 million last year settling lawsuits for police car accidents. Especially mind-boggling: $6 million of that went toward settling two separate accidents in 2001 and 2003.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation has a special treat for Bucktown and Wicker Park residents -- and, no, it's not the usual orange one. The city is testing out a new light program that will signal when it's ok to park on a street after it's been cleaned.
Car, that is. A couple of weeks ago, IIT's Armour College of Engineering entered a car in the student 2007 Formula Hybrid competition. They finished in 5th out of 6th in overall points, but more than doubled their previous speed record. They have their eyes on first place next year.
The Chicago Water Taxi Company is offering two weeks of free service starting June 4th. The service runs from roughly the opera house to just past Columbus Ave on the North side of the river, with stops at LaSalle Ave. and Michigan Ave. too. (Of course it isn't free, but the kayak tour of downtown is pretty amazing too.)
Despite our huge number of highways and interminable construction, Chicago only ranks seventh in road rage, according to the annual In the Drivers Seat survey.
Perhaps you've already noticed, but Google Maps has added a "Traffic" view to their maps. Handy if you're lazy like me and can't remember the official traffic maps web page.
As part of the Bike 2015 plan, the City of Chicago will be adding several green colored bike lanes at several new locations this summer, including at Dearborn and Chicago, Elston and Division, Halsted and Roosevelt, Lincoln and Webster and more. Get more info at Chicago Bikes.
A revolt is underway in the suburbs. The target: new sidwalks. After all, with sidewalks, "who knows what you'd be encouraging to come through?" The Trib's online readers are having none of it, with approximately 90% saying sidewalks in neighborhoods are "a positive addition."
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation needs your help in making Chicago biking a little more friendly. On Wednesdays, when you encounter a fellow biker on the road, give a wave. It's that simple!
Check out this mini-photo essay documenting the Belmont L station house move [window resizes].
Even if riding bikes downtown on a Friday isn't your thing, Chicago's Critical Mass is also a dance party, delightful freakshow, a showcase for taking bikes out of the trash and doing really cool things with them. Like this beauty from one of Chicago's more innovative bike designers.
The Tribune has an interesting list of Chicago transit facts (with an inexplicably capitalized headline).
Starting this summer, the CTA has announced that it will expand its GPS-enabled bus tracking system to all North side buses that come into contact with the three-track operations on the Red, Brown and Purple lines.
If you've had your eye on a Zap Electric Car, it seems you're among friends. Today, Zap announced a $79 million deal with Northbrook-based Electric Vehicle Company. According to Zap, it's the largest order for a consumer fleet of electric cars in history. (Thanks, Jeff)
After years of feet dragging, it looks like the CTA, Metra and Pace will finally create a unified fare card.
This is a real-life flesh n' blood forum discussion about the proposed Sunday Parkways — a community effort to give communities safe spaces to interact with neighbors. Inspired by Columbia and Mexico, in essence they are traffic-free times on weekends and holidays for pedestrians and cyclists to interact on selected streets. This Wednesday, April 11th from 6:30 to 7:30pm at Richmond Hall in St. Sylvester Church, 2156 N. Richmond St.
From the establishment of the Hull House Theater to the World's Columbian Exposition, the Sun Times lists their take on "The 50 Greatest Chicago Moments."
The CTA will be holding two southside meetings to discuss the possibility of extending the Red Line from its existing south terminal at 95th Street to a new terminal at 130th Street. For more information contact, DCP: 773-928-2500 or LVEJO: 773-762-6991 and here are more details about the April 10 and 11 meetings.
Instead of mindlessly kvetching about the CTA construction on the North Side, four intrepid WBEZ reporters did an experiment as to which mode of transport is the fastest: car, bike, Metra or CTA. Not surprisingly, the car won, but the bike came in second. Read or download the full story.
A great reminder of the possibilities of regional travel at an affordable rate, Megabus.com recently announced that starting on April 2 you can go to 5 additional cities in the region. The company known for its sliding scale and often very cheap tickets will now take Chicagoans to and from the cities of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky. and Pittsburgh. This makes 13 total regional cities accessible via the express bus line, joining the previously serviced cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Toledo, Ohio.
Speaking of the NYT, the Grey Lady turned her attention to our glorious transit system this weekend, and noted its "precarious" funding situation and crumbling condition.
Plane watchers will be pleased to hear the Airbus A380 will definitely visit O'Hare tomorrow.
IIT is about to boost the Chicago Department of Fleet Management's Green Fleets Action Agenda [pdf] with a prototype plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The city will decide whether it wants more of the cars after a four to six month trial.
The CTA will be installing Flight Departure Info Displays at the Clark & Lake station for flights leaving from both O'Hare and Midway. Precisely what you need to stay calm and relaxed while waiting for the train.
It seems that the Millenium Park Metra Station (nee Randolph St. Station) is now complete. To celebrate, Metra's giving free coffee to commuters at that station on Friday.
Love biking? Want to advance the cause? And get paid or valuable work experience? The Chicagoland Bike Federation wants you to know about a few key opportunities. Apply to be a bike ambassador, design and marketing intern, bikeways planning intern, and more. Put your wheel where your, um, mouth is.
O'Hare and Midway now offer a service that will email or text you with up-to-date flight information. That'll help, right?
CTA Brown Line renovation update: the Francisco stop re-opens tomorrow morning one week ahead of schedule, and the Southport station will close on April 2 for up to one year of work.
Or so recalls Mary Wallace, the CTA's first-ever female bus driver, who has just retired after 33 years of keeping people on the go. Thanks to Wallace's trailblazing, today 24% of the CTA's bus drivers are women.
Just in time for the second phase of I-90/94 construction, Google Maps has launched real-time traffic information for several US cities, including Chicago.
The Chicago Police have a new weapon in their arsenel: the automated license plate reader, capable of scanning thousands of plates an hour and checking them against stolen vehicle reports. And, one would imagine, expired plates.
Awesome story at CTA Tattler of someone kicking three drunk, obnoxious guys off the Brown Line.
The Tribune's Kyra Kyles recommends that instead of pissing and moaning about CTA problems, you call write and email Governor Blagojevich and tell him to support the RTA's budget requests. Here are his numbers: 217-782-0244 or 312-814-2121. You could take it a step further by looking up your local, state and federal reps at Civic Footprint and bugging all of them. (Thanks, Will!)
ZAP!, a company that specializes in designing alternative and fuel-efficient automotive systems, will release its electric XEBRA car at the Chicago Auto Show. Priced at $10,000 with an operating cost of one cent per mile, it could certainly be a high-value commuter car.
Now that Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee are seriously considering feeding into Metra, a Milwaukee historian has summarized the interesting transportation history we have with our neighbors to the north.
On February 4, 1977 there was a terrible crash between two CTA trains in the Loop. Eleven people were killed and at least 250 passengers were injured when the trains crashed near the train track curve at Wabash and Lake. The CTA Tattler has the roundup on the terrible day in CTA history.
If you have visited a friend in Oak Park or happen to have a friend who lives in Oak Park, then you probably know that Oak Park has some major rules about parking on the street. The law that prevents people from parking on the street in front of their home was passed in 1929 and some folks are finally considering repealing it, starting with this survey. And since Oak Park is only distributing this survey online (boo! hiss!) go fill it out for yourself, your friend, or mine. Thanks, eep.
Subway Knitter knits one and purls two in Boston, but one of her projects, the Amazing Charlie Card Mitten might suit frigid users of the CTA's Chicago Card. Keep your hands toasty warm while taking the first steps toward your inevitable Borg conversion. Resistance is futile.
Check out this recent write-up of Thomas Marlow's Chicago Street Studio Project in the Australian media.
Thanks to Neighbors Project, you don't have to get off of the train or bus to meaningfully express your frustration with the CTA. Power up your phone and text cta[your zip code]@npjt.org to send the message featured here to Mayor Daley, as well as your alderman, state representative and state senator. Their website also offers the means to spread the word.
Second City Cop, a lively anonymous weblog maintained by a Chicago police officer, asks "Are We at War? ...with Streets and Sanitation?". In typical SCC fashion, the copious comments pile on details about the post (unmarked police cars being ticketed and towed)-- naming names, giving locations, mentioning companies-- and also fly off into a bunch of rewarding off-topic directions. It's like being an invisible man in a cop bar. Careful, though-- there's no way to know that the commenters are bona fide People in Blue. SCC also reports that upwards of 40% of their traffic comes from outside the state of Illinois most days and there are "a number of remote computers that seem to monitor the site for inordinately long amounts of time, one of which is based in Springfield and another at Champaign-Urbana". Wonder who that could be...
Why, lots of things! Crain's offers some explanations in an in-depth feature..
Tell your friends and family overseas: Oasis Hong Kong, a no-frills, low-cost airline, has applied to make Chicago one of its departure points. Right now Oasis offers a nonstop flight between London and Hong Kong for as little as $150 (plus tax and fees) one way, so it's fair to expect highly affordable tickets.
Via CTATattler, an invitation for you to let CTA Chair Carole Browne know how you feel about recent service-crippling developments (and maybe refer her to Fuel).
After last year's small success in Chicago, we've heard word that the Bicycle Film Festival will be back again. Currently, founding director Brendt Barbur and co are looking for new submissions for the 2007 round of film festivals set to take place in up to 15 cities: "We are looking for films with a strong theme or character of bicycles. This includes all mediums and styles such as animation, experimental, narrative, documentary and music videos." The deadline is February the 17th so you have about a month to get going or fine-tune that piece you've been working on. Details at the site or take a look at the flyer here.
For all the trouble at O'Hare, it looks like Midway isn't safe either.
CTA Tattler reports that Alderman Joe Moore will call for City Council hearings on the continued devolution of CTA train service. Full text of Moore's resolution here.
The next time you're flying out of O'Hare, check the sky for UFOs, then check under your seat for scorpions.
Like it's sibling in the summer, the Winter edition of Bike to Work Day coming up features hot beverages and goodies at Daley Plaza this month on the 19th (Friday) from 7 to 9am. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation hosts activities, a raffle with prizes and the chance to congregate and meet up with your fellow cyclists.
A group of Chicago cyclists (myself being one of them) have organized a ride to raise awareness of the growing number of cyclist fatalities in the Chicagoland area. Named the "Fallen Rider Memorial Ride", the ride will start at the Thompson Center at 6pm tomorrow, January the 3rd and will ride to Diversey and Pulaski at an easygoing and respectful pace. The goal? To highlight how important driving and cycling are to Chicago and how the two require attention and respect. A PDF flyer can be viewed, downloaded, printed and passed along from here.
Some United employees saw a UFO at O'Hare on November 7th, but the FAA's having none of it.
As in past years, you can ride CTA busses and trains for one cent until 6:00 AM New Year's Day. (Also note extended hours on some routes.) Happy New Year!
ParkWhiz is another site to help you find a parking spot, with a rating system and distance gauge -- find a parking garage within a five-minute walk of your destination, for instance. They're rolling out a new "marketplace" early next year, which will allow drivers to reserve and pay for parking spaces in participating garages online, well before they arrive at the ticket box.
Expect trouble tonight if you're heading out on the Orange Line train to Midway, or the Green Line. Around noon today, an Orange Line train derailed on the northbound tracks near the Roosevelt Road station. Around 150 people were safely evacuated via the fire department's "snorkel basket" (who knew?), and no one was seriously hurt, but commuting is not going to be pretty tonight.
Anybody else spot these anti-war posters mimicking T-Mobile's "Fave 5" campaign on the Red Line this weekend?
The Trib takes a look at valet parking. Apparently I've been undertipping for years.
Following the recent sentencing of an Urbana woman who killed a cyclist while driving and downloading a ringtone to her cellphone, the parents of Matt Wilhelm the deceased, have started a coalition to lobby for a law and education to reduce distracted driving. Looks like that cellphone ban hasn't been working out too well.
A reminder of something we've posted before: the CTA, Pace, and Metra have teamed up to request more money from the state for public transit infrastructure at movingbeyondcongestion.com. They've announced the public meetings where citizens can provide feedback on the effort; here's the calendar. (Note to CTA et al: It'd be nice to have at least one "community dialogue" at an evening time too, not just from 1 - 2 pm.)
Jennifer Stark of Urbana kills a cyclist while downloading a ringtone on her phone while driving. She gets the maximum penalty... for improper lane usage! Six months probation, $1K fine and traffic school. Oh yeah, she has a myspace. A bizarre, tragic and ridiculous event.
While you were asleep, it snowed. Then it snowed again, and it's still snowing. The Illinois Department of Transportation has asked Chicago area residents to not get on the roads if it's not necessary. Many schools are closed and most flights from O'Hare are canceled. Stay home, Chicago, but if you cannot, the CTA and Metra are running mostly on time.
Don't forget that as of 3am on December 1 (tonight), Chicago's Winter Parking rules go into effect. Some streets sport the complete ban on parking from 3am–7am Dec. 1–April 1, regardless of snowfall. Other streets let you park as long as there's less than 2 inches of snow on the ground, but if it snows enough, you can get in trouble any time of the day. Take care, check the snow-filled weather forecast, and move your sweet ride before the city does it for you.
Attention there, Loop commuters. As of 3:51pm this afternoon, the CTA is alerting customers to a rather sticky problem with the northbound Red Line at the Jackson station which is rippling north. Northbound Red Line trains are (as of this posting) being rerouted onto the elevated structure between Roosevelt and Fullerton, with no additional shuttles running. The current Loop stops are as follows: Roosevelt, all stations along Wabash and Lake, Merchandise Mart, then trains will run express to Fullerton to resume regular northbound routing to Howard. Southbound Red Line service is not affected. [UPDATE: As of 5:24pm, Red Line Northbound service is running normally, but still expect some delays.]
Should the proposed Peotone airport ever get built, Metra is ready to provide service.
Some shots of this year's CTA Holiday Train, courtesy of the Chicago blog Looper. Keep your eye on the "holidaytrain" tag on Flickr for more shots, and your other eye on the CTA's Holiday Train schedule to see when to catch the train.
But Chicago vehicle stickers are mandatory, so it's nice that you can have some say on what will adorn your windshield. "Green Scene Chicago" is the theme of Chicago's 2007-2008 sticker, and you can vote for your favorite of the student-designed contenders between 9 AM and 5 PM today at the City Clerk's web site.
The Sun-times reports that the CTA can't afford to fix the problems that create the slow spots on its train lines. CTA president Frank Kreusi puts the figure at fixing all of the problems at $500 million; as a comparison, the amount of money in next year's CTA budget for fixing some Red and Blue Line slow spots is a mere $35.7 million. So expect delays for several years.
Apparently the power to the CTA Red Line was shut off this morning, a move prompted by a defective Red Line train that had damaged about 100 feet of the third rail. The CTA Tattler has an eye-witness account that should give you some idea of what to be prepared for in the event of a shut-down train.
An organization called Smarter Government aims to fix the city's ills -- but first they might want to fix their website. Only two pages are available right now, but one is a pretty darn useful to cityfolk with cars: sign up here and get an email alert letting you know when the street sweepers are coming by, so you don't forget to move your car. (Thanks, Atul!)
Each month, I look forward to another 30 minutes of CTA propaganda in the form of Connections. I say "propaganda," but that's tongue-in-cheek: the show has actually taught me a lot. It runs nightly on several municipal channels, but if you don't have cable or you want to watch it "on the move," download or stream it from podcastchicago.tv. [via]
Here's a downside to those parking meter kiosks that are popping up around the city: Where do motorcyclists affix their receipt to prove they paid?
Sadie Hawkins is a fictional day from a L'il Abner strip. However, it is now also a bike race organized to encourage women of all kinds who ride bikes to come out and race for fun, as well as to benefit the Chicago Women's Health Center. There's a pre-race fashion party on Friday, Nov 10th in the Fulton Markets with the race happening on Nov 11th, followed with a post-party the same day. Want to race? Want to have fun? Check out the myspace.
The CTA Tattler alerts us to Hollaback Chicago, a new blog devoted to documenting women's stories of being harrassed on the streets (the blog was inspired by a similar site for NYC women).
How else would railfan Tony Coppoletta say "Happy Halloween" but an 'L'-o-lantern?
Yesterday, discount airline Jet Blue announced that they will start flying out of O'Hare no later than January 2007. They've been trying to get into the airport since 2002, and now have FAA approval, but haven't yet announced destinations for their four daily flights. (At that time of year, I'm hoping that all their planes go someplace nice and warm.)
Looks like the Chicago Bike Federation has a new website for their Drive With Care campaign. At first, I thought it was real, but then I knew that any memorial like "The Brittany" had to be too good to be true. Well done, chaps.
It's almost time to say "goodbye" to the wooden bridge from the Roosevelt Metra station to Michigan Avenue. So break out your camera and sepia processing and take some old-time photographs this winter.
Rush hours in the Loop are gonna be a little tougher in a couple of weeks, as the Washington Red Line stop ceases operation in preparation for Block 37 Superstation construction. Starting October 23, there'll be no train access, and the Blue Line tunnel will also be closed (transfers will only be available at Jackson). The CTA says work is "expected" to finish in Fall 2008. For more details, see Tony Coppoletta's run-down on the shut-down.
"The Midwest's Greasiest Hot Rod Show," the Hunnert Car Pileup, is this Saturday at the historic Grundy County Speedway and fairgrounds. Fast cars, fast women and fast music -- if you like traditional hot rods this is the show for you. (Thanks, Christian.)
The renovation of the Fullerton El stop, already pretty conspicuous with all the new construction next to the existing tracks, becomes even more inescapable for commuters this Sunday, as the CTA closes up the Fullerton stationhouse (and opens up a temporary station entrance) on Sunday. Although the station will still operate as usual throughout construction, the main station building will be closed for renovations through December of 2008, so this weekend might be a good time to take some pictures of the structure, just so you can do some before-and-after comparison in a couple of years (or whenever it really does reopen). More construction bulletins are available, as always, at the CTA site.
Eisenhower a bit slow for you this morning? A car rolled onto the CTA tracks between the Western and Cicero stops, leaving Blue line without power. No word on injuries yet.
Want another cut on the Chicago Bike map? Try this google alternative.
For a happier take on transit, we turn to today's Going Public column. You may have read the story about Joe Benarroch and Jason Fournier's love connection on the 146 on your own commute this morning. A surprised Fournier read it under different circumstances -- aloud over a breakfast with friends and family. The story's end is a sweet one: as the video captures, Bennaroch proposes, Fournier says yes. [Edit: The RedEye informs us Fournier remarks "this isn't a good picture" prior to reading the article; he does not comment on the paper as this item originally read. Apologies for the error.]
Forget about Denny; let's talk about Kruesi. The editorial page at Crain's says "off with his head" -- more politely, of course. To wit: "An outsider with proven expertise in repairing broken transit systems must be brought in with authority to overhaul the CTA from top to bottom, both financially and operationally." Too right. [via]
Capping off a day of North Side disruptions on the CTA, a woman was struck and killed by a Brown Line train at Wellington. Amid this morning's slow-moving chaos, a bemused customer offered the Trib a joking translation for the transit agency's acronym: "Certainly Takes Awhile."
Bikes are fun! Find out exactly how fun they can be at tomorrow's Critical Mass Bicycle ride. It's free, and gets underway at 5:30 at Daley Plaza. The theme is likely to be "Oktoberfest", so lederhosen are highly encouraged!
The RTA (CTA, Pace, Metra) have announced a new effort to improve the lot of the region's commuters. Their new site, Moving Beyond Congestion, lays out the case for why additional transit is needed and what their plan is to make that happen.
On Friday, Thrown for a Loop was hoping for an easy flight home. Because of bad weather at O'Hare, that didn't happen. Alas, nor did the alternatives...
If you'd planned your weekend around the CTA's scheduled closures of Brown Line stops at Kedzie and Rockwell, well, make other (other) plans. Due to forecasted heavy rains, the CTA's betting it won't be able to get its excavation work done at those stops this weekend. The stations will be open, and as a result, the free shuttle that was going to take passengers from Western to Kimball has also been cancelled.
On a day that saw part of the Red Line shut down by an electical fire in the middle of rush hour, the Beachwood Reporter summarizes the city's general dissatisfaction with the CTA, line by line.
Who needs a car when you have public transport, a bike or a fine pair of working legs? Today is World Carfree Day. Folks in more than 600 cities across the globe will participate in getting where they need to be, without getting behind the wheel. Give it a try!
The last line of John Hilkevitch's column on the misery that is the Red Line these days is nothing if not an indictment of CTA management: "It was assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the CTA learned during its clumsily executed overhaul of the Green Line more than a decade ago that poor service begins the death spiral of plummeting ridership."
Starting tonight, Edens Expressway users will now get a taste of what the Dan Ryan commuters have been going through, as work begins this evening on a concrete patching project on the Edens from Lawrence Avenue to Lake-Cook Road. The project, which will cause a series of weekend and overnight closures on the Edens, runs through mid-November, so start getting used to having only one lane open on the Edens on the weekend. (As a reprieve for Northwestern football fans, the closures will not be in effect when NU plays some home games in the next couple of months.)
Ride a scooter? Or love someone who does? You best be headed to Slaughterhouse this weekend, then. The 12th annual running of the Vespas (and other scooters) is this Saturday, while a pre-party gets the ball rolling tonight at Liar's Club; details in Slowdown.
A Lincoln Park high school teacher has a lesson for you: Metra's bicycle regulations are more permissive than the South Shore Line's. He has a $150 taxi ride from South Bend to Lincoln Park to prove it.
It may not be Meigs Field, but Howell-New Lenox Airport is the most recent casualty in the battle between development and area airports.
Sandra Gray is a master's student in urban planning and public administration at UIC. Her thesis project discusses CTA customer service, particularly on the Red Line. If you're a regular rider and have something to say (who doesn't?), she sure could use your help. Take her survey here.
The CBF is looking for volunteers to help out with the 18th annual Boulevard Lakefront Tour on Sunday, September 10, 2006. You can help guide riders along the route, ride as a safety ambassador or feed hungry riders at our rest stops. Sign up today.
CitizenShay's 'L' sign artwork -- details available at his website -- seems like it'd make a great gift for a transit enthusiast. Or for someone who just likes this fair city. (If the onscreen images aren't enough, see the work in person at Sacred Art, 2040 W. Roscoe Ave. Or at the Renegade Craft Fair next month. Options. So many options.)
Farecast finally has predictions for ticket prices departing from O'Hare and Midway to major destinations around the country. The beta service predicts whether ticket prices are likely to rise or fall, and makes recommendations on whether to buy now or hold off on that round-trip to San Francisco.
Today the Sun-Times checks up on the Chicago History Museum's exhibit of the first Chicago train car built for public transit (previously mentioned on GB in January, when the museum was moving the car from Skokie to its building). In addition to the car, built in 1892 for the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Co., the museum will also have on display a replica of a late 19th century El train platform. The exhibit will be part of the museum's "City on the Make" exhibition, which will be seen by the public when the museum, completing a $27 million renovation, reopens on September 30.
The CTA needs to hire a proofreader. When they updated the in-train maps of the system to reflect the Pink Line, lots of mistakes crept in. Such as the wrong phone number for the CTA help line, and typos like Bemont.
Like any event these days, the reopening of two CTA stations couldn't go unFlickred, and indeed it hasn't: Phineas Jones covers Rockwell, and Tammy Green's got Kedzie.
ChicagoParkingMap.com maps all the private parking lots and garages downtown (from 1100 North to 2300 South). The Java is a bit clunky, but boy is it comprehensive.
Ben Husmann saw this "thingy" on the platform of the Oak Park Green Line stop. No telling what it is, but he's right: it sure looks like a Matthew Barney sculpture.
Now you can check out your vanity license plate ideas through the Secretary of State's Cyberdrive Illinois site. Just head on over to the "Pick A Plate" section, type in a prospective plate, and see if it's taken.
Who needs an airplane lavatory when there's space between train cars? Today's CTA Tattler recounts a reader's almost-impossible to believe story of sex on the 'L'.
If it's seemed like CTA trains have been slow this summer, the good news is you're not imagining things. The bad news is, not only are you not imagining things, it's actually going to get worse. (If you've got something to say about these recent developments, Carole Brown's blog entry is probably a good place to do it.)
Two semis apparently collided on the Northwest Tollway this morning, resulting in one overturned truck and a three-mile back-up during rush hour. Jon at the Reverse Commuter snapped some photos of the accident scene from his car in the midst of it all.
The CTA has rolled out a new Website for tracking buses called, not too surprisingly, CTA Bus Tracker. It only tracks the #20 Madison bus right now, but you can watch a street map updated in real time with the locations of various buses along the route. The Sun-Times reports that if this pilot program goes well, all other bus routes will get the same tracking ability in a few years.
If you're yearning for some travel (video), check out YouTube user Srovetz's atmospheric videos documenting his train and car travel throughout the country. There are too many Chicago related videos to post here, but some train segments include Kansas City to Chicago, Chicago to New Orleans, and Chicago to New York.
It's the news you've either been waiting for or dreading: US Cellular customers can now use their phones on CTA trains travelling in subway tunnels. An added bonus for Verizon and Sprint customers: 911 calls for those companies' customers will also work underground.
Ever walk through O'Hare and wonder what it's like to be on one of those planes bound for India instead of Indianapolis? The destination is surely more interesting, but do the ends justify the means? Ben Mutzabaugh of USA Today decided to find out, and he liveblogged the 15+ hours it takes for American Airlines Flight 292 to get from Chicago to Dehli.
This could come in handy, especially when you want to minimize your waiting-in-the-heat time: HopStop helps find the quickest route between one address and another on public transportation. [via] (Thanks, Jenni!) [Matt updates to add: Chicagoist isn't impressed, but it mapped my trip from home to work just fine. In other words: it's new; results may vary.]
Friend of GB, scooterist, designer and vegan guide making extraordinaire, PJ Chmiel hits the open road on his scooter on a tour he calls the 2006 R.A.M.B.L.E. Ambitious in scope, it should be quite a ride. Follow along when he kicks off tomorrow.
All about Illinois Tollway Oases. [via]
The Chicago bicycling community is up in arms about a possible white van that is stealing bikes in the Loop. Craigslist's bikes section has a lot of the details. In the meantime, if you ride on two wheels, remember to use two U-Locks, not a cable lock, and if you can, register your bike with the Chicago Police. Mr. Bike also recommends putting your name and address in the seat-post tube since some unsophisticated thieves might not look there. Also, add stickers, duct tape, and other markings to make it distinctive and thus less attractive to thieves.
You may have used the CTA Google Map developed by Ed Knittel in the past. But, now that you can search by address, it's probably worth another look.
The Oak Street Curve on the northbound side of Lake Shore Drive is a notorious accident spot, but people keep speeding into the curve and hitting the wall or each other. So the city is planning some new measures to alert drivers to slow down, including some optical illusion paint lines. The Trib has a nice graphic explaining the changes.
Been to Midway lately? Seem like Southwest has every gate in the airport? Well, they nearly do.
Transit buff extraordinaire Tony Coppoletta is playing skipper to the "Soul of Chicago Express" next month: he, with help from Chicagoist, has chartered a private 'L' train to take passengers on a Sunday afternoon tour of five CTA rail stations. Interested in participating? See the site for details on registration.
What, Carole Brown asks, can the CTA do better when it comes to communicating with customers?
Despite the recent uproar at foreign ownership of domestic ports, non-US firms seem poised to dominate the bidding for Midway. Subject, of course, to aldermanic approval.
With gas prices so high, Vespas and other scooters have shot up in popularity. There's only one problem: the only Vespa dealership in Chicago has gone bankrupt. (Little tip for the guy in that article who needs a tune-up: Scooterworks.)
Manuel Tenecota, an Ecuadorian immigrant, was hit and killed by a CTA bus earlier today. He was just two blocks from his home. His death is the second bicycle-motorist fatality in as many weeks.
Just a reminder to drivers (or, more accurately, parkers): if you haven't purchased your 2007 Chicago vehicle sticker, you've got but three days until the old one's expired and you become an outlaw-although you probably won't get ticketed until after July 15, the end of the official renewal period.
You know those cars with the crazy springs or dolls glued all over them? Well, reader Lotta writes in about her heading out to Cartopia 2006, held in Berwyn, last week where she took photos of all kinds of cars just like that.
The CTA Tattler, Chicago's number one source for transit scuttlebut, has redesigned.
Recent changes on the CTA have the chicago_el LiveJournal community hopping with discussion: new announcements (including the initially jarring addition of the cross-street to some stations; no more "This is Grand," for example); new maps (subway lines are no longer indicated; rush period lines are); new phone service (yes, US Cellular now works underground); and, not new, but a useful reminder: no bikes on trains on July 3 (when the system carries its highest daily passenger load of the year). [More: today's "Pop Goes The World" picks five favorite films that feature the 'L'.]
A CTA Tattler reader has called for a sort of neighborhood watch on North Side Red Line runs, describing a public masturbator she and her roommate have encountered repeatedly. "If we all take care of each other," she says, "we can catch this guy and stop him before his exposure fails to excite him anymore and he has to go to further extremes."
"Quiet cars" on the CTA. And I mean never.
I only recently learned that it's allowed (and depending on your traveling companions, encouraged) to drink alcohol on Metra trains. But it's worth noting, as my conductor did this morning, that Metra restricts carrying alcohol and/or glass bottles at night and on weekends during the big downtown festivals, including this weekend's Blues Fest. Here's the calendar of blackout dates (pun intended).
Just in time for Bike To Work Week next week, the Millenium Park Bike Station has been renamed the McDonald's Cycle Center. That doesn't mean the facility is any less handy than previously, but seriously, McDonald's?
CTA Chair Carole Brown talks up soon-to-come enhancements to West Side transit options and shares a photo of the winners of the contest that will, in a matter of weeks, give us the Pink Line. More information, including a Polish language run-down of coming attractions, available at the CTA site.
Speaking of airports, designated "cell phone lots" opened at both Midway and O'Hare today. The idea is to ease congestion at the arrival gates by allowing drivers a free place to wait for a call once passengers have retrieved their luggage (whether this will work is anybody's guess).
On 10 June, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation kicks off Bike to Work Week, to encourage more Chicagoans to commute on two wheels. If you haven't biked to work before, it's a great time to get started. Next Monday, CBF is offering a class for novices, and during Bike to Work Week CBF is hosting Bicycle Commuter Stations through Thursday morning, the 15th, with free refreshments and bike chain lubes. You can find out more here.
The CTA has posted a PDF version of a PowerPoint-ish presentation about its forthcoming 5000-series railstock. There are all sorts of details, but one of the more interesting (and possibly reassuring) is that operators will be able to shut down the ventilation system in response to, among other things, a "biological incident." [via]
Simon Garber, president of Chicago Carriage Cab Co., definitely wins this week's Good Boss award: he distributed $50 gift cards to all 637 cab drivers that work for his company. The gift cost Garber nearly $32,000.
After the death of a very young pedestrian at the intersection of Belden Ave and Lincoln Park West this weekend, Eric Zorn features a proposal for improving safety for walkers and drivers. He also points to the website for America Walks, which has a number of affiliated groups if you're interested in (foot) traffic safety activism.
Friends and Chicagoans Andrea and Ira saved money for a year, resigned from their jobs and left for the open road a little over a week ago. On their bikes. They're riding around the country for a year. You can keep up to date and check up on them as they post on the road from the weblog. Earlier posts are informative — lots of information on prepping for such an adventure. I'm jealous too — they look insanely happy.
Couple of quick bike-related items I just noticed: forums.bikechicago.info is a new site for Chicagoans to discuss cycling issues and a useful local outlet for discussion if you don't like mailing lists; Aspire To Inspire's Stephen Wagner is about to begin a trek around the world again on a bicycle, perhaps you'd like to make a donation to help him?
Reader Marge Simpson (!) wrote to ask where to buy a used bike. As the weather has gotten nicer, it's a prescient question. I have a few recommendations...
In 2001, the Center for Neighborhood Technology developed Transopoly, a boardgame-like tool for examining transportation and other needs in a community. They've recently created an online version of the game, in which you can allocate a $2 billion budget toward such things as building new train stations and bike paths.
As those who have ridden the metros in just about any of the world's other major cities know, the front-to-back seating on the 'L' is the exception to the longitudinal rule. But, with its new railstock order the CTA is embracing the industry standard, and, as this CTA Tattler poll and an accompanying post make clear, the change -- not scheduled to roll out for another few years -- has some people riled up.
Ah, Spring. When the weather warms, the days grow longer, and the daily bus commuters finally snap.
GB alum Craig Berman, who's given a lot of thought to Chicago's transit system, went to one of the CTA's community meetings about the Circle Line and collected some thoughts regarding the several potential routes currently on the table.
With spring on the horizon and in the wake of a pretty unfortunate Critical Mass last Friday (some discussion of that here), it's as good a time as any to reacquaint yourself with the rights and responsibilities of cyclists in Chicago. If you get arrested on your headlightless, brakeless fixed-gear, don't come crying to me.
The weather is getting nicer and Chicago will be filled with (even more) bicycles soon. If you're looking to purchase an old-school Schwinn or similar affordable ride, you might check out this post on Craigslist. If you can't make it, don't forget the good work that the volunteers of Working Bikes do as well, and they also sell vintage cycles. Don't want a used bike? This site has all of the bikeshops in Chicago, and feedback on what people think of the service.
Next week, the CTA is holding a series of public meetings to gather input on the proposed Circle Line. According to the news release, "The meetings are part of the Alternatives Analysis study — the first step in pursuing federal funding for major transit projects. The Alternatives Analysis study is designed to examine all the transit options available and determine a locally preferred alternative." The meetings are 6-8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
If you've given up on receiving CTA Wireless Alerts, well, wirelessly, you can stay abreast of developments at your desktop with a Yahoo! widget. [via]
Fellow cyclist and friend Mayonnaise (a moniker) is having a Bike Day at the loading dock of 800 N. Michigan Ave from 1 to 3:30PM this Friday (4/28). Stop by for a quick in n' out bike tune up. He's doing it out of the goodness of his heart but he'll have a mayo jar for any donations to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. [Apologies for the date mix-up!]
The city has begun circulating the initial documents bidders must submit as they compete for naming rights to various aspects of the Chicago Skyway, including the road itself, in an auction budgeted to raise $3M. According to an announcement by World Business Chicago, this represents "a unique historical opportunity for a prospective bidder to be the first corporation in the United States to own the naming rights to a major bridge and roadway." Doesn't quite have the same ring as being home to the first skyscraper, does it?
Speaking of getting from one place to another, Tony Coppoletta has just launched Chicago Transit Status, a site consolidating information about CTA outages, delays and more. It's just the trains right now, but there are plans to deliver bus information soon. He's looking for volunteers to help update the site; check the contact page to get in touch.
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how the "Dan Ryan Dig" is affecting would-be drivers commuting into the city. The attachment some people have to their cars is a little frightening.
Chicago is one of around a dozen locations selected by Bicycling Magazine for its BikeTown USA promotion, which will give away 50 bicycles in each "BikeTown." Just fill out this form and pay special attention to the box that asks you to explain "how you would use a BikeTown bike to change your life." Of course, there are strings attached: if you win you'll have to sign a rather extensive release (pdf)...
The planes won't actually go faster, but you may not have to arrive at the airport so darn early. The Transportation Security Administration is looking to add part-time luggage screeners at both Midway and O'Hare. The screeners, who would make for a larger work-force during peak times, could cut wait times substantially.
Speaking of our roadways, Eric Zorn checked in on Underpass Mary one year after the miraculous mineral stain appeared on Fullerton Avenue, and found she's mostly still intact and still receiving flowers.
Today, RedEye offers a reminder: a ticket to ride is not a ticket to eat. Rather, for CTA customer Matt Smith, it turned into a ticket for eating. Smith dug into his 65 cent bag of Cheetos after stepping on board a train and got smacked with an unappetizing $110 fine.
Taking "flight" on the streets of Chicago this summer: the LimoJet.
Poets of transit
Inspired by the CTA
Have composed haiku
The Trib reports that there was a minor derailment on the Red Line tracks earlier this morning, and the CTA has cut power to the Red Line tracks between the Fullerton and North & Clybourn stops. There's an alert on the CTA Website that says they're rerouting southbound Red Line trains to the elevated tracks (i.e., the Brown/Purple Line route) and stopping at some downtown elevated stations (see the CTA site for a complete list of stops). Shuttle buses are also running between North & Clybourn and State & Lake. As always, expect delays on the trains. Update: trains are running as usual now, but you should still expect delays.
Apparently, this image of the Damen Blue Line station is not a photograph; rather, it's a "photo-realist painting" that took 2000 hours and 50 Photoshop files. Wow.
The Pink Line has elicited strong opinions from Chicagoans on LiveJournal, NPR and lots of other forums. Sound off for yourself on today's Fuel.
Can't the Dan Ryan Highway Reconstruction Project (which begins tonight) get a little love? Apparently not. "Our long, hot summer starts now," moans the Sun-Times, while the Trib decries cronyism at IDOT, and IDOT itself justs wants you to stay away from 90/94 altogether (especially you, Sox fans).
In an effort to lure displaced Dan Ryan drivers, the CTA has again extended the period during which Chicago Cards are available at no cost. Considering how often they run this promotion, the CTA ought to do away with the fee altogether and just be happy they're making interest on all the balances they hold in escrow. But, until they make it that easy, May 31st is the new deadline for fee-free switching to "the Go Lane." (In more sensible news, the agency's board approved a pilot program to offer passes to convention-goers, starting with the Gay Games in June.)
When the CTA asked Chicagoland area schoolchildren to nominate a color for the new West Side elevated train line, they should have known they'd get a pretty kid-friendly color. Pink was the winner, nominated by a K-8 student in an essay contest. The new line will run along the current Cermak branch of the Blue Line east and then connect via a current service track to the Green Line. Pink colored or not, the line change isn't without a little objection from West Side residents who'll lose some direct routes to UIC and to O'Hare.
The Tattler's Ten Commandments for CTA riders.
The CTA has donated a lot of their outdated signage to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union. They're selling them to help raise money to fund this nifty museum in Union. This from the "Chicago" station seems cool, as do some of the system maps. (via ...pickhits...)
It's getting warmer, which means you may be traveling more, which means, you can already see an increase in gas prices. Word on the street is that the price of gasoline is already up 13% in Chicagoland, and you can expect it to only go higher as we near the "busy summer travel season". Better tune up the bike and the CTA card now, folks.
Micro Bits, a website dedicated to subway stations around the world, has a great page titled "Voices in the Deep," which compares station announcements in subways in dozens of international cities. According to the list, "in Kyoto, the subway plays beautiful guzheng (sort of an Asian violin) compositions for its door-closing tones," while Lisbon, Portugal, subway riders hear a "buzzing before the doors close." And in Chicago? "A very friendly, pre-recorded male voice is somewhat verbose and talks almost permanently to the passengers." Some city descriptions even include audio files. Check it out.
Who needs a Google map when you've got something as nice as this. Not sure where the nearest parking is? The Chicago Parking Network has you covered.
Via an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, meet Megabus.com, a transit service that gives Greyhound a run for its money by charging a buck a seat from Chicago to several Midwest destinations. The shuttles start running in a few weeks; with prices so low, how long they can keep running is anyone's guess.
If leisurely cycling down Lake Shore Drive (that's the expressway, not the path) is your idea of a good time, registration for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's Bike The Drive (May 28) is currently open. (Check out some pictures of past years on Flickr.)
As the CTA Tattler points out, this week Mother Nature did what aldermen and citizens could not -- temporarily put off Brown Line closings for this weekend only, due to rain in the forecast. The Kimball and Francisco Brown Line stops will stay open this weekend. Enjoy!
Despite their Jenny Holzer/Barbara Kruger-like quality, those new CTA turnstile wrappers were placed as ads, not art. I'd been curious, so I asked John Blunda of CBS Outdoor -- turns out they're promoting the soon-to-open McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum.
In a developing story, members of the CTA's union local voted last night in favor of striking by an overwhelming majority: 1,029 to 11. The union's president will meet with the CTA's management on Friday; things are already not looking good as Frank Kruesi disputes the union's right to call for a walk-out. The Tribune notes the CTA hasn't experienced a strike since March 1979 -- whether another will happen in 2006 remains to be seen.
There's been some activity down in Springfield that points to Midway Airport being privatized by the city, much like the Skyway privatization in 2004. Does Dubai Ports World run airports?
On the heels of the anagrammed Metra map, one for the CTA. Or should we say the CAT?
We've posted before about Archana Siriam and her unfortunate encounter with a Hummer. I recently discovered that I knew her peripherally and found out that she is recovering well and in good spirits but is unlikely to walk or get on a bike for about three months. Here are photos from one of her friends at the CBF news conference and an uplifting photo at the end of a bruised ndd beat up but smiling Archana. The driver of the Hummer is still unidentified and being sought after.
Remember the Silver Line? Well, don't get to attached to it -- the name, that is. We mentioned a couple of weeks ago that its color might change, and, sure enough, the CTA has announced a Name the Line contest for local K-8 students. Children are invited to submit a color and an essay explaining their choice; the winner will receive a $1000 savings bond.
Using the left-hand entrance ramps on the Kennedy downtown scares the bejeezus out of me. I'm always afraid someone's not going to be paying attention and nail me as I merge into fast lane traffic. It'll be a bit easier in the future, though: roadwork on that stretch of highway begins Monday, and the Monroe ramps — the shortest of the lot — will be closing for good.
Did you know that more than 160 bicyclists and pedestrians are killed in the Chicago metropolitan area every year? To find ways to combat hit-and-runs the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is teaming up with the Evanston Bicycle Club to have a news conference tomorrow morning at 8:30 am at the intersection of Sherman and Lake Street in Evanston (1450 Sherman Ave). Not only will there be "bigger picture" discussions related to traffic calming and tips on getting info on hit-and-runs to give to authorities, but there will also be requests to help track down a yellow Hummer H2 which seriously injured Archana Sriram at the intersection on February 16th.
Inspired by London, Toronto and Amsterdam mass transit riders who have made up alternate maps of their cities' subway stops, local blogger Pete Anderson made up a map for two Metra lines where the station names are anagrams for the original names. This probably can't be done with the CTA map; what's an anagram for "63rd"?
Seen a yellow Hummer with damage to the front corner? If you do, flick them off, then call the cops: on Monday morning, Northwestern student Archana Sriram was hit while riding her bike to school by a yellow H2 that ran the light at Sherman and Lake in Evanston. The driver took off, while Sriram ended up in the hospital with a broken jaw, hip and leg. (Thanks, Mike)
Handy link for to keep around when the weather gets better: the route map from Chicago to Milwaukee by bicycle. Of course, taking Amtrak isn't bad either, and is even better since they added a stop at the Milwaukee airport.
Monday marks not only Presidents' Day, but also the start of the Brown Line expansion project. The CTA will be closing various stops for a varying (and sometimes unknown) amount of time over the next year, starting with Kedzie and Rockwell. Riders will have to walk to the closest open stop or make other arrangements. Think riding the Red Line will keep you safe? Because of switching and track upgrades, riders will see an increase in delays at Fullerton and Belmont throughout the year (and probably until the project is completed in 2009). Raise your hand if you're super psyched!
No, not Coor's. The CTA has unveiled plans to turn the Cermak branch of the Blue Line into the Silver Line, though the color may change. The plans call for a new section of line called the Paulina Connector, which will run the new line up to the Green Line tracks. Here's the press release.
You brag proudly about how you love not having a car. As your friends complain about scraping their car windows in the morning, you wave your transit card at them. But occasionally you want to go to the burbs or you just want to make a massive run on a grocery store. I-Go has been in Chicago for a while, but now they have a blog called Chicago Car Sharing. It's a great place to keep up on chicago transportation issues while keeping your carless pride. edited 2/16: I-Go doesn't permit pets unless they're in a carrier. Good news for the pet allergic, bad news for those with a Fluffy or Fido.
The Mac nerds are all over this CTA Tattler post with its shots of the new Jackson station signage gone, well, off the rails, really. That Windows XP -- if it knows anything, it knows you need anti-virus software and/or a firewall. One or the other.
If you're involved with local Chicago cycling happenings, you may well be aware of Boub vs. Wayne and the disincentive that the Chicago Bicycle Federation and other parties have been trying to elminate. The good news is that the bill passed 6-4 in the Local Government committee but is now facing tough opposition from the City of Chicago (which started on the 9th of this month). While it may be a little late, it can't hurt to voice your concerns to the Mayor. See what you can do.
On a day that has seen more than the usual amount of car crashes, IDOT has released its most recent list of dangerous intersections. Recent data shows the intersection of Higgins and Roselle in Hoffman Estates saw more crashes than anywhere else in the state in 2004. It seems malls and tollways are to blame.
Lake Shore Drive can be pretty dangerous, especially that cool curvy bit by Oak Street. The Trib's column about it (eerily timed on a morning with a pretty big crash on LSD at Irving Park Road) comes with a cool graphic [PDF] though. (Thanks, Dan!)
The Ghost Bike Project started last year as reminders and memorials to cyclists who had lost their lives tragically to drivers. The first Chicago Ghost Bike has been set up in memoriam of Isai Medina. Photos of the bike have appeared on Flickr taken by April Jacobs (here and here) and by Payton Chung, here. The driver was charged with vehicular homicide in mid-January. More photos from around the country of ghost bikes can be seen here.
We tied with Los Angeles in the rankings of most expensive cities, but we've got them beat (narrowly) with only five of the nation's worst traffic bottlenecks (LA had six). Our worst: the Circle Interchange.
There's a Metra fare increase scheduled to take effect next month (i.e., Wednesday). And although Metra officials would really like you not to, you can buy yourself some 10-ride tickets today and tomorrow even if you're not going to use them, because Metra tickets are good for 1 year after the sale date. For the full list of increased Metra fares see the Metra Website.
Starting in April, you can be among the elite to test what may become the nation's first commuter rail wireless service on the South Shore line. The service will use the train line's existing fiber optics, and technology created for NASCAR drivers. Still, the zone will be limited to just seven miles of track for now, while the problem of maintaining a wireless connection at 80mph is worked out.
Yes, the CTA Tattler confirms, train cars with longitudinal seating are still coming. Just not very quickly.
The first car ever built for Chicago public transit (for the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Co. in 1892) will be moved today from a CTA storage facility in Skokie to the Chicago Historical Society at Clark & North. In a moving project reminiscent of the 2004 move of the MSI's U-505 sub, the car will be slowly moved down Chicago streets, avoiding viaducts and overpasses, in a journey that should take at least 3 hours to complete. Once the car reaches its destination, it will be renovated and be put on display at the museum by late September.
Metra has suspended without pay a conductor on the line to Harvard, who added his own editorial to a warning that smoking would no longer be allowed on train platforms in the city. According to the Trib, "the conductor used a vulgar sexual epithet over the Metra train's public address system to describe the city officials who enacted the ordinance."
Western Avenue as I've known it, is a pretty fast street — the wannabe hot rodders streak their cars up and down Western and you're left playing chicken even if you've got a walk sign. Isai Medina, a 50 year old cyclist was struck and killed in a seven car accident last week. You might remember Chris Saathof's tragedy on Western as well. Be careful on Western. There's just something about the avenue that's like some kind of imaginary line drawn in the sand...
All you clever people out there who park your cars in garages and think you don't need a city sticker: the free parking's over! On Wednesday the City Council introduced an ordinance to require cars parked in garages to have stickers. However, the city is only allowed to investigate cars in garages that are open to the public, so all you car owners with private garages have been spared. For now, that is.
The new Metra schedules are up, for those of you who metra. Highlights include some new trains to O'Hare in the morning and service to Elburn, aka The Land Past Geneva Somewhere (Thanks, Steve!).
On Friday, Tiffany Chancellor was reported to have filed a lawsuit against the CTA because she was paying higher cash fares after unsuccessfully attempting to procure a Chicago Card. (Although recent fare changes were announced months prior to their implementation, presumably giving riders time to avoid the hikes, there's been an apparent rush on the cards; stores all over the city have experienced shortages.) Today, the Chicago Defender reports, the suit will likely be amended to a racial discrimination complaint.
The Citgo/CTA controversy continues, as several local politicians held a press conference yesterday to question the transit agency's decision. For his part, Frank Kruesi has gone on record to explain why the CTA didn't move on the proposal; he says the fuel wouldn't be compatible with some buses and would generate increased emissions in others.
One story we mentioned previously but that continues to make the rounds of many mailing lists is that the Venezuelan government offered cheap gas to the CTA if they gave away many free tickets to low-income riders. The CTA has reportedly turned down the offer. (And as someone has mentioned, it wouldn't matter much anyway - gas costs make up a small percentage of the CTA budget.)
The CTA is not the only one raising fares -- Metra's rates are going up in February as well. But Metra is quietly expanding too. In addition to allowing bicycles last summer, Metra is increasing service or adding new stations to three lines.
If you're one of those Metra to CTA commuters, you found out this morning that your express fare is no more. Instead of the buck you've been paying to go from Ogilvie and Union to the lake, now you're paying regular CTA fares. Thanks for keeping that under wraps in your fare chart, CTA.
If you're going out tomorrow night, know that the CTA is offering penny rides from 8pm until 6am on New Year's Day and some routes will see extended hours of service. Get it while you can; once 6 strikes, the new fare structure goes into effect (SaveChicagoTransit.com has an extensive rundown about that).
When it comes to those increased fares, the NewStandard offers one version of how they might have been avoided. (Thanks, Mitchell.)
It's just a few days before the new CTA fare structure kicks in (happy 2006, Chicago!). If you rode it this morning, you probably saw this RedEye story that attempts to explain it all. If not, we can digest it for you in two words: Chicago Card. (Also, as pointed out in the chicago_el LiveJournal community, there seems to be an error in the article: although rail fares will increase a quarter for users of magnetic strip cards, they will still be able to transfer for $.25.)
If you're flying in the next couple days, you might want to check out the Chicago Airport System website. It provides flight information for O'Hare or Midway based on the same info as the arrival/departure screens in the terminals, and current parking conditions for both airports are listed right on the front page. (If you're a regular flyer, you might even want to sign up to receive parking status notifications on your cell.)
Today's the last day the CTA's Holiday Train will operate this year. There will be two southbound Red Line runs from Howard, one starting at 2pm and the other at 5:30, and two northbound trips from 95th, the first at 3:40 and the second at 7:05. Exact station-by-station itineraries are at transitchicago.com.
Much of New York's subway system runs underground, but some routes operate on elevated tracks not unlike Chicago's. As anyone who lives along CTA lines knows, the noise of the trains is a constant, if distracting, companion. Ironically, with the MTA transit strike continuing, some New Yorkers find themselves more distracted by the quiet. Which is just one more reason to hope Chicago's not faced with the "nuisance" of noise-free living any time soon.
Here's something cool: You know how you're not supposed to bring wrapped presents through the security check at the airport? Well, between now and Friday, you can take advantage of free gift-wrapping services on the other side of the x-rays from 2pm to 5pm at O'Hare and noon to 4pm at Midway.
Aww, you spent twenty minutes digging your car out of the snow last week? Get over it. The Tribune reports that, starting Monday, the Streets and Sanitation Department will start hauling away your lawn chairs, ladders, and other space savers. "The snowstorm we had is history," says the Department, and there you have it.
The CTA Holiday Train derailed on the Brown/Purple line tracks just north of Sedgewick on Saturday night. Friend of GB Wendy McClure happened to be on the train, and took some pictures.
Starting next year, your booty will have a little more room on CTA and Pace buses. Both are are ordering wider seats for hundreds of buses, making our seats the widest in the country. The CTA and Pace are trying to couch the move in PC jargon, but face it--we're not just the city of Big Shoulders anymore.
The CTA has announced that those wireless communication points in the Red and Blue Line subways weren't just for better emergency response, after all. Within a few months, you'll be able to tell who's a US Cellular customer; until other providers get on board, they'll be the only ones yapping away underground.
CTA tattler reports that your favorite local transit authority dispatched this message via their wireless alert system Thursday night: "Due to airplane blocking 55th Street at Central, #55 reroute is WB: 55th -Cicero-Archer-55th - Central.EB:Reverse." Can nothing faze them?
I didn't even realize that the Chicago taxi cabs had been redesigned recently, but apparently in 2001 the lights on top of the cab that indicate whether or not the cab is available were changed. A veteran driver took an informal survey of his riders, and found out that they nearly all thought that the pre-2001 design was easier to see. So now what does he do with this information? Well, now that Mayor Daley is interested in putting rooftop advertising on Chicago cabs, obviously the lights are going to have to be redesigned again, so why not return to a design that people prefer?
The annual competition of world's busiest airport is heating up this year between Chicago's O'Hare and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. O'Hare has had fewer flights flights this year, due to flight restrictions imposed by the FAA and rising fuel costs. O'Hare officials are hoping that December will pick up for Chicago; the holiday travel season is typically busier for O'Hare than it is for Hartsfield-Jackson. Check in at the end of the month to see if Chicago retains the title.
Today is the day to vote for the next design of the city stickers that we'll all have to buy next year. See the finalists' designs here, and vote for your favorite by this afternoon at 5:00. The winning design will be seen on windshields citywide in 2006-07.
Given that the CTA's fare structure is shifting to favor use of Chicago Cards in January, it's probably only fair that they're giving the things away for free again. Starting today and running through the end of March, the $5 fee will be waived.
First, there was I-GO; look soon for Zipcar. Today's Times has the story on emerging competition in the car-sharing market and the "free satellite radio, iPod connections and access to convertible Mini Coopers" that come with it.
Do you like to find your car still in the place it was last parked? Of course you do! Therefore, you might want to take note that the winter overnight parking rules take effect on Wednesday night at 3 a.m., unless you want to pay $150 for the tow and $50 for a possible additional ticket. Time to pull out those buckets, lawn chairs, and any other junk you have lying around that you can use for "spot saving"; the winter parking games are about to begin.
We can all be thankful no one died in the collision of a Metra train with several cars last night: looking at the wreckage depicted in these photos, it almost seems a miracle.
It's best not to mess with Mimi Smartypants. Or, at least, best not to mess with yourself while in her Red Line car. She's seen this kind of thing before, and she's not gonna put up with anymore nasty shenanigans.
If you thought that the city had finished work on the Chicago Skyway at the end of last year, you're in for a surprise; work on the Skyway will continue for the next two years, as a series of viaduct repairs that had been postponed in 2003 are now scheduled to occur. Said one transit official after hearing of the new construction, "Didn't the city just rebuild the skyway?"
Today the CTA approved a 25-cent fare increase for riders paying cash, starting in January. The CTA will also stop giving transfers to people paying in cash. Time to get yourself a Chicago Card, and make sure it's always got money on it!
ChicagoBus.org reports that the CTA today received its first New Flyer D40LF 1000 series, which may replace half of the current fleet. Twenty of the new buses will be diesel-electric hybrids. Here's a video (.avi) of the bus pulling away from this morning's press conference.
Tired of late-running buses, or buses that arrive in bunches? Take some action against the problem! The Campaign for Better Transit, a group of people trying to improve Chicago's public transportation, is starting a new study of the reliability of CTA buses. In 2004 the group released a study called The Late State of the Buses (PDF link) which documented the problems people have with the buses (late arrivals, bus bunching, etc.). This year's study will attempt to find out if there've been any improvements since the previous study. See this post at Chicago Indymedia for details on how to volunteer your time on the study to hold the CTA accountable for its problems.
New York taxis never die, they just ship out for Chicago... Follow their journey in text and images in today's Times. (Bonus fun fact: when it comes to cabs, yellow in the Big Apple is different than yellow in the Big Shoulders.)
While this was originally aired on WNYC's Studio 360, a radio piece produced by Jonathan Menjivar that features me waxing poetic about fixed gear bikes will air shortly on WBEZ's 848. If you miss it, I'm sure the archive will provide otherwise, listen in online.
If you're the type who wants every. little. detail. planned when traveling, you'll be happy to know that the regional airport system is now posting information about parking availability on its website, FlyChicago.com. And there's no need to worry about things changing after you've left the comfort of your 'net connection. Nope, register to receive mobile alerts, and you're all set.
Germophobes, take further note: the CTA won't introduce train cars with aisle-facing seats for another few years (assuming the plans are to schedule, at least), so you're probably not a rush hour straphanger just yet. But, once the switch happens, you may want to remember the TranStrap, which, if its makers are to be believed, "dramatically enhances the public transit experience" -- especially when you've forgotten your travel-size Purel. [via]
If high oil prices are making you think about trading in your gas guzzler for a two-wheeler and cycling to the office, you might want to attend Wednesday's Chicagoland Bicycle Federation lunchtime roundtable on commuting by bike. Details in Slowdown.
Cyclists who have been using Metra can now rejoice: the trial period is over and today's meeting resulted in bikes on Metra year-round. Cheers all round!
Timeline:
10/10: CTA Tattler posts an open letter to CTA management regarding lack of communication during outages.
10/16: The CTA responds.
10/17: The Tattler rebuts.
10/17: CTA board chair Carole Brown applauds the Tattler on her blog for "holding our feet to the fire."
Today was the Chicago-L.org tour we mentioned last month, but let's say you couldn't make it. While you won't be able to hear the attendant commentary, thanks to the interweb you can at least see the sights via this here Flickr photoset. Update: And another.
If you live or work within sight of a Chicago harbor, you may have noticed the sailboat population beginning to dwindle. Except for holders of "late leaver" permits (who can stay till November 15), boats need to leave their harbor moorings by October 15. Which makes for interesting viewing on Wednesdays and Saturdays, if you live or work within sight of a Chicago River drawbridge.
You can take your bike on Metra only till 30 October. If you want to be able to do so throughout the year, give Metra Chairman Philip A. Pagano a piece of your mind. The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation recommends you send him a thank-you letter if you took your bike on Metra this summer, and ask that Bikes on Trains be reinstated year-round.
The CTA announced 2006 budget recommendations which increase fares another quarter to $2 -- but only for people not using the Chicago Card. In related news, the CTA has beefed up security in response to the threat to New York's subway.
It's easy to complain about how bad certain CTA stations smell, but how many people are willing to go clean them up on a Saturday morning? The residents of Edgewater are tired of waiting for the CTA to fix up the Thorndale red line station, so they are taking matters into their own hands. From 9 to noon this Saturday, October 8th, they will be entering the station to clean, paint and fix up the North side stop themselves. If guerilla cleaning is not your thing, the Campaign for Better Transit also has a list of other ways you can take action.
With its station turnstile sponsorship scheme, the CTA takes another step toward plastering every available surface with advertisements.
But hey, this one shows the train lines in their appropriate color! Which is pretty cool. (Here's how he did it.)
The Trib reports that Red and Brown line trains are running again, after an early morning train derailment disrupted train service between Belmont and Fullerton. Purple Line service between Evanston and the Loop remains shut down.
Ever wonder what the little messages that pop up on CTA turnstiles and bus fare meters mean? The Tribune did a little digging.
I love my Prius. While everyone else complains about the high price of gas, I get to gloat about filling up only every 350-400 miles. And thanks to MPG Stick! I can boast a little more openly about my 50+ MPG average this summer.
Many groups in Chicago such as Break The Gridlock and Logan Square Walks are organizing a demonstration downtown on Wednesday to protest Chicago's Traffic Management Authority (TMA) policy of ticketing pedestrians. You can see the flyer here, or read the Trib's article saying that yes, this is dumb. If you want to join the protest, it starts at 5pm at Daley Plaze on Wednesday.
Like the idea of Critical Mass but don't like the crowds? The Pilsen Critical Mass is a nice alternative with a smaller group. Plus, they usually go out to dinner afterwards so it's a nice way to meet other cyclists on the Near South Side. (If you can't make this one, it's always on the 2nd to last Friday of the month.)
After tackling such menaces as people who drive in the passing lanes too long and people who talk on cell phones while driving, Chicago may tackle yet another menace to drivers: pedestrians who cross after the light has changed. The city is considering a crackdown on jaywalking during morning and evening rush hours in the downtown area. A fine has not been specified, but the all-purpose misdemeanor fine ranges from $25 to $500. So you'd better think twice (or at least check for nearby cops) before crossing the street against the light in the future.
Reuters reports that one person died and 76 were injured by the derailment of a Metra train this morning on the Rock Island District line. The Tribune has further coverage, while CBS2 has extensive footage. Rock Island service to and from Joliet was disrupted but is expected to resume its ordinary schedule by 2:30pm; Metra updates are available here. Those looking for information about passengers on train run 504, which was due into LaSalle St. at 8:45am, can call 311 (in Chicago) or 312/729-6100 (outside the city).
Chicago-L.org will be hosting its 7th annual tour of “L” stations next month, visiting various stations by old-school train cars and offering lectures on CTA architecture and history. Reservations are required and can be made via this form [PDF], which also provides the tentative itinerary. Experience past tours virtually here. Or, if you're not quite a trainspotter, but you're still mildly interested, check out the Loop Tour Train. It's touristy, but free, and it runs Saturdays through the end of September.
Planning is beginning to create a bike trail across Illinois along famous Route 66. In places it will diverge, running through the town nearby rather than the road. This would be a great bonus for Illinois -- the flat countryside would be a great place for a historical bike trail. Not that there aren't already a lot of trails...
After the city made it illegal to use a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, over 800 tickets were issued to Chicago drivers for breaking this law in the first 6 weeks. So here's another friendly reminder: GET A HANDS-FREE DEVICE.
When I saw this bumper sticker on SkinnyCorp's Threadless van a couple months ago, I didn't realize that they were the ones behind it. I'm tempted to pick up a pack.
Don't forget that today is Chicago Critical Mass. While it's technically just a bike ride, it's absolutely a ton of fun. 5:30 at Daley Plaza. Bring a bike and a smile.
Chicago police wrote 60,000 fewer parking tickets last year than in 2003, and numbers are down even further this year. It's a good thing the city raised the cost of a ticket, otherwise they'd be losing money. Still, you'd better keep your meter filled, your city stickers current -- the rest of the year is probably going to be tough on street parkers.
Late last week, Fuel asked whether you feel safe. Today, the Sun-Times profiles a key figure in Chicago's effort to make sure the answer's yes: meet the CTA's vice president of security and training, Pat Daly.
Just as Mayor Daley says he's "sympathetic" to cab drivers' request for a per-ride surcharge in a time of $3/gallon gas, rising fuel prices are hitting the CTA, as well. As discussed at their monthly board meeting yesterday, the Transit Authority could face $10mil in unexpected costs. Revenue from riders has risen recently, but not enough to off-set the uptick. As such, the possible fare increases and service cuts we thought we'd escaped for the year are creeping back into the conversation. In our Party Line email yesterday, Brian pondered the idea of staying put on any given Sunday; might not be too long before that starts seeming like the way to go. Or, rather, not go.
Since our humble elevated has usually been a great but not beautiful way to get from one part of town to another, I wasn't surprised to see that Chicago wasn't included in this list of beautiful transit stops. With all the money problems the CTA's been having of late, it's hard to realistically suggest that this might be one way to increase ridership: make it beautiful. More people might take the train if it were a pleasant aesthetic experience. Design matters, especially on subways.
If you signed up for the unofficial CTA alert system, chances are you've encountered some frustrations. Earlier this week, Kevin O'Neil posted a few etiquette suggestions, but that hasn't stopped people from sending insipid texts like "OK." The beauty of the distributed messaging is also its potential downfall, so the CTA's apparent interest in the effort is encouraging. The Tattler reports SMS/e-mail alerts will be a topic of discussion at tomorrow's board meeting. If you have thoughts about the program and its potential, public testimony starts at 10am.
The shock I received while driving past my regular cheap gas station this morning almost made me wreck my car. Luckily, there are a few websites where you can search for cheap gas prices, and even report ones you discover around the state. Gas Buddy has a local component, Chicago Gas Prices, which covers the city, suburbs, and nearby towns. There's also a cool Google application we told you about last spring. Unfortunately for drivers, it looks like Chicago gas is still well above the new national average of $2.52 per gallon.
Ever wonder why the El is so slow in some spots? Well, this PDF map won't exactly tell you why, but it will tell you where you can expect to crawl -- it shows all the slow zones on the CTA map. (Thanks, Tony)
So I'm sure you've heard that our Prez was in town yesterday to sign a mega-transportation bill. So if you're wondering "What improvements can I expect in the next 5 years from this?" scroll to the bottom of the article--there's a list of the projects by county. Damen/Elston/Fullerton underpass, 43rd St. pedestrian bridge, Milwaukee Ave. repaving, and river walk money are just a few Chicago projects that jump out at me.
Say you've succumbed to the omnipresent Apple advertising on the El (or, perhaps more likely, you didn't need any convincing), and you, like everyone else on the Belmont platform, have that personal audio device known as the iPod. You know it can play more than music, but how often do you refer to its built-in address book? Well, assuming you've got one of the new-fangled variety that has a color display, iPod Subway Maps provides a functionality you might actually use. Install the site's CTA maps on your 'Pod and never forget which direction the Purple Line runs through the Loop again.
As Anne mentions, there's the new mobile RTA planner, but another way to put your phone into action is evolving at the grassroots. CTA tattler readers have created an SMS alert group to disseminate information about service interruptions and other details of interest to transit riders. The system will be unofficial and rely on the input of users, but, as it grows, it seemingly has the potential to meet a real need in real-time.
The RTA has just released a site you can pull up on your internet-ready cell phone to help plan your trip in the Chicago area. Just type in the RTA Mobile website (www2.rtamobile.com) and you'll find a fairly familiar screen of options (time, day, starting and ending address) to fill in to figure out the best route. The problem is that, unlike the CTA's current online trip planner, you can't select from a set of popular destinations if you don't know the address of, say, Midway Airport or Navy Pier. There are plans for access to bus and train schedules through the RTA Mobile site in September, but until then, better start memorizing some addresses, or just call the RTA up at 836-7000.
I actually was planning on writing a thank-you email to Metra today for the Bikes On Trains program - it's been a real benefit to my morning commute. Despite a $486 million dollar budget, Metra doesn't have an email address yet. Neither the Contact Metra page nor the commuter newsletter On The Bi-Level list an email address, even though the CTA and PACE pages do.
Lakeview hastens home tonight now that the horrid, law-busting, anarchist bikers will continue to rule the streets. Right. Sarcasm aside, the police have postponed the crackdown on bikers in Lakeview because... someone's on vacation.
Carole Brown, a CTA executive who blogs, tells the other side of the story about the CTA and corporate sponsorship. Executive summary: yes, more ad revenue would be nice, but it's just an idea and only one of many many ideas under consideration. She throws her preferences into the fray in good humor too: Selsun Blue (less dandruff than any other line) Line. Nice to see a sense of humor poke out.
In an effort to boost usage, the CTA has lately waived the $5 purchase price for Chicago Cards. That was too good to last forever, and, indeed, tomorrow, July 31st, is the final day you can get either version of the card for free. Surf on over and sign up. Too late!
Slate has an article by a UofC econ professor explaining why delays occur at major airports like O'Hare -- it's not just too many flights. In related news, the city's plans for O'Hare expansion got final environmental approval from the FAA yesterday.
U of C economics professor Austan Goolsbee looks at the science behind traffic jams at the nation's busiest airports, and he offers a few tips on how to avoid delays at O'Hare. Sadly, having read through the alternatives Goolsbee lays out, I'm left with the impression that we hardly have any alternatives at all.
With New York introducing baggage checks on the MTA, the CTA tattler asked the obvious question: "Are we next?" The post sparked spirited debate among commenters, particularly about privacy in the face of screening. Slate explores that very topic in its latest "Explainer," noting a number of variables affect the legality of such an operation. Meanwhile, revelations that the man shot and killed by police yesterday in London's Underground had no terrorist connections can only underscore how difficult the problem of transit security really is.
We noted yesterday the city's plan to increase enforcement of traffic laws for cyclists. If writers to Eric Zorn are any indication, the issue has lots of people, ahem, exercised. Among Zorn's correspondents, the pro crackdown camp has been more vocal than those opposed, but what do you think? Join the discussion in Fuel.
Consider yourself warned: the bike cops are out, and they're making sure bicyclists are aware that they're subject to the same traffic laws as cars -- with warnings for now, but in August they start ticketing. No more blowing off stop signs, at least when there's a cop nearby. Read more on the city's bike program webpage.
The city is conducting a traffic experiment at Washington and State in August: there will be a new right turn signal to let more cars get around the corner before the wave of pedestrians closes the opportunity. If the test works, expect other corners to be similarly outfitted.
The CTA hired a consulting firm in March to analyze its operations, and to make suggestions on how to increase productivity and revenues. Among the suggestions that the consultants presented at a CTA board meeting yesterday: outsourcing real estate management; adding more ATMs to stations; and ... selling corporate sponsorship and possibly naming rights to El stations and lines. CTA Prez Frank Kreusi says that the ideas presented "need to be explored further", to see how much money they could generate. (And, hopefully, how many consumers would react negatively to having to ride a train line named after a corporation.)
Life on the CTA has been a nightmare over the past few days, with the Trib reporting a bomb threat on the Purple Line during this afternoon's rush period. The incident follows a similar hoax on the Brown Line Sunday and an evacuation of the Red Line at Berwyn last Friday due to an unattended suitcase. There was also a Red Line stoppage yesterday, but it was apparently for reasons happier than potential acts of destruction: a passenger went into labor at Morse. Update: Or apparently not. As information trickles in, Kevin O'Neil has updated the post again. In contrast to the claims of one of his commenters, the Sun-Times has now reported that the Morse delay was in fact another threat, this time from an on-board passenger.
Following this morning's apparent terrorist attacks on the London transport grid, the Trib reports that the CTA and Metra are putting additional security in place. As always, riders are asked to contact appropriate staff or emergency services at 911 if they see any suspicious activity.
A recent Fuel asked about gross things readers had seen on local transit. Today, the CTA Tattler follows up on who's to blame for one of the many complaints we heard: the El's replacement of molded plastic with upholstered seating.
Cell phone users, don't forget that this Friday a new city law goes into effect that forbids the use of the phones while driving, unless you're using a hands-free headset. (Use of the phone will cost you a $50 ticket, which goes up to $200 if you're using your phone during a traffic accident.) But, as the Sun-Times notes today, local stores have been running out of headsets, so you might want to start looking around today to get your headset by the end of the week.
Although the situation has remained up in the air, Carole Brown announces "Great news!" in her blog. The RTA has voted to fund the roughly $55m shortfall in the CTA's budget, meaning that it can forgo service cuts, layoffs and fare increases in 2005.
According to the Sun-Times, the CTA may still cut service and increase fares on July 17, if Pace officials go ahead with their plan to take a portion of the cash that was meant for the CTA bailout. Gaaaaahhhhh. (tip from CTA Tattler, of course)
IDOT has gotten a lot more strict about speeding in construction zones. Instead of putting up signs and the occasional police officer, IDOT is positioning vans equipped with cameras to catch speeders in construction zones. At $375 for the first ticket, and $1000 for the second, this is serious. And how long will it be before the hundreds of city cameras do the same? I hate speeding and the carnage of cars, but the proliferation of cameras is sorta spooky. Panopticon, here we come.
The Regional Transporation Authority has a new board chairman, James R. Reilly, and he says the problems at the CTA are real. That's a relief. In the meantime, Peter Davidson wonders if turning some lanes on the Kennedy into premium toll lanes might be a way to help fund the El. (Thanks, spindlechuck.)
This week is Bike To Work Week in Chicago. The CBF has info on how to join the masses who are biking to work. And if you're not sure which way to go, the city has the bike map online, or you can pick up a copy for free at most libraries or Bank One.
The CTA is committed to not making any service cuts this year (gee, thanks, CTA!), but won't make any promises about next year. So tune in next year for another round of dire predictions of service cuts unless the CTA gets funding, etc. etc. etc., ad infinitum.... (Tip from CTA Tattler, who adds "Bring me the head of Frank Kreusi.")
You CTA commuters who have already invested in a Chicago Card will no doubt be thrilled to learn that the CTA has introduced express lanes for Chicago Card users on 10 bus lines and 8 train stations. See the story for the full list of routes and stations with the new "Go Lane" entrances. (And for those commuters without a Chicago Card, the CTA is waiving the $5 purchase fee for the card through July 31, to encourage people to get cards.)
We all know the CTA's in a bind. As the Christian Science Monitor makes clear, though, it isn't alone. Across the country, cities like D.C., Philadelphia and San Francisco have seen the same ultimatum: fare hikes or service cuts. And, according to William Millar, president of the American Public Transit Association, while either option is apt "to make riders leave," the combination can be disastrous. So that's good.
This is just not turning out to be the CTA's year. Despite an increase in ridership, the CTA continues to lose money, and is using that as further incentive for a bailout from state legislators (a move that the state is still looking into, as it schedules an audit of CTA books to make sure that the CTA really is $55 million in the red). Meanwhile, some of the CTA's smart cards are giving free rides to customers (over $4,000 in uncollected fares so far), and the CTA's retirement fund is set to run dry as early as next year.
In the wake of the latest development in beleagured United Airlines' bankruptcy restructuring, The New York Times wonders, briefly, if it would be such a bad thing just to let the airline fail. Its 61,000 employees might have something to say about that. In the Trib, meanwhile, Jon Hilkevitch worries about the fate of the United archives.
The start of the CTA's Brown Line expansion project could be delayed even further, as the Sun-Times reports that the CTA has purchased less than half of the properties it needs for station improvements. The paper's report also includes a list of dates that each station would be worked on, which range from this August (for the Belmont and Fullerton stops) through 2007 (for the Paulina and Wellington stops). Oh, and don't forget the service cutbacks, which are scheduled to go into effect on July 17. Happy commuting!
The recently proposed ban on hand-held cell phone usage while driving was passed today by the City Council. It goes into effect July 1.
According to the latest national Urban Mobility Study, Chicago ranked 7th in one of those contests no one wants to win: annual traffic delays. Based on 2003 figures, local drivers spent 58 hours in gridlock during peak travel times, which is three hours more than in 2002. If that sounds high, count your blessings you don't live in LA, where you'd have waited in traffic for 93 hours. Of course, if the proposed CTA cuts go through in a few months, I hate to imagine what our roads will be like. Given that the study's authors, the Texas Transportation Institute, estimate Chicago's road congestion cost a cool $4.3 billion in wasted time and fuel, one might think that the Legislature's coughing up a few extra bucks for transit would be money well-spent. Or not?
How high of a commodity is downtown parking? Well, last night 23 parking spots were auctioned off, and the total amount of cash raked in was.... $750,000. Gaaah. Guess we better stick to the CTA, right? Oh, wait...
The great Chicago transportation blog CTA Tattler has an anonymous contact inside the CTA, and is starting to field questions from its readers for this CTA insider to answer. Today's question: what "waiting for signals ahead" really means. If you've got a burning question that only a CTA insider can answer, check this site out.
Tony of SaveChicagoTransit.com points out that CTA Board Chairman Carole Brown has created a blog to "answer some of the questions people have been asking about the CTA's funding situation. We on the board have asked many of these same questions, and we want to help get the word out." She includes an email address where you can direct questions and comments.
SaveChicagoTransit is a new site providing information about the current CTA budget crisis -- which will help you bone up for the Rally for New Transit Priorities and Funding taking place today at 3pm at City Hall, corner of Clark and Randolph. Bring your bullhorn. (Thanks, Matt and Leah.)
Adrian Holovaty has created a snazzy trick for Chicagoans using GoogleMaps -- provided you use Firefox. It changes the map of the city from Google's map to the CTA version. Don't let the scary techie stuff scare you, it's really easy to implement. (Thanks again, Matt!)
I have a friend who can identify a car by sound -- the purr of the engine, the growl of the muffler. He'd no doubt enjoy Chicago Car News, a relatively new blog about automobiles. (And did you know the author of Autoblog is local?)
Crain's Business reports that the CTA board today voted to slash service and raise fares, unless they get a $55 million cash bailout from state lawmakers in the next few months. Check the article for the gory details, which include severe crowding and doubled delays for rush hour commuters, a 68% increase in average wait times for all services and the elimination of over 50 bus routes and the Purple Line train from Evanston. (Thanks to CTA Tattler for the tip.)
The group behind the Chicago Area Transportation Study has launched ShareTheDrive.org, a site where interested parties can find a carpool. The goal is to help reduce traffic congestion by reducing the number of single-passenger vehicles on the road.
It's been a busy and stressful week for the CTA. At a public meeting to try and drum up support for their doomsday plans to deal with budget shortfalls, the audience booed each of the plans and instead called for CTA officials to cut their own pay.
Today the CTA Board will hold a meeting to discuss the upcoming proposed service cuts and fare increases. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at CTA offices, 567 W. Lake St., at 4pm. If you can't make the meeting you can submit your comments through Friday via email at ctaboard[at]transitchicago.com. Reader Sarah Southcott also offers to compile letters and notes for those unable to attend. Email them to her at southie[at]gmail.com and include your full name, address and phone number so she can try to make those opinions heard.
The city is moving closer to a ban on cell phone usage by drivers. Drivers would be permitted to use hands-free devices, and would be allowed to use handhelds while parked or while calling 911, but use of a regular cell phone while driving would cost a $50 ticket ($200 if an accident is caused by a cell-phone-using driver). Not surprisingly, cellular service providers Sprint and Verizon Wireless objected to the plan, saying the city should enforce reckless driving laws instead of cell phone bans.
This is almost too cool to be real: Google is working on a project called Ride Finder, which shows you the real-time location of taxis in the city. Check the map and see whether there's a cab nearby, then call the provided dispatch number to bring it to your door. There are only three cab companies participating right now, but that should change quickly. (Thanks, Atul!)
As a former resident of Wrigleyville, I was gladdened to see that Tom Tunney is looking into the problem of Cubs fans illegally buying residential parking permit stickers so that they can park on the streets during night games. The parking over there is bad enough as it is!
The CTA's train system gets plenty of attention online, via Chicago-L.org, This Is Grand, the CTA Tattler, etc. Meanwhile, the CTA buses have been ignored. Well, not anymore: ChicagoBus.org is your new one-stop site for all things bus. You may be particularly interested in the multimedia page, containing .wav files of your favorite announcements.
The highways got even more congested than normal this morning thanks to several accidents happening at once. On the Kennedy, four cars, a semi and a bus collided, closing three inbound lanes for hours; another crash brought power lines down onto the Indiana Tollway and halted South Shore Line service; and reader Jeremy wrote in to report a semi got stuck under the Metra tracks near Damen and Webster on the Dan Ryan, gumming up traffic in that area -- Chicagoist says the semi's load of Spam and canned mushrooms was spilled all over the road. Not to mention the nice weather bringing on the start of Construction Season... hope you got to work on time.
Could the Chicago area get its own version of The Big Dig? While the expressway wouldn't go underwater, a panel is studying the fesability of capping the Ike between Harlem and Austin. The new land would be used for parks, buildings, and - I'm guessing here - at least one Starbucks. Three variations of the plan are shown in map form (1, 2, 3.) This all may be several years off, but seeing more green is something to look forward to.
On Monday, Mayor Daley unveiled his plan for Chicago traffic control, which contains such items as self-adjusting traffic lights, carpool lanes for streets leading to and from expressways, and tow trucks dispatched within minutes to remove disabled vehicles and delivery trucks that are blocking lanes. Before you get your hopes up, though, the article says that this plan hinges on installing cameras and sensors at 2,800 intersections in the city, a plan which could cost $200-700 million and could take anywhere from 15 to 50 years for complete installation. Some of the less costly changes, such as the fast-tow program and ticketing of vehicles using bus lanes, will be implemented later this year.
According to the Tribune, Metra has bowed to the pressure of the Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and has agreed to allow bicycles on Metra during non-rush periods. Reverse commuters (like me) have special cause to celebrate, since we can take our bikes on the train during rush hour.
No, they really mean it this time: today the CTA unveiled five new plans to cover budget shortfalls, if they don't get the funding they've been requesting from state legislators. And the plans are terrifying; rush-hour fares of $3 and up, increased waiting time between trains and buses, and the elimination of many bus routes and weekend and overnight service are but some of the details that the CTA listed to try and get politicians to act on funding requests. The CTA is planning to start cutting service on July 1, so this might be a very bad summer for commuters. Stay tuned...
Congrats to Chicago's very own Steve Fossett, who just touched down in Salina, Kansas, becoming the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refueling. We always knew he'd make something of himself someday....
The CTA held a public meeting last night to talk about the station closings during the Brown Line expansion. The Tribune reports that more than 400 people showed up to the meeting, many of whom blasted the CTA for waiting so long before announcing budget cuts in the project that necessitate temporary closings of stations during construction. Among the people there was Chicago blogger Leah Jones, who has posted her summary of the meeting. (Thanks as always to CTA Tattler for the tip.)
Contributor Craig Berman isn't the only person working on plans to expand the El into a network. Here's another expanded CTA map.
The Tribune ran a story about the pedway yesterday, which included a nice map of the various public passageways throughout the Loop. Our resident librarian Alice Maggio gave a guided tour (part one, part two) of the main burrow almost exactly a year ago. (Oh, and here's another pedway map, for those who want to explore.)
Some neat pictures of this month's Critical Mass in black and white.
A few bicycle items of interest. As usual on the last Friday of the month, today is the Chicago Critical Mass ride. Gather at 5:30 in front of the Picasso. Bikers today will have a small victory to celebrate, as HB467 - Lt. Gov Quinn's initiative to require Metra to allow bicycles on trains at least during non-rush periods - passed unaminously and moves to the Senate. And finally, if you have any cute pictures of yourself as a youngster on a bicycle, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation wants 'em! They're looking for pictures of you on your first bike.
Pay attention the next time you board a CTA bus. Does the seating arrangement look different? The CTA is currently testing buses with aisle-facing seats, to make passenger boarding easier, on two downtown routes. The new buses are based on a redesign that was originally for the L trains, but the CTA is also testing the seat configuration on buses, to see if that improves passengers' bus-riding experience.
Pace, the suburban bus transit system, has implemented a real-time system named WebWatch were you can check to see when the next bus on your route is going to appear. The schedules on the site are updated with information from the bus as it is traveling, so if the bus will be early or late, you'll easily be able to check. Supposedly a similar system is in the works for the CTA...
Bicycle owners protested at the Chicago Auto Show on Saturday. Of course there are pictures online. (found via Metafilter)
Crain's Chicago Business is reporting that the CTA is about to open bids on a new "premium" express train line from the Loop to O'Hare and Midway. Premium is right -- it'll cost an estimated $15 one way. But you'll get from here to there in about 20 minutes, and at that price there probably won't be too many vagrants sleeping in the seats.
Thanks to CTA Tattler for pointing out that the CTA is holding a public meeting tomorrow night at 7:00 to discuss the Brown Line renovation project, focusing on the work planned for the Belmont and Fullerton train stops. If you're going to be affected by the closures, this might be a good time to make your opinions on the subject heard. See the CTA site for full details.
According to my sources, DOT Secretary Mineta was late today for his meeting to discuss the end of Amtrak... because he was stuck in traffic. And why is no more Amtrak is going to be good for us? Well those silly Amtrak trains won't get in the way of the commuter trains of course! Mind you he didn't actually meet with the public, he just met behind closed doors and ignored the 100 or so protesters, according to my sources who were there.
Word on the street is that Dept. of Transportation Secretary Mineta is going to be at Union Station tomorrow at 10am to explain how eliminating Amtrak is going to be great, just totally great.
The CTA Tattler has an eye-witness account of a suicide at the Loyola Red Line stop last night. Chilling.
The Chicago Auto Show is only a couple days away, and the articles are starting to come out. You can even follow along as AutoBlog blogs the whole thing.
The CTA reported an increase in ridership in 2004. There were a total of 444.5 million rides last year, up slightly from 2003. This increase in ridership, of course, hasn't deterred the CTA from their plans to close Brown Line stations during construction or to prepare an emergency plan that calls for massive service cuts and fare increases, if they finally get the long-promised funding from the Illinois General Assembly. Oh, and starting Friday, Red Line riders won't be able to get out at the Lake Street station on weeknights or weekends; it's being closed for construction.
We all know what people say about Chicago drivers. Well, those ever-industrious gents over at SkinnyCorp have a new meme / business venture / public service they'd like to share. I Park Like An Idiot provides bumper stickers that you are NOT supposed to put on offending vehicles. No, really. [via YH]
The Tribune's transportation reporter, Jon Hilkevitch, published a righteous rant today about the CTA's continued pouring of money into a project to provide cellphone reception for train riders underground, at a time when CTA officials are talking of serious cash shortfalls and closing train stations during Brown Line construction. (Thanks to CTA Tattler for the tip.)
O'Hare ended up with the worst record for on-time arrivals and departures in 2004, when compared to the nation's 31 busiest airports. 30 percent of arrivals and 73 precent of departures were late into/out of O'Hare. There is hope, though; the FAA is making O'Hare cut flights back on peak arrival times, in the hopes of easing congestion. The reductions went into effect last November, and December did see a bit of an improvement (66 percent of flights were on time, up from 60 percent in December 2003). And in case you were wondering about Chicago's other airport, Midway fared a bit better in the rankings; it was ranked 17th, with only 21 percent of its inbound flights and 22 percent of its outbound flights delayed. Something to keep in mind next time you're booking a flight.
In the Illinois General Assembly is a new bill that would allow bike riders to take their bikes onto Metra trains during off-peak hours and weekends. For their part, Metra officials are saying that making provisions for bikes would cut into the seating capacities of their trains, and are hoping to work with the bill sponsors and local bike organizations for a compromise.
Late-breaking news at the Tribune Website: the CTA has officially announced that 15 Brown Line stations will be closed anywhere from six weekends up to a full year during renovation of the stations starting after September. Criticism of the CTA's announcement came quickly; Alderman Gene Schulter and State Rep. John Fritchey said that the CTA "dropped the ball" when they failed to consult with city officials until only recently.
A fire in the Red Line subway south of North & Clybourn caused an evacuation of a train late last night. On the scene (and on the train) was none other than CTA enthusiast Tony Coppoletta, whose collection of CTA Stuff we pointed you to just a few days ago. Read his account of the evacuation in the Chicago El community at LiveJournal. (Thanks, Matt!)
More for the public transportation buffs: this CTA Roster site has photos of the different trains and busses used by the CTA, listed by model and year, as well as a few streetcars.
Last September, GB mentioned that Chicagoans spend an average of 56 hours per year stuck in traffic. Well, Mayor Daley is in LA this week, learning about computer technology to automatically adjust traffic lights to ease traffic back-ups.
Angered at the city's stalling on a taxi fare increase (the Chicago cab rates haven't increased since November 2000, while gas prices and insurance rates have gone up), a group of cab drivers is planning to call for a one-week job action by drivers in March, during which they would not respond to radio calls. Consumer Services Commissioner Norma Reyes counters that the rate hike that cabbies are asking for is too high. There's a City Council meeting coming up on February 9th, at which Alderman Tom Allen says he hopes to have "something together". It might be a good time to reacquaint yourself with CTA bus schedules....
Tony Coppoletta's online collection of CTA Stuff will bring warmth to the heart of any transit nerd. He has photos from station tours, a huge set of WAV recordings of the CTA Voice from the el and buses, and a collection of scans of farecard designs from tokens to the ChicagoCard.
Protect your valuables when you're on the train or bus! Crime on the CTA increased last year, while overall crime in the city decreased. CTA boss Frank Kreusi said the increase was just a "blip," and noted that CTA crime has fallen 32% since 1997. Still, commuters should watch out for theft on the CTA, especially pickpockets working in the downtown train stations. The stations with the highest theft rates: State and Lake; Clark and Lake; and State and Chicago.
The Sun-Times reports today on a consequence of the threatened Brown Line station closures that I didn't even think of until they pointed it out: businesses near the closed stations will be hit hard by the loss of the majority of their commuting customers.
As this map shows, Chicago is waaay behind the rest of the country in allowing bicycles on trains. The Lt. Governor's Office has started an online petition to force Metra to allow bikes on trains during "non-rush and weekends". Finally. Sign-up today!
The CTA continues its dire threats/predictions on what will happen to service if state lawmakers don't come through with increased subsidies for mass transit. According to the Tribune, the CTA is toying with such lovely options as: increased fares for people who pay with cash; increased rush-hour fares; different fares on buses and trains; and a 40% cut in service (up from the 20% cut threatened last year by the CTA). Meanwhile, the Sun-Times has some stark figures on the proposed Brown Line closings mentioned yesterday. The line's stations may be closed during construction anywhere between 4-6 months and 10-12 months. Oh, it's not going to be a happy year for commuters.
The CTA, facing skyrocketing costs for its Brown Line renovation project, is considering temporarily closing some stops on the line as construction affects them. The cost of working on a train station while keeping it open is apparently too prohibitive, and the CTA warns that, without closing stations, construction costs would use up funds needed for other CTA amenities, such as bike racks and escalators. Says 32nd Ward Alderman Ted Matlak, "If they close the Paulina stop, we'll be picketing. Where's [CTA President Frank] Kruesi's house?"
On that freshly launched Cartype, Carlos Segura posts an interesting story about trying to test drive (and perhaps buy) a Ford Mustang. Because I absolutely hate when businesses are complete pricks, let it be known that North Ridge Ford and especially TV-ad-saturated Al Piemonte Ford fall in those categories. At least if you're trying to buy a Mustang. Tsk, tsk.
Chicago-based designer Carlos Segura, the man behind T.26 Digital Type Foundry and custom CD house 5inch, has just completed another project entitled Cartype. Labeled as a "personal collection of images, comments, links, information and general interest related to cars and motorcycles," this is a well-executed, comprehensive resource for the vehicle aficionado. Now, if he could just make these appear in the US sooner, we'd be all set. [via Signal vs. Noise]
Heard at the rumor mill: Lt. Governor Pat Quinn is expected to announce legislation to require Metra to allow bicycles on trains on Thursday.
In the spirit of better late than never, check out these tips from AAA Chicago for winterizing your car. Among other things, they advise you "keep the gas tank at least half full to prevent frozen fuel lines and to allow you to drive an alternate route to safety or run your car's heater if you get stranded."
The Tribune posted a nice slice of history concerning Chicago's ever-growing love affair with cycling. It's a nice read for those interested in bikes, but also a love letter to Chicago's strong cycling past.
I'm not sure it does much good for people actually on the roads, but you can now get an RSS feed of current traffic conditions from Traffic Pulse, which has a pretty good visual traffic map, too.
The CTA has announced that it will indeed be offering its "Penny Rides" this New Year's Eve, and has extended hours on some trains and buses. It's quite the community gift, given the CTA's notoriously bad financial situation. Catch a ride on the CTA for just $.01 from 8 p.m. Friday night until 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Just do everyone a favor and try not to boot in the train.
You knew this was going to happen: The new owners of the Skyway are raising tolls. Starting February 16, you'll pay $2.50 to the trolls under the bridge, instead of an even $2. At least they're waiting till after the holidays.
Every year, in cities around the world (and even Antartica), people dress up like Santa, get drunk, and hold a Santa Rampage. Last weekend saw one such event, and this weekend the kind people at Bike Winter are hosting another. The 5th Annual Chicago Santa Cycle Rampage meets on Saturday at the Twisted Spoke to get started. I think it's one holiday tradition we can all get behind.
It's official: the CTA board voted to delay service cuts and layoffs which were set to go into effect at the beginning of the new year. The board voted unanimously to delay these cost-cutting measures until July 1, encouraged by promises from Illinois Senate President Emil Jones and Governor Blagojevich. So now it's up to state leaders to come through with additional funding by the summer, a plan which CTA board members weren't exactly enthusiastic about (Chairwoman Carole Brown used words such as "faith" and "hope for the best" when talking about the plan). CTA President Frank Kreusi warns that, if this gamble doesn't pay off, "then we are really, literally are in the process of dismantling public transit in this region ... a terrible, terrible loss." Keep your fingers crossed, commuters...
The service cuts and layoffs that the CTA has been warning us all about if it doesn't get additional funding may be put off for a while, according to the Sun-Times. Illinois Senate President Emil Jones said that funding the CTA is going to be a "top legislative priority" for next year, and with this promising development the CTA board is expected to delay cost-cutting measures for at least six months when it holds a meeting tomorrow.
Winter is descending; if you work downtown it's time to consider the pedway again as a slightly warmer means of getting around. Last year, Alice Maggio did a two part article on the pedway that's worth revisiting. Or, if you want a printable version, check out this pedway map.
If you've been following the rivalry between O'Hare and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for this year's title of the world's busiest airport, good news for you! The Sun-Times reports that O'Hare pulled ahead in November, and is set to hit a record of nearly one million flights this year. Of course, with this number of flights there are still quite a few delayed flights, and O'Hare will also take the title of world's most delayed airport with nearly 30% of its flights delayed.
The CTA's Holiday Train has been in the news recently, but there's another CTA holiday transportation option: the Christmas bus. Check out the photos on Flickr, courtesy of Chicago blogger Jasmine.
Remember when you heard that you might be paying double at Illinois tolls if you don't have I-Pass? Well, you will, starting January 1st. Motorists who do not have I-Pass will pay $.80 at Illinois tolls in 2005, so folks are out scrambling to pick up that little black box before the year's out. Problem is, it doesn't work on the windshields of some car models. Those folks will have to get an I-Pass that screws into their license plate. That sounds like a fun way to spend New Year's Day.
Two days ago we were mourning the loss of the CTA Holiday Train due to the transit authority's well-known budget issues. Turns out that if you threaten Santa, CTA board president Carole Brown gets pissed. Thanks to Brown's intervention, the holiday train is back on track. Apparently threatening to lay off 1,200 employees and to cut bus routes and overnight train service is all cool, but Santa? Don't f$ck with Santa!
While looking for something else, I stumbled upon this: Hooters Air has signed a deal with the Rockford airport to fly to Denver, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. With departures from Rockford and Gary, who could resist the appeal of Hooters Air? Pluh-eez.
Apparently, the impending CTA budget cuts left no funds to support this year's Holiday Train. No more poles striped like candy canes. No more elves manning the car doors. No more Christmas music pumping through the PA system inspiring riders to clap their hands and sing along. Ah...I think my commutes will feel just a little bit safer this holiday season.
Don't forget that December 1st also marks the day when the speed limit on Lake Shore Drive is lowered from 45 to 40 mph. And natives know the police love to pull people over on the Drive, so slow down! The lowered speed limit remains in affect until April 1st.
Think the requests to have CTA riders complain to legislators and the city about threatened service cuts and fare increase is a bunch of hooey? You're not alone. The folks at Midwest Unrest aren't the type of people to complain about something, they're the type of people who do something about it. What do they propose? A fare strike on December 15th.
The winter parking ban goes into effect today. No parking on designated snow routes between 3 and 7 AM. If you do, you're looking at a $150 towing fee and a $50 ticket. And do you really want to tangle with Chicago tow trucks right about now? No, you don't. Also be aware that there's another parking ban that goes into effect for the 500 miles of Chicago's snow routes, barring people from parking on them when there's at least 2 inches of snow on the street. $30 ticket for that violation.
Jonathan Messinger, of This is Grand, offers his opinions on the Campaign for Better Transit's report on the CTA. I've never found a grenade on a train, but how about no more than two Brown lines per Red line at transfer stations in the morning? Any morning in which I don't have a man's front area rubbing against my rear area with no room to move even my hand, let alone my entire self, makes for a pleasant CTA experience.
The Sun-Times staff must be checking out boingboing.net, because today they printed a story about hula hoop decals being added to road signs in Chicago, apparently by fans of the Colorado jam band String Cheese Incident. This phenom was covered last week at BoingBoing, among other places. Be careful, SCI fans (and vegan activists); defacing a city sign carries a maximum punishment of a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.
If you've ever wanted to have a say in the designs of the Chicago vehicle stickers, here's your chance. Yesterday's Sun-Times included the 10 finalists by artists from local high schools, and today you get your chance to cast a vote for the winning design at the City Clerk's Website. You can also cast your vote in person at City Hall (121 N. LaSalle) or by phone at (312) 744-2506. But hurry to cast your vote; the polls close tonight at 5:00 PM. The winning design will net its creator a $1,000 savings bond.
You've probably heard by now that the Skyway is re-opening in time for Thanksgiving travel. But the Skyway isn't the only travel route that's getting a test this holiday weekend. O'Hare will be experiencing its first major holiday season after flight limits were put into effect on November 1. (You may recall the news from last summer that the FAA was forcing O'Hare to reduce flights into the airport, because delays at O'Hare cause delays at other airports nationwide.) On the bright side, there's apparently already a noticeable improvement in O'Hare's on-time performance this month. You'll still probably want to bring that paperback book to pass the time, though; airline officials are still advising customers to arrive at the airport two hours before your flight.
The Campaign for Better Transit is trying to help CTA riders control their transportation destiny. Check out their PDF report on whether your CTA train ride is worth the fare. (Short answer: no.)
The Illinois General Assembly has postponed talks on restructuring transit funding until the middle of next year at the earliest, which means that the CTA may proceed with massive service cuts in January, as the Tribune reports. CTA prez Frank Kreusi has asked state lawmakers to rework the Chicago mass transit funding formulas to improve the CTA's outlook, but this is considered a longshot strategy. So get ready for decreased bus and train service in January...
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the region's primary bicycle organization, has released their Top 10 Priorities for the coming year. Apparently CBF is doing really well and is looking to expand beyond their bicycle roots to include pedestrians. They have some goals you would expect - bikes on Metra, safety campaigns - but they also have some exciting new ideas. They are looking to have some city streets shut-down for automobile traffic on Sundays to encourage bicycling as well as reaching out to encourage cycling among minorities and women.
Yesterday, the CTA held the first of four public hearings on the subject of proposed schedule reductions, which were announced as a possible way of dealing with budget shortfalls. Another possible method of dealing with the shortfall is another 25-cent fare increase, which CTA board members asked their staff to investigate. WBEZ reported this morning that the rate increase could be set to happen as early as next year. Meanwhile, an editorial in today's Tribune offers other ideas on how to save funds, including charging customers for how far they travel and encouraging private competition for the right to run the bus lines. The next public hearing on the service cuts is next Tuesday, if you want to attend and make your opinions known.
The "Doomsday" scenario, the dire budget prediction coming from the CTA, was announced earlier this week. This promises to touch the lives of just about everyone riding the CTA; to see how the plan will affect just a portion of the NW side, read about it here. Some items include: complete elimination of at least 7 bus routes, major cuts along many routes and overnight Blue Line service eliminated between 1am and 4am. City officials say the voices of the people are absolutely necessary to put this doomsday budget to bed for good. Refer to the Campaign for Better Transit website for a schedule of upcoming hearings, and watch the GB events calendar as well.
The Sun-Times has just published lists from the CTA detailing the routes the CTA plans to eliminate or reduce if they cannot make up their $55 million budget gap. Among the bus routes to be cut: the 11 Lincoln and the 88 Northwest Highway. All together, the Sun-Times reports "the CTA's proposed doomsday budget would slice service by 20 percent, eliminate all overnight L trains, kill 30 bus routes and cut 1,000 union workers." Read the complete list of cuts here.
Just what we needed: The CTA is threatening rush-hour service cutbacks if it doesn't get more state and federal funding, and Mayor Daley is backing them up. "Sometimes, you don't have any money. What are you gonna do?" the always eloquent Daley said. (On the plus side, starting today your CTA card also works on Pace buses.)
Ever wonder how you would find your car if it were towed? Fortunately for you Web-surfing types, the Department of Streets and Sanitation has put together a Web interface for their list of towed cars. If your car got towed by The Man, you can check their site to see where it's being stored, and the phone number to call to get it back. Expect to pay either $150 or $250, depending on the size of your vehicle.
In addition to all the other cameras Big Brother... er... Mayor Daley wants to put around the city, he's also proposed putting surveillance cameras on city street sweepers; not for the safety of his constituents, but to catch scofflaws who ignore the "no parking" signs on street-cleaning days.
In the wake of recent news to install 2,000+ cameras around the city, now comes word that we might be seeing some new surveillance on the L. The CTA is currently looking at bids for 366 new rail cars. Talk includes putting security cameras inside our elevated train cars. The CTA already installs cameras on buses, as part of a plan to curb vandals and criminals.
Chicago's bicycle community (and frankly the bicycle community in general) is in a total uproar right now because of the discovery by someone that many Kryptonite U-Locks can be picked with your basic ballpoint pen. Here's the message from the Chicago Critical Mass mailing list that started it all. No clear solutions have been posted yet (greasing the lock seems to help, but it's a sure prevention) and there has been only a lame reaction from Kryptonite despite numerous phone calls.
Flying to a foreign destination and wish you could take your bike with you? Want to visit a suburban destination on Metra and wish you could peddle those few miles instead of drive? Folding bikes give you freedom and flexibility that many other bikes don't. The Chicagoland Folding Bike Society meets tonight to talk about food, nutrition and cycling as well as, well, obviously folding bikes. Meet other folding bike enthusiasts and drink beer at the Handlebar. Starts at 7pm and runs til 9ish.
The sun's starting to set a little early and the kids are back in school. And while you hardly need an excuse to Bike Fall, you might need a little motivation to Bike Winter. Bike Winter is a site that provides lots of info on how to dress for cycling when it is cold out, as well as staging lots of events. Things officially get started on Oct 1st, but the planning is happening now if you'd like to lend a hand to make Chicago the best city in the US for bicycles.
John Kass, Tribune columnist, writes today about an IIT chemical engineering grad student who was fined recently for sleeping on the CTA. When he had to be awakened by police at the end of the Orange line, the officers lectured him about CTA safety and issued him a $50 ticket for sleeping on the train -- a legitimate offense in the CTA rule book (who knew?). Kass offered to pay the man's fine if he loses his bid to contest the ticket in court, but everyone else is on their own.
Ever wonder how you can get to O'Hare by non-motorized means? With the acres and acres of parking and garages, you might wonder if the planning department ever figured someone might walk or bike to the airport. (Answer: No.) But here's the story of how to ride your bike to O'Hare without taking the CTA or Pace. Summary: it ain't easy, and you have to pretend you're a taxi for a little bit.
Dunkin' Donuts has opened two concession stands in two separate El stations (the Western Avenue blue line stop, and the Lake & Cicero green line stop) and have plans to open 10 more stores by the end of the year. Even better, additions to the El stations will include more than just snack shops; the CTA will be adding newspaper stands, photo processing and shoe repair stands and express mail stores at 33 separate stations.
The Chicago-Indiana area ranks 8th in a list of the longest commutes in the country, according to a new study by the Texas Transportation Institute. Ranked at #1: Los Angeles (surprise!), with an average of 93 hours spent in traffic during the year 2002. Also ranking high on the list: San Francisco-Oakland (73 hours) and Washington DC (67 hours). Chicago's average was 56 hours, which sounds pretty bad until you consider that you could be living in LA and spending even more time stuck in traffic.
The Sun-Times reports that Ted Matlak is working on a speed-reducing solution for neighborhood streets that works better than the unpopular speed humps. The latest speeder-stopping technology is a mid-block island (which sounds like a roundabout in the middle of the block) that Matlak says he'll name after himself if it works and keeps speed humps from proliferating in the 32nd Ward. Aside from speed humps (and Matlaks), transportation officials are toying with other technologies to stop speeders, including installing cameras at stop signs and radar guns with cameras to automatically catch speeding drivers on side streets.
But not at Wrigley Field this time. Early Tuesday morning some chunks of concrete fell on the Dan Ryan from the 33rd Street overpass. Inspectors were able to remove enough loose concrete from the structure to fill a wheelbarrow. Yipes! And here's something else to worry about: cracks have begun to appear in posts holding up parts of Wacker Drive, less than a year after the street's $200 million renovation project finished. Although IDOT says these cracks don't affect the structural integrity of the roadway, it's yet another indication that this summer is turning out to be Chicago's Summer of Structural Integrity.
Starting January 1, you’ll have to pay double at Illinois tollbooths, that is, if you don’t have I-Pass for your vehicle. This comes in an effort by the state to raise funds for more road work in the area, which, as we all know, is plentiful. Maybe this is also their way of getting us to stop using pennies at the tollbooths? This plan still has to be approved, but that could come as early as next month.
In another example of mainstream media imitating the blogosphere, the Chicago Tribune has put out a call for Chicagoans' tales of CTA woes and frustrations. Oh, wait, excuse me - they want "Tales of Rage." The rants will go into a regular column in the Transportation section called "Commuter Follies." Hmm... rage... follies... sounds like someone's got their wires crossed.
Ever wished you could take that $20 you put on your CTA fare card and use it on Metra? Or that you could use the same ticket for all transit systems here? The RTA is considering adding a universal fare card for the region, and have commissioned a study to find out if it's feasible. If this becomes reality, you might actually be able to buy a train ticket from a vending machine and avoid the huge lines at the train stations.
Metra is one of the last rail agencies in the country that doesn't allow bikes on its trains. This is the missing link in making Chicago the best city for bicycling in the country, but now there's hope. Word on the street that the biggest prevention was the stalwart director of the RTA, Thomas McCracken. He's announced his retirement (pdf) and it is expected that the new director will be more friendly towards allowing some bicycles on trains. In the meantime, folding bikes are still allowed on Metra anytime.
While you were sleeping, the Red Line between Belmont and Howard was shut down both directions, from 2 to 6 a.m., while police investigated the discovery of "body parts on the tracks". Only one local media outlet has any details on the death, which are few: the body probably belonged to a 30-something male who was probably struck near the Morse stop. Note to the CTA: something like this probably shouldn't be such a mystery.
You know the wire system above the Skokie Swift trains? That's called a "catenary system," and the Skokie Swift is the last CTA line to use it. Well, the catenary system has fallen into disrepair, and instead of fixing it, the CTA is replacing it with the more conventional third-rail system. In honor of this passing, the Central Electric Railfans' Association is hosting three last trips on the line, on CTA Historic Trains, Sunday, September 5. Three two-hour trips will depart from the Yellow Line Dempster stop at 9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm. Tickets are $20. Info on reserving seats can be found on CERA's site.
Oh, and by the way, apparently two Segway stores will be opening here soon: one in the city, one out in La Grange. You could buy one for around $4,000, or you could rent one for a couple hours from Chicago Segway Tours. So anyway...
The Sun-Times reports the amount of parking tickets issued this year is down by 60,000 when compared to last year's numbers. The main reason: two recently completed construction projects, the Wacker Drive reconstruction and 11 Street/Columbus Drive, which brought in loads of parking violations for the city.
After about a year of trying, a Schaumburg woman has her new vanity license plate -- the number 867 5309, as immortalized in the Tommy Tutone hit from the 1980s. And yes, the woman's name is Jenny.
The CTA voted Wednesday to enter into a year-long pilot program that will put I-GO (car sharing) cars at five El stations, including the Damen blue line and Western brown line (yay!). Studies have shown that car-sharing programs increase use of public transportation, and it stands to reason that putting cars closer to the El will increase use of car-sharing programs, so—hey!—everybody wins!
Paul Karas, administrator of the Gary airport, thinks Gary is the answer to Chicago’s airport congestion problem. Instead of spending $500 million and 10 years to build a third airport in Peotone—under debate for more than a decade and still pending FAA approval—Karas believes a $90 million expansion is all it will take to make the Gary airport “Chicago’s third airport.”
The $530 million major renovation of the CTA brown line was scheduled to begin this past Spring, but was put on hold because construction bids were too high. No progress has been made in choosing new construction companies, but the CTA will be asking for new bids soon. Until then, our much-loved neighborhood under-the-El businesses (e.g., Beans n Bagels at Montrose) are spared the wrecking ball for another few months. CTA officials assure us the late start won't delay the projected completion date of December 31, 2009.
It's a great day when you get a story like this: the tour bus driver for the Dave Matthews Band denies that his bus was the one that rained liquid waste on a tour boat on Sunday. An eyewitness to the accident gave authorities the license plate for the bus, but when he was talking to reporters the driver coaxed a police sergeant to inspect the tank (how'd you like THAT job?), who then told reporters that the tank was indeed nearly full.
The Sun-Times reports that delayed flights at O'Hare improved in June, with on-time arrivals increasing from 64 to 69%, and on-time departures increasing from 68 to 70%. That puts O'Hare ahead of Atlanta's Heartsfield-Jackson in improving flight delays, but the airport still needs to cut back the number of flights, according to the FAA.
In an effort to combat ever increasing delays, the FAA has scheduled a meeting for all domestic carriers serving O'Hare. Unconfirmed reports suggest that the airline executives will enjoy a lunch of reheated chicken served in little plastic treys, and a small cup of orange juice sealed with foil.
Speaking of traffic and construction, the Chicagoland expressway congestion map provides a regularly-updated almost real-time color-coded traffic map. Or just listen to WBBM 780 on the eights if you're not near a computer.
There are a number of construction projects happening this summer on the highways between Chicago and northwest Indiana, and they've all combined to create an unusually long commute for drivers going to or coming from Indiana. Unfortunately, it's not going to get any better anytime soon; the bulk of the work is scheduled to last for three years. Just keep this in mind, next time you decide to take the Chicago Skyway. Perhaps an alternative route going through Kentucky?
As previously mentioned, O'Hare has been processing record numbers of flights and passengers in recent years. Unfortunately, they've also been having record numbers of delayed flights (14,500 delayed flights in the month of May alone!), and obviously those delayed flights can cause further delays in other airports. So the FAA wants O'Hare to reduce its number of flights, and will come up with some flight reduction numbers by Monday. Does this mean that O'Hare will lose the World's Busiest Airport title to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International? We shall see.
Craig of Fueled By Coffee has posted a "Diagrammatic Suggestion for Green Line Station Addition". In layman's terms, a rather cool suggestion (and image) of additional stations that would make sense on the Green Line. That's putting it too simply but read his thoughts on why these stations would make sense on existing infrastructure.
In case you've ever wondered just where those fancy red light cameras are at intersections around town, now you can track them down on the web. Photo Enforced lets you look for intersections across the country that have installed cameras that photograph and then ticket drivers (by mail) heading through red lights. Chicago has quite a few listed, and the database is growing. You can also join a discussion about red light cameras, or compare ticket prices for other big cities. Chicago's ticket prices are similar to New York City's, but less than a third of what you'll pay in San Diego.
A section of Clark Street, from Polk to 15th Street, will be closed for construction starting next week, and remain closed at least through June 2005. The main plan is to lower the road, so it passes underneath Roosevelt Road, and to widen the street to allow more traffic. One of the reasons that this project is under way: a new Target store is opening on the intersection's northwest corner in October. So... perhaps they should have started already?
If you were planning to bike down to the Chicago Outdoor Film Fest tonight to see "The Birds", you don't have to worry about finding a safe place to park your bike. Bank One is offering free, secure bike valet parking, at the NW corner of Lake Shore Drive and Monroe, every night of the film fest. Safety checks and basic repairs will be provided on-site by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
Which is the busiest airport in the world: Chicago's O'Hare, or Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International? Depends on how you define "busiest," according to the FAA. O'Hare has handled the most number of flights in the first half of 2004 (nearly a half-million), but Hartsfield-Jackson is handling the most number of passengers (12 million in the first 4 months of 2004). Either way, that's still a huge amount of traffic flowing through the two airports. We'll have to check back with this story near the end of the year, to see which airport will win the coveted title of World's Busiest Airport. (I think there might be a trophy of some sort awarded to the winner.)
The lakefront path is popular for bikers in the summer and sometimes, a little too popular. If you'd care to avoid the bladers, the joggers, the walkers and the kids whose parents don't seem to hold on to when walking the path, always refer to the Chicago Bike Map for various routes around the city. Dan Hosek has a brief list of routes with descriptions going east-west and north-south. It gives you an idea of what a proposed bike route might be like.
Today's the deadline for getting your Chicago city sticker purchased and stuck to your windshield. (Although you can still buy them after today, you have to pay $40 extra, and if you're caught without one after today, it's a $120 fine. Amusingly enough, some cops have already started giving out tickets.) If you haven't bought one yet (or if you did buy one and had it stolen), then get yourself to the City Clerk's office (or buy it online). And if you DID buy one, but it hasn't arrived in the mail yet, then you might wish to check out the list of undeliverable stickers that were returned to the city by the post office.
Good news for the transportationally challenged: I-GO Car Sharing will expand its fleet to Millennium Park this month and Lincoln Square in August, bringing the number of Chicago locations to 13, including two cars installed in Lakeview in June. They simplified their pricing plan and are offering a $50 discount on membership, so now's the time to get yourself some eco-friendly wheels (no hybrids yet, but they're on the way).
UPDATE: Honda Civic Hybrids will arrive at the Millennium Park location on July 20. Sweet!
The Sun-Times reports that Mayor Daley hasn't ruled out another hike in CTA fares to solve its financial crises. He would only say that the CTA is "looking at many alternatives," which at this time seem to be (1) increase fares, (2) cut service, or (3) both. Hey, on the bright side, if the fare goes up to $2, we can all start using those super-cool redesigned $2 bills.
The CTA, having installed signs and special metal rings surrounding the emergency contact buttons that are in each train car, have now added an additional feature to identify the buttons: blue lights above the buttons. The blue light should make it extremely easy to spot the buttons, which were installed to allow passengers to contact the train driver. (But only in emergencies! So don't be pushing the button just because you're lonely and need someone to talk to. And if you accidentally push the button, just let the driver know it was an accident.)
The renaming of 1-88 to the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway/Tollway is complete: The Illinois State Tollway Authority approved the name change for their portion of the road (it's maintained by several state and local agencies over its length) yesterday. The former East-West Tollway is not to be confused with Ronald Reagan Highway -- US Rte. 14, which most people still refer to as Northwest Highway.
Just weeks after This Is Grand is launched, a competitor appears. The CTA Tattler offers short vignettes and snippets of conversation witnessed on and around the city's train lines. Interesting.
The Sun-Times reports that the CTA's plans to renovate the Brown Line are currently on hold, after they realized the construction bids that they received for the project were way too high. This means that businesses near Brown Line tracks that were due to be demolished for the construction have a bit of a reprieve (I'm looking at you, Demon Dogs!), although the CTA's Frank Kreusi promises they'll still be done by the original 2009 completion date.
The Sun-Times reports that a new tour company is offering a three-hour, seven-mile tour of the Chicago lakefront on a Segway. $65 gets you access to one of the scooters, which you can use to visit Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain and the museum campus. You also get an instructional class on the Segway's operation -- and a helmet, just in case.
Before you hit the road this summer, check out the website for Car-Safety.org, a non-profit, volunteer based organization, operated in conjunction with the DuPage County SAFE KIDS Chapter. Car-Safety.org includes information about the proper installation of carseats, a vehicle features buying guide, and excellent collections of links to additional resources regarding carseats and car safety. According to the site, motor vehicle crashes are the #1 cause of death for children and adults, ages 1 to 34, so buckle up and drive safe!
After getting hit with high gas prices over the past few weeks, SUV owners will have another higher price to deal with this year: an increase in their city sticker fees. 43 models of SUVs that weight more than 4,500 pounds will have to shell out $90 for a sticker, up from $75. The complete list of vehicles that will have increased sticker prices is up at the City Clerk's Website. Time to switch to a bike, perhaps?
The Chicago Department of Consumer Services unveiled today an $18,000 measuring device that can accuately measure the amount of gas delivered by a station pump. This device can be used by city workers to measure the accuracy of gas station equipment, and cite station owners if they're short-changing customers. (For the record, department spokesmen say that Chicago stations overall are giving out a bit more gas than is paid for.)
A bit early, but might be worth it to ya: The Evanston Police are having a bicycle auction to rid the department of the bikes that are "unclaimed property". It's a good chance to find a good deal or pick up that second commuter bike you've been dreaming about for the summer.
With Chicago's gas prices heading towards $2.35 and $2.40 per gallon (according to Chicago Gas Prices), a number of taxi drivers are asking for an increase in cab fares to compensate for the price increase. But to even consider the issue, the city council requires that the drivers turn in a petition signed by 10% of the city's 17,000 licensed drivers -- and when THAT'S been verified, the council has 60 days to hold hearings. Which means that the summer driving season might be over before the fare increase is even considered.
Chicago is one of the best cities in the world to bike. Warm weather is here and people are dustuing off their trusty steeds unless you're like me and you bike all year round. The Tribune has a neat little section about biking in this city spinning a few tales of what it's like and what you can do to bike more everyday including more info about the Millennium Park Bicycle Station.
Think the trains and busses are slow now? Wait till later this year, when rehab projects on the Red and Brown lines begin and the roadwork season starts. The Redeye (!) took commuter complaints to the CTA, and, surprisingly, the CTA responded. (Bonus: They also provided contact info so you can submit complaints or suggestions to the CTA board directly.)
Are you an avid cyclist and a lady? The Cycling Sisters wants you. This Chicago group promotes bike communting, provides bike tips, and organizes outings for gals.
Most people would describe Gary as "an experience that enlivens the senses". That's how Hooters Air is describing their in-flight experience as well. Now you can combine those two experiences - Hooters Air is offering flights from Gary International Airport to Myrtle Beach, SC. Hooters Air is in distinguished company here. Casino Express (Elko Nevada's #1 airline!) and Southeastern Airlines ("A fare to remember.") You get free parking at the Gary Airport too - if you dare.
The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority has a secret entrance ramp onto I-88 that allows them to get from the parking lot of their Downers Grove headquarters right onto the interstate, saving a trip of several miles. As the Sun-Times reports today, the tollway board voted to make the ramp accessible to the public by building a route to the ramp from Ogden Avenue. Makes you wonder what other secret stuff is built into the interstate system. Keep your eyes peeled on the commute home tonight...
More bad news for Chicago motorists who like to run red lights: the Sun-Times reports that the city has been so pleased with the trial installation of security cameras watching accident-prone intersections that they're planning to install more cameras at 10 additional intersections. Over the last 6 months, the cameras have identified over 15,000 vehicles running red lights at various intersections in the city, generating nearly $1.4 million in potential revenues (assuming the ticketed motorists pay the fines). The new intersections will be chosen by mid-summer, and camera installation is expected to be completed by year's end.
An inglorious end to the CTA token: the Sun-Times reports that the CTA's remaining stock of metal tokens, 20 million pieces, has been sold to a Cincinnati-based company that plans to melt the stock down and use the metal in other works. (The tokens are made of brass, and were pulled out of circulation in 1998 in favor of those fancy magnetic cards that the CTA's already trying to phase out.) The CTA will keep about 2,000 tokens and make them into jewelry.
As Illinois gas prices escalate, gas stations are reporting a marked increase in people driving off without paying. The current loss to drive-offs is about $100 per week per station, a dramatic increase from a year ago, which was $100 per month. Chicago has had fewer incidents of drive-offs because nearly all stations in the city require drivers to pay before getting gas.
Today, city officials celebrated the fact that federal funding is in place for a $530 million Brown Line expansion, which will consist of lengthening station platforms and making stations handicapped accessible. This means that you can officially say good-bye to all those bought-up buildings near Brown Line stops, probably including the long-suffering Demon Dogs. For the CTA's side of things, check out the project info on the CTA's Website.
The Kedzie stop on the CTA Blue Line has been renovated and is back open for passengers. The station reopening is part of a $482.6 million reconstruction of the Cermak-Douglas Branch of the Blue Line, which involves the renovating of 8 stations. Kedzie was the 5th to reopen, and the remaining stations should be finished within 10 months.
You still using those old-fashioned magnetic-stripe cards, granddad? You're gonna pay the price for not upgrading to the fancy-shmancy Chicago Card, as the Sun-Times reports that the CTA is finally phasing out the bonus dollar that you get whenever you put $10 on your card. As of April 1, only the Chicago Card and Chicago Card Plus will get the bonus money. If you don't have one of the newer cards yet, act fast; the CTA will also start charging $5 for the purchase of a Chicago Card on April 1.
The FAA has a plan in the works that will reduce the total amount of flight delays. However, this entails more short delays for commuters in order to ease the crowded skies. Airlines have agreed to take short delays or reroute flights in order to reduce overall delays in the air traffic system. For example, look at one of Chicago's situations: thunderstorms cause outbound flights to stack up quickly at O'Hare. Under the plan, airlines will delay for about 10 minutes flights that are bound for O'Hare. The backed-up planes at O'Hare could more quickly get into the air when the weather clears because the airspace will be less crowded. All air travelers flying in and out of Chicago would face fewer total delays with this plan.
The weather's warming up this week, so here's a few things to get your bike groove on.
United's low-fare carrier, Ted, is coming to O'Hare. Tickets go on sale Saturday, and flights will start May 24th. The Ted destinations from O'Hare: Las Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Phoenix.
The Sun-Times reports that the CTA will be running El track directly on the shoulder of the Dan Ryan Expressway in areas of the South Side branch of the Red Line route, so that CTA workers can have free access to repair areas of track that are currently plagued by power outages. This project begins on Saturday, and is expected to run through October 2006. (The Dan Ryan portion of the project is supposed to be done by the fall.)
At various accident-prone intersections in Chicago, the Transportation Department set up cameras to catch people running red lights, and as the Sun-Times reports, in just four months they've issued over 5,000 tickets to red-light runners. The cameras were installed in particularly troublesome intersections to attempt to bring down the number of accidents, and it appears to be working; the number of tickets issued at one intersection, 55th and Western, are down from 55 a day in November to 33 a day in February.
The Tribune reports that the CTA has plans to turn the downtown block known as Block 37 into a new CTA station that would connect the Red and Blue lines, as well as provide express trains to O'Hare and Midway airports. The block has previously been eyed by developers, who have wished to build condos, office towers and hotels on the site, as well as WBBM, which expressed interest in building a media center there. If the CTA's plans are approved by the city, the station could open in 2007.
The Orland Park Metra station will soon be offering ready-made meals for commuters, provided by Palermo's of Chicago. Train riders would order their meal in the morning at the train station, or during the day by phone, and pick up the meal at Orland Park's 153rd Street station. Now if only the CTA would pick up on this idea...
The CTA is starting a $282 million makeover of the Red Line with a series of repairs to the tracks between 95th and Cermak. Trains will be running, but you should expect delays. In case you're wondering what else might be going on that'll impact your daily commute, check out this press release at the CTA Website, which includes details on Red and Blue Line repairs, as well as a list of bridges that will be closed for repairs and testing.
Just a $20 deposit reserves your spot in U of I's Motorcycle Rider Program, which begins enrolling "sometime in the second or third week of March." Classes fill up quickly, but there are also throughout Chicagoland, so if you don't mind heading down to Kankakee or out to Palatine -- and you can predict when enrollment begins -- you should be OK. [Thanks Armaghetto.]
Another dubious honor: Our local stretch of Interstate 90 is number three on a list of the top five worst freeways. Woohoo! (Thanks Ian.)
Scale images of the world's subway systems. The CTA doesn't quite match up to New York, Tokyo, Moscow ... even Singapore looms larger than our puny El system. But we're totally huger than either Vienna or Barcelona. Take that!
O'Hare Int'l Airport ranks dead last in on-time flights, according to a study by the US Department of Transportation. Well, at least the food is good...
As construction began Monday on the elevated Skyway, a groundbreaking agreement could possibly mean higher tolls and better service. The mayor took the first steps towards privatizing the Chicago Skyway this week. City Hall will issue a ''request-for-qualifications'' to private toll operators to gauge interest in the 7.8-mile roadway connecting Chicago and Northwest Indiana. Several dozen bids are expected. The Skyway's $2 toll, last increased in 1993, is likely to be raised, under an agreement that would ''set forth parameters'' for future increases.
As if we didn't have enough headaches in our commutes, Monday marks the beginning of construction on the Chicago Skyway. This construction on the Skyway's westbound portion is actually the latest in a series of constructions on the Skyway, and the projected finish date for the whole project is 2005. So you can look forward to reduced traffic flow on the Skyway for quite some time.
As you wend your way to or from work, and ponder the length of your daily commute, take some small solace in the fact that your commute is not yet the longest in the country. The longest commute, unsurprisingly, is in NYC, according to the Census Bureau. An average commute of 38 minutes in the Big Apple, beating out Chicago by six minutes. We're still above the national average of 24 minutes, though. The shortest commutes: Wichita, KS (16.5 minutes), Tulsa, OK (16.8 minutes) and Omaha, NE (17.3 minutes).
If you depend on the Brown line for your daily commute, expect delays for the next couple of weeks: a weekend fire has forced the CTA to run half as many trains as usual during peak hours for the next two weeks, while they make repairs to a substation on Lincoln Avenue that was damaged by the fire. According to this CTA press release, you should be careful during your commute out of the Loop in the evenings, as only half of the northbound Brown line trains will be going north of the Belmont station. Check the train's destination sign before boarding.
Two cabbies received their own taxi medallions (estimated value: $53,000 each) from the city for their work with disabled riders. One teaches other drivers how to conform to the city's Taxi Access Program, the other picked up more than 1,300 disabled riders last year.
The good news: the Hillside Strangler, one of the most infamous features of the meet-up of 88, 290 and 294, has been improved so much by a 2001 renovation project that it is no longer on a list of the worst bottlenecks in the nation, according to the Sun-Times. The bad news: the Circle Interchange (the Kennedy/Dan Ryan/Eisenhower meeting in the Loop) is the third-worst bottleneck in the nation. It's going to be fixed, of course, but you'll probably have to put up with it till 2006 or 2007, when the Dan Ryan is scheduled to be renovated.
This March, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation is offering a two-day conference on ways to improve bicycling and walking conditions in Chicagoland for transportation professionals, public officials and advocates. In addition, a Chicago bike lane tour and the fourth annual Bike Town Bash will take place in conjunction with the conference. Some of the events, including the Bike Lane Tour, have limited capacity, so register soon if this sounds like something for you!
Speaking of transportation, the Chicago trolley system will be expanded with the aid of a $600,000 federal grant. U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel helped secure the grant and says the improved trolley service will connect museums and cultural centers in Lincoln Park to Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, Chinatown and Metra and C.T.A. stations. The expanded service will bring riders to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Chicago Historical Society during the holidays and in the summer.
It was not a good weekend to be a pedestrian. One of the weekend's three car-related homicides killed Chin Up Chin Up bassist Chris Saathoff (Friendster profile here). Blogger Mimi Smartypants was there. (Coincidentally, the Tribune's Transportation section on Sunday looked at what's being done to make cars less dangerous for pedestrians. Not enough, obviously. Cars kill more than 43,000 people a year in the U.S., and about 12 percent are innocent bystanders, the equivalent of one Sept. 11 every seven months.)
Speaking of memorable cab rides: Tomorrow, the Chicago Carriage Cab company is giving out 500 roses to passengers in its maroon luxury taxis as a Valentine's Day publicity stunt (never mind that Saturday is the big day).
The Sun-Times has a list of this year's road projects, giving us all an idea of where not to be driving this summer. Near the top of the list: a stretch of I-88 from Naperville Rd to Route 59 that's apparently like driving on a roller coaster.
The RTA, parent of the CTA, is mulling a plan to add two new stops to the Yellow line -- one in downtown Skokie and one near Old Orchard Mall, which would mean a 1.6-mile extension of the line. The latter would be great for citydwellers itching to get to a proper mall without a car.
As you're standing at the bus stop this morning, you might be asking yourself why CTA el stops have those heat lamps, but CTA bus shelters don't. This Sun-Times story explains why.
Soon you'll be able to grab breakfast at the El. Crain's reports that the CTA is planning new concession stands in 28 El stops, including the UIC stop on the Blue line and the North & Clybourn stop on the Red -- which will be getting a "gourmet coffee shop." (Wonder if they'll finally get rid of their rule against food and beverages on trains now.)
Last December, our very own Librarian took on a daunting task: writing a guide to Chicago traffic reports. In a shrewd move, executives at Clear Channel Radio have handed down a new edict. No longer should on-air talent report travel times from O'Hare airport. Instead, more corporate product placement may enter our lives, as this traffic point shall now be the Allstate Arena.
O'Hare is near the top of another list, only this one isn't so great. The Sun-Times reports that O'Hare and Los Angeles International Airport lead the nation in firing federal government screeners that were hired with incomplete background checks, and then had to be let go after subsequent checks found problems. Even Midway had problems in the past months with having to fire screeners. Just one more thing to be wary of as you stand in line for your next flight.
Have you seen those cool kids with their flashy Chicago Cards at the train turnstyle? Well, if you're considering joining their ranks, wait till Monday. That's when the Chicago Card Plus becomes available. With it you'll get the free $1 for every $10 you put on your card, it will still be protected in case you lose it, and now you'll be able to add money to it online. Oh yeah, no more missing a train because some tourist can't figure out how the machine works.
Sunday morning kicks off the 2004 Tour da Chicago, a six-stage alleycat bike race. This weekend's time trial will start in stages from the Bahai Temple in Wilmette and race to YoJimbo's Garage at 1310 N. Clybourn. Entrance is $10 for the race or $45 for the series. Register at 1461 W. Chicago at 7 a.m.
Hope you enjoyed the penny fares overnight; as of six a.m., CTA fares go up to $1.75 per standard ride.
The Sun-Times reports on a number of new traffic laws set to go into effect on January 1. These new laws will discourage people from staying in the lefthand passing lane too long, limit the number of passengers teenage drivers can have, and require children ages 4 to 7 to be in booster seats.
More good news for O'Hare! After recently getting good grades on the food it serves, it's now been recognized as having some of the shortest wait times among the nation's airports. Washington Dulles International and Dallas-Fort Worth International are also among the quickest, with a security screening wait time of less than two minutes; Los Angeles and Miami were among the worst, with wait times of about seven minutes.
In their recent zeal to ticket Chicago cars without their precious precious city stickers, investigators for the city clerk's office have turned up another lucrative source of revenue for the city: a large number of motorists driving with expired plates. Does this mean more fines? You bet! "I can honestly say that there's millions of dollars in those parking garages in expired plate fees," City Clerk James Laski said on a WBBM radio program (hopefully he was not rubbing his hands in glee when he said this).
The Regional Transit Authority has unveiled a lukewarm program to finally unify all regional transit -- the buses, the El, and the "commuter lines." State Representative Julie Hamos of Evanston doesn't think the convoluted program does nearly enough, and she seems to be right. ERSys provides a simple sort-of-audit of the CTA's service here.
"One of the dirty little secrets of Chicago’s winter parking ban is that I started it." Scott Jacobs fesses up at The Week Behind.
The city has finally begun ticketing city-sticker-less cars in parking garages. After five days over 1,000 tickets have been written, and that's after patrolling less than 10 percent of the city-licensed garages. If this rate keeps up, the program is projected to bring in over $6 million for the city next year, and to make thousands of drivers unhappy.
As if we didn't have enough to worry about with the enforcement of towing legislation against cars without Chicago city stickers, now we've gotta worry about the winter parking rules on many of the city's streets. It's December 1, the day that winter parking laws go into effect, and the city went about its assigned task, towing hundreds of cars this morning. Violators face paying a minimum $150 towing fee and a $50 ticket. Buck up, kiddos, you've only got 4 months before winter parking ends on April 1. [Trib. login: gapers/gapers]
A former Metra train conductor has written a book called That's What I Call Commuting, which according to the Sun-Times is a collection of the most memorable moments from his 30 years of working on the trains. Most of the tales sound like out-takes from "America's Funniest Home Videos:" women taking their clothes off, children puking in the conductor's cap, and a guy who missed his morning commute jumping onto a slow-moving freight train and ending up in Iowa.
Know before you go. Road ragers should check the traffic report before heading out for this extended T-Day weekend. Get updates at from UIC, Traffic.com, or the Trib.
Need to get to grandma's house but your roommate backed out of loaning you the car? Check out the rideshare board on Craig's List for a last-minute hitch.
Watch out! Next spring, the long-awaited construction begins to constrct a new, wider bridge over the Chicago River at North Ave. Don't fret, a temporary bridge will be built across the Chicago River to allow North Ave. to remain open to traffic traveling in both directions. The reconstruction of the bridge is the first in a series of steps planned by the city to help alleviate the chronic traffic congestion that continues to plague the North and Clybourn intersection. In addition to the reconstruction of the bridge, the city will install a new stop light at the intersection of North Avenue and Kingsbury Street.
...for snow removal signs. The winter snow removal schedule begins Monday, December 1, which means those of us who park overnight on major streets (Clark, for instance) may wake up to find our car missing. The result is a minimum $200 fine and a trip to obscure corners of the city to pick up our vehicles. And no, it doesn't have to snow for the rule to be in effect. [Trib log-in: gapers/gapers]
This upcoming holiday weekend marks the return of the CTA Holiday Train, which is a regular El train festooned with festive holiday decoration, and includes Santa and his reindeer on an open-air flatcar. The train starts riding 'round the Loop the day after Thanksgiving, and then moves to different train lines through the next month; check the CTA Website to see what days you can expect a little extra holiday spirit during your daily commute.
If you're flying through Midway as part of your Thanksgiving plans this week, here's some good news: there will be additional security lanes open in anticipation of a busy holiday travel weekend. The city estimates there will be 52,000 travelers a day coming through Midway over the holiday, which is pretty good but still doesn't match O'Hare, with an estimated 215,000 travelers per day.
The demolition has begun: the first building has been torn down to make way for the expansion of O'Hare Airport. The office building had been vacant for several years and was sold to the city willingly. The rest of the buildings in the bulldozer's path won't come so easily.
If you've been putting off buying a city sticker, you might want to think about doing it soon: police and investigators will be able to ticket unstickered cars in licensed garages and parking lots, thanks to new legislation passed Wednesday by the City Council. City Clerk James Laski estimates the city could make as much as $10 million in the next two years. Although the legislation is already in effect, you still have a couple of weeks to get your sticker before the city starts enforcing the law. [Trib. login: gapers/gapers]
The CTA approved an amended version of its 2004 budget on Monday, which includes a 25-cent increase to the base fare. The $1.75 price goes into effect on January 1. In addition to the increase, the price of a transfer will be decreased from 30 cents to 25 cents. While you let that news sink in, here's a bit of good news: Demon Dogs can stay open! The restaurant was supposed to close at the end of October, but it negotiated a new lease which will allow it to stay open through June of next year. Here's the kicker: its monthly rent has been raised from $630 to $2,500. Aie! That's a lot of dogs to sell!
United used a guerrilla marketing campaign in Denver and a cryptic Web site to introduce Ted, its new low-cost airline. Ted will compete with the likes of Southwest, Jet Blue and Song. [Trib. login: gapers/gapers]
The Sun-Times reports that the CTA is delaying its vote on a fare increase from $1.50 to $1.75, to take into account public input on the increase. Unfortunately, CTA spokespeople are pretty much agreeing that the only options left are either fare increases or service cuts. Hmm. Where'd I put that bike....
The Daily Northwestern, apparently concerned that not enough students were braving the El, put out a 16-page section on the city's train system. Articles range from cajoling to educational -- one includes a brief interview with the "voice of the CTA."
It's time to pay final respects at Demon Dogs, for 20 years an institution under the Fullerton El stop. It will close Oct. 31 as part of the CTA's Brown Line expansion.
The Sun-Times is reporting that CTA president Frank Kruesi is planning two rate hikes in the next two years: a 25-cent increase at the beginning of 2004, and another 25-cent increase in 2005, bringing the ticket price of El and bus rides to a cool $2. If these plans are followed, Chicago would have one of the highest transit rates in the country. Start saving your quarters, kids.
Not even a Chicago winter should be an excuse to stop commuting by bicycle. The good people at Bike Winter know all the ways to keep you warm, clean and safe on two wheels while everyone else is shivering on the El platform. Nov. 1 at 1 there will be an educational expo in the field house at Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 E. Randolph Drive.
