See
http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/jacksonpark.html
The bridge the "L" went over the IC tracks was deemed unsafe and rather then spend the $$ to rebuild the few blocks, the "L" was but back to University Ave- on the west side of the IC tracks. Having spent a lot of time at the 63rd and Stony Island station - now totally gone - not a lot of $$ was being spent on the upkeep of that line at the time.
billio CSSHEGEWISCH I have no idea where in Chicago this El is located, but I do know a fair amount about the L. Simple. In Chicago, there are 8 city blocks to the mile, and ALL street numbering is north, south, east and west of the corner of State and Madison streets in the Loop. 63rd Street, on the South Side, is 63/8 blocks = just shy of 8 miles south of the central street numbering point. If you wish to verify this, look it up on Google Earth. Word of caution: if you seek to visit the El on 63rd Street, be advised that this area lies east of the Dan Ryan Expressway what I euphamistically term "No-Man's Land," meaning a good place to visit with caution -- or steer clear of entirely.
CSSHEGEWISCH I have no idea where in Chicago this El is located, but I do know a fair amount about the L.
I have no idea where in Chicago this El is located, but I do know a fair amount about the L.
Simple. In Chicago, there are 8 city blocks to the mile, and ALL street numbering is north, south, east and west of the corner of State and Madison streets in the Loop. 63rd Street, on the South Side, is 63/8 blocks = just shy of 8 miles south of the central street numbering point. If you wish to verify this, look it up on Google Earth. Word of caution: if you seek to visit the El on 63rd Street, be advised that this area lies east of the Dan Ryan Expressway what I euphamistically term "No-Man's Land," meaning a good place to visit with caution -- or steer clear of entirely.
That is one BIG reason why my grandparents moved out of the area in the early 60's. And ya, L or El - I left Chicago in 1951, returned periodically to vist my hrandparents from the 50's into the early 60's, then after a 15 year hiatus, returned for a week or so in 1978. I haven't been back since. Well, I take that back. In 2011, I changed trains there -- from the Lake Shore Ltd to the Builder. I spent 2 hours there, not hadly long enough to get the local terminolgy back in sinc with my childhood. Sorry, but I'm not from New York -- kinda far away -- like 7,000 miles far away.
Please, in Chicago we call it the L, anybody who calls it the El must be from New York City or someplace else. Also, there are exceptions to the 8 blocks to the mile rule. Madison (baseline) to Roosevelt Road is 12 blocks/mile, Roosevelt Road to Cermak Road is 10 blocks/mile, Cermak Road to 31st Street is 9 blocks/mile. 63rd Street is consequently 7 miles south of Madison Street. Also, street numbering on Archer Avenue is not completely in synch with the rest of the city.
daveklepper Also, remember that the Jackson Park and Englewood were the two southern branches of the L's heaaviest line, the north-south main line of the system, Now Howard Street trains run through the subway to the Dan Ryan line, the heaaviest line, and Jacksion Park and Englewood are through routed with Lake Street.
Also, remember that the Jackson Park and Englewood were the two southern branches of the L's heaaviest line, the north-south main line of the system, Now Howard Street trains run through the subway to the Dan Ryan line, the heaaviest line, and Jacksion Park and Englewood are through routed with Lake Street.
Excellent point. For the benefit of those unfamiliar with CTA El history, the old "North-South" line (this was before that color-coded route nonsense cropped up) ran from Howard Street at the north border of Chicago, passed underground through the Loop, emerged back up to the elevated structure and continued south to 59th Street, where the Englewood Branch forked off to the southwest, and the Jackson Park line continued south a few additional blocks to 63rd, where it veered east to its terminus. Another route, the Dan Ryan Line, started north from 95th Steert on the South Side and, following the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90 plus I-94) ran downtown to the elevated Loop, where it made a 270 degree turn to the west and continued on to Oak Park. Sounds good, except from one small problem: big-time ridership imbalance on both lines. (From here, I'm going on 35 year old memory, so the numbers I quote may be a bit rough) Howard Street to the Loop saw 100,000 riders per day, and on the southern end of the line, between the Loop and Jackson Park and Englewood combined saw something like 45,000 riders per day. The same problem afflicted the Oak Park-Dan Ryan Line: from 95th Street to the Loop, the line carried some 90-95,000 passengers, and from the Loop to Oak Park, some 40,000. This resulted in excess rush hour capacity to Oak Park and to Jackson Park/Englewood, but CTA had to protect ridership on its two most heavily travelled segments, the Dan Ryan and Howard Street Lines. The obvious answer to this capacity conundrum: connect Howard with Dan Ryan and Jackson Park/Englewood with Oak Park. That way, equipment balanced out with ridership demand on both lines. This reconnection was carried out, I think, in the 1980s, and marks one of the few -- and rare -- intelligent moves CTA made with its El network. For which I give it a Gold Star.
Not sure whether the request to truncate El service at Cottage Grover (versus running a few blocks east to Jackson Park) was the brainchild of The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) or the Southest Chicago Commission, both do-gooder groups seeking to improve the quality of life in South Side neighborhoods. I've read subsequent assessments which consider the service truncation and subsequent demolition of the last mile or so of the El here move a great success and others which hold that those pushing the elimination of El service to be out of their ever lovin' minds. Rather than take sides about something I've long been removed from, I'll let readers draw their own conclusion. Perhaps the fact that Metra Electric (ex-IC) stops at 63rd Street, about 6 blocks east of the current end of the El line, influenced their thinking. Another likely factor: the population of Woodlawn, the neighborhood where the El now ends, has declined from over 70,000 in 1960 to some 22,000 today. Translation: markedly fewer people for the former Jackson Park El to serve.
I can't answer about any redevelopment, but yes, once upon a time that line went further, crossed the IC and terminated at least one further station to the east of where it does now. I rode it in the early 1980's. I'm not sure when they cut it back.
Patrick Boylan
Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message
Well now, I'm totally confused. Way back when I was a kid in the late 40's and early 50's, my grandparents lived in S. Chicago close to both the 63rd St El and the IC main line. We rode the El to what I remember was maybe one stop before the end of the line at Stoney Island or maybe it was at Stoney Island itself, I don't remember. I also remember sitting on the back balconey where I could see the Illinois Central 63rd St Station, and saw many electrics stop there but only one "streamliner." I was like 7 or 8, so my memory is not the greatest, but I remember the end of the line at Stoney Island, or at least that's my recollection.
My confusion is this. The CTA map shows that line terminating at Cottage Grove, with the entire area that I remember as lots and lots of brick buildings to the east is now parking lots and empty lots as seen on Google Earth, and 63rd St without an elevated structure in that area. Has that entire area been bulldozed for redevelopement, or is my memory turning to mush? Anyone have any insight into this?
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.