CTA Red & Purple Line "Improvements"

[Falcon48]

The Federal Transit Agency published a notice in today's Federal Register seeking "environmental" input on several alternatives for rebuilding the CTA Red and Purple lines north of Belmont (the alternatives were undoubtedly developed by CTA itself).  Some of the alternatives truly mind boggling (for example. replacing much of the current 4 track line with a new, 2 track structure, either arial or below ground), and one has to wonder where the money would come from. Makes for interesting reading. The web addrss is shown below 

 

http://origin.www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-01-03/pdf/2010-33065.pdf

[schlimm]

I think presenting a wide range of alternatives ascending in scope and expense is a pretty standard procedure.

[Falcon48]

You're certainly correct about that.  But the fact that some of these alternatives are even on CTA's radar screen is pretty interesting.

[Mr. Railman]

but that's insane to reduce to two tracks. CTA purple line trains are EXPRESS into the city (I think).

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Mr. Railman

but that's insane to reduce to two tracks. CTA purple line trains are EXPRESS into the city (I think).

The Evanston Express is strictly a rush-hour operation only on weekdays.  The Evanston Local (Linden-Howard) operates daily from roughly 5AM to Midnight.

[HarveyK400]

The present stations are non-compliant with ADA standards, and adjacent development, some very new, preclude wider stations with four tracks.  The failure to protect future easement needs is water under the bridge.

For what it's worth, the retaining walls and viaducts under the tracks are deteriorating, very badly in some places and requiring shoring. Replacing the retaining walls with minimal disruption of Red Line service would be very expensive.  One-way service might be imposed over stretches in stages as tracks are shifted for retaining wall replacement before the platform, escalators, stairwells, and elevator shaft can be widened or added.

Finally, the Evanston Express runs only every 15 minutes, in part because the "new" Pink Line now uses the elevated inner loop whereas the former Blue Line Branch to 54th/Cermak used the Dearborn Subway.  That was the price (and perversion) in seeking New Start funding for the 54th/Cermak rehabilitation.  

The proposed Madison/United Center (Blackhawks & Bulls) station has yet to be built on the Pink Line; and is only two blocks away rather than the three blocks from the Blue (Forest Park) Line Damen/Medical Center station.

The Brown Line is similarly encumbered sharing outer loop capacity with the Green Line.  When the Purple line ran on the outer loop for a time, Brown Line boardings were uneven.