Chicago CTA Red Purple Rehabilitation and Modernization

[HarveyK400]

Bob-Fryml

Okay, yes, the retaining walls that support the high fill between Wilson Ave. and Howard St. probably do need replacing, but I cannot believe that building either a new elevated trestle or a subway would be cheaper than finding some way to shore up those walls while the existing track structure continues to handle its normal traffic loads.

QUESTION:  Now that the trolley wire has been retired on the Skokie Swift, has the C.T.A. considered running weekday rush hour express trains between Dempster St. and Belmont Ave. - something similar to the Evanston Express? 

The alternative packages were "preliminary estimates" with no explanation or details; so we can only take it on faith at this point.  More details, and I asked for some documentation, should come when the DEIS is ever prepared -- that takes money too.

Many building have been built up to the retaining walls.  Moisture still comes in both between and percolating through the embankment.

One reason the Skokie Swift wouldn't be run downtown is that the Loop is near capacity and limits the Brown and Purple (Evanston Express) Lines to half of what they could carry.  The Brown Line gets pretty crowded, even with 8-car trains.  Evanston Expresses can be heavily used in both directions; but operate as only 6-car trains every 15 minutes.  Skokie Swift trains are just two cars long. 

On the other hand, the Red Line may have excess capacity for the total ridership.

[Bob-Fryml]

Okay, yes, the retaining walls that support the high fill between Wilson Ave. and Howard St. probably do need replacing, but I cannot believe that building either a new elevated trestle or a subway would be cheaper than finding some way to shore up those walls while the existing track structure continues to handle its normal traffic loads.

QUESTION:  Now that the trolley wire has been retired on the Skokie Swift, has the C.T.A. considered running weekday rush hour express trains between Dempster St. and Belmont Ave. - something similar to the Evanston Express? 

 

[HarveyK400]

schlimm

CTA puts brakes on talk of closing Red Line stations

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/traffic/ct-met-getting-around-0131-20110130,0,2278461.column

Haven't had time to read papers today (and it's tomorrow now); but everyone I heard complained about it.  One purpose of the meeting was to gauge public sentiment on issues.

[schlimm]

CTA puts brakes on talk of closing Red Line stations

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/traffic/ct-met-getting-around-0131-20110130,0,2278461.column

[HarveyK400]

Rather than replace the retaining walls under traffic and in tight quarters, a new elevated structure would be built.  This requires shifting tracks for each phase, and would involve acquiring adjacent property as was needed at Belmont and Fullerton for the Brown Line Project.  Shifting the tracks mismatches the existing stations with new platforms.   Current platforms are only 12'  wide and would need to stay in service, at least in one direction, until the new 24' wide platform is in service.  Worst case is tracks in two directions would be kept in service, adding another 12'.  In either case, the existing platform and tracks need to be shored up for the length of the line.

Both alternatives would include removal cost for the existing embankment.

Service-wise, the subway would be a piece of cake until Morse and Jarvis.  The subway must come up to the elevated Howard Terminal at some point; and because of the huge s-curve, there is no convenient street to follow for a subway, and the elevated reconstruction and phasing would be needed.

The down-side of subway construction is the disruption of station construction on streets, assuming the tunnels between stations would be bored.

 

[daveklepper]

I cannot quite believe the subway construction would be so very economical!

[HarveyK400]

Information meetings were held this week for rehabbing the Red and Purple Lines north of Belmont.  This scope is to include curve reduction just north of Clark Junction as well as a new station for Sheridan.  The reasons are the failing 100-yr old concrete retaining walls and viaducts and need for handicapped accessibility and eventual ADA compliance.

Two scenarios were presented: a short-term 20-yr patch job and basic handicapped accessibility or modernization with 3- or 4-track ($4.0 billion) elevated structures or a 2-track subway ($4.2 billion) fully ADA compliant.  The subway would present the least disruption to existing stations and service except for Morse and Jarvis. 

Five station are proposed for closing to reduce construction cost and increase speed: Lawrence, Thorndale, and Jarvis on the Red Line and South Blvd and Foster on the Purple Line.  From what I heard, there is a lot of opposition to closing stations.

With adequate capacity on the Red Line on two tracks with Purple Line riders, I don't see how 3 or 4 tracks can be justified for a part-time express service.