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Chicago’s ‘L’ Train Turned 125 Years Old Yesterday — What’s Next for the System?
The Chicago Transit Authority celebrated the 125th anniversary of the 'L' yesterday by bringing out rapid transit cars built in 1923 and in 1976. The Chicago & South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company commenced "Alley L" service on June 6, 1892, in an alley east of State Street between Congress Parkway and 39th Street, according to the CTA. The CTA also highlighted its own 70 years of service. The authority was created in 1947 to unify the different bus, streetcar, and elevated companies.
June 7, 2017
Almost 2,000 CTA Bus Riders Have Provided Input on How to Improve Service
Active Trans has hit the ground running by getting input from almost 2,000 local straphangers about their biggest beefs with current CTA bus operations, and the group will be using this feedback to push for positive change.
April 19, 2017
Why Hong Kong Got an Express Train to the Airport and Why Chicago Shouldn’t Get One
The Hong Kong Airport Express train is a bad example on which to base a Chicago service because it's the Hong Kong airport's only rail link, and it was funded by private real estate operations.
March 30, 2017
Blood on the Tracks: Trump’s Budget Would Be Disastrous for Chicago Transit
Local leaders say many planned improvements would be almost impossible to pay for without help from the feds, so we're going to have to fight this anti-urban budget with everything we've got.
March 29, 2017
Why Chicago Should Make Fare Evasion a Fineable Offense, Not a Misdemeanor
West Coast cities have made non-payment a fineable offense, rather than a misdemeanor. Chicago criminal justice reform advocates say we should do that here as well, because being short a couple of dollars for a CTA train or bus ride shouldn't result in a criminal record.
March 23, 2017
O’Hare Express Train: Bad, But New Damen Green Line Station: Good.
An O'Hare express train won't save anybody any time, but the replacement of a CTA station at Damen is great news for people living on the Near West Side.
February 10, 2017
Chicago Transit Needs an Upgrade: 5 Universal Features of European City Transit
This isn't a wish list. These are five standard features of most bus networks in Europe.
January 23, 2017
CTA to Spend Millions on Building Parking Garages for Red Line Extension
The Chicago Transit Authority published its Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Red Line extension from 95th St. to 130th St. in the Riverdale community area last month, and it includes a couple of good and bad surprises. An EIS is a study that federal law requires before the United States Department of Transportation fund any highway or transit infrastructure.
November 2, 2016
CTA Budget: Fares Stay Flat and Low Gas Prices Cause Lower Bus Ridership
Earlier this week the Chicago Transit Authority announced its proposed budget for 2017. Mayor Rahm Emanuel touted the fact that the budget "freezes" the $2.00 and $2.25 cash fare on buses and trains, respectively.
October 28, 2016
Is $2 Billion Red Line Extension Best Way to Provide Transit in Far South Side?
The Chicago Transit Authority released a major study today, the next step in the developing project to extend the Red Line southward from the 95th Street terminal to 130th Street in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood. The Environmental Impact Study is required by the federal government before the CTA can ask for funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
October 6, 2016