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Metra

He can’t drive 65: Metra CEO seeks to increase Electric line speeds to 90 mph

"Everybody based [the 65 mph speed limit] on what they knew, but nobody asked the right questions," Metra CEO Jim Derwinski recently said.

March 8, 2024

At ATA’s Transit is Essential Town Hall, participants discussed strategies to improve local bus and train service

Ideas included offering more Metra reverse-commute service, diversifying the transit advocacy community, and canvassing door-to-door on public transportation issues.

March 5, 2024

RTA and CMAP discuss future of paratransit at Urban Transportation Center seminar

CMAP providing technical assistance to improve transit for people with disabilities. But looming budget gap threatens service systemwide.

February 28, 2024

Should a Streetsblog reader “Surrender” to commuting from Rockford to Chicago?

We compare the strengths and weaknesses of driving, and/or riding the train or bus, from the Forest City to the Windy City.

February 23, 2024

Metra orders battery-powered trains, gets funding for new bilevel passenger cars

As Metra's board authorized the purchase of eight battery-powered Stadler train sets, the FTA announced the railroad will get $100M to purchase 50 bi-level rail cars.

February 22, 2024

Millennium Station’s Randolph/Michigan elevator has been broken for months, with no word on fixing it

We decoded Metra's confusing directions for how to access Millennium Station by elevator while the Randolph/Michigan lift is indefinitely out of commission.

February 13, 2024

First day of new Metra fares sees long lines at downtown terminal ticket machines

While Metra's new fare system and ticket machines have some predictable learning curves, hopefully more customers will soon get accustomed to to using them.

February 3, 2024

Access Pilot Program kicks off tomorrow, expanding Metra’s reduced fares to include low-income riders who aren’t elderly or disabled

The initiative starts will run through July 31, 2025, thanks to the combined efforts of the Regional Transportation Authority, Metra, and Cook County.

February 1, 2024

What does Metra’s permanent “bikes on all trains” policy, starting Thursday, mean for you?

The commuter railroad will also add more space for bicycle parking by installing bike racks on 50 train cars, for starters.

January 31, 2024