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We're getting commuter reports that the Blue Line isn't operating. Like, at all. Something broke around Clark and Lake, and no trains have moved in about 40 minutes. The CTA is operating shuttle buses from the Damen stop and LaSalle, but those buses have been too packed to get on. Yoinks. [CTA]
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on the red line circa 8:40am/ grand ave they announced there were problems on the blue line. when they start announcing problems on a line you're not on, you know that ain't good!
I was on the train that got stuff at LaSalle. Hoofed it to work. Figured it wasn't worth it to wait around when they actually turned off the lights in the train.
-L.
Shit. I get to work on the Blue. I better find another way there today!
maybe a tiger or a bobcat or a coyote hit by the train? you know, since there are wild animals roaming the streets of chicago now.
in all seriousness though, the cougar thing is very sad.
I was on it. I have pictures. I can send them from my phone but can't get them on the computer. mmledvina(at)hotmail.com. Send me a phone #.
The whole blue line shut down.
I get on the train at 8:30.
The kick us off at damen. We wait for the next train which is packed with people, and they kick everyone off that train too!
There must have been 1,000 people at this station.
And no one is moving! No one will get off the station! Then the train starts with people's noses two inches away from the train cause there isn't enough room for everyone on the platform!
It was chaos!
Then everyone spills out into the streets to catch a shuttle bus. But there's only one!
And going down milwaukee i noticed every single station had been evacuated. There must have been 100,000 people waiting on the street figuring out how to get downtown.
i made it to the bus from california around 8:40 moments after the announcement was made at the station about the delay. the bus was filled to the brim by the time we left western. damen was a mess. i switched buses at grand and that intersection had a lot going on. many buses from several other routes coming to help commuters. CTA officials running around everywhere, firetrucks trying to get around. yikes...
The CTA bus schedules online really suck at life. I realize they can't include times for every stop along Milwaukee but you'd think they'd include the stops at major intersections...like WESTERN! And Damen/North! C'mon gang!
I work with a bunch of ex-CTA engineers. Apparently the latest word is that 2 trains bumped outside of Clark and Lake.
I-55 was broke too
damn it...
I got on at Logan Square at 8:00am. We got stuck a little passed Grand & Milwaukee. The train should've only been stuck for about an hour, but some self important yuppie decided to leave by way of pulling the red door release switch. This allowed other people to flee. CTA then cut off power to keep those fleeing from being electrocuted or hurt falling. The conductor did try to stop the evactaution by calling every body stupid.
For those of us smart enough to stay put, the temperature rose really quick. One lady came close to passing out, then a pregnant women began to freak out, then some one called 911 and began to scream saying "send the media, send the media!". Oh and she had a City of Chicago Housing Department I.D attached to rope around her neck
that said City of Chicago Housing Dept.
It’s interesting how quick “things fall apart”
That's when the general evacuation order came, which isn’t as easy as one would think along those narrow slippery ledges with our decent light. Our CTA escorted radioed in to ask if the third rail power was off, then he asked which one was it.
After the narrow ledge we had to wade in dirty water, climb up old rickety steep stairs for three levels to a ladder onto the street
Jeremy, how would they know that if they're ex-CTA engineers?
spook that's a terrible story!
;(
Our CTA escorted [sic] radioed in to ask if the third rail power was off, then he asked which one was it.
THAT is classic -- I can't even imagine what I would say to that CTA employee if I would've heard him ask which rail was the third rail, THE ONE THAT CAN KILL YOU.
Thank you Ron Huberman, you Daley ass-puppet. Good thing that you got that MBA from GSB -- lotta good that did you, or any of us.
FRP: Let's not get too simplistic. The problem with CTA staff started long before Huberman, and also involves union protections and patronage. And the problem with the CTA invovles multiple factors, not the least of which is a lack of capital funds. This is not to let Huberman off the hook--he is the hog with the semi-large nuts, after all, at the CTA (Daley having the largest pair, of course)--only to point out that scapegoats, while nice to have around, are rarely the only reason for failure.
But hey, if you bold your statements, they must be true-er, right?
Apparently it wasn't true. But, people who work at companies have friends who still work at the old company. Since these guys are retired CTA pensioners, they know quite a few people that still work there. 99% of the time, they're very reliable on CTA issues.
any update? i can't find any information about this on the website. can i start taking the blue line yet?
FRP and Matty
Yea I don’t rattle easily, but I was shocked to realize how rattled I was when I climbed out of the ground. The big thing is to see how totally unprepared CTA would be if this had been a “real emergency”. And it seems that the “automated CTA voice” broadcasts on a different frequency than the frequency that the conductor uses to communicate with the riders. Because for the first hour we could only clearly hear the automated voice that kept saying "this train is being delayed waiting for a single, we will be moving shortly". When the conductor tried to explain what was going on, it was just gibberish for the first hour as if his channel could not over ride the automated computer voice and turning the lights off under ground! WTF. The women next to me wondered what would have happened if it was summer because it got really steamy in a matter of minutes. Oh and all cars were packed!
I kept thinking about all my friends who bike to work
Spook, I know exactly how you feel. I was on the Blue Line when it derailed and caught on fire. I was in the last car, in fact, so I know exactly what those people went through.
Freaky, dark, horrible tunnel. Granted, I had smoke and flames to deal with as well.
I can say for absolute fact that I never heard a single announcement from the train driver. We got out on instinct and simply tried to get away from the flames.
I think this situation was a bit different from what I was is in, but until the driver tried to pull us again and the fire started, our initial instinct was to wait it out.
But those tunnels are certainly scary when you're there for a prolonged period of time.
Glad everyone was ok. Funny that I drove to work as well, instead of getting on at Logan Square like I normally do..
I feel sorry for anyone who relies on the CTA, convince your boss to let you dress down, not get electrocuted, and RIDE to work.