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The long-rumored CTA Circle Line is one step closer to reality this morning after the U.S. Congress passed the omnibus spending package yesterday; the bill includes a $6 million earmark for the line. The bill counted Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin among its sponsors and Durbin considers the Circle Line key to the city's 2016 Olympic bid. Using new and existing tracks, the Circle Line would connect all existing CTA lines as well as Metra lines (read the CTA's 2002 report on it here). The Circle Line isn't the only earmark for Chicago transit, though. It also includes around $250,000 for both the Red and Yellow Lines to extend (a drop in the bucket) and $30 million for upgrades to the Brown Line, which is what we thought has been going on for the past year and a half. [WBEZ]
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AWESOME!!! Having a better between Metra and CTA trains would be AMAZING. And, finally, and outer loop connection to other lines, that will reduce unnessary loop traffic greatly, and make for easier commutes to airports and the burbs. Never thought I would say this, but YAY CTA!!
What a total & complete waste of money!
This isn't what's needed, what's needed is a cross city line that runs from Howard west to Cicero, then south to Midway & Ford City & then east to the Ryan!
Every CTA line is centered on the Loop & this is no better.
Plus it doesn't get any access to Union or Northwestern Stations.
I'm a fan of adding a circle line, but I'm a little concerned that adding ANOTHER train line to the loop will slow things down even more for downtown commuters.
Good idea, but not quite there. I think the CTA needs to evaluate HEAVY foot traffic areas and add a station to serve as a neighborhood hub rather than connecting dots together. Though I think it's a step in the right direction, and hopefully when they do have a lot of money they can plan according to service instead of convenience and low cost.
Interesting vision they had for the Brown line back in 2002. Rather than turning around in the Loop and going back north, it would have basically done what the Pink line does now.
So this basically improves nothing for the vast majority of us outside of the greater downtown area. Whoopee!
They should make it a monorail!
It worked for Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook, and by gum, it put them on the map!
Actually, I don't live near downtown, and the Circle Line would still make my life easier.
still way too close to downtown.
It's potentially too close to downtown, but not by much. I'd rather it go up Western than Ashland, but I wouldn't want it any farther west than that. I think it will still save a lot of time for people with no need to go to the Loop, and honestly it's the most logical addition to CTA's current infrastructure. In a perfect world, I'd build two circle lines, one here and one much farther west, but the world is not perfect. This is a good plan.
Seriously,
Western would be way better.
6 million? We need something closer to 6 billion to complete the line.
The link all the lines together and build a bridge between the north and northwest sides and the south and southwest sides that do not currently exist without the aid of bus or car.
It will also link all the train lines together, including metra.
I think it's a great idea though I've been waiting for this line to happen for about 7 years now and it's only still in the early planning stages.
I doubt it will get built anytime soon if at all.
That is exactly what I thought. $6 million won't be the rails for such a project.
Agreed. $6M will pay for the paperwork involved in getting ready to think about maybe making the Circle line. And that $250k might pay for coffee during that extension project.
How about upgrading all the existing CTA stops first? Have u been to the blue line chicago stop? Or maybe be even trying to cut down on delays? Or maybe a sign that tells me when my train is getting to the station? CTA has too much trouble running the existing trains so another line is a horrible idea
I agree some of the current stations, particularly on the Red Line north of Addison, could use a lot of work. However, the CTA has aggressively attacked slow zones, and I've noticed the difference. I can get downtown quite quickly on the Blue Line. Also, signage at stations informing riders of train arrival times are in the works, according to Carole Brown on her blog (it's buried in a comment somewhere or I'd post a direct link). It's in the pilot phase.
I have been a fan of the Circle Line since I first learned of it years ago. Now that I live in Wicker Park, I'm even more of a fan. It's such a pain to get to and from the north side and Midway now! I also don't think it really needs to be a circle. Why not just the western part of it, including the connection to the Red and Brown lines at North/Clybourn (they proposed a Red/Brown/Circle "superstation" there)? The rest of the proposed Circle Line is superfluous, as it just overlaps existing lines and adds yet another line into over-served downtown. Basically Ashland/Archer to North/Clybourn would be sufficient.
Interestingly, the original Circle Line Phase I--restoration of the Paulina Connector--has already been done for the Pink Line. By the way, the estimated cost of that project before it started was $33.8mil! I haven't checked what it actually amounted to. So $6 mil is just barely a start.
They need to invest in some power washers and some people to blast the nastiness from the walls in all of the underground Red and Blue line stations. Seriously, does anyone else ever stop and think it's probably not the best air to be breathing down there?
i love this map - only because it serves me and my hoods well. but i agree, this is like a billions of dollars project, not no $6mm project
I agree the stops could use some soap and water, along with signage about when trains are on their way. This is an expansion and improvement of service issuee. this is long over due. we should keep these issues seperate.
this line has been in the planning stages for some time. what this does is adding a north/south transit line and connecting it to existing lines. you honestly cant get more bang for your buck.
i do understand the desire to have a line further west, yet this is a good plan. i would assume the cta would get more ridership on this line in this more populated area over further west where it would have less riders.
i fully support this project and its ability to use existing tracks.
sweet, no more taking a cab home from the hideout
Also good for after-hours boozing at Exit!
Instead of building an all-out Circle Line, why don't they just build multiple, smaller connector lines? That way, the connections can happen where they're needed most, instead of squeezing everything to fit into a predetermined circle. And no, there doesn't need to be yet another line going through the loop!!!
In other CTA news, there's going to be a new Yellow line station at Oakton & Skokie.
that's actually a cool idea.
I have always said that there are too many spokes and not enough hubs in the rail system. Not every trip should have to go though downtown.
Maybe they're going to use that Brown Line money to upgrade the brown line loop stations...I know that they're shared by other lines but not all of them have elevators...state and lake, all the stations on Wabash and also the one on LaSalle at the Metra station. Plus all those stations seem somewhat decrepit, although not as decrepit as say the stations on the red line north
This sounds fantastic, but in pure CTA style i'm sure they are going to fuck it up. Really all they need is a shuttle train, like the NYC system uses, to shuttle back and forth between the red and blue lines.. like slaphappy said, it definitly doesn't need to be another line going thru loop, just a transfer line.
This is the best CTA news I've heard in a long time, but agree it’s along ways away. $8 million might fund additional research and planning, but could never fund the completion of the circle line.
The other interesting thing is that Durbin's office says this is an integral part of the 2016 Olympic Bid. However, the bid team has never said anything about this. Is this a sign of bigger things to come if we get the Olympics? My guess is yes. Check it out (http://www.sloopin.com/2009/03/earmarks-stimulus-and-south-loop.html).
I agree with many people here - its a great idea, but it's just too close to the loop. If we could build tons of circle lines, swell, but we can't (though Slaphappy's connector lines are a good idea). We need to think not just about 'adding convenience' for those in the central city, but actually serving transit-dependent riders who currently have next-to-no rail service. It should RUN DOWN WESTERN, clearly. This has been discussed before, why start thinking small now?
Either way, coming up the orange line to chinatown is asinine. Go ahead and connect at Ashland/Archer, but then keep south/southeast. Think of the vast swaths of McKinley Park, Back of the Yards, Canaryville, and Grand Boulevard/Bronzeville that it could serve before connecting to Red or Green lines at 35th or (ideally) 47th!
The CTA should call this the Frankenstein line. This "Circle" line will be sharing existing tracks on the Orange Line, Red Line and Pink Line.
These train lines are already overloaded, and if you think the commute is slow and crowded now, get ready. The money will be going to build a small track extension to connect the Pink line to the Orange line down Ashland Avenue.
They need to build a new, stand alone "Circle" line that doesn't share tracks with the other lines to avoid putting more strain on the already overcrowded existing CTA train lines.
My proposal -- a C line, with the inner portion of the C being the western most north south section of this proposal, and the outer portion going about twice as far from the loop as the inner portion connecting from red at the north to red at the south.
Um wouldnt the crosstwon expressway be more useful with a train/ dedicated bus line? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosstown_Expressway_(Chicago)
Is there really any chance this could get done in seven years? Seems very unrealistic.