Results tagged “metra”

Today Gov. Quinn called on the CTA and Metra to not raise fares in exchange for state aid. Meanwhile, with just a little over 24 hours left in the fall session, state legislators are considering a bill that would cut back on those free senior rides that Blago forced the CTA to institute. The new bill would set a threshold that only those seniors who earn below a yearly income of $22,218 would qualify for free rides. As the Trib points out, though, Quinn didn't say if he would refuse to sign this new legislation should the CTA and Metra raise fares anyway.

Though more delays should be expected, service on Metra's Southwest and Heritage lines was set to resume this afternoon after two days of havoc thanks to derailments. Four different trains derailed yesterday and investigators are still trying to figure out how much damage may have been done. Be sure to check the Metra website for the latest information.

Bad news for Metra commuters on the SouthWest Service line: a freight train derailment today will more than likely cause some delays tonight. No one was hurt in the derailment but fluids leaked from the train into the Chicago River, resulting in a hazmat response. Metra has already canceled some afternoon trains and it may take as long as 12 hours to completely clear the scene.

While we wait to see if the CTA will indeed make good on its threat to raise fares and cut services in an attempt to close a budget gap numbering in the hundreds of millions of dollars, at least one high-ranking government official is ready to do his part. With the RTA already supporting such a measure, Gov. Pat Quinn is also giving some thought to repealing the free CTA rides for senior programs infamously instituted by then-governor Rod Blagojevich. Speaking to WGN Radio today, Quinn supported the idea of reviewing program and possibly altering it to offer free rides to veterans, active military, and seniors whose income falls below a certain threshold. Said Quinn:

• There's still some skepticism as to whether or not President Obama will make the trip to Copenhagen on the eve of the IOC's October 2nd vote for the 2016 Olympic games.
• Speaking of the Olympics, in the latest edition of one poll that measures where city's rank with their bids, Chicago is now second behind Rio.
• WBEZ talked to local Congressmen to see where they stand on health care reform in the wake of President Obama's speech last night.

On Wednesday, Metra will roll out a new website offering riders the convenience of buying tickets online by credit card. Revolutionary, given that for more than 150 years you could only buy a Metra ticket with cash or check. The "Ticket-by-Internet" feature will allow a rider to order up to two monthly tickets and three 10-ride tickets per transaction which Metra sends to you by mail. Regular commuters can go to the website and create a "My Metra" account to manage billing information, create a custom view of train schedules, and set up personalized e-mail alerts for service updates. You won't be able to buy tickets with a credit card at stations yet, but Metra says we can expect that in March 2010.

The MetraMarket, which broke ground last year, is finally taking shape in the 100,000 sq. ft. space on the street level of the Ogilvie Transportation Center (bordered by Lake, Canal, Washington and Clinton streets). The developer recently announced at least half of the tenants who will occupy the Chicago French Market, a part of the MetraMarket retail development that promises to be reminiscent of European open-air markets. Among the tenants signed on for the French Market's late October opening are local favorites Pastoral, Flip Crepes, and Vanille Pastisserie, as well as Chicago Organics who will offer an array of locally grown and certified organic produce, meats, and dairy. Other purveyors on the list are Albano's Deli, Canady Le Choclatier, Completely Nuts, Espression by Lavazza, Fraternite Notre Dame, Sweet Miss Giving's, and Wisconsin Cheese Mart.

With all the talk of fare hikes, doomsdays, and state funding shortfalls we've heard about our public transportation system since the beginning of the year, well, there's going to be even more talk over the next several days. Starting tomorrow and running until next Tuesday, September 1, the RTA will conduct 13 hearings to help them set next year's budget. WBBM 780 has more on the meetings as well as a break-down of the schedule.

• Another teen was charged today in a string of armed robberies at South Side Metra stations.
• Investigators are taking another go-around at tips and evidence from the Lane Bryant shootings hoping to get a break in the case.
• WBEZ has an excellent story on Hands of Peace, a program in Glenview that brings together Israeli and Palestinian teens with local teens.

It looks like the CTA could be on its way to introducing a new fare card. First up for the agency will be seeking proposals for studies on the change and then will be implementing the change itself. If all goes as planned, the CTA - who has been joined by Metra and Pace - could implement the new system which would allow riders to pay fare via just a credit card by mid-2012. CTA President Carole Brown told WBBM, "It's quicker boarding, we think that we will be able to increase ridership because it's just an ease of ridership so that they don't have to find the media. It takes us out of the fare-media business which we think will save money."

Metra trains will soon have additional federal security on board. Metra insists the new plan is not in response to any threat but rather for the benefit of passengers.

The TSA patrols will "augment existing security resources, provide deterrent presence and detection capabilities, and introduce an element of unpredictability to disrupt potential terrorist planning activities," Metra said in a statement.

Continue reading "Metra Getting Security Help"

• The B.F. Shaw Printing Co., parent company of the McHenry County-based newspaper Northwest Herald, has sued Cal Skinner Jr. of the McHenry County Blog for damages based on a post Skinner made regarding an alleged loan to the paper, claiming such a loan never happened.
• The City has filed applications for grants that would provide upwards of $106 million meant to hire 400 new police officers. But the grants, good for three years, contain the provision that the officers have to remain on the city payroll for at least one additional year after.
• At yesterday's Pride Parade, Sen. Roland Burris supported civil unions but stopped short of endorsing gay marriage - a view shared by Pres. Barack Obama.

As expected, the Regional Transportation Authority board agreed this week to slash public funding for Chicago-area transit services by $67 million over the next six months. The nine board members in attendance voted unanimously for the cuts, in the hopes that they will bring the transit agencies' growing budget deficits in line with lower tax revenues.

An update on yesterday's strange story of a mother leaving her baby on a Metra Train, via NBC 5. It seems the woman had another child, a 3 year old toddler, with her and that child bolted off the train as soon as the doors opened. The mother chased after that child and the train moved out of the station before the woman could get back on and pull the stroller, with the 10 month old baby, off the train.

We'll admit, we've left plenty of stuff on trains before: papers, books, umbrellas, even a scrap of paper with the phone number of a young woman who was way too pretty for us anyway. But we've never left a baby on board a train as a woman did last night on a northbound Union Pacific North Line train. No charges have been filed against the woman who left the baby on board when she got off at North Chicago. And yes, mother and baby were safely reunited. [CBS 2]

In a refrain which is growing tiresome yet still just as worrisome, it seems the CTA is once again threatening service cuts ahead of an RTA vote. The vote, happening Thursday, would cut $61 million worth of services to make up for a drop in sales-tax revenue. If approved, overall cuts would breakdown to $35 million for the CTA, $19 million for Metra, and $7 million for PACE. CTA President Richard Rodriguez has warned that cuts would result in about a five percent reduction in service for every $10 million lost. There's no indication which specific services the CTA would be cut, but officials have said whole bus routes could be lost in addition to overall reduction in service. PACE will look to reduce services on routes with low ridership, focusing on late nights, early mornings, and weekends. As for Metra, officials for that agency seemed to be downright sunny in comparison, saying the cuts wouldn't result in lost services as the agency did not fill some vacant job posts and have held tight on spending. [Tribune]

• Metra found out today they're the recipient of $46 million in federal cash.
• The Parking Ticket Geek has shots of today's Parking Meter protest.
• Cook County Commissioner Willaim Beavers took a cheap shot at departing commissioner Forrest Claypool, calling him a, "born loser."

Metra officials have their panties in a wad, but commuters will be singing for joy: beginning in September, Metra will begin accepting credit cards for monthly passes and 10-ride tickets. Thank you Sen. Michael Bond (D-Grayslake) for pushing through legislation that now requires Metra to accept credit cards.

Seriously, the CTA should totally look into such a thing. A proposed redesign for the 35th Street Metra stop struck some as looking similar to a Donkey Kong Screen. This is brilliant. For the next redesign, we'd suggest Q-Bert. [Windy Citizen, Gapers Block]

Cell phones and the CTA. For now, this relationship serves only one purpose: to annoy the hell out of us when people of trains and buses decided to TALK WAY TOO LOUD on their cell phones in transit. Inside voices, folks, and chances are the conversation can wait 10 minutes. But now the RTA is looking into a relationship between the two that might actually prove useful. The Tribune is reporting that the RTA hopes to one day in the very near future - as opposed to the BladeRunner future - putting in a system that allows riders to swipe their fare by cell phone rather than fare card. While the RTA is already developing a new "smart card," they're looking into a recent trial that San Francisco's BART system tried. Joseph Moriarty, the RTA's principal analyst, said, "I think it's one of the most promising technologies out there. More people carry a cell phone than carry credit or debit cards." Check out the Trib's story for more info, including what the phones in SF needed in order to correctly operate.

• A pilot for American Airlines was arrested yesterday for showing up drunk for his London-to-Chicago flight.
• It looks like there will be a new judge in the Drew Peterson case, though who that new judge will be is not yet known.
• For sale: Parking space at Naperville Metra stop. $8,900 OBO.

If you live near a Metra stop within the city and work downtown, the Sun-Times has a new money-saving suggestion for you: take the Metra. With more than 70 stops within city limits, the commuter train system could offer a cheaper alternative for transit riders, but what, specifically, are the savings?

Following a pattern we've already seen in the CTA's numbers from '08, Metra reported last week that their 2008 ridership numbers also hit a record high. For the year, Metra saw nearly 87 million rides, an almost four percent increase over 2007's total of 83 million. The most popular line, accounting for nearly 20 percent of Metra's rides, was the the BNSF Railway Co. (Aurora to Chicago). The upward trend, according to Metra, is one that's been going on for 25 years as the railway has seen traffic increase by around two percent a year since 1983. Metra also announce a planned $112-million improvement on the Union Pacific West line which will begin in March and be completed by late next year.

In what has become a rite of passage for Chicagoans, like that first glorious spring thaw or the annual Cubs collapse, it's time again for another CTA Doomsday warning. This time, the culprit seems to be the economy and according to the Trib's Jon Hilkevitch, "The new numbers are so bleak that the "doomsday" service cuts and fare increases threatened more than a year ago appear mild in comparison to the sweeping measures that would be needed to fill gaping budget holes the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace are facing." Yikes. The CTA, Metra, and PACE are all facing huge tax revenue shortfalls which mean huge funding reductions for both 2008 and 2009.

It seems the economic crunch might finally see Metra go back on their no-ads policy. On Monday, Metra began using a car featuring one of those full-wrap vinyl ads. Unlike the ones you'll see on the CTA for iPods or cell phones or movies, this one at least is for the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, featuring the likenesses of, among others, Presidents Lincoln and Obama. It's an attempt to increase non-fare income, according to Metra executive director Phil Pagano. Metra will see what public reaction is and how the ad holds up to the elements before moving forward with any other ads.

A woman was pushed into a Metra train late last night in an attempt to fight off a potential sexual assault.

• Mayor Daley is still pissed about the teen cop: "What bothers me is I’d hate to see it at Halloween if everybody walks in - a 12- or 14-year-old walks into a police station on Halloween, they'll be handed a desk. They'll give them a car. They'll give them a badge…That's a real concern that we have."
• Maybe MayDay's on edge about his upcoming trip to the United Arab Emirates, where he'll visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi in an effort to further Chicago's stance as a global city.
• The Expired Meter takes an interesting look at how budget cuts for the city, including shutting some offices, are making it more difficult to contest and settle parking and red light camera tickets.

It's been a tough month for Metra. This morning, what was being called a "minor derailment" has resulted in the closing of two stations. It's also caused all south suburban service on the Metra Electric Line to be delayed by about half an hour, affecting nearly 5,000 customers. The derailment happened in Richton Yard. Metra had originally planned to use shuttle buses but found they didn't have the necessary "equipment." Be sure to check the Metra website for any updates.

After a week of derailments and secret agent delays, Metra hopes things get back to running smoothly tomorrow. Among the derailments was the North Central Line which runs between Antioch and Chicago which was shut when a Canadian National freight train derailed early Friday morning. Officials expect the line, which carries around 5,000 passengers daily, to be back to normal tomorrow. Be sure to check Metra's Service Updates just in case.

What a bad week to ride Metra. After this week's problems involving a secret service agent and derailment, another derailment, this time by a freight train in Buffalo Grove has canceled morning service on Metra's North Central line between Chicago and Antioch. Of the 17 cars that derailed, two are packed with sulfur, a hazardous material, complicating matters. A CN spokesman said it was unlikely service would be restored today. There's no weekend service on the line, so it's likely officials will handle the currently derailed cars and then inspect the track for damage with hopes of getting things going again by Monday. No one was hurt in the derailment and no evacuations have been ordered.