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"
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 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.
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.
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.
Just in time for rush hour! An Amtrak train has derailed at Union Station, blocking three Metra routes: the BNSF to Aurora, the Heritage Corridor to Joliet, and the Southwest train to Manhattan. Damn, the BNSF is having a tough day. The blockage is bad enough it could force a closure of Union Station. Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said: "At this point in time we are waiting to hear from Amtrak the extent of the derailment, how long it will be for them to move that train and restore the switches. Right now nothing is coming in, nothing is going out and we are waiting to see how Amtrak proceeds with their investigation of thi. Right now nothing is going in. Nothing is going out."
Metra BNSF Line trains have been halted this morning as police search the No. 1252 express. The train was stopped at the Lisle station at 8 a.m. and has been at a stand-still since as police have evacuated and searched passengers. A source told the Tribune that one passenger called police from a cellphone after overhearing another passenger mention he had a gun on him.
Two years after the murder of Metra police officer Thomas Cook, authorities are finally ready to file charges against a suspect. The unnamed suspect was to make his first court appearance this morning at the Markham courthouse where he was expected to be charged with first-degree murder and officials have planned an afternoon press conference that will feature members of Cook's family.
In case you're out and about this morning, here are some delays to be aware of due to the weather:
Don't forget today and tomorrow, Metra will be operating on a special holiday schedule, and the CTA joins in on the act with their line-specific holiday schedules later today and tomorrow. And courtesy of the CTA Tattler, here are some things that CTA actually did right this year.
The troubles of the morning rush hour have carried over into the evening rush hour as Metra is being plagued by many mechanical problems across the area. Our own Tim State just alerted us to a power outage aboard his train on the Metra North line from Waukegan. Meanwhile, it appears an equipment problem on the CTA tracks at Lake & Wells has Brown, Purple, and Green line trains backed up this afternoon as well.
The roadways aren't the only ones suffering from this latest storm. The CTA is reporting delays on the Purple, Pink, Brown, and Green lines due to the weather, but gives no specifics. Metra is having a bit more of a problem: besides delays, several Electric Line trains have been canceled due to icing of the wires. Seriously, as if we needed another reason to stay at home and stay inside.
Telly Virgin (pictured left) pleaded guilty today to charges of firing at a Metra train in an attempt to kill the engineer as part of a murder-for-hire plan. Theodore Howard (pictured right) gave Virgin crack and cash in exchange for shooting his ex-wife either at their son's day care center or aboard the Metra train she engineered.
In Virgin’s guilty plea, he says Howard drove him to the Metra train station on June 6, 2007 to carry out the shooting. Virgin shot at the moving train believing Brown was operating it.Continue reading "Metra Shooter Pleads Guilty"
Governor Blagojevich is currently putting together a plan that, if passed, would force all transit agencies that hike fares in 2009 and 2010 to institute a salary freeze. Yes, the same Governor Blagojevich who played chicken with the CTA during last year's doomsday threats just so he could implement free rides for seniors, a program that is costing the CTA a nice bundle of money. Still, in Blago's defense, his plan only affects nonunion employees - union salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreements - and is mainly aimed at executives, many of whom actually saw a pay increase in 2008.
Salaries for dozens of transit executives continued to rise in 2008 after state bailout money started to flow, records show. The Chicago Sun-Times Watchdogs column reported Monday that the number of Pace executives who make more than $100,000 a year increased from 13 in 2006 to 20 this year.Continue reading "Blago Continues Making Friends in Transit"
Metra and Google have partnered to bring us a trip planner that allows residents to plan trips involving Metra's commuter trains now, a great tool for those of us who aren't too familiar with what train to take to which suburb. While the planner incorporates CTA buses and trains, its drawback is the absence of Pace information. It offers the same info as the RTA's trip planner, but with the world going Google crazy, Metra is happy to get the plug at no cost.
A View From the Sears Tower's Ledge
Illinois Is Getting Fatter
Mayor Blames Violent Holiday Weekend On Booze, Heat
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Chicagoan Involved In Mount Rushmore Ruckus
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