NY Style subway cars

By Rachelle Bowden in News on Jan 28, 2005 8:28PM

Back in May Chicagoist reported that the CTA was testing some strap-hanger, New York City style subway cars. And now the Trib is reporting that the CTA will be buying 700 of the bad boys.

Chicagoist prefers the cars with the side-facing seats instead of the front/back-facing seats because it's easier to sit down. No trying to pile over someone to get in and out when you're in the seat closest to the window. Also, the side-facing seats allow for more standing room and more room for luggage and stuff, which is awesome because we live off the Blue Line and are always stuck in the car with the person with the humongo suitcase blocking the door. We're not getting too excited though, because the new cars won't be here til 2008. The only thing, we're not sure if we're totally down with the straps. They're so 1907.

The CTA's initial order is for 206 cars and they're not sayin' how much they're payin' for the new cars. .. which is kind of suspicious with all the budget problems they're having and service cuts they're threatening. What they are doing is being defensive and saying, "Though planning a new rail car purchase may at first appear contradictory, as we are faced with possible service cuts and layoffs, we cannot be short-sighted. Improving our infrastructure is not a process to which we can commit and then abandon." Also the CTA is majorly jonesing to go shopping since they haven't bought any new equipment since they bought new cars for the opening of the Orange Line back in '93.

In their defense, the new trains will be replacing trains that date back to the 1960s and 1970s. Still, wouldn't you rather ride old-ass trains and keep all the routes than get new, state-of-the-art trains and make big cuts? Maybe it doesn't come down to that, though. The Trib's sayin that the Federal Transit Administration and the IL Dept. of Transportation are footing the bill.