Monday, January 24, 2011

Reminder: CTA Meeting Tonight

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Sick of the condition of the Red Line in Uptown?  Tell the CTA about it, tonight, right here in Uptown.  We've said it before:  Venting on a blog may be fun, but if you don't tell the Powers That Be, it doesn't count.  The CTA wants to hear from you, at one of four meetings (first one is tonight, at St. Augustine College) or by snail mail, email or fax.

A reader reminds us:  "Word on the street is that CTA is considering axing the Lawrence stop (among others)."  Think that's untrue?  Check out the link.  Don't like it?  Tonight's your chance to tell the CTA why.  (Pssst.  Putting in a plug for the rehab of the Wilson station wouldn't hurt, either.  We're sick of the promises and deadlines that never come.)

10 comments:

  1. CTA has also posted a Scoping Booklet (PDF) on their web site that includes maps and cost estimates.

    For Wilson, options include rebuilding the station as a transfer station with Purple Line Express service and an additional entrance at Sunnyside. There's also the option of a subway under Broadway that would include a Wilson stop, but eliminate both Lawrence and Argyle. (Berwyn would move to Foster, with an additional entrance at Winona.)

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  2. Please tell them NOT to eliminate Lawrence.

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  3. I know that the redline has alot of stops. But I dont think any should be eliminated.

    Just fix it up the right way.
    A subway would be stupid.

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  4. @ Meg- better yet, YOU attend a meeting and voice your concerns about the Lawrence stop.

    It was a nice public gathering with a lot of options. Of course, everything depends on funding, or purchasing property, but I like the direction the CTA is going. It'd be awesome to either have an underground tunnel at Wlson, or to have the purple line make express stops at Wilson, Loyola, and Howard.

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  5. i am attending meetings, just encouraging others to do the same.

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  6. Did anyone attend? I'm curious if it is more of an open, walk around as you please presentation like last time?

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  7. I attended the meeting last night. Presentation posters were scattered about the room which described the history of the red and purple lines, as well as the various proposals for modernization. There was no formal presentation, but CTA reps were abundant. The reps were available to answer individual questions throughout the night. Scoping booklets were handed out as well as comment cards. An official recorder was on hand to take voiced comments. I tend to lean towards the 4-track modernization plan, at the highest cost. If you're going to spend the money for a long-lasting structure, I say do it right the first time. Who knows when they will have the momentum to make upgrades in the future. Another link to the scoping booklet...

    http://tinyurl.com/4gpbdcv

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  8. We went last night and it was well worth it. The scope and priority of the CTA Red Line project will be driven with rider feedback; so if you have an opinion, now's your time to talk.

    They'll be reviewing all comments and this is your BIG opportunity to speak up. The public comments must be submitted by February 15.

    IF YOU DIDN'T ATTEND, YOU CAN STILL PROVIDE FEEDBACK BY:

    EMAIL: rpm@transitchicago.com
    MAIL: Steve Hands, CTA Strategic Planning & Policy, P.O. Box 7602, Chicago, IL 60680

    The plans ranged from:
    #1--No Action, minimum repairs for safety only

    #2--Basic rehab to "bring the Evanston and Red Line into a state of good repair." Kinda makes you wonder about the safety on the Red Line

    #3--Basic Rehab with Transfer Stations Alternative. Included basic rehab, makes Loyola and Wilson Purple line transfer stations. Would extend the Wilson Platform to Sunnyside and add new entrance/exit.

    #4--Modernization 4-Track Alternative--provides modern amenities at all stations, increase speed and safety, improve ADA accessibility. Lots of changes on El stations, new extended entrances. For example, in additional to Wilson adding a Sunnyside entrance/exit, Argyle would add an entrance/exit at Ainslie. Lawrence stop goes away.

    #5--Modernization 3-Track Alternative. Same as #4, would remove one of the tracks on the Red Line

    #6--2-Track Underground Alternative. Transition underground north of Belmont, underground to Loyola.

    A interesting tidbit, when we were talking with the CTA guy, we mentioned that the Wilson Rehab has been promised and promised since the late 1980s. He smiled a knowing smile and replied,
    "Well you know the alderman is the key to making that happen."

    Amen.

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  9. I think in general the answer is. Make the EL stations and tracks better. Add services thats fine.

    Dont take away stations. Dont make a subway.
    Thats what makes sense.

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  10. Geofredo, it's nice that you have an opinion, but the way you're expressing it guarantees that the people at CTA who make the decisions will say, "Gee, that's nice...." And they'll promptly ignore you and move on to a substantial set of comments.

    What do you mean by making the EL "better"? What services do you want to see added? Why don't you want certain stations closed? Why don't you want a subway? You can't expect the people at CTA to read your mind--you have to EXPRESS what you're thinking and EXPLAIN what's important to you and why. The people who give the most complete, most compelling, most coherent comments are the ones who get heard...the people who put no thought into their comments have them literally put into a pile that are categorized "comment noted, no response" which are ignored. I know. I used to do public interest reviews in a somewhat different field.

    If you don't put some justification behind your comments to CTA, you might just as well not waste your time or theirs with "gee, that's nice" comments that go into the "ignore" file. And if CTA doesn't get thoughtful comments from us about what we want and why, CTA will base their decisions on the loudest ones they have...or on their own if no one has anything constructive to say.

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