Dan Ryan Track Renewal Project

[Busjack]

Well I referring more towards the Rock island, which has many stops from 91st to Blue island, but the riders on the northern part of that could also take the #9 to 63rd/Ashland Green line. The question is," Is the Rock Island just as expensive as the ME?" If so many riders will just most likely stick to CTA.

Metra has the same zone fare system on all lines (depending on what you consider the South Shore to Hegewisch). You can go to metrarail.com and look at particular stations for fares, which will bear that out.

The CTA Press Release said that the combo tickets will be good on both the RID and MED.

In that the Metra ticket is a 10 ride ticket, there isn't the issue that one can use a monthly Metra ticket on unlimited connected rides, i.e from Lisle to CUS and then CUS to Deerfield.

[artthouwill]

Well I referring more towards the Rock island, which has many stops from 91st to Blue island, but the riders on the northern part of that could also take the #9 to 63rd/Ashland Green line. The question is," Is the Rock Island just as expensive as the ME?" If so many riders will just most likely stick to CTA.

Metra fares are zoned based on distance from downtown. This is true for all Metra lines except the South Chicago branch of the ME which is entirely Zone B instead of Zone C. On the South Shore Line, Metra only regulates fares between downtown Chicago and Hegewisch, which is Zone D. I believe most riders in the city will put up with the shuttles. The south suburban riders along the.ME mainline or RI line may opt for the Pace Expresses. I think this will be so popular, the Pace Bus Shuffle thread will be revived and the 2400s will get a temporary reprieve from the scrapper. The 353 riders will have an interesting choice. Some could opt to ride a 350 or 364 to Harvey and board an Express. Some may have an optionof taking a 355 or 358 to Hegewisch and ride the South Shore.. Others may ride a 348 to Blue Island and catch an Express there.

I forgot who suggested that the 353 stop at 103rd &Stony so riders could transfer to the J14, but I imagine that would be a popular choice if given the option.

[Busjack]

... the 2400s will get a temporary reprieve from the scrapper. ...

Considering South's are all off the boards, and supposedly 15 Axess express buses are coming in by then, I doubt it.

[jajuan]

People useing the Dan Ryan are going to run into a problem .According to CBS.

Motorists will see temporary lane closures on the innermost express lane

of the Ryan from approximately 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. on weekdays, and on

weekends. Steele said the specific closures will depend upon the stretch

of track being worked upon that night.

The Dan Ryan Expressway at this point has so many lanes in use as express lanes that one lane out of commission should not be too much of an issue.

[Busjack]

Sun Times has an article on Red Line reconstruction raises questions about crime moving to the Green Line. Being an older timer, I would have assumed the opposite, but from the recent stories, crimes of opportunity don't happen if there is an insignificant number of potential victims.

There was also an unstated implication from the statement "Anyone who walks into the Garfield station during those five months can receive a free train ride anywhere they want on the Green Line — including downtown."

They can also get a free ride anywhere on the L system so long as they stay on the L system. There were reports before about crimes committed around Howard and Linden by people from around 95th. Unless they were turnstile jumpers (and they probably were), it just became $2.25 cheaper.

[Busjack]

On the subject of Mylar Curtains for the Red Line rehab, why not just have them use the Red "Roosevelt" signs through the Subway, then switch over to Green "Ashland/63rd" curtains. They are making all Green Line stops anyways. Coming back, they just use the Red "Howard" signs.

I don't know if it is necessary to change the signs, except that if the signs are still like I described them, they would have to install the Green-Blue-Howard-95th rolls into all Red Line cars.

On the other hand, unlike the Brownage which CTA tries to keep secret,* the impression they want to give for the five months is that the Red Line runs between Howard and Ashland-63. Can you imagine the chaos if CTA gave the impression that someone coming from Howard had to transfer to something else at Roosevelt? The proposal to hire 700 more Customer Assistants wouldn't come close to taking care of that problem.

But maybe they can come up with some 25 year old "A Englewood-Howard" signs.

___________

*In the sense that they are not in the schedule brochures.

[jajuan]

I don't know if it is necessary to change the signs, except that if the signs are still like I described them, they would have to install the Green-Blue-Howard-95th rolls into all Red Line cars.

On the other hand, unlike the Brownage which CTA tries to keep secret,* the impression they want to give for the five months is that the Red Line runs between Howard and Ashland-63. Can you imagine the chaos if CTA gave the impression that someone coming from Howard had to transfer to something else at Roosevelt? The proposal to hire 700 more Customer Assistants wouldn't come close to taking care of that problem.

But maybe they can come up with some 25 year old "A Englewood-Howard" signs.

___________

*In the sense that they are not in the schedule brochures.

Well I just know that this project is needed like yesterday. I rode from 95th to Bryn Mawr and the ride just getting to Roosevelt took a good 40 minutes almost because those frigging slow zones on the Dan Ryan portion seem to have gotten even worse. It felt like only one stretch of track was clear for the train I was on to go at normal speed or close to it. After just about every stop the train was running into a slow zone.

[Busjack]

On the signs issue, while looking for other things, there was an agenda item for

C12RI101352792

900 railcar destination sign curtains
manufactured exclusively by Teleweld, Inc.

$189,000.00

(Not-to-Exceed)

[Busjack]

Moving Forward mentions the $27 CTA/Pace 5 day pass that is valid on both systems and can be purchased with a Metra 10-Ride ticket at an additional cost.

Hence, there is no deal on the Metra side of the ticket, and the only difference is a 5 day bus pass instead of a 7 day one at $33.

[Sam92]

Ran across this earlier... http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDsQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.transitchicago.com%2Fasset.aspx%3FAssetId%3D6726&ei=szhFUbjLCoOTyQH80IGYAw&usg=AFQjCNGdyXaHh6uEYvW4nmOv-HXatOBigQ according to this link, the connector to the Orange Line is also getting track renewal work done.

[Busjack]

Ran across this earlier... http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDsQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.transitchicago.com%2Fasset.aspx%3FAssetId%3D6726&ei=szhFUbjLCoOTyQH80IGYAw&usg=AFQjCNGdyXaHh6uEYvW4nmOv-HXatOBigQ according to this link, the connector to the Orange Line is also getting track renewal work done.

The apparent reason is that that was the original Dan Ryan route when it was connected with Lake. So, it is just as old, although now it doesn't get much use.

Here they are saying that they aren't yanking out the crossovers installed 8 years ago, but then you have to wonder when they are going to fall apart.

[Sam92]

The apparent reason is that that was the original Dan Ryan route when it was connected with Lake. So, it is just as old, although now it doesn't get much use.

Here they are saying that they aren't yanking out the crossovers installed 8 years ago, but then you have to wonder when they are going to fall apart.

I've seen slow zones pop up at crossovers a few times but after they tamped it with new ballast that kept them low for a bit

[chicagopcclcar]

"Training trains" are out again, this time qualifying operators from 95th Street terminal and Howard Street terminal on the intricacies of the South Side Main and the Englewood branch, plus routing for the Red Line reroute from the subway up to the 'L'. The Red line reroute to Ashland/63 for five months is completly apart from the typical "over-the-top" reroute when Red line trains go over the Loop 'L' avoiding subway running altogether, hence the retraining and requalifying. All the towers enroute are capable of automatic operation, but they most likely will be manned. 13th St. (Roosevelt) could be left alone with routes established for the old incline. 59th St. was remotely controlled from 61st St which is almost closed since the 61st Yard sees little activity. Of course the yard will be reactivated and will store Green line trains to Cottage Grove., probably bringing the tower back. Still a second towerman might be stationed at 59th similar to the towerman at Armitage tower during the Wells Street Bridge project. Armitage can be controlled remotely form Clark Tower.

New red "Ashland/63" signs are reportedly being prepared and installed in Red line 2600 series cars, but the Bombardier 5000s will use the green Ashland/63 signs already in the rollsign menu. There's still no final word on how the curtailed Green line trains to Ashland/63 will be handled in the Loop for the five months. The schedule of weekend closures of the Green line to Ashland/63 could give a clue to management's thinking.

DH

[renardo870]

Green Line trains will travel between Harlem and Cottage Grove with some trains from Harlem short turning in the Loop or Roosevelt(elevated), so not to add to the congestion the Red Line trains will bring from Roosevelt(subway) to Ashland/63rd. I am really looking forward to the temporary return of the A (RED) and B(GREEN) trains on the South Side Main, Englewood and truncated Jackson Park branches. All we need now is the old 6000's running thru there..:)

[Busjack]

For the upcoming Green Line Ashland branch contstruction, you are correct. I was referring to the Green Line operation when the Red Line project gets underway. That will be when the short turns at Roosevelt occur.

I'm not going to claim any special expertise on this. At first I thought that the former Harlem-Ashland 63 trains were just going to circle the Loop, but I guess that CTA would facilitate a transfer to the Howard-Ashland 63 trains at Roosevelt.

But given some of the comments about changing ends on the Purple Line, let's see if that works here.

[jajuan]

That five months really should be interesting when we see Howard trains using the routing it had 20 years ago from before the big south end swap between Lake and Howard to get to Ashland/63rd while the Dan Ryan branch is shutdown.

[chicagopcclcar]

Presently the south incline at 13th St. is closed for service. There is a huge crane positioned in the parking lot at State St and 13th St. and east 13th St. is blockaded. Notices were not posted as this track is not used in regular revenue service but this is obviously some more prep work when the incline is used in the five month Red line reroute.

DH

[chicagopcclcar]

Presently the south incline at 13th St. is closed for service. There is a huge crane positioned in the parking lot at State St and 13th St. and east 13th St. is blockaded. Notices were not posted as this track is not used in regular revenue service but this is obviously some more prep work when the incline is used in the five month Red line reroute.

DH

I checked the incline Saturday night and they are BUSY!!! Outside contractors are replacing the track structure getting it ready for the Ryan reroute. I got into a nice conversation with one of the contractor supervisors. He had remarked how complicated the support steel is in the vicinity of the incline and the crossing of the Air Line railroad. I pointed out which tracks were the original dating back to 1892 and which track was added in the 1906 third tracking. The subway construction added a fourth track in 1942. Each addition had its own style. The supervisor pointed out that they had noticed all the differences, but were at a lost to explain them. In most locations, steel supports are all very similar. I noted that the subway work was carried out during war times and that all steel had to be salvaged and reused as much as possible. The city and the CTA seem to have forgotten this regarding the new steel taken down at 63rd and Dorchester. Most of it is still lying on the ground next to the 61st St. yard. We'l get a birds-eye view from the charter today when we pass.

[artthouwill]

Presently the south incline at 13th St. is closed for service. There is a huge crane positioned in the parking lot at State St and 13th St. and east 13th St. is blockaded. Notices were not posted as this track is not used in regular revenue service but this is obviously some more prep work when the incline is used in the five month Red line reroute.

DH

Presently they're doing track replacement on the incline, right now mostly at the top where track is missing. Observed from the Green Line.

[Busjack]

I've noticed some of those slow zones pop up in little as 3 weeks after some repeated single tracking and tie replacement/tamping was done down here little over a year or two ago. Thats when and why people over here ( southeast) switched to the South LSD routes...

I have the feeling that to justify the shutdown, someone just decided to cease any maintenance.

[Sam92]

I have the feeling that to justify the shutdown, someone just decided to cease any maintenance.

I'm not too sure about that. 2 years ago before I switched, they single tracked whole stretches of track between stations for months at a time to replace ties and retamp. You'd see bunches of ties laying along the track and next week, that whole section would be single tracked every night for the next month sometimes more. After that the section was pretty much back to a normal speed and they'd move to a different section along the line. We even have plastic ties between 63rd and Garfield, yet now we have slow zones again worse than before the work was done. If any deceit and secrecy was involved then I'd say it was sabotage during this time.

[Busjack]

I'm not too sure about that. 2 years ago before I switched, ...

I was referring to after that.

2 years ago would have been the end of the Daley administration. This became a crisis only after Emanuel gained momentum.

[jajuan]

I was referring to after that.

2 years ago would have been the end of the Daley administration. This became a crisis only after Emanuel gained momentum.

It seems a lot of things have been blowing up with the transition from Daley to Emmanuel.

[brownliner]

I'm not too sure about that. 2 years ago before I switched, they single tracked whole stretches of track between stations for months at a time to replace ties and retamp. You'd see bunches of ties laying along the track and next week, that whole section would be single tracked every night for the next month sometimes more. After that the section was pretty much back to a normal speed and they'd move to a different section along the line. We even have plastic ties between 63rd and Garfield, yet now we have slow zones again worse than before the work was done. If any deceit and secrecy was involved then I'd say it was sabotage during this time.

If the drainage has failed, it's not going to matter that they replaced the ballast and ties. The new ballast is going to move, and the ties will move with it, and the track will have to be put in a slow zone. It's a waste to keep fixing the symptom, instead of the underlying problem.

[chicagopcclcar]

If the drainage has failed, it's not going to matter that they replaced the ballast and ties. The new ballast is going to move, and the ties will move with it, and the track will have to be put in a slow zone. It's a waste to keep fixing the symptom, instead of the underlying problem.

From http://www.transitchicago.com/redsouth/

"From just north of the Cermak-Chinatown station to the 95th Street station, crews will replace everything in the track bed: ties, rail, third rail, ballast (the stone material that holds the ties in place) and drainage systems."

So they seem to know that, thanks.

DH