Since we don’t have a schedule of Grid Shots themes to go on, I looked at the latest photos people have added to our Flickr group. This one caught my eye and prompted today’s topic: people on the platform.
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Photo by Mike Travis, who captioned the photo with, “Don’t look at me, Kid. The answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is right in front of you!” Continue reading Grid Shots: People on the platform
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The new screen shows estimated train arrival times most of the time. If you watch it long enough, you will see weather information.
A new feature that debuted at the Chicago Transit Authority’s Oakton-Skokie station in April and Morgan station in May gives riders better Train Tracker information without a noisy distraction. The brand new digital information screens provide useful countdown times to the next train “at nearly all times” without the chaff offered by existing screens in the CTA system.
These screens are more informative than the loud and large Titan screens seen at more stations; they also rarely display the number of minutes until the next train. When Grid Chicago asked the CTA about its intentions in using the new screens, spokesperson Brian Steele replied, “They’re consciously designed to focus on real-time customer information, and don’t show ads, agency promotions or PSAs”.
Continue reading New digital information screens bring peace and quiet to CTA stations
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A train passes over Lawrence Avenue at the Ravenswood Metra station.
2012 Chicago fatality stats*:
Pedestrian: 6 (5 have been from hit-and-run crashes, the other person was struck by a train)
Pedalcyclist: 0
Transit: 5 (the previous four were from a 30-day period in March-April)
A northbound UP North Metra train struck and killed a person on the platform at the Ravenswood station (4800 N Ravenswood) on Tuesday, May 29. The train was not scheduled to stop there.
The pedestrian was killed in the incident, but officials are not releasing his or her identity Tuesday night, a spokesman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office said. CBS2
If you find more information, please leave a note or link in the comments. The station is being reconstructed.
* The information is only accurate as of this post’s publishing time and includes only people who died in the Chicago city limits. View previous Fatality Tracker posts.
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Paul Nowicki, assistant vice president of government and policy at BNSF and MPC board member, speaks before breakfast on one of his company’s executive inspection trains. Photos by Ryan Griffin-Stegink, courtesy of Metropolitan Planning Council.
I had breakfast this morning with planning and railroad industry folks on a BNSF Railway train built a few decades ago to celebrate the release of the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Union Station Master Plan Study. The breakfast was hosted by BNSF (operator of the Metra BNSF Railway to Aurora, Illinois) and Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), one of the plan’s many partners.
Download the entire study (6 MB .pdf), or view it in parts on the Master Plan’s official website. Read MPC’s blog about the project. Continue reading Quickly: Union Station Master Plan study released today at breakfast on vintage train
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The Morse Red Line station would be affected by the CTA’s plan. In the two Modernization scenarios, it would become accessible. Photo by Eric Rogers.
On Monday and Tuesday, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) held identical meetings about the Red & Purple Modernization Project it started planning (at least with the public) last year. According to the CTA’s website, the project “would help bring the existing transit line into a state of good repair, reduce travel times, improve access to job markets and destinations, and provide improved access to people with disabilities”. The project area is in two areas: on what’s called the North Side Main Line, the four tracks from Belmont to Howard, and on the Purple Line-only tracks from Howard to Linden in Wilmette, Illinois. Continue reading This week in CTA news: Changes to Red and Purple line stations plus faster service to airports
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Photo by C. Blatchley
[This article also appears in Active Transportation Alliance’s Mode Shift newsletter.]
A cozy brewpub serving house-made craft beer and hearty fare can be the cornerstone of a thriving retail district, and a magnet for out-of-towners seeking memorable drinks and eats. That’s especially true when the brewery is located a short walk from, or even right next door to, a commuter rail station. Chicagoland is fortunate to have a growing number of snug brewpubs a stone’s throw from Metra stops, making them ideal destinations for a car-free suburban safari. Here’s a guide to some of the best ones, including feedback from the staff about why brewpubs and transit go together like beer and pretzels.
Continue reading Commuter ales: take a car-free road trip to these Metra-friendly brewpubs