Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about Metra

Transit-Oriented Development Around Metra Isn’t Always About “Density”

By Steven Vance | Mar 21, 2014 | 24 Comments

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development wants to dispel the notion that “transit-oriented development” only means high-rises. The agency will host two public meetings to gather ideas from residents who live near the city’s 77 Metra stations on the kinds of development and station changes they’d like to see in their neighborhoods. The meetings are part […]

A Clearer, More Concise Regional Transit Proposal From Senator Biss

By Steven Vance | Mar 20, 2014 | 23 Comments

At least one Illinois legislator supports a unified transit agency, even though RTA board chairman John Gates and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel have declared their opposition. Senator Daniel Biss (D-9th, Evanston, Glenview) published a proposal [PDF] back in November, saying “the CTA, Metra, and Pace should combine into a single new Regional Transit Authority.” That was […]

South Shore Residents Resist Demolition of Walkable Retail Block

By Steven Vance | Mar 20, 2014 | 36 Comments

South Shore residents have launched a campaign to rescue their neighborhood’s walkable retail core. Reclaiming South Shore for All, together with The Planning Coalition (representing over 70 neighborhood groups and block clubs), is urging developers to retain a block of buildings at the busy transit junction of 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard rather than allowing them […]

RTA Downplays Effect of Service Cuts and Fare Hikes on Stagnant Ridership

By Steven Vance | Feb 28, 2014 | 34 Comments

In a new report [PDF], the Regional Transportation Authority blames weak ridership growth from 2008 to 2012 primarily on economic factors, glossing over the impact of fare hikes and service cuts. During the period covered by the report, CTA ridership grew 3.7 percent, while Metra ridership and Pace ridership each shrank by 6.3 percent. With every CTA […]

New Metra CEO Drives to Work Because the Train’s Too Infrequent

By Steven Vance | Feb 10, 2014 | 26 Comments

The Metra board recently confirmed Don Orseno as the permanent executive director following his stint as interim chief after Alex Clifford resigned last year. After the confirmation, the Tribune reported that Orseno, a decades-long railroad and Metra employee who lives in Manhattan, a far southwest suburb, said that he has to drive to work because the […]

Controlling Trains Will Save Lives, Reducing Car Speeds Will Save Many More

By Steven Vance | Dec 4, 2013 | 7 Comments

After the fatal Metro-North commuter rail crash in the Bronx this weekend, yesterday the Chicago Tribune published an informative article about Positive Train Control for Metra. PTC is a technology that can slow or stop a train when the engineer is incapable of operating it, not paying attention, or when something else goes wrong. After a commuter […]

Amtrak’s Boarding Procedure Brings the Stress of Airports to Trains

By Steven Vance | Dec 2, 2013 | 59 Comments

While intercity and long-distance train travel is on the rise in the United States, Amtrak could still do a lot more to improve the customer experience and boost ridership further. I’m new to using Amtrak, having only ridden it three times in my life, but I have experience riding European intercity and cross-continent trains. Last […]

Mariano’s Contractor Builds Temporary Walkway For Metra Commuters

By Steven Vance | Nov 11, 2013 | 6 Comments

After Streetsblog reported on Leopardo Construction’s poor pedestrian accommodations during construction on Lawrence Avenue next to the Ravenswood station, where the contractor is building a Mariano’s grocery store, a company representative wrote to say that building a temporary walkway in the road wasn’t feasible. Soon after, however, a temporary walkway was added. Leopardo safety director Jim McInerney […]

Eyes on the Street: Mariano’s Contractor Creates Pedestrian Hazard

By Steven Vance | Nov 7, 2013 | 15 Comments

Each day, 2,000 people use the Ravenswood Metra station, according to riderships statistics, and hundreds of these passengers are being inconvenienced and endangered because of a construction project — but they don’t need to be. Since October 24, during the evening rush when trains run most frequently, hundreds of passengers disembark the UP-North line at […]

Metra and Pace Maintain Support for Illiana at the Expense of Transit

By Steven Vance | Oct 18, 2013 | 20 Comments

Yesterday, 11 members of the Metropolitan Planning Organization policy committee, including Metra and Pace, voted to add the Illiana Tollway to the GO TO 2040 regional plan. This enables the Illinois DOT and Indiana DOT to move forward with the project approvals necessary to receive federal funds. It also sets the stage for huge sums to […]

Will Transit Reps Repeat Their Misguided Support for the Illiana Tomorrow?

By Steven Vance | Oct 16, 2013 | 9 Comments

Funding for major Chicagoland transit projects will be at stake tomorrow, when regional representatives convened by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning vote on whether to move forward with the Illiana Tollway. Even though approving the Illiana will jeopardize CTA and Metra improvements by adding competition for the same pot of funds, all four Chicagoland […]

Metra Headaches Continue While Quinn Forms Committee to Reform Transit

By Steven Vance | Aug 16, 2013 | 29 Comments

A fifth Metra board member gave up his post Thursday after the Chicago Tribune wrote that Stanley Rakestraw no longer lived in suburban Cook County – as required – and the person who appointed him, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, asked him to tender resignation. Board members are resigning after allegations of double dipping (for […]

Load more stories