These articles here are reprinted from various sources, including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, internal CTA® publications and other reputable sources. They are arranged with the newest article at the top, then going back chronologically from date of original publication. The articles here taken directly from published sources are acknowledged in the article and are reproduced here for informational purposes only.

Blue-Green Line Link Considered

Date of Publication: July 19, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

CTA Cermak-branch Cuts Hit

Date of Publication: July 20, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

West Siders Demand Blue Line on Weekends

Date of Publication: July 20, 2004
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® is studying new rail service--tentatively called the Silver Line--linking the Blue and Green Lines in neighborhoods near downtown and forming the first piece of the ambitious Circle Line concept. But residents of the West Side who have long sought better transit in their communities say they fear that the proposed Silver Line would prompt further service reductions on the Cermak branch of the Blue Line, where train schedules were cut in 1997 and have not been restored. However, CTA^® President Frank Kruesi said there would be "serious reductions" on all rail lines next year unless state legislators boost funding.

How to avoid eye contact? CTA tests new L seating

Date of Publication: May 16, 2004
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

In May 2004, the CTA^® rolled out a new configuration for its "L" cars, including New York-style seats that face into the rail cars and hanging fabric straps for passengers to get a grip. If they're a hit, the agency could use the configuration on the more than 300 new cars it plans to buy in the coming years, CTA^® President Frank Kruesi said.

Brown Line Set to Get $530 Million Renovation

Date of Publication: April 14, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

On April 13, 2004, CTA^® officials, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Mayor Richard Daley, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), U.S. Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-Ill.) and other elected officials celebrated the federal government's Full Funding Grant Agreement to pay for almost 80 percent of the Brown Line renovation. Grants from Washington will total $423.1 million. The rest of the money will come from the Regional Transit Authority, $56 million; the Illinois Department of Transportation, $49.7 million; and the CTA^®, $1 million.

Revamped Kedzie Stop Welcomes First Riders

Date of Publication: March 30, 2004
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

At its peak in 1945, the Blue Line's Kedzie L station in North Lawndale processed more than 939,000 passengers -- more than 26 times the 35,000-some people who got on trains there last year. But on March 29, 2004 -- after unveiling a revamped Kedzie station that underwent $15 million in improvements -- CTA^® President Kruesi vowed to return the stop and the rest of the Blue Line's long-neglected Cermak-Douglas Branch to its glory days.

CTA Taking the Next Step to Have Plastic Pay Way

Date of Publication: January 16, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

New CTA Fare Card May Someday Work on Metra, Too

Date of Publication: January 16, 2004
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

New CTA Card Reloads on Credit

Date of Publication: January 15, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

Starting January 19, 2004, "L" riders were able to use the Chicago Card Plus^TM, which works as either a 30-day or a pay-per-use pass. Like the current Chicago Card^TM, the new card can be swiped across a fare box or turnstile, rather than inserted into a fare collection machine. A demonstration was held at a press conference on January 15 using a CTA^® fare box at the agency's headquarters.

Skokie Swift Extension Gets Backing of Mayor

Date of Publication: January 8, 2004
Source: Skokie Review

The Skokie Swift extension proposal was enthusiastically backed by Mayor George Van Dusen in 2003 from two teams -- Parsons Brinkerhoff Quade and Douglas and the Chicago Area Transportation Study -- who reviewed the concept in two separate transit studies, though some in the community living near the proposed right-of-way still opposed it.

Next Stop: History

Date of Publication: January 6, 2004
Source: Chicago Tribune

In 2002, CTA^® car 6719 was a nearly half-century-old relic sitting on the scrap line at Skokie yards awaiting reduction to a $1,200 pile of junk metal. Instead, it now sits in a place of honor at the Smithsonian Institution as a symbol of an important part of American history -- one of the centerpieces of a huge new permanent exhibition hall. How this came about can be explained in just two words: Bonnie Lilienfeld.

Santa express delights kids -- commuters, too

Date of Publication: December 22, 2003
Source: Chicago Sun-Times \ Associated Press

Santa is just one of the features of the Chicago Transit Authority's Holiday Train, which zips through the city's subway tunnels and on top of its elevated tracks this time of year, surprising commuters and delighting youngsters each holiday season.

Stop and go on the Skokie Swift?

Date of Publication: November 17, 2003
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

If two north suburbs have their way, two or more stations could open along the Yellow Line, with or without an already-proposed extension to the Old Orchard. A study commissioned by the Village of Skokie recommends establishing a stop at Oakton Street, while the City of Evanston wants a stop created at Dodge Avenue, and a study about to get under way will determine whether there's demand there and elsewhere.

Blue Line beauty in eye of buffs

Date of Publication: October 27, 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune

Chicago-L.org's 5th Annual Historic "L" Station Tour, conducted on October 26, 2003 on a four-car charter train, focused on the oft-overlooked subtleties of Blue Line station design.

 

Editor's Note: This article, all about the Historic "L" Station Tours, mentions and quotes this site and its administrator!

Swift Line Extension Draws Input

Date of Publication: July 3, 2003
Source: Skokie Review

About 50 Skokie residents attended a public hearing to learn more about a proposal to expand the Skokie Swift line to Old Orchard and to add a station at Oakton, a project that could cost more than $300 million and take well over a decade to complete, according to a consultant hired by the Village of Skokie.

Loop Dreams

Date of Publication: June 2, 2003
Source: Crain's Chicago Business

When private developers built Chicago's first elevated rail lines in the late 19th century, their strategy was simple: Run the routes where the most people live. Their creation also put Chicago in the league of the world's great metropolises, but the "L" is more than a photogenic scene-setter: Although there were years when steep ridership declines and serious deterioration of the infrastructure might have given that impression, today, the CTA is in rebound mode, with some of the most ambitious expansion plans for the transit system since its first route was opened in 1892.

CTA Straightens Out System

Date of Publication: May 20, 2003
Source: Medill News Service

In the interest of progress, the CTA^® is straightening out one of the tightest knots in the system, the 90 degree Harrison Curve. The conversion, which was activated over Memorial Day weekend, allows trains to enter the loop at 35 mph instead of slowing to 10 mph to safely make the turns. The project will reduce noise, allow more trains to enter the Loop every hour and shorten the commute for 58,000 South Side residents.

 

Editor's Note: This site and its administrator are mentioned and quoted in this article!

 

CTA riders should be feeling less of a jolt

Date of Publication: May 16, 2003
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® plans to start buying trains with AC technology, which is increasingly used at transit systems. The conversion from DC will come incrementally as rail cars are replaced and CTA^® officials said the switch-over will have practical benefits for riders, including smooth acceleration and braking. Officials also claim maintenance and power costs will be lowered.

Mayors Back Metra Rail Plan

Date of Publication: May 15, 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune

After six years of debating mass transit options, a consortium of northwest suburban mayors endorsed Metra's proposed STAR line Wednesday as the way to usher suburb-to-suburb commuting into the 21st Century. Northwest municipal leaders announced their unanimous preference for STAR line over proposals from the CTA^® and Pace.

Still on Board

Date of Publication: January 26, 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune

In late January 1963, a Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad train made the final run along the 90-mile line from Chicago to Milwaukee. Now, on the 40th anniversary of that abandonment, the line is remembered in a number of ways. In mid-January, the nearly 80-year-old Skokie Terminal (formerly known as the Niles Center) near the Yellow Line Dempster stop was moved 120 feet to the east. Renovation work on the 4,000-square-foot structure also was slated to begin.

Neighbors Criticize Fullerton "L" Plan

Date of Publication: January 24, 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune

Neighbors and community groups vented frustration at a meeting over a proposed redesign of one of the Chicago Transit Authority's busiest rail stations, complaining their concerns about the project have been ignored. The meeting, focusing on the redesign of the Fullerton station in Lincoln Park, was the seventh forum the CTA^® has held this month to inform communities about the coming rehab of 18 stations as part of the Brown Line reconstruction.

Brown Line to Get Open, Airy L Stations

Date of Publication: January 9, 2003
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Canopies over L platforms will be wider, transparent in parts and, after dark, illuminated dimly. The first-floor interior of stations will be "wide open" and visible from the street to improve safety. Elevated portions of the Fullerton and Belmont stops will include glass-block floors that allow sunlight onto the pavement below, while many other platforms will have wooden floors. Those are among the highlights in the CTA's^® near-final designs for the Brown Line, an aging but busy route that starting this year will be overhauled as part of a $476 million project.

Smithsonian Raises 'L' to New Level

Date of Publication: January 9, 2003
Source: Chicago Tribune

The Smithsonian is currently working on a new "permanent transportation exhibition called "America On the Move", to open in November at the National Museum of American History. The exhibit will feature a section on 1950s transportation in Chicago, including authentic and reproduction elements from the CTA^® elevated system.

Skokie Restores '20s Rail Station

Date of Publication: November 27, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

To save a piece of its history, Skokie is restoring the Dempster Station, a train building that captures both the influence of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and the popular bungalow style that swept Chicago in the 1920s. The building at Dempster Street and Bronx Avenue should be open for retail occupancy by spring or early summer.

Airport Shortcut Gets a Boost

Date of Publication: November 24, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

One of the most ambitious mass-transit projects in decades, providing efficient travel from the Northwest Side to the Southwest Side, has moved up on the agenda, with Chicago officials planning to acquire needed land. The proposal is called the Mid-City Transitway and Chicago officials want to buy property -- mostly idle railroad land -- to preserve the corridor for a rail or bus network.

Daley Goes Down Crosstown Road

Date of Publication: November 4, 2002
Source: Crain's Chicago Business

City Hall is revisiting one of the legendary battles in recent Chicago political history, commissioning a pair of outside studies to help it decide how to improve transportation in the so-called Crosstown Corridor adjacent to Cicero Avenue. Under consideration by planners is everything from an "L"^TM line linking O'Hare and Midway airports to a truck-and-bus-only highway.

Howard El Plans Unveiled by CTA

Date of Publication: October 18, 2002
Source: Daily Northwestern

Plans to overhaul the Howard Street El station are one-third complete, according to CTA^®. The use of clear elevators and large windows in the design of the new three-story main station should increase visibility and lessen the potential for crime, but the residents at the meeting said those measures might not be enough.

Station Entrance Closes, Project Work Gears Up

Date of Publication: October 17, 2002
Source: Skokie Review

Skokie closed the Dempster Street entrance to the Skokie Swift station's south parking lot Wednesday, as work on the station complex's Operation Green Light Project -- and eastward relocation of the historic train station there -- gears up.

Surprise CTA Detour

Date of Publication: October 4, 2002
Source: Daily Herald

A new CTA^® proposal to extend the Blue Line train to Schaumburg would send trains through O'Hare International Airport and DuPage County, marking a surprise deviation from previously discussed routes. The new proposal is one of two CTA^® options, both of which would tunnel under O'Hare to link with a proposed western airport terminal.

Landmarks Group Fears Brown Line Remodeling

Date of Publication: September 13, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Transit Authority's renovation of the Ravenswood/Brown Line may leave few of the quirky historical details that add to the character of the elevated line's platforms, a leading Illinois landmarks advocacy group warns in a report to be released Friday. But the CTA^® counters that it is working with state and federal preservation agencies on plans for the rehab.

CTA to Seek Federal Funds to Build 'Super Loop' Line

Date of Publication: September 12, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Illustrating how serious the CTA^® is about building a "super Loop" rail line that wasn't even conceived until last year, the agency's president said Wednesday that coveted federal "New Start" dollars will be pursued for the Circle Line project.

CTA plans to fix its own 'strangler'

Date of Publication: August 5, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

There is a mass transit equivalent of the Hillside Strangler traffic bottleneck, and CTA^® riders on the Red, Brown and Purple/Evanston Express rail lines travel through it in slow-motion each day. Like the Strangler, this rail choke-point is going to get a remake. The tie-ups occur at Clark Junction. It is the busiest CTA^® rail crossing on a 24-hour basis, serving 876 trains each weekday.

Village OKs Swift Expansion Study

Date of Publication: July 18, 2002
Source: Skokie Review

One key proposal submitted to the CATS 2030 Share the Path plan is extension of the Chicago Transit Authority's Skokie Swift el line, but Skokie and CTA^® officials hope trains will be rolling north of Dempster Street long before 2030.

Brown Line Work Won't Start Until '03, CTA Says

Date of Publication: July 17, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Major renovations that were supposed to begin this year on the bustling but aging Brown Line L probably won't start until 2003, the CTA^® is acknowledging. And the preservation battle at the root of the delay has pushed the transit agency nervously close to a deadline for federal funding.

The Voice That Moves Millions

Date of Publication: April 24, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

You hear his voice every time you step on a CTA^® train. You just don't know him by name. So who is this anonymous announcer, this automated mensch of mass transit? Learn all about "CTA Guy"...

City's Big Idea: 2nd Transit Loop

Date of Publication: April 22, 2002
Source: Crain's Chicago Business

City Hall is mapping plans for a "massive upgrade" of the downtown public transportation system, one that would add a new subway line, underground busways and other improvements to serve hundreds of thousands of new jobs expected to be added in the Loop in the next two decades. The transit proposal calls for the city to construct a new loop formed by building a mile-long subway under Clinton Street, connecting to the existing Blue Line subway at two points.

CTA Line Goes from Rickety to Robust in 45 Hours

Date of Publication: April 22, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

An Overview Piece About the Douglas Rehab Project: Each weekend, work crews race the clock, tearing down the rusted, century-old structure holding up the elevated tracks on the branch, then rebuilding the line a couple of feet at a time to get the tracks reopened before the Monday rush.

Daley likes L proposal, would help find funds

Date of Publication: March 12, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Mayor Daley was vague on how a new circular rail line proposed by the CTA^® would be financed but said he's willing to put his lobbying muscle behind the search for funds. Local transit, planning and government officials said they were intrigued by the idea of a new "L"^TM line but expressed concern about, among other things, where the money would come from.

CTA floats Circle Line plan

Date of Publication: March 11, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® is planning another "Loop," a billion-dollar-plus circular rail line that would connect to existing "L"^TM and Metra routes while winding through Chicago's downtown, and neighborhoods as far away as several miles. The "Circle Line" would include 6.6 miles of new subway and elevated track, and another 6 or so miles of existing track. The route would cut through downtown and go as far south as Bridgeport, as far north as Old Town and as far west as the United Center. It would link with every L line except the Skokie Swift and, if Metra agreed to the CTA's^® concept, all Metra lines.

Village OKs Swift Expansion Study

Date of Publication: February 21, 2002
Source: Skokie Review

Skokie moved ahead on its quest to extend the Skokie Swift line, hiring a consultant to study the idea. The feasibility study's results could be used by village officials to help convince state and federal authorities to invest in more Swift track and stations. Trustees unanimously agreed to award Chicago-based consultant Parsons Brinkerhoff/DLK up to $160,000 to complete a study of the Chicago Transit Authority line. It's expected to take a year to complete.

'L' Station Gets a Look Perfect for Chinatown

Date of Publication: January 31, 2002
Source: Chicago Tribune

A ceremony welcomed the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce as the 27th participant in the CTA's^® Adopt-A-Station program, which lets groups or individuals rehab one of the CTA's^® 144 "L"^TM stations to reflect the surrounding neighborhood's history and diversity.

Green Line's Cermak Stop May be Rebuilt

Date of Publication: January 29, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The Green Line's Cermak "L"^TM station was torn down in 1978, a year after being shuttered so the cash-strapped CTA^® could save money. With the financial picture much rosier, and new houses booming in Chinatown and the South Loop, the agency may re-establish the stop.

 

Swift Extension Eyed; Lines Coming Down

Date of Publication: January 24, 2002
Source: Skokie Review

Skokie plans to hire next month a consultant to study feasibility of extending the Skokie Swift transit line to Old Orchard Center and adding an Oakton Street station. Plans by the CTA^® to rid the Swift of its overhead power lines should ultimately make it easier to extend the line.

Neighbors Fear CTA Project

Date of Publication: January 17, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Homes, restaurants, taverns and at least one church property -- nearly 100 private parcels of land -- stand in the way of the CTA's^® $540 million renovation of the Brown Line. The CTA^® says most Brown Line riders will welcome the project because it will bring relief to crowded trains and platforms, but few people whose land is being eyed by the agency are looking forward to the work ahead.

Red Line to Get Major Rehab

Date of Publication: January 15, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The Red Line's Dan Ryan branch will undergo a $238 million renovation next year to refurbish its notoriously dingy stations and improve the flow of electricity through the third rail, which should speed trains.

Skokie Swift High-Wire Act Ending

Date of Publication: January 15, 2002
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The overhead wires on the Skokie Swift -- a throwback to the trolley and streetcar era -- will be taken down this summer and replaced with a third rail that powers the CTA's^® other train lines.

RTA transit card plan will have to wait

Date of Publication: October 30, 2001
Source: Chicago Tribune

Universal fare card unpopular

Date of Publication: October 30, 2001
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The head of the Regional Transportation Authority on Monday said the area's three transit systems cannot do much to improve coordination between bus and train operations or provide riders with a universal fare system because the recent terrorist attacks have caused a decline in sales-tax collections while forcing the agencies to spend more money on security.

Reconstruction Begins on CTA Blue Line Branch

Date of Publication: September 10, 2001
Source: Chicago Tribune

Rehab of Douglas L to Start, at Long Last

Date of Publication: September 10, 2001
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The four-year, $482 million reconstruction of the 100-year-old elevated line kicked off with CTA^® Chairman Valerie B. Jarrett and President Frank Kruesi led a ceremonial groundbreaking at the line's Pulaski station.

"L" rehab ready to roll

Date of Publication: July 10, 2001
Source: Chicago Tribune

On July 11, 2001, the CTA^® board is expected to award a contract to the joint venture of Kiewit Construction Co. of Omaha and Delgado Erectors Inc. of south suburban Lansing as the Douglas project's principal contractor. Hoping to avoid the same mistakes it made during the Green Line rail renovation almost a decade ago, the Chicago Transit Authority on Wednesday plans to put the final pieces in place to begin the rehabilitation of the 105-year-old Douglas branch of the Blue Line.

CTA gives its newest 'L' stop bit of past

Date of Publication: June 28, 2001
Source: Chicago Tribune

New L station blossoms on Green Line

Date of Publication: June 28, 2001
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

On Saturday, June 28, 2001, the CTA^® opened a new elevated station using a relocated, historic building. The Conservatory-Central Park Drive stop on the Green Line is part of a wider attempt by the City of Chicago to help spur redevelopment of the surrounding East and West Garfield Park, two neighborhoods that have suffered for decades from lack of investment, high crime and a loss of population.

Chicago is Spelled With an ''L''

Date of Publication: April 18, 2001
Source: Baltimore Sun

Just one station, Garfield, remains from the SSRT's extension to the 1893 World's Fair. To protect this final link to the "L"'s^TM beginnings and the oldest station on the system, the city is considering declaring the station a historic landmark, protecting it from potential demolition.

 

Editor's Note: This site and its administrator are mentioned and quoted in this article!

Vandals, Thieves Stop Museum in Its Tracks

Date of Publication: April 18, 2001
Source: Chicago Tribune

At the Illinois Railway Museum, a recent rash of vandalism of former-CTA^® "L"^TM cars and thefts of valuable artifacts has brought some museum unwanted attention and unnecessary hardship as the museum's volunteers try to provide a quality museum environment.

Red Line delayed most often, Yellow least

Date of Publication: January 15, 2001
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

A Sun-Times study and analysis found that, among other facts, the CTA's^® busiest rail route, the Red Line, also is its most delay-prone, while the Skokie Swift adheres best to posted schedules. Last year, 97% of all "L"^TM trains arrived within three minutes of schedule, CTA^® figures show.

Landmark Status Likely for "L" Stop on South Side

Date of Publication: December 13, 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune

Oldest L Stop Vies for Landmark

Date of Publication: December 13, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The South Side station at Garfield Boulevard on the Green Line likely will receive preliminary landmark status from a city advisory commission. The station and its overpass were part of Chicago's original "Alley 'L'", the beginnings of which were built in 1892. It is one of the oldest--perhaps the oldest--intact public transit stations in the country, according to a report by the city's Commission on Landmarks.

Blue Line Plans Inch Forward

Date of Publication: September 11, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® plans to submit formal designs for station and track improvements on the Douglas branch to the Federal Transit Administration as part of the application process for funding. The federal government has virtually assured the CTA^® that it will get $320 million under the New Start program to rebuild the dilapidated, century-old West Side branch. But before the CTA^® can get the cash, it must fulfill certain requirements of what is called a "full funding grant agreement." Submitting designs is one of the final steps.

Swift End Could be Near for Historic Skokie Depot

Date of Publication: July 19, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The original Skokie "L"^TM station will be demolished unless someone agrees to move the 75-year-old building, championed by preservationists as an architectural gem and part of Skokie's fabric, after Skokie's Village Board voted Monday night to tear down the old station.

Brown Line Will Extend Loop Weekend Service

Date of Publication: May 4, 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune

Brown Line will increase weekend service to Loop

Date of Publication: May 4, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

In one of several moves that transit officials say will pay for itself because of strong gains in ridership, the CTA^® board on Wednesday voted to restore weekend service on the Brown Line to the Loop, effective July 16. In addition, 14 rail stations that now are open only part time will be open to passengers 24 hours a day, several express bus routes will have their hours extended, and bikes are welcome back on the "L"^TM.

Blue Line rehab, Metra extension get federal push

Date of Publication: March 18, 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune

Federal officials on Friday "highly recommended" full-funding grants in next year's budget for the Chicago Transit Authority's planned rebuilding of the Blue Line's Douglas branch and for an 11-mile extension of Metra's SouthWest Service to Will County.

CTA Board votes to pay $4 million more for security

Date of Publication: February 9, 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune

The cost of private security guards on the city's public transit system has ballooned by more than $4 million, putting pressure Monday on CTA^® officials to walk the line between controlling expenses and ensuring that security hasn't suffered despite a series of violent crimes this year.

 

News of the higher costs came at a meeting Monday in which the CTA^® also announced that it will eliminate conductors from subway trains on March 27 to save $2 million a year.

Muffled CTA message nears end of the line

Date of Publication: February 9, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Those muffled, often-incoherent announcements that purportedly inform CTA^® riders of approaching stops are gradually being replaced by automated messages.

Federal Funds Prompt CTA To Speed Up

Date of Publication: February 8, 2000
Source: Chicago Tribune

CTA^® officials promised to put the transit agency's two high-priority rail projects - the Douglas Line Renovation and the Ravenswood Expansion Project - on a fast-track construction schedule after the release Monday of the Clinton administration's spending blueprint for 2001.

CTA expands security after attacks

Date of Publication: February 8, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® will install security cameras on select train platforms and stairwells, and private security guards who now protect fare card machines will start patrolling L stations in response to recent attacks on riders, officials said Monday.

Douglas Blue Line to get major overhaul

Date of Publication: February 4, 2000
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The decrepit Douglas Branch of the Blue Line would receive a major overhaul under a $315 million deal to be announced in Chicago today.

CTA to take the preventive route

Date of Publication: October 15, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

A Cool Way to Travel

Date of Publication: October 15, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® has presented a 2000 budget that maps out ways to remedy the system's state-of-repair with the help of nearly $400 million in additional state and federal funding. In addition to basic improvements, ranging from new rail cars to air conditioning on all buses to keeping stations cleaner, a key element of the CTA's^® rebuilding effort focuses on repairing equipment before it breaks down and strands passengers.

CTA's new line cut from different cloth

Date of Publication: October 8, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

CTA's new line a real put-on

Date of Publication: October 8, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® unveiled a variety of CTA-themed items as part of its new Gift Express retail program. High-quality cufflinks, key chains, and tie tacs are all available for transit admirers. Other featured items include system map ties and t-shirts, a selection of Transit Card holders, and CTA-patterned office supplies.

Free Rail Transfers To Be Transferred to CTA Transit Cards

Date of Publication: October 4, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

The machines that provide free rail transfers to riders at the busy State/Lake elevated station and Lake-Randolph subway station downtown will soon go the way of the CTA^® fare token. Passengers using a transit card will still get a free transfer by simply inserting their card in the machine. Those riders who will lose out will be the folks who continue paying their fares with cash.

City Gets Short End of Transit Aid Stick

Date of Publication: October 1, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

Funding plan ignores city, aids Metra

Date of Publication: October 4, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The transportation spending package approved September 30th by House and Senate negotiators offered the Chicago Transit Authority $7 million for the Douglas and Ravenswood rail projects, disappointing members of the state's congressional delegation who said the amount fell far short of what is needed.

CTA won't raise fares in 2000

Date of Publication: September 28, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® will hold the line on fares next year in hopes of building on two straight years of ridership gains that reversed a 15-year customer exodus, Board Chairman Valerie Jarrett said.

Tour Gives Riders "L" of a Good Time

Date of Publication: September 22, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

An article about an inquiring group that set out for seven hours aboard the "L," an outing set up by Concordia University, in River Forest, as part of an adult education program for people who wanted to heighten their sense of community by exploring it.

Get ready for winter, panel warns CTA

Date of Publication: August 31, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

According to a report by the Washington-based trade group American Public Transit Association, the CTA^® should streamline its winter emergency plan and speed up a rehab project on half of its 2600-series rail cars to avoid a repeat of the sort of mechanical and communication breakdowns that crippled the CTA^® during January's blizzard.

CTA's ridership surges

Date of Publication: June 17, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

CTA^® ridership is up 10 million in less than two years as college students and other mass-transit bargain shoppers fuel a growth rate that hasn't been seen in years, officials said Wednesday.

 

And the pace of improvement is accelerating.

Senators Ride On Not So Fine Douglas Line

Date of Publication: June 8, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) and U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), who is a member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, got a firsthand look Monday morning at the deteriorating Douglas branch of the Blue Line and the efforts being made to keep it accessible.

Ryan plan is only way to avoid cuts, CTA chief warns

Date of Publication: May 12, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

More and deeper service cuts for city and suburban CTA^® riders are "impossible to avoid" if state legislators fail to pass Gov. Ryan's transportation funding package, president Frank Kruesi warned Tuesday.

CTA Allows Bicyclists to Ride "L" During Test

Date of Publication: May 10, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® will decide in the next few weeks whether to operate a summer pilot project allowing riders to bring bicycles onto city train lines on weekends after bicyclists rode the rails for the first time as 12 volunteers from the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation participated in a test with the CTA^® to look for potential problems.

Blue Line would remain open

Date of Publication: May 6, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The Douglas Blue Line will be rebuilt--and will be kept open during construction to avoid ridership losses--thanks to Gov. Ryan's massive public works project.

City, suburbs seek $7 billion for transit

Date of Publication: April 30, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Worried that the state will again fail to provide adequate transportation funding, city and suburban officials Thursday stood near a crumbling Metra railroad bridge in Morton Grove to dramatize their demand for at least $7 billion in state money for roads and mass transit.

CTA shows legislators why "L" needs repairs

Date of Publication: April 20, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

In a serious show of support for rehabbing the "L"^TM, Kruesi, Jarrett and other CTA^® officials led a delegation of state lawmakers on a tour of the dilapidated transit system to lobby for state appropriations.

End of the line for Douglas "L"?

Date of Publication: April 7, 1999
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® has released a report stating that the Douglas Line can not be rehabbed like the Green Line but rather must be rebuilt from the ground up or abandoned and demolished within the next five years. Federal and local money is lined up, but the state is wavering and if appropriations don't come in the Spring session, it'll lose its chance...

Hispanic Officials Press State to Help Save Douglas "L"

Date of Publication: March 31, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

A group of local Latino politicians called on state legislators to allocate state funds needed to match federal funds for repairs to the Douglas branch of the Blue Line in an attempt to keep this vital transportation link open.

Communities wage battle to keep Douglas "L" open

Date of Publication: March 23, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

Citizens groups in Pilsen, Little Village and Lawndale - neighborhoods along the Douglas branch of the Blue Line - are challenging the CTA's^® statement that it will have to close the Douglas Line if state funds are not forthcoming to repair it, charging racial discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

Boost for Orange Line Riders

Date of Publication: February 18, 1999
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® said that it will add about 600 parking spaces near two rail stations, Cicero and Kedzie, on the Orange/Midway Airport Line--and run longer trains--to make it easier for Southwest Side and nearby suburban motorists to ride the "L"^TM during the reconstruction of the Stevenson Expressway.

 

Editor's Note: The CTA^® recently said they will not be adding the spaces at Cicero due to difficulty obtaining sufficient space.

Track connects L's past

Date of Publication: November 27, 1998
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

A nice piece about the history and current status of the Paulina Connector, a stretch of old "L"^TM track, formally part of the Logan Square Line, that now serves as the only connection between the Blue Line and the rest of the system, used for non-revenue train movements.

 

Thanks to John F. Kuczaj for contributing this article.

Instead of Cutting Back, CTA Adds to Its Service

Date of Publication: November 13, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

After more than a year of service cuts that affected thousands of riders, the CTA^® has announced Brown Line trains soon will run until midnight and service will be improved on about a dozen bus routes.

Remember to Check Expiration Dates on CTA Transit Cards--Really

Column: Getting Around
Date of Publication: October 12, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

This edition of the regular Chicago Tribune column "Getting Around" covers the problems cropping up with the expiration dates on many Transit Cards, as well as the beginning of the deep cleaning project on the Dearborn Street Subway.

Not just president, he's also a client

Column: Getting Around
Date of Publication: September 21, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

A wonderful fluff piece about how President Frank Kruesi is a man of the people. He rides the "L"^TM to work every day, he picks up trash at "L"^TM stations, he chases unauthorized vendors off buses... and still has time to run the CTA^®!

CTA Plans Super "L" Station for Loop

Date of Publication: September 11, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

CTA^® plans to demolish the historic stations at State/Lake, Randolph/Wabash and Madison/Wabash and construct a "super station" at Randolph, requiring reconstruction of the Loop structure from Lake to Washington.

CTA Approves Contract for Design of Cermak Branch Blue Line Renovation

Date of Publication: August 25, 1998
Source: Chicago Transit Authority web site

On August 5th, the CTA^® approved a contract to rebuild part of the Cermak (aka Douglas) Line using Federal TEA-21 funds. Besides redoing the tracks, new stations are scheduled to be built at Kildare and 54/Cermak.

CTA prepares to reopen 7 entrances at rail stops

Date of Publication: August 7, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® will reopen seven auxiliary entrances and exits to various "L"^TM stations closed several decades ago due to high costs and crime. Some will reopen by September, 1998, others will follow.

CTA to build West Side 'L' station

Date of Publication: June 3, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

W. Siders protest plan to rebuild CTA station

Date of Publication: June 3, 1998
Source: Chicago Sun-Times

The CTA^® has unveiled a plan to dismantle the historic 1893 Homan Avenue elevated station on the Lake Street Line and reassemble its outer shell two blocks west at Central Park Avenue, where there is no bus service, to serve the Garfield Park Conservatory. The first article is from the Chicago Tribune, the second from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Late deal swings funds for CTA line, Stevenson

Date of Publication: May 23, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

Despite a deep cut in federal transit assistance, several critical Chicago-area projects received major federal funding from a $204 billion transportation package Congress passed May 22, including the projected $420 million cost of rehabilitating the Douglas branch of the Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line. Other projects include lengthening of Ravenswood platforms and reconstruction of the Stevenson Expressway.

RTA Backs Corridor Study Plan

Date of Publication: May 6, 1998
Source: Chicago Tribune

The RTA has decided to help finance and conduct a feasibility study for extending the Blue Line north from O'Hare International Airport to Woodfield Shopping Center.

The Red Line Gets a Shine

Date of Publication: Spring, 1998
Source: Chicago Transit Authority web site

The CTA^® has invested in new power cleaning equipment and has begun a comprehensive scrubbing of the entire "L"^TM system, beginning with the Red Line State Street subway.

CTA Board Backs Demolition of Green Line Woodlawn Leg

Date of Publication: June 6, 1996
Source: Chicago Tribune

After debating and procrastinating since 1995, the CTA^® quietly and covertly reached its decision September 27, 1997 on the fate of the Woodlawn section of the Green Line, which has been closed since 1994 when the Green Line was rehabilitated. The line has been razed from Cottage Grove to Dorchester, with mixed reactions.

Razing 'L' Would Hurt Woodlawn

Date of Publication: May 8, 1996
Source: Chicago Tribune

A great letter that argues not only is "L"^TM not the reason for Woodlawn's blight, but it could be an important tool for revitalization efforts. Unfortunately, the CTA^® didn't take this one to heart..

CTA Plans Skip-Stop Phaseout

Date of Publication: January 10, 1995
Source: Chicago Tribune

In 1995, the CTA^® abandoned the last remnants of the A/B skip stop express train stopping pattern that had first taken effect back in 1948.

2 New Stops Planned for Green Line

Date of Publication: May 7, 1994
Source: Chicago Tribune

During the Green Line rehabilitation, amid the controversy of station closings, CTA^® President Belcaster announced a plan to rebuild two stations: Laramie on the West Side Lake Line and Harvard on the South Side Englewood Branch. Unfortunately, the latter never got built.

Some in Woodlawn Favor Demolishing a Part of Jackson Park 'L'

Date of Publication: April 27, 1994
Source: Chicago Tribune

The first rumblings of what would later become a big controversy, when certain South Side community leaders suggest Woodlawn and East 63rd Street would be better off without the Jackson Park "L"^TM structure.

CTA to close some stations on Green Line

Date of Publication: December 24, 1993
Source: Chicago Tribune

Just before closing the Green Line, the CTA^® announced that not all of the stations would reopen when the line came back into service. Why? Part financial, and part, according the President Belcaster, because "some of these stations are within two blocks of each other. That's not a rapid transit system..." Um, are you sure?

Midway 'L' finally ready to roll

Date of Publication: October 31, 1993
Source: Chicago Tribune

Over fifty years after first being suggested and 13 years after the project began, the Midway (Orange) Line begins operation.

A colorful inspiration at the CTA

Date of Publication: September 25, 1992
Source: Chicago Tribune

To make the system more user-friendly, the CTA^® gave all of its line color designations.

CTA to Close Dilapidated Train Station

Date of Publication: October 16, 1987
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® wanted to close the Indiana Avenue station after finding it to be structurally deficient in a routine maintenance check.

CTA Throws 40th Birthday Bash, but Not Everyone is Celebrating

Column: About the Town
Date of Publication: October 6, 1987
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® threw a week-long 40th birthday bash in Daley Plaza, with a rally, fashion show of uniforms and displays of vintage vehicles. But not everyone was signing the CTA's^® praises...

Quincy-Wells Stop to Offer a Return Trip to the Past

Date of Publication: November 28, 1985
Source: Chicago Tribune

The CTA^® restored Quincy/Wells back to its original 1987 appearance--scraping off layers of old paint and putting on a new coat in the same shade of brown and installing light fixtures that imitate the original hardware, fancy stamped sheet metal and new versions of original oak doors and moldings--under a program costing more than $30 million.

3 Jackson 'L' stations open again

Date of Publication: December 13, 1982
Source: Chicago Tribune

The Jackson Park branch reopens after nine months, but a little shorter than before: instead of repairing the Dorchester Bridge, the CTA^® opted to simply close the line east of University. But, 63rd Street got a $72 million rehabilitation project as a consolation prize.

Bridge Faults Shut Part of S. Side 'L'

Date of Publication: March 5, 1982
Source: Chicago Tribune

Part of the Jackson Park rapid transit line, from the Stony Island terminal to 61st, was ordered closed by the Chicago Transit Authority because of a suspected structural defect in the Dorchester Bridge.

12 Dead in 'L' Crash

Date of Publication: February 5, 1977
Source: Chicago Tribune

• 180 are injured as 4 cars plunge to crowded street
• Loop tragedy was second major crash in 13 months
• Horror and relief for those whose train never came
• Wreck changes businesses into bloody hospitals

On February 4, 1977 the worst accident in "L"^TM history occurred at the sharp curve on the Loop elevated at Wabash Avenue and Lake Street when eleven people died (the headline's number was later revised) and over 180 were injured.

CTA Sign Language

Date of Publication: 1st Quarter, 1977
Source: CTA Quarterly

In 1977, the CTA^® embarked upon a project to replace all of the signage used on the elevated system as part of a federally-funded program. This article is reprinted from the CTA Quarterly magazine's 1st quarter, 1977 issue.

City's Traction Lines Merged for New Epoch

Date of Publication: October 1, 1947
Source: Chicago Daily Tribune

October 1, 1947, Chicagoans awoke to the Chicago Transit Authority, a new semiautonomous agency chartered to take over the privately-owned Chicago Surface Lines and Chicago Rapid Transit.