The Chicago "L" (short for "elevated") is a fast transit system that serves the city of Chicago and some of the surrounding areas in the state of Illinois, USA. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). It is the fourth largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of the total length of the route, at length of 102.8 miles (165.4 km), and the second busiest rail transit system in the United States, after the New York City Subway.
Chicago "L" provides 24-hour service on some parts of its network, being one of only five fast transit systems in the United States to do so. The oldest part of Chicago "L" began operating in 1892, making it the second oldest rapid transit system in America, after the New York City highway.
The "L" has been credited with fostering the core growth of a crowded city of Chicago that is one of the city's hallmarks. The "L" consists of eight fast transit lines laid out in the transit speech-focus hub paradigm to the Loop. Although the "L" gets its name because of the large part of the elevated system, part of the network is also in an underground tunnel, at the grade level, or open pieces.
By 2014, "L" has an average of 752,734 boarding passengers every working day, 486,267 every Saturday, and 359,777 every Sunday. In a 2005 poll, the Chicago Tribune read it as one of the "seven Chicago miracles", behind the lake and Wrigley Field, but in front of Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the Water Tower, the University of Chicago, and Museum of Science and Industry.
Video Chicago "L"
History
Pre-CTA era
The first "L", the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad, began service revenues on June 6, 1892, when the steam locomotive drew four wood coaches, carried over a few dozen people, left 39th Street station and arrived at the 14th Street Congressional Terminal then, above the track still used by the Green Line. Over the next year, the service expanded to 63rd Street and Stony Island Avenue, then the World Columbia Exposition Transport Building in Jackson Park.
In 1893, trains began operations on Lake Street Elevated Railroad and in 1895 on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated, which has lanes to Douglas Park, Garfield Park (since replaced), Humboldt Park (since destroyed), and Logan Square. Metropolitan is the first rapid transit non-exhibit system of the United States supported by electric traction motors, a technology whose practicality has been demonstrated in 1890 on the "intramural trains" at the World Fair held in Chicago. Two years later, the South Side "L" introduced a multi-unit control, in which the operator could control all motor cars on the train, not just the main unit. MU electrification and control remains the standard feature of most of the world's fastest transit systems.
The downside of the initial "L" service is that there are no channels entering the main business district. Instead the train drove passengers at a pioneer terminal on the outskirts because state legislation at that time required approval by neighboring property owners for tracks built on public roads, something not easily accessible in the city center. This constraint was overcome by the legendary tractionist Charles Tyson Yerkes, who later played an important role in the development of the London Underground, and which Theodore Dreiser perpetuated as the cruel criminal Frank Cowperwood at The Titan (1914) and the novel others. Yerkes, who controls most of the city's tram systems, obtains the necessary signatures through cash and trickery - at one point he gets the franchise to build "L" along the miles above Van Buren Street from Wabash Avenue to Halsted Street, extracting the majority required from the supple owner on the western part of the route, then build the path especially in the east, where the property owner opposes it. Union Loop was opened in 1897 and greatly enhanced the convenience of the rapid transit system. Operations at Yerkes owned by Northwestern Elevated, which built the North Side "L" line, began three years later, essentially completing high infrastructure in the city center even though extensions and branches continued to be built in remote areas throughout the 1920s.
After 1911, the "L" line came under the control of Samuel Insull, president of Chicago's Edison electric utility (now the Edison Commonwealth), which initially drew attention from the fact that railways were the city's largest consumer of electricity. Insull instituted many improvements, including free transfers and via routing, although he did not formally incorporate the original company into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company until 1924. He also purchased three other Chicago electric trains, the Chicago North Shore and the Milwaukee Railroad, the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad , and the South Shore interurban line, and runs the train from the first two lines to downtown Chicago via the "L" line. This period of relative prosperity ended when the Insull Empire collapsed in 1932, but later in this decade the city with the help of the federal government raised enough funds to begin the construction of two subway lines to complete and, some hoped, allowing high Loop replacement. Subway development created the need for a tunnel under the Chicago River.
The State Street Subway opened on 17 October 1943; Dearborn Subway, where work had been postponed during World War II, opened on 25 February 1951. The subway was built with the secondary purpose of serving as a bomb shelter, as evidenced by the close range of supporting columns (the wider plan proposed to replace the whole system elevated by subway). The subway passes through a number of tight bends and a rotating route on an elevated lane (the Milwaukee train, for example, originates from the northwest side of Chicago but enters the Loop in the southwest corner), speed service for many riders.
CTA assumes control
In the 1940s, the "L" financial condition, and Chicago's mass transit in general, had become too dangerous to allow continued operations without subsidies, and the necessary measures were taken to allow for a public takeover. In 1947, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) acquired the assets of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and Chicago Surface Lines, a city tram operator. Over the next few years CTA modernized "L", replacing new wooden cars and closing branch lines and lightly used stations, many of which were only a quarter mile away.
The skip-stop service
Later, after taking control of "L", CTA introduced an express service known as A/B leap service. Under this service, trains are named as "A" or "B" trains, and stations are alternately designated as "A" stations or "B" stations, with widely used stations referred to as "AB ". Train "A" will only stop at station "A" or "AB", and train "B" will only stop at station "B" or "AB". Station signage carries a skip-stop mail station and is also color-coded by leap-stop type; Station "A" has a red nameplate, station "B" has a green nameplate, and station "AB" has a blue nameplate. This system is designed to accelerate the path by having a train passing through the station while still allowing frequent service at the widely used "AB" station. CTA first implemented the A/B leap service on Lake Street Line (now part of the Green Line) in 1948, and this service proved to be effective because travel times were cut by a third. In the 1950s, this service was used throughout the system. All the lanes used the A/B jump service between the 1950s and 1990s with the exception of the Evanston and Skokie lines, which were the suburban special lines and did not justify the skipping service. Also, the Congress and the Douglas branches that later became the Blue Line were designated as "A" and "B" respectively, as were Englewood ("A") and Jackson Park ("B") branches later on to become Green Paths, so Individual dismissals are not impassable while trains serve the branches. Over time, the time period used by the pass service stops gradually decreasing, as waiting at stations "A" and "B" becomes longer during the non-peak service. In the 1990s, the use of a stop-stop A/B system was only used during peak hours. Another problem is that the train that passes through the station to save time still can not get past the train directly in front, so there is no benefit from the sledding station. In 1993, the CTA began eliminating the pause service while switching to the southern branch of the Red and Green Line to all stops. After this point, the Green Line trains the entire stop path at all stations, and the Red Line train stops at all of Harrison's south stations. The stop-stop A/B service abolition is followed by a completely stopped Orange Line opening and Brown Line conversion to the all-stop service. On April 28, 1995, the A/B jump system was completely eliminated by the transfer of the O'Hare branch from the Blue Line and the Howard branch from the Red Line to the department service. The removal of the skip-stop service resulted in some increased travel time, and greatly improved the riders in the former stations "A" and "B".
New roller
The first air-conditioned cars were introduced in 1964, the last pre-World War II car was retired in 1973. The new line was built on the freeway median, a technique implemented in Chicago and followed by other cities around the world. The congress branch, built on the median of the Eisenhower Expressway, replaced Garfield Park "L" in 1958. Dan Ryan's line, built on the median of Dan Ryan Express Street, opened on 28 September 1969, followed by an extension of the rising Milwaukee to Kennedy Expressway in the year 1970.
The "L" today
At 102.8 miles (165.4 km), Chicago "L" is the fourth largest heavy rail system in the United States in terms of mileage routes. It runs over a total of 224.1 miles (360.7 km) off the track. Ridership has been very stable for nearly 40 years after the CTA takeover despite the decline in the use of mass transit nationally, with an average of 594,000 riders rising every working day in 1960 and 577,000 in 1985. Due to the Loop Flood in 1992, passengers were at 418,000 years that's because CTA was forced to stop operations for several weeks on the State and Dearborn subways, which are used by the most frequent paths.
Riders are healthy and growth continues, but not yet distributed equally. The use of the North Side line is very heavy and growing, while the West Side and South Side lines tend to remain stable. Ridership on the North Side Brown Line, for example, has increased 83% since 1979, necessitating the station reconstruction project to accommodate longer trains.
Annual traffic at the Howard branch of the Red Line, which reached 38.7 million in 2010 and 40.9 million in 2011, has topped the pre-war peak of 1927 of 38.5 million. The Blue Line section between the Loop and Logan Square, which functions as a neglected yet crowded environment such as Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Palmer Square, has increased 54% on riders on weekdays since 1992. On the other hand, weekday riders at the South Side section of the Green Line, which was closed for two years for reconstruction beginning in 1994, was 50,400 in 1978 but only 13,000 in 2006. Boardings on 95/Dan Ryan stop on the Red Line, though still among the busiest systems in 11,100 riders per business day as of February 2015, less than half the peak volume in the 1980s. In 1976, three branches of the North Side "L" - later known as the Howard, Milwaukee, and Ravenswood lines - accounted for 42% of non-downtown boarding. Today (with the help of the Blue Line extension to O'Hare), they reached 58%.
The North Side (which is historically the region with the highest density in the city) no doubt reflects the Chicago building boom between 2000 and 2010, which has focused primarily on North Side and downtown environments. This may somewhat subside in the wake of today's high residential construction levels along the southern lakes. For example, passengers on Roosevelt's stop linked on the Green, Orange and Red Strips, serving the burgeoning South Loop environment, have tripled since 1992, averaging 8,000 boardings per workday. Patronage at Cermak-Chinatown stop on the Red Line (4,000 boarding on weekdays) is at the highest level since the station opened in 1969. The Chicago Central Area Plan proposed the construction of a Green Line station in Cermak, midway between Chinatown and the McCormick Place convention center, in hopes of growing sustainable density around it. The station was opened in 2015.
In mid-2006, "L" accounted for 36% of the CTA's nearly 1.5 million passengers on a typical day, with the rest traveling across an extensive bus network. The railroad system riders have improved over time. In 1926, the year before the use of the pre-war top rail, "L" carried 229 million passengers - a seemingly tough figure, but actually less than 20% of Chicago's 1.16 billion transit customers that year, mostly riding city trams. The shift to the rail continues unabated recently. Since the lowest point in 1992 due to the Chicago flood that closed the subway tunnel in the downtown area, passengers "L" on weekdays have increased by about 25%, while bus passengers declined by about one-sixth.
Currently, with two exceptions, all lines operate at any time except late at night. Exceptions are the Red Line and the Blue Line. which operates 24/7. Prior to 1998, the Green Line, Purple Line and Douglas branch of the Blue Line also had a 24-hour service. In the years of private ownership, the South Side Elevated Railroad (now part of the South Side Elevated of the Green Line) provides a 24-hour service, a huge advantage when compared to Chicago cable trains that require overnight closure for cable maintenance.
In 2018, "L" uses a flat rate of $ 2.50 for almost the entire system, the only exception being O'Hare International Airport on the Blue Line, where passengers entering the station are charged a higher rate of $ 5.00 (passengers leaving the system at this station is not subject to this higher rate). Higher rates are charged for what CTA considers a "premium rate" service for O'Hare. Use of the Midway International Airport Station does not require this higher rate; only requires a regular rate of $ 2.50. The higher load at O'Hare has been the source of some controversy in recent years, due to CTA's plan to eliminate the exclusion of premium fees for airport workers, Transportation Security Administration officers, and aviation workers. After protests from the groups, the CTA extended the exclusion for six months.
Maps Chicago "L"
Packages renovation and expansion
CTA's current capital expenditure outlays are focused on the Chocolate Strip Enhancement Capacity Project, Slow Zone Elimination, and Red Line rehabilitation. In 2012 CTA reopens Morgan Green Line station, and Village of Skokie reopens Oakton Yellow Line station. Both stations closed in 1948 after the CTA was created, and the original station was destroyed shortly thereafter.
CTA is also actively studying a number of proposals to expand the "L" rail service, including the Ring Line and extensions to the Red, Orange and Yellow Line. The proposals of the state capital budget for fiscal year 2010 include funding for "preliminary engineering" on the planned Lingkar Road, as well as funds to modernize and replace the aging rail system.
In addition, CTA has studied many other proposals for expanding rail services, some of which can be implemented in the future.
Latest service upgrade
The Pink Line service began on June 25, 2006, although it did not involve any new tracks or stations. The Pink line moves over what used to be a branch of the Blue Line from the 54th/Cermak terminal at Cicero to Polk station in Chicago. The Pink Line Train is then continued through the Paulina Connector to the Lake Street branch on the Green Line and then clockwise around the elevated Loop through Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells. (The Douglas train used the same route between 4 April 1954 and 22 June 1958 after the long line of Garfield Park "L" was destroyed to pave the way for the Eisenhower Expressway.) The new route, which serves 22 stations, offers more frequent services to riders in both branches Congress and Douglas. The Pink Line Train can be scheduled separately from the Blue Line train, and runs more often than the Douglas branch of the Blue Line.
The Channel Capacity Expansion Project allows CTA to run eight trains on the Brown Line, and rebuild the station to modern standards, including disabled accessibility. Prior to the project, the Brown Line platform could only accommodate six-car trains, and increasing passengers caused uncomfortable trains. After several years of development, eight trains began operating at rush hour on the Brown Line in April 2008. The project was completed by the end of 2009, on time and on budget, with only a small list of jobs remaining. The total project cost is estimated at about $ 530 million.
One of the largest reconstruction projects in the history of CTA, costing $ 425 million, is the South Line South reconstruction project. From May 19, 2013 to October 20, 2013, the project closed and rebuilt all of Dan Ryan's branches - replacing and rebuilding all lines, ties, weights and drainage systems - from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan. The station's work involves the renewal and repair of eight stations, including new paint and lights, refurbishment of the bus bridge, new elevators at Garfield stations, 63, and 87 as well as new roofs and canopies at multiple stations. "We look forward to providing our South Red Line customers with cleaner, brighter and better station improvements over the years," said CTA President Forrest Claypool.
Current capital enhancement
By the end of 2007, trains were forced to operate at speeds of over 22% of the system due to paths, structures, and other deteriorating problems. As of October 2008, the sluggish zones throughout the system had been reduced to 9.1% and in January 2010, the total slower zones were reduced to 6.3%. The CTA Slow Slow Elimination Project is an ongoing effort to restore track work to conditions where trains no longer have to reduce speed through worsening areas. Loop accepts track jobs in 2012-2013. The Purple Line at Evanston takes track and replacement work of the viaduk in 2011-2013. The Green Line Ashland branch received trajectory work in 2013, prior to reconstruction of the Red Line Dan Ryan.
In 2014, CTA invests in upgrading stations and tracks on the Blue Line between Grand and O'Hare. This $ 492 million four-year project will produce modernized stations (some of which were built in 1895), rebuild lines, faster service between O'Hare and Loop, station station replacement, underground water management, water infiltration station improvements underground, and increased access to some stations (by adding elevators).
Extensive 4G wireless coverage is added to the Blue and Red Line subway, with a $ 32.5 million installation fee paid by T-Mobile, Sprint, AT & amp; T and Verizon.
Planning future projects
All new rail service proposals under active consideration by CTA are currently undergoing Alternative Analysis Studies.
These studies are the first step in a five-step process. This process is required by the Federal New Starts program, which is an important source of funding for the CTA expansion project. CTA uses a series of "Screens" to develop "Alternative Local Choices", which are delivered to the federal New Updates program.
It is likely to be many years before these projects are completed, as no project has a definite funding source.
Circle Line
The proposed Circle line will form an "outer circle", across the city center via State Street Street, then head southwest across the Orange Line and north along Ashland, before rejoining the subway on North/Clybourn or Clark/Division. The Circle Line will connect several different Metra lines with the "L" system, and will facilitate transfers between existing CTA lines; This connection will be located near the maximum Metra load point and the existing "L" path. CTA initiated the official "Alternative Analysis" planning for Circle Line in 2005. The Circle Line concept garnered significant public attention and media coverage.
Initial conceptual planning divides the Circumference into three segments. Phase 1 is a restoration of the "Paulina Connector" of dilapidated, short track segments (0.75 Ã, mi/1.2 km) connecting Ashland/Lake with Polk. This section of the track has been restored and service at the 54th/Cermak branch is moved to the Pink Lines. Phase 2 will connect the 18th on the Pink Line to Ashland on the Orange Line, with new structures being elevated through large industrial areas. Phase 3, the final phase, will connect Ashland/Lake to North/Clybourn with a new subway that crosses the densely populated West Town and Wicker Park neighborhoods. With the completion of all three phases, the perimeter area will be serviced by the Circuit Line line.
In 2009, CTA released the results of Alternative Screen Analysis 3, where it decided to start initial engineering work on Phase 2, due to its simple alignment through uninhabited areas and a relatively low cost (estimated at $ 1.1 billion). Initial engineering work is now underway in Phase 2. In addition to the new line, CTA plans to build four new stations as part of Stage 2, although three of the four will be placed along existing lines that Circle Line will use. It will be at 18th/Clark, Cermak/Blue Island, Roosevelt/Paulina, and Congress/Paulina. 18th/Clark will be along the Orange Line in the Chinatown neighborhood, and will include a direct transfer connection to the Cermak/Chinatown station on the Red Line. Cermak/Blue Island will be located on the newly built track in Pilsen neighborhood. Roosevelt/Paulina will be located on the Pink Line in the Illinois Medical District. Finally, Congress/Paulina will be built on the Eisenhower Expressway, with a direct transfer connection to the Illinois Medical District station on the Blue Line. The existing stations will provide services near United Center.
Phase 3 was not implemented, and planning stopped after 2009. Phase 3 ran through densely populated areas, so harmonization should be carefully considered to avoid negative impacts on the environment. CTA estimates that Phase 3 will be much more expensive than Phase 2 because it is underground. After a number of alternative plans were evaluated, in 2009 CTA adopted a "local choice alternative" (LPA), which stopped the work of Circle Line after Phase 2, and Phase 3 was downgraded to "long-term vision".
Path extensions
CTA is conducting an Alternative Analysis Study of proposed extensions for the Red, Orange and Yellow Lines. Although these are three separate projects in three different regions of the city and suburbs, the three projects involve similar challenges to expand the existing path to underserved areas, so CTA has chosen to group the lines into larger programs, thereby analysis, engineering, and construction work can be done more cost-effectively through economies of scale.
Red Path Extension
The extension of the Red Line will provide services from the current terminal at 95th Street to 130th Street, reducing transit times for residents of the remote South Side and reducing crowds and congestion in the current terminal. CTA presented a locally-preferred alternative locally at the 2009 meeting. It comprised a new railway elevated between 95th Street and a new terminal terminal at 130th Street, uniting Union Pacific Railroad lines through the Far South Side neighborhood in Washington Heights, Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale. In addition to the terminal station at 130, three new stations will be built on 103rd Street, 111th Street, and Michigan Avenue. The basic engineering, together with the environmental impact statement, is taking place in 2010. The alignment commentary was opened in 2016. The decision was announced on January 26, 2018, if the CTA could get funding for the $ 2.3 billion extension, construction on an extension will begin in 2022 and will be completed by 2026.
Orange Line Extensions
The extension of the Orange Line will provide transit services from the current terminal, Midway International Airport, to Ford City Mall, originally intended to be the southern terminal of the Orange Line when it was planned in the 1980s. This will reduce congestion in the current Midway terminal. CTA presented a locally-preferred alternative locally at the 2009 meeting. It comprised a newly elevated rail line that stretched south from the Midway terminal along the Belt Railway line, crossed the Clearing Yard on the way southwest to Cicero Avenue, then walked south on the median Cicero to the terminal on the east side of Cicero near 76th Street. The basic engineering, together with the environmental impact statement, was in progress in 2010. The extension was canceled.
Yellow Line Extension
An extension of the Yellow Line will provide transit services from the current terminal, on Dempster Street, to the corner of Old Orchard Road and Edens Expressway, just west of the Oldfield Old Orchard shopping center. CTA presented a locally-preferred alternative locally at the 2009 meeting. It consisted of a new elevated rail line from the northern Dempster along the right rail to Edens Toll Road, where the line would turn north and run along the east side. from the expressway to the terminal at Old Orchard Road. The basic technique, together with the environmental impact statement, is taking place in 2010. Unlike the extension to the Red and Orange Line, the Yellow Line Extension has attracted significant community opposition from the Skokie population, as well as the parents of students at neighboring Niles North College, on the ground who the new track will be built. Residents and parents have mentioned concerns about noise, visual pollution, and crime. As a result, the renewal is canceled.
Possible future projects
There is the possibility of another future expansion, identified in various city and regional planning studies. CTA has not yet started an official study of this expansion, so it is unclear whether they will ever be implemented, or just remain as a visionary project. They include:
- Clinton Street Subway , ran through the West Loop, connecting the Red Line near North/Clybourn to the Red Line again, near Cermak-Chinatown. From North/Clybourn, the subway will run south along Larrabee Street, then under the Chicago River to Clinton Street on the West Loop. Running south below Clinton, the subway will pass through Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station, with short connections to the Metra train. Then it will continue south in Clinton until approximately 16th Street, where it will turn east, cross the river again, and rejoin the Red Line north of the current Cermak-Chinatown stop. The estimated cost of this line is $ 3 billion, with no identifiable local funding sources.
- Airport Express service to O'Hare International Airport and Midway from the downtown terminal on State Street. In 3200 series cars, there are signs of Midway and O'Hare black destinations, which indicate the possibility of Airport Express service, since the mark used for the Express train is written against a black background. The business plan prepared for CTA asks private companies to manage businesses with services beginning in 2008. The project is criticized as a boondoggle. The specially equipped premium-cost train will offer non-stop services at a faster pace than the current Blue and Orange Line. Although trains would not run on special rails (such railroad construction could cost more than $ 1.5 billion), some short sections of the passing track built at the station would allow the express train to pass the Blue and Orange trains while they sat at the station. CTA has pledged $ 130 million and the city of Chicago $ 42 million for the cost of the downtown station. In comments posted to his blog in 2006, CTA chairman Carole Brown said, "I will support premium rail services only if it brings significant new operating dollars, capital funding, or other efficiencies to CTA... The most exciting reason to continue with the project is an opportunity to connect Blue and Red subway tunnels, "which are one block apart from the city center. Meanwhile, CTA announces that due to excess costs, CTA will only complete the shell in Block 37; its president said "it would not make sense to build a station or make a final tunnel connection until a partner is selected because the final layout, technology, and solution depend on the operating plan."
- Mid-City Transitway runs around, not through the Chicago Loop. The line will follow the corridor of Cicero Avenue/Belt Line (Crosstown Expressway expedition) between the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line in Montrose and Dan Ryan's branch of the Red Line on 87th Street. This may be the "L" line, but the busway and other options are being considered.
Many plans have been developed over the years to reorganize the fast transit service in downtown Chicago, initially with the intention of replacing the elevated Loop line with the subway. The idea has largely been abandoned because the city seems to be interested in keeping the mix of trains/subways. But there are further calls to increase transit in the enlarged city center. Currently "L" does not provide direct service between Metra commuter train terminals on West Loop and Michigan Avenue, the main shopping district, nor does it offer easy access to popular downtown destinations such as Navy Pier, Soldier Field and McCormick Place. Plans for the Central Area Circulator, a $ 700 million downtown railway system intended to fix this, were shelved in 1995 for lack of funds. The underground trails that run along the shore of the lake will connect some of the city's main tourist destinations, but this plan has not been much discussed. Recognizing the cost and difficulty of implementing an all-rail solution, the Chicago Central Area Plan advocates a blend of rail and bus improvements, its center is the West Loop Transportation Center, a multi-level subway going under Clinton Street from Congress Parkway to Lake Street. The top level is a pedestrian mezzanine, buses will operate on the second level, fast trains on the third level, and commuter/high speed trains at lower levels. The fast transit rate will connect to the Blue Line train line at the north and south ends, allowing the "Blue Line Circle", which is expected as an underground partner to the elevated Loop. Or, this level may be occupied by Clinton Street Subway. Among other advantages, the West Loop Transportation Center will provide a direct link between "L" and the two busiest commuter train terminals in the city, Ogilvie Transportation Center and Union Station. The plan also proposes transit lines along Carroll Avenue (formerly north of the main branch of the Chicago River) and below Monroe Road in the Loop, previously proposed transit scheme as a rail route. The Carroll Avenue route will provide faster bus services between commuter stations and quickly rebuild the Near North Side, with the possibility of later train services. The new busway will connect to the West Loop Transportation bus level.
Lines
CTA operates more than 1,350 "L" cars, divided among three series, some of which are permanently incorporated into married couples. All cars on the system use a direct current of 600 volts delivered through the third rail. The new 5000 series car is equipped with an alternating current propulsion system and has an inverter on board to convert DC power into AC power. Older cars use DC motors.
The 2600 series was built from 1981 to 1987 by Budd Company Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the completion of the 2600 series car order, Budd changed its name to Transit America and stopped production of the trailer. With 503 cars in operation, the 2600 series is the largest of the three series of "L" cars in operation. The cars were rebuilt by Alstom of Hornell, New York from 1999 to 2002.
The 3200 series, built from 1992 to 1994 by Morrison-Knudsen of Hornell, New York. These cars have stainless steel sides similar to the now retired 2200 series.
The newest series of train cars, the 5000 series, feature AC drive, security camera, and seating overlooking the hall.
Nickname
Chicago's fast transit system is officially nicknamed "L". This name for the CTA rail system applies to the entire system: its segments are elevated, underground, level, and open. The use of the dated nickname of the early days of the elevated railway tracks. The newspapers of the late 1880s referred to the proposed railroad in Chicago as the " 'L' path." The first route to be built, Chicago and the South Side Rapid Transit Railroad earned the nickname "Alley Elevated", or "Alley L" during planning and construction, a term widely used by 1893, less than a year after the open line.
In discussing the various stylings of "Loop" and "L" in the Loop Objective: The Transit Fast Transit Story in and around Chicago (1982), author Brian J. Cudahy quotes a passage from The Neon Wilderness (1947) by Chicago writer Nelson Algren: "under the curved steel of El, under an endless bond." Cudahy then commented, "Notice that in the quotation above... it says 'El' means 'elevated railroad track.' We believe that this use may be given to publishing editors in New York or other eastern coastal cities, in Chicago the same expression is routinely given 'L'. "
As used by CTA, this name is given as a capital 'L', in single quotes. "L" (with double quotation marks) is often used by CTA predecessors such as the Chicago Rapid Transit Company; however, CTAs use single quotes (') on some printed and non-double-marked materials. In Chicago, the term "subway" is only applied to the actual Red and Blue line of the Line and is not applied to the whole system as a whole, as in New York City where both elevated and underground sections form the New York City Subway.
Security and security
CTA rail trains are generally safe and secure but other than common security issues in CTA, there are calls to improve CTA responses and communication procedures. The CTA also has incidents in which operators seem to refuse automated railway stops on red signals, such as a collision in 1977 at Wabash and Lake, when four cars from the Lake-Dan Ryan train fell from an elevated structure, killing 11, two minor incidents in the year 2001., and two more in 2008, more seriously involving the slashed Green Line train and split in a elevated structure at the 59th Street intersection between Ashland and the branches of East 63rd Street, and a small one near 95th Street on the line Red. In 2014, the O'Hare station train crash occurred when the Blue Line train stormed the bumper at the airport station and boarded the escalator.
In 2002, the 25-year-old Joseph Konopka, self-styled as "Dr. Chaos", was arrested by the Chicago police for stockpiling potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide at the Chicago Transit Authority warehouse in Chicago's "L" Blue Line subway. Konopka has retrieved the original key on several doors in the tunnel, then changed the key so he can access the less-used free space freely.
Recent studies have highlighted Belmont and the 95th stop on the Red Line to be "the most dangerous."
In popular culture
Movies and television shows use shooting to drive viewers to a location. For media organized in Chicago, "L" is a common feature as it is a typical part of the city. Some of the more prominent films that have used such recording preparations include Shwe We Dance (movie 2004) , where Richard Gere learned to dance with Jennifer Lopez by "L" light, The Fugitive (1993), which also contains short scenes in the "L" Train, The Sting (1973), and The Blues Brothers (1980)). Running Scared (1986) shows a car chase on the "L" track. The "L" sound is also distinctive and therefore also used to specify the location. Risky Business (1983) displays "L" in some erotic sequence. The "L" is also displayed in Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and Code of Silence (1985). The line is part of the main plot device at While You Were Sleeping (1995) where Lucy works as a "L" fare collector. Dick Wolf's television show franchise Chicago was set up and filmed on sites in the eponymous city, and featured "L" in various episodes. In Divergen, "L" is shown as a method of transportation around the city and plays a key role in certain situations. In Allegiant some of the main characters take "L" to approach John Hancock Tower to spread Tris ash. In the movie version of Divergent and Insurgent, the trains are shown as the version of the model being used. In the TV series, Shameless U.S., which is tuned in South Chicago, "L" is referenced several times by the main character, and is described as one of the main means of transportation for many characters.
See also
- List of metro systems
- Transport in Chicago
- List of United States transit system by user
Note
References
Further reading
-
Cudahy, Brian J. (1982). Destination Loop: The Story of Fast Transit Transportation in and around Chicago . Brattleboro, VT: S. Greene Press. ISBN: 978-0-8289-0480-3. - Franch, John (2006). The Baron Robber: The Life of Charles Tyson Yerkes . Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03099-4.
External links
- Chicago Transit Authority - operates the CTA bus and the "L" train
- Ride the Rail - Chicago's interactive journey "L"
- Chicago-L.org - unofficial fan site and extensive
- CTA Tattler - Daily blog of "L" story
- ForgottenChicago.com - Forgotten Chicago, "Our Historical Subway Station".
- Network map (real distance)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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