Overrated and Underrated (Chicago, Washington, Madison: live, move, train station)

[Hambo]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

I currently live on Chicago a few blocks west of the Kennedy and work at Randolph and Wacker. It usually takes me 25-30 minutes. I'm not sure how someone who gets on before me, gets off after, and has a bus ride included has a quicker commute than me.

How does it take that long? Arent you only a couple of Blue line stops from downtown?

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Hambo

How does it take that long? Arent you only a couple of Blue line stops from downtown?

Chicago.

[Hambo]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

Chicago.

right, so you have Grand and then Clark and Lake -- two stops. How is your commute so long? I realize construction was bad at some points this summer, but haven't had an issue lately

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Hambo

right, so you have Grand and then Clark and Lake -- two stops. How is your commute so long? I realize construction was bad at some points this summer, but haven't had an issue lately

That's what it is door to door. Sometimes its 20, if everything works out nice. But if I want to be sure to arrive by 9, I leave by 8:30. 10-15 minutes blue line, 10-15 minutes walking.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Hambo

right, so you have Grand and then Clark and Lake -- two stops. How is your commute so long? I realize construction was bad at some points this summer, but haven't had an issue lately

Dude first of all trains run on a 3-8 minute interval. If someone just misses one they can be waiting 3-8 minutes for the next. Also sometimes the trains are SO PACKED by the time they get to Division or Chicago you cant even get on one and have to wait for the next. The trains tend to be way more packed if one is getting to work at 8am or earlier.

Then add in the train travel time and the walk to Wacker and Randolph from Clark and Lake or Washington and Dearborn.

The walk from Washington and Dearborn to Wacker and Randolph is about a half mile.
The walk from Clark and Lake to Wacker and Randolph is about a third of a mile.
Then you have to maneuver through hords of people walking and crazy traffic on the streets.

How fast do you walk a half mile in all kinds of heavy congestion including waiting for lights to change and cars to clear intersections????? What do you run to work?

Also add in the walk to the Chicago stop from wherever he lives.

25 minutes easy even if someone catches a train within 3 minutes.

In the winter all bets are off.

Something tells me you have not been through a winter making your commute yet.

[jdiddy]

Thanks, that just about covers it, although its Wells and Lake.

But yeah, combine overcrowded trains, blue line slow zones, traffic signals, etc, you plan on 30 minutes. I don't see how you can be taking a bus from past Western to Ashland, then get on the blue line, then make a similar walk to mine in 20 minutes every day.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

I currently live on Chicago a few blocks west of the Kennedy and work at Randolph and Wacker. It usually takes me 25-30 minutes.

I've walked that distance in 35 minutes. Maybe the Milwaukee bus, if well timed, might be faster than the Blue Line? It heads into downtown via Washington, which is right by Randolph. Certainly biking to work would be much faster -- that'd be <15 minutes.

[Hambo]

Originally Posted by paytonc

I've walked that distance in 35 minutes. Maybe the Milwaukee bus, if well timed, might be faster than the Blue Line? It heads into downtown via Washington, which is right by Randolph. Certainly biking to work would be much faster -- that'd be <15 minutes.

Exactly ... what's the commute to Lincoln Square -- two hours?

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

Thanks, that just about covers it, although its Wells and Lake...

What is Wells and Lake? Perhaps I had a brain fart here.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Hambo

Exactly ... what's the commute to Lincoln Square -- two hours?

It depends on where you are coming from and where you are going.

When I used to live in Budlong Woods I would be able to time the Lincoln bus after walking about a half block, then take the Brown Line and be able to get to Merchandise Mart in about 45 minutes total.

Without taking the bus it usually took me about 30 minutes to Merchandise Mart from Western.