CTA Rant Thread (Chicago, Evanston, Addison: rent, home, college)

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by womaninchicago

Although, there are many rude and inappropriate cab drivers too (SHOCKER!) but it doesn't sound as bad as having to take the buses or trains.

darn, I'm so sad i'm not as financially blessed as you are so I don't have to ride the train with rude smelly people.

[j33]

Originally Posted by skipcromer

Ive ridden the trains in Athens had no issues with cleanliness.

I did however have trouble with buying tickets. Apparently I bought the wrong kind of ticket. Upon being checked by the police I was made to get off the train where I was told I had to pay 40 Euro's or go with him to the station. I dont know if he was legit but I offered him 20 and he took it.

Hah. I read your post far too quickly and my first thought was. The CTA accepts Euros now?!

The trains in Europe are a beautiful, beautiful thing. I was last there in 2003 and rode trains in Germany and Austria and was very impressed. I almost started to laugh though when an announcement was made apologizing that a train was 3 minutes late.

[jdiddy]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

This project was doomed before it started and got funding. Anyone with a brain knew it. Frank Kruesi was a complete idiot just like almost all of the morons that came before him. A "Superstation" to nowhere.

250 million down the drain and it still is not going to be finished! WTF.

Yep.

On the hierarchy of CTA Needs, this was so far down the list.

It never made any sense, and now we've spent $300 million on a tiny shell in the middle of the city that won't even be used.

Brilliant.

[movinghelp23]

I hate the guys who think its funny to aim thier junk in your face when you are sitting on the aisle facing seats on the bus.

[ApolloGod]

I hate when you see 5 buses on your route going north within the span of 15 minutes, but it takes 25-30 minutes for one southbound bus.

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by ApolloGod

I hate when you see 5 buses on your route going north within the span of 15 minutes, but it takes 25-30 minutes for one southbound bus.

That was Addison yesterday. I don't know what the deal is, i can usually catch a bus at 9.18 every morning at the Red Line... yesterday one didn't come until about 9.40.

My favorite bus to make wagers on is the 147, though. Oh have I ever wasted valuable time fighting with that bus.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

That was Addison yesterday. I don't know what the deal is, i can usually catch a bus at 9.18 every morning at the Red Line... yesterday one didn't come until about 9.40.

My favorite bus to make wagers on is the 147, though. Oh have I ever wasted valuable time fighting with that bus.

Cubs.

[prairiestate]

Now, would someone here care to explain why everybody says Chicago transit is so great? Now, in a city like Minneapolis, perhaps the buses only come ever 1/2 hour on some routes. Well, that's why you have bus schedules. Have you ever seen all the empty buses running through the bungalow belts here? It's a huge waste of money to have buses coming every ten minutes on south Pulaski or 103rd St, and you might still have to wait a 1/2 hour for a bus that should arrive every 10 minutes. In other cities, though, buses are clean and comfortable, drivers are friendly, there are far fewer people creating disturbances. Buses still run to midnight or later in other large cities, and I would rather depend on slightly less frequent service, then to deal with c**p on the CTA day in and day out. Bus service here, outside of the north side, is no more comprehensive then in other major cities. As for the EL, it's great that we have it, but in a smaller city it doesn't take 2 hours to get downtown on the bus, so it isn't necessarily critical.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

Now, would someone here care to explain why everybody says Chicago transit is so great? Now, in a city like Minneapolis, perhaps the buses only come ever 1/2 hour on some routes. Well, that's why you have bus schedules. Have you ever seen all the empty buses running through the bungalow belts here? It's a huge waste of money to have buses coming every ten minutes on south Pulaski or 103rd St, and you might still have to wait a 1/2 hour for a bus that should arrive every 10 minutes. In other cities, though, buses are clean and comfortable, drivers are friendly, there are far fewer people creating disturbances. Buses still run to midnight or later in other large cities, and I would rather depend on slightly less frequent service, then to deal with c**p on the CTA day in and day out. Bus service here, outside of the north side, is no more comprehensive then in other major cities. As for the EL, it's great that we have it, but in a smaller city it doesn't take 2 hours to get downtown on the bus, so it isn't necessarily critical.

I'm not sure where you're going with this rant... I've lived in smaller cities, and the CTA is definitely more comprehensive in terms of route coverage, express busses, etc. But cleanliness and on-time service are definiltey issues that need to be dealt with.

As far as the El is concerned, we're lucky to have it. Few urban areas outside the densest part of the Northeast have such great coverage by rapid transit. In fact, none of them do. I can list the handful American cities with somewhat decent rapid transit coverage:

1. New York
2. Boston
3. Chicago
4. Washington D.C.
5. Philadelphia (sort of)

All other cities in the U.S. just have a couple of lines (L.A., SF, etc.) or light rail systems (Portland, Twin Cities, Dallas, etc.). The Bay Area has great commuter rail on the Caltrain, but the BART and cable cars aren't going to get you around SF very effectively. L.A. has a couple of subway lines that are useless for most of the population.

The existence of the El in this midewestern metropolis is what makes it remarkable, but it is crumbling and needs MAJOR reinvestment. Perhaps new leadership in Washington will make rapid transit funding a priority in the future--especially in light of recent hikes in oil prices.

[Avengerfire]

Update: No Blue Line service at all times between Rosemont and O'Hare from 3am on 7/8 to 7/28. You will have to board a shuttle bus to go between those stations. Adjust your travel plans accordingly.

WBBM 780 - Chicago's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather - No Blue Line Service To O'Hare Starting July

More detailed info on the Blue Line track work:
CTA | Chicago Transit Authority - CTA Press Releases