Load balancing the Red Line with a new branch (Chicago: transfer to, neighborhoods)

[OyCrumbler]

Just a thought.

The red/purple modernization is meant to greatly increase the capacity for north side transit lines, but running many more trains on the north side isn't commensurate with the current ridership levels for south side stations, so that's a lot of fairly empty trains in the far southern stretches of the South Side. Meanwhile, there is a vastly underserved by rail portion of the South Side in the stretch of land between the Orange and Red Lines on the South Side. So what if then some trains currently serving the the Dan Ryan branch were routed west at some point, so some of the additional service allowed by the red/purple modernization goes down a new branch?

As an example of how this would run, a spur is built south of the Garfield Station and new tracks are built heading west on Garfield/55th St with several intermediate stops either as elevated or cut-and-cover style subway until it joins with the Orange Line at the Midway airport station. All day Purple Line services are resumed, but they now route through the State Street Subway and go down the shared Dan Ryan branch with the Red Line until going down the new Garfield/55th St branch.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Just a thought.

The red/purple modernization is meant to greatly increase the capacity for north side transit lines, but running many more trains on the north side isn't commensurate with the current ridership levels for south side stations, so that's a lot of fairly empty trains in the far southern stretches of the South Side. Meanwhile, there is a vastly underserved by rail portion of the South Side in the stretch of land between the Orange and Red Lines on the South Side. So what if then some trains currently serving the the Dan Ryan branch were routed west at some point, so some of the additional service allowed by the red/purple modernization goes down a new branch?

As an example of how this would run, a spur is built south of the Garfield Station and new tracks are built heading west on Garfield/55th St with several intermediate stops either as elevated or cut-and-cover style subway until it joins with the Orange Line at the Midway airport station. All day Purple Line services are resumed, but they now route through the State Street Subway and go down the shared Dan Ryan branch with the Red Line until going down the new Garfield/55th St branch.

I think the Purple Line should be routed through the State Street Subway and the Yellow Line straight through the Loop on the Brown Line's existing tracks. The yellow line would need to be expanded to run four cars, which I believe the Oakton Station was built for.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

I think the Purple Line should be routed through the State Street Subway and the Yellow Line straight through the Loop on the Brown Line's existing tracks. The yellow line would need to be expanded to run four cars, which I believe the Oakton Station was built for.

I think it's good to make better use of the different lines, but I think there are some operational issues with having the Yellow Line go down the Brown Line's existing tracks. One problem is that it needs to get to the Brown Line tracks first and the only current route to the Brown Line's tracks are on the main line that the Purple and Red Lines are currently serving, so doing that means you're taking away from capacity that would be routed down the State Street Subway and beyond. The other is that means the Yellow Line is going to be serving a lot of very populous North Side neighborhoods and four car trainsets aren't going to be great for peak hours. Maybe if they increased the train car sets to eight for the peak hours? Otherwise, running even four car trainsets is basically taking capacity away from the North Side Main Line.

I think if the Yellow Line traincar sets during peak hours were larger (six or eight) overall that's a great idea for peak hours. It could be run so that just the first or last four traincars have their doors open on the Skokie Branch before continuing with all doors open south of there. It's actually operationally cleaner because one of the potential bottlenecks is from the Yellow Line trains pulling into Howard and then needing to pull right back out, but if they just kept going with large trainsets, you basically ease out of that problem and that problem isn't important during off-peak hours because trains aren't run as frequently and the Yellow Line can go back to its short shuttle service.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

I think it's good to make better use of the different lines, but I think there are some operational issues with having the Yellow Line go down the Brown Line's existing tracks. One problem is that it needs to get to the Brown Line tracks first and the only current route to the Brown Line's tracks are on the main line that the Purple and Red Lines are currently serving, so doing that means you're taking away from capacity that would be routed down the State Street Subway and beyond. The other is that means the Yellow Line is going to be serving a lot of very populous North Side neighborhoods and four car trainsets aren't going to be great for peak hours. Maybe if they increased the train car sets to eight for the peak hours? Otherwise, running even four car trainsets is basically taking capacity away from the North Side Main Line.

I think if the Yellow Line traincar sets during peak hours were larger (six or eight) overall that's a great idea for peak hours. It could be run so that just the first or last four traincars have their doors open on the Skokie Branch before continuing with all doors open south of there. It's actually operationally cleaner because one of the potential bottlenecks is from the Yellow Line trains pulling into Howard and then needing to pull right back out, but if they just kept going with large trainsets, you basically ease out of that problem and that problem isn't important during off-peak hours because trains aren't run as frequently and the Yellow Line can go back to its short shuttle service.

I like this.

[OyCrumbler]

I think another crinkle that makes sense to add to this is to integrate this new all-day express Purple Line service is to make this in conjunction with the Clinton Street Subway. The express/local changing platforms then make it so that people can easily switch into going towards the burgeoning West Loop while also allowing for an easy Metra connection.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

I think another crinkle that makes sense to add to this is to integrate this new all-day express Purple Line service is to make this in conjunction with the Clinton Street Subway. The express/local changing platforms then make it so that people can easily switch into going towards the burgeoning West Loop while also allowing for an easy Metra connection.

The Purple Line would be routed through the proposed Clinton St. Subway? How would it make it to the existing blue line subway on Lake/Dearborn/Congress?

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

The Purple Line would be routed through the proposed Clinton St. Subway? How would it make it to the existing blue line subway on Lake/Dearborn/Congress?

There were multiple (or at least two) propositions for how the Clinton Street Subway would run. One was making a second underground loop that connected to the Blue Line which is what I think you're referencing.

The other one is the Red Line forking off after North/Clybourn and entering a new subway tunnel going south down Clinton Street before swinging east and rejoining the Red Line around 16th Street. That's the one I think might work with the rest of the idea since it allows people to easily transfer to and from lines headed towards the Loop itself or West Loop and offers several direct connections for Metra passengers to other parts of Chicago.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

There were multiple (or at least two) propositions for how the Clinton Street Subway would run. One was making a second underground loop that connected to the Blue Line which is what I think you're referencing.

The other one is the Red Line forking off after North/Clybourn and entering a new subway tunnel going south down Clinton Street before swinging east and rejoining the Red Line around 16th Street. That's the one I think might work with the rest of the idea since it allows people to easily transfer to and from lines headed towards the Loop itself or West Loop and offers several direct connections for Metra passengers to other parts of Chicago.

I'm honestly surprised there's no stop proposed at Division on the Clinton St. Subway.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

I'm honestly surprised there's no stop proposed at Division on the Clinton St. Subway.

I agree, one infill station at Division, Oak, or Chicago between North/Clybourn and West Loop would make sense especially if they're planning on developing Cabrini Green densely.

So I think ideally it'd be Purple Line splitting off after North/Clybourn with a new station at Larabee/Division, Clinton/Lake (Green/Pink line and Ogilvie St Station connection with a subway mezzanine also serving as an underground corridor connection among the three), Union Station (connection to Union Station trains), Clinton/Congress (connection to Blue Line), new station at Clinton/Roosevelt, before finally going east on 16th street to rejoin the Red Line with a potential infill station at 16th and Clark in case Crossrail Chicago's rapid transit line comes into service with an infill station there and/or that massive parcel bounded by the river, Roosevelt, Clark, and 16th Street becomes built up.

[beaniemac]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Just a thought.

The red/purple modernization is meant to greatly increase the capacity for north side transit lines, but running many more trains on the north side isn't commensurate with the current ridership levels for south side stations, so that's a lot of fairly empty trains in the far southern stretches of the South Side. Meanwhile, there is a vastly underserved by rail portion of the South Side in the stretch of land between the Orange and Red Lines on the South Side. So what if then some trains currently serving the the Dan Ryan branch were routed west at some point, so some of the additional service allowed by the red/purple modernization goes down a new branch?

As an example of how this would run, a spur is built south of the Garfield Station and new tracks are built heading west on Garfield/55th St with several intermediate stops either as elevated or cut-and-cover style subway until it joins with the Orange Line at the Midway airport station. All day Purple Line services are resumed, but they now route through the State Street Subway and go down the shared Dan Ryan branch with the Red Line until going down the new Garfield/55th St branch.

so you want to add more tracks through englewood despite that community area already being served by the red line at 55th, 63rd and 69th and by the greenline at 63rd and halsted and 63rd and ashland?