Official Chicago Public Transportation Question Thread (Oak Park: transfer, where to buy, school)

[advocatusdiavoli]

Originally Posted by Drover

Blah blah blah. Troll elsewhere, troll.

Can we have another extremely informative post, please?

[scarletneon]

Originally Posted by advocatusdiavoli

Excuses, excuses. You do not really want to compare the cost of upkeep of an undergorund systems with the L?

Let's face it is underfounded because the dumb local government never saw it as priority.

Have we not explained that funding for the CTA is a STATE matter??

It doesn't matter how many times you try to blame the "local" government, i.e. the city, the CTA is still a state agency, with its finances governed by the RTA which is, well, ANOTHER state agency.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by ajolotl

I think it's a valid question. Forget about Europe -- I've lived in Caracas and Mexico City, both major Third World cities -- and both have metro systems that are so much spiffier. I don't doubt it's easy to explain why but the level of grit and dilapidation is a little striking and defies expectation when coming to Chicago from elsewhere.

This can be explained by one thing. Priorities. We could have a truly incredible modern system if we had the collective will to spend the money. As it is now, we are decades behind in investment. But at least we Chicagoans have a workable system AT ALL. Most U.S. cities don't.

[GoCUBS1]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

Have we not explained that funding for the CTA is a STATE matter??

It doesn't matter how many times you try to blame the "local" government, i.e. the city, the CTA is still a state agency, with its finances governed by the RTA which is, well, ANOTHER state agency.

EXACTLY... Write your state legislators and ask them to fight for CTA funding/transit bills. I think many downstate (and suburban) car-driving residents and legislators aren't inclined to give more money to the "city-people" for trains.

[hank0604]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

This can be explained by one thing. Priorities. We could have a truly incredible modern system if we had the collective will to spend the money. As it is now, we are decades behind in investment. But at least we Chicagoans have a workable system AT ALL. Most U.S. cities don't.

This should be the end of the thread. After living in a couple places with no mass transit except for a very limited and sketchy bus system. In Austin, they city has been fighting for a commuter light rail for 10+ years, but all the hippies and environmentalists there keep blocking it. They finally had to settle for a system that just runs along two existing tracks and doesn't even go all the way downtown. So the CTA could be a lot worse.

[Venom]

Originally Posted by Drover

They're functioning commuter trains, not first-class travel berths or rolling works of art. Whaddayawant?

You think our trains are unappealing now, you should have seen them 20 years ago when they were wall-to-wall graffiti and nobody did anything about it.

Awesome.

[CAG13]

I like how the Train stations look. Very authentic, but of course I have a soft spot for history. Supposedly there might be a new railway developing. "Canadian National’s purchase of the EJ&E railway has been approved by the federal government to the tune of $300 Million and that is great news for all South Loopers."

[Drover]

Originally Posted by advocatusdiavoli

Can we have another extremely informative post, please?

... asks the crumb whose screen name is basically Latin for "troll."

Begone, troll.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Venom

Awesome.

You know my solution to graffiti... I hope you don't need those knees of yours.

[UnderTheLiveOaks]

Originally Posted by CAG13

I like how the Train stations look. Very authentic, but of course I have a soft spot for history. Supposedly there might be a new railway developing. "Canadian National’s purchase of the EJ&E railway has been approved by the federal government to the tune of $300 Million and that is great news for all South Loopers."

That's not really about a new railway. Not about new commuter rail, anyway. It's about a proposed railway that would take Amtrak traffic out of the current right-of-way and send it east. That's why it's "great news for all South Loopers". Less rail traffic through that area. Not more.