CTA Red Line Dan Ryan track rehabilitation starts next week (5/19) - closed till October. (Rock Island: homes, construction)

[K 22]

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Just in case you haven't heard, the Red Line south of Roosevelt/State is shutting down (Cermak to 95th Street) until mid-October for track rehabilitation (and some station rehab). So, during the construction, the Red Line is going to jump on the Green Line tracks after Roosevelt and go to Ashland/63rd while all Green trains go to Cottage Grove.

Service alternatives
During construction, CTA will offer extensive alternate service providing multiple options for commuters.

Free shuttle buses with 24-hour service from 69th, 79th, 87th and 95th/Dan Ryan stations to the Garfield station on the Green Line, including express service from stations, with free entry at Garfield for shuttle bus riders, and a local, station-to-station shuttle from 63rd to 95th/Dan Ryan. A fifth shuttle will provide express service between the Roosevelt and Cermak-Chinatown stations.

Free rail entry for shuttle bus riders at Garfield on the Green Line

50 cent discounted bus rides on many South Side routes

24-hour Red Line service as far south as 63rd Street via Green Line tracks between Roosevelt and Ashland/63rd

Expanded bus service on existing routes

In addition, for some riders the Metra Electric District or Rock Island District lines may also be alternatives. Metra's web site has details about joint CTA-Metra fare options and added service that will be offered at some stations.

I'm in town right now and took that trek down to 95th. The trip definitely slowed down the second it hit the Dan Ryan median.

Also, among other more major inconveniences, I'm wondering how this will affect White Sox' attendance since people will have to walk another 3 blocks to get to the ballpark.

[marothisu]

Huh for some reason I thought it was from 35th on. This sucks as I go to Chinatown a bit, but at least there's a shuttle between Roosevelt and Chinatown.

I don't think it'll affect the Sox too much. Ride the Green Line in and it's about a quarter mile walk extra..

[Lookout Kid]

As a North Sider of many years, I'm usually wary of arguments that the South Side gets screwed out various city services. But I'm still pretty shocked that they are shutting this all down. I don't think this would fly on the North Side, but of course there is more population and higher ridership on the northern leg of the Red Line.

[oakparkdude]

Other things the South Side has that the North Side lacks is a parallel el line which is under capacity (Green Line) as well as a parallel expressway for buses (Dan Ryan).

[emathias]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

As a North Sider of many years, I'm usually wary of arguments that the South Side gets screwed out various city services. But I'm still pretty shocked that they are shutting this all down. I don't think this would fly on the North Side, but of course there is more population and higher ridership on the northern leg of the Red Line.

Yeah, "screwed" that they're getting their younger, less-ridden trunk rail line completely rebuilt years ahead of the higher-ridership, older North Side trunk rail line ...

I think the CTA will run this far better than they did the 2-year Green Line shutdown, and it's only 5 months long, and many South Siders will ride at a reduced price for the inconvenience, and when it's over speeds will be much higher.

I think it's rationally a perfectly acceptable option given the alternatives they had.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by emathias

Yeah, "screwed" that they're getting their younger, less-ridden trunk rail line completely rebuilt years ahead of the higher-ridership, older North Side trunk rail line ...

I think the CTA will run this far better than they did the 2-year Green Line shutdown, and it's only 5 months long, and many South Siders will ride at a reduced price for the inconvenience, and when it's over speeds will be much higher.

I think it's rationally a perfectly acceptable option given the alternatives they had.

It's cheaper too.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

As a North Sider of many years, I'm usually wary of arguments that the South Side gets screwed out various city services. But I'm still pretty shocked that they are shutting this all down. I don't think this would fly on the North Side, but of course there is more population and higher ridership on the northern leg of the Red Line.

North side gets 120,000 riders per day compared to 45,000 on the south side of the Red Line. The entire thing is almost all slow zones, and they will be able to get this done MUCH quicker if they just shut it down for 5 months. I think otherwise it was something crazy like 4 years of construction if they try to keep it open. Plus there's Green Line as well as Metra service that's really not too far away.


The project budget is $75M cheaper to do it all at once, and they're reinvesting that money into the stations along that route, putting elevators in stations that didn't have them, new canopies, benches, repairs, updating the lighting, etc.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by K 22

Also, among other more major inconveniences, I'm wondering how this will affect White Sox' attendance since people will have to walk another 3 blocks to get to the ballpark.

I just have to laugh at this concept. LV-2 No Parking zones exist what, up to a mile away from Wrigley?

So Cubs fans will walk a mile to see a last place team, but Sox fans can't walk a few measly blocks?

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

As a North Sider of many years, I'm usually wary of arguments that the South Side gets screwed out various city services. But I'm still pretty shocked that they are shutting this all down. I don't think this would fly on the North Side, but of course there is more population and higher ridership on the northern leg of the Red Line.

Most people on the south side have homes which means cars. They do not care about the red line which, after all, runs down the middle of the largest expressway in the world. It is just something to look at when they are driving on the Ryan. And many of them do not work in the central city anyway if they work at all. The northsiders do not have a Ryan Expressway and are far far more densely populated. And many of them are professionals that do work in the core of the city. I do not even know why the red line runs 24/7 past 35th street. Really it should terminate at 35th after midnight.

[C. Maurio]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I just have to laugh at this concept. LV-2 No Parking zones exist what, up to a mile away from Wrigley?

So Cubs fans will walk a mile to see a last place team, but Sox fans can't walk a few measly blocks?

I will walk to Comiskey Park ( and please don't call it a corporate name).