The CTA Green Line is one of the more interesting lines in the system. Created in 1993 by combining two less used pieces of track, the Green Line sees about 65,000 riders per weekday, the fourth busiest CTA rail ("L") route. The line utilizes some of the oldest pieces of track in the system, and is the only line that doesn't circle the Loop and go back outbound. From Harlem/Lake, the line runs along the Metra tracks to just before Laramie, when it goes above Lake Street until State/Lake. This piece of the line is unusual because in Chicago, most pieces of the L operate over alleys parallel to major roads, not over the road itself. After leaving the Loop, the line runs over alleys on the South Side until after Garfield, when the line splits in two. The East 63rd Branch goes over 63rd Street to Cottage Grove, and the Englewood Branch goes over alleys to Ashland. The whole line was rebuilt in 1993, and along with the rebuilding seven stations were closed. A big problem in my opinion is the horrendous frequencies on the two branches, and large gaps between stations in some places. While the main piece has 10 minute weekday and 12 minute weekend daytime frequencies, each branch has only 20 minute weekday and 24 minute weekend frequencies! To solve this, I would propose routing all Green Line trains via the Englewood Branch, and making the East 63rd Branch operate with shuttle service from Garfield to Cottage Grove. While this would force Cottage Grove and King customers to make an additional transfer at Garfield, it would allow for increased frequencies on the branch. The line operates with the newest rolling stock in the system, the 5000 series, which are my personal favorite. Though the general public dislikes the seating layout on them, I quite like the aisle facing, or bench, seats. I think that the addition of infill stations at Western, 26th, State, Princeton, and Racine would help boost ridership, and spur development. At Princeton, a passage to 63rd on the Red Line would be built. I would also propose extending the line from Cottage Grove to Dorchester, with an intermediate stop at University. At Dorchester, a passage would extend from the station to the 63rd Street Station, which serves the Metra Electric Main Line, South Chicago Branch, and Blue Island Branch, as well as the South Shore Line. A bus transfer facility for routes 6 Jackson Park Express, 15 Jeffery Local, 28 Stony Island, and 63 63rd would be constructed as well, in addition to pedestrian and cyclist improvements and a Divvy station. Finally, I would propose extending the line from Ashland to Midway, with stops at Damen, Western, California, Kedzie, Central Park, and Pulaski. A minor quibble I have with the line is the fact that park n' rides exist at Ashland and at Garfield, which should be destroyed and replaced with transit oriented development in my opinion. Of note is the two new stations that have opened in recent years on the line, Morgan and Cermak-McCormick Place. Morgan opened in 2012 on the shared Green/Pink Line alignment on the Near West Side, and Cermak-McCormick Place opened on the Near South Side earlier this year. This time, I only used the latter station, which appeared very nice. The station has three entrances, the main one being on the north side of Cermak, and auxiliary ones on the south side, as well as at 23rd. The station is very nice, with good signage, two ADA accessible entrances, and ample bike parking. A large cylindrical metal roof thing protects customers from wind and rain in the central piece of the platform, and smaller canopies on the outer pieces of the platform keep rain from assaulting customers waiting there. A Divvy station is located next to the bike parking on the south side of Cermak, and the #21 Cermak serves the station directly. In addition, the #29 State serves the station from about half a block away on State Street. An interesting line, with lots and lots of potential!
The CTA Brown Line is the third busiest L route, with about 106,000 riders per weekday. The line is also the busiest of the traditional "L" routes. The line serves several hipster neighborhoods, and, as I have said before, is humorously known as the "Cappuccino Line" by some. The line is served entirely by the 3200 series cars, which are beginning to look very dated, and have an odd seating layout, with not many aisle facing (bench) seats, but still better than the even older 2400 and 2600 series cars. After circling the Loop in a counterclockwise manner, Brown Line trains cross the Chicago River at Wells Street, and begins its journey north on the North Side Main Line. From the Loop to Armitage, the ride is quite slow, though the CTA has begun to rebuild this segment of track, which should help alleviate this issue. At Armitage, the Brown Line runs on Local tracks to Belmont, when it veers westward onto the Ravenswood Branch. Afterwards, the line speeds up quite a bit, and stays on an elevated line until Western, when it descends to grade level right up to its terminus at Kimball. Most stations feature side platforms, and have been recently renovated to allow for eight car trains to run on the line. Some of the stations in the Loop are quite old looking and are in bad need of renovation. The most dilapidated Loop stations in my opinion are LaSalle/Van Buren, Adams/Wabash, and State/Lake. Though Randolph/Wabash and Madison/Wabash could use a renovation, they are both being replaced by a new station at Washington/Wabash anyway, so it doesn't really matter if they are renovated, and Madison/Wabash is already closed for the new station's construction. North of the Loop, all stations have been recently renovated, and are quite nice. I would propose an infill station at Division, as well as the construction of the Belmont Flyover to allow for faster access to Belmont Station for Brown Line trains. However, the Belmont Flyover would mean that some buildings would be demolished, so I think that the CTA would then have to finance the building of new, pedestrian friendly buildings in their place. Finally, I would propose that the Brown Line be extended to Jefferson Park to connect with Metra commuter rail, the CTA Blue Line, many CTA bus lines, and some Pace bus lines. This would mean elevating the line west of Western, and constructing the line as an elevated over Lawrence west of the current Kimball Station, with new stops at Pulaski and Elston. At the Kennedy Expressway, the line would leave Lawrence and join the current Blue Line tracks until its endpoint at Jefferson Park. A more short term proposal I would also make is the demolishing of the park n' ride at Kimball to make room for new buildings and the Kimball Yard expansion.
The CTA Blue Line is another unique line, with about 171,000 riders per weekday. The line contains almost none of the original elevated alignment that characterizes the Chicago "L", and instead runs in subways and in the median of expressways for most of its long run through Chicago's Northwest Side, the Loop, and back out to the West Side again. Starting at O'Hare, the line runs underground to the Kennedy Expressway, and then stops at Rosemont, Cumberland, and Harlem. All of these stations feature transit centers and park n' rides, and were opened at the same time. Only Rosemont and Cumberland have justifiable park n' rides, due to the suburban and not very walkable character of Rosemont, and the lack of business or many bus connections at Cumberland. Harlem, however, has a small park n' ride anyway, far more businesses in the surrounding area, higher density development, and is more walkable, so I would propose the removal of the park n' ride there. From Jefferson Park to Addison, the line continues in the median of the Kennedy Expressway, but has stops that are much closer together, opened earlier, and without park n' rides. Jefferson Park features a large transit center, but Montrose, Irving Park, and Addison do not. From here, the line runs into a short, two station subway under Kimball and Milwaukee Avenues, the only one outside of the Loop. This piece of the line has two stations, Belmont and Logan Square, both of which feature transit centers. Afterwards, the line ascends to run on the last piece of traditional elevated line, from California to Damen with an intermediate stop at Western, and in an alley parallel to Milwaukee. After Damen, the line goes underground from Division to Clinton in the Milwaukee-Dearborn-LaSalle Subway, with a continuous platform from Washington to Jackson under Dearborn Street. After Clinton all the way to Forest Park, the line runs in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway. This stretch of the line is quite slow, so I would definitely propose modernizing the tracks here, in addition to the "Your New Blue" program modernizing the O'Hare branch's tracks. Stations located in the expressway medians on branches are quite spartan and a little noisy on the platform, so better screens to close riders off from the cars on both sides would be a nice addition. I would also propose reopening the three abandoned Forest Park branch stations at Central, Kostner, and California, as well as the abandoned auxiliary exits at Lavergne (Cicero) and Keeler (Pulaski). In addition, I think that an infill station at Nagle would be a good idea, as well as getting the line new trains, as right now the second-busiest "L" line uses some of the oldest trains. Finally, I would propose that some weekday rush hour Blue Line trains start at Jefferson Park and make all stops until Racine, when they would climb to the Pink Line tracks, and stop at 18th, Western, Pulaski, and 54th/Cermak.
The CTA Brown Line is the third busiest L route, with about 106,000 riders per weekday. The line is also the busiest of the traditional "L" routes. The line serves several hipster neighborhoods, and, as I have said before, is humorously known as the "Cappuccino Line" by some. The line is served entirely by the 3200 series cars, which are beginning to look very dated, and have an odd seating layout, with not many aisle facing (bench) seats, but still better than the even older 2400 and 2600 series cars. After circling the Loop in a counterclockwise manner, Brown Line trains cross the Chicago River at Wells Street, and begins its journey north on the North Side Main Line. From the Loop to Armitage, the ride is quite slow, though the CTA has begun to rebuild this segment of track, which should help alleviate this issue. At Armitage, the Brown Line runs on Local tracks to Belmont, when it veers westward onto the Ravenswood Branch. Afterwards, the line speeds up quite a bit, and stays on an elevated line until Western, when it descends to grade level right up to its terminus at Kimball. Most stations feature side platforms, and have been recently renovated to allow for eight car trains to run on the line. Some of the stations in the Loop are quite old looking and are in bad need of renovation. The most dilapidated Loop stations in my opinion are LaSalle/Van Buren, Adams/Wabash, and State/Lake. Though Randolph/Wabash and Madison/Wabash could use a renovation, they are both being replaced by a new station at Washington/Wabash anyway, so it doesn't really matter if they are renovated, and Madison/Wabash is already closed for the new station's construction. North of the Loop, all stations have been recently renovated, and are quite nice. I would propose an infill station at Division, as well as the construction of the Belmont Flyover to allow for faster access to Belmont Station for Brown Line trains. However, the Belmont Flyover would mean that some buildings would be demolished, so I think that the CTA would then have to finance the building of new, pedestrian friendly buildings in their place. Finally, I would propose that the Brown Line be extended to Jefferson Park to connect with Metra commuter rail, the CTA Blue Line, many CTA bus lines, and some Pace bus lines. This would mean elevating the line west of Western, and constructing the line as an elevated over Lawrence west of the current Kimball Station, with new stops at Pulaski and Elston. At the Kennedy Expressway, the line would leave Lawrence and join the current Blue Line tracks until its endpoint at Jefferson Park. A more short term proposal I would also make is the demolishing of the park n' ride at Kimball to make room for new buildings and the Kimball Yard expansion.
The CTA Blue Line is another unique line, with about 171,000 riders per weekday. The line contains almost none of the original elevated alignment that characterizes the Chicago "L", and instead runs in subways and in the median of expressways for most of its long run through Chicago's Northwest Side, the Loop, and back out to the West Side again. Starting at O'Hare, the line runs underground to the Kennedy Expressway, and then stops at Rosemont, Cumberland, and Harlem. All of these stations feature transit centers and park n' rides, and were opened at the same time. Only Rosemont and Cumberland have justifiable park n' rides, due to the suburban and not very walkable character of Rosemont, and the lack of business or many bus connections at Cumberland. Harlem, however, has a small park n' ride anyway, far more businesses in the surrounding area, higher density development, and is more walkable, so I would propose the removal of the park n' ride there. From Jefferson Park to Addison, the line continues in the median of the Kennedy Expressway, but has stops that are much closer together, opened earlier, and without park n' rides. Jefferson Park features a large transit center, but Montrose, Irving Park, and Addison do not. From here, the line runs into a short, two station subway under Kimball and Milwaukee Avenues, the only one outside of the Loop. This piece of the line has two stations, Belmont and Logan Square, both of which feature transit centers. Afterwards, the line ascends to run on the last piece of traditional elevated line, from California to Damen with an intermediate stop at Western, and in an alley parallel to Milwaukee. After Damen, the line goes underground from Division to Clinton in the Milwaukee-Dearborn-LaSalle Subway, with a continuous platform from Washington to Jackson under Dearborn Street. After Clinton all the way to Forest Park, the line runs in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway. This stretch of the line is quite slow, so I would definitely propose modernizing the tracks here, in addition to the "Your New Blue" program modernizing the O'Hare branch's tracks. Stations located in the expressway medians on branches are quite spartan and a little noisy on the platform, so better screens to close riders off from the cars on both sides would be a nice addition. I would also propose reopening the three abandoned Forest Park branch stations at Central, Kostner, and California, as well as the abandoned auxiliary exits at Lavergne (Cicero) and Keeler (Pulaski). In addition, I think that an infill station at Nagle would be a good idea, as well as getting the line new trains, as right now the second-busiest "L" line uses some of the oldest trains. Finally, I would propose that some weekday rush hour Blue Line trains start at Jefferson Park and make all stops until Racine, when they would climb to the Pink Line tracks, and stop at 18th, Western, Pulaski, and 54th/Cermak.
The CTA Yellow Line is much the same as my last visit to the city. The short, three station line has a lot of potential ridership wise, but due to the lack of infill stations along the denser parts of its route the line has very low ridership, with only about 6,000 riders per weekday! The line was created in 1964 on the route of the former Niles Center Branch, but with only two stations at Howard and Dempster. A large (for the time) park n' ride was created at Dempster, and the line was operated as a temporary experiment. However, the line soon outpaced the ridership projections and became a permanent addition to the CTA system. However, the Village of Skokie has begun to try and urbanize and invest in its downtown, and consequentially opened a station at Oakton in 2012. The line is operated at fairly good frequencies, but doesn't run very late into the night. The line is run with exclusively 5000 series cars in two car arrangements, which are often fairly crowded for a three station branch! At Oakton and Dempster, transfer to a few bus lines is available, and a large bus terminal is present at Howard. Personally, I would suggest building infill stations at Asbury and Crawford to start with, and possibly at Dodge in the far future. An extension to Old Orchard would help provide many connections with bus lines and a major shopping center, so this would be a good idea as well in my opinion.
The CTA Orange Line is also much the same as it was in my last visit. The newest major addition to the CTA system, the line is run with 2600 and 3200 series cars, and has about 57,000 riders each weekday. The line's stations are spaced fairly far apart, and it is quite clear that the main purpose of the line is to link Midway Airport with the Loop. However, the infill stations do see fairly high ridership, so this is OK. All stations on the line past Roosevelt feature large bus terminals, and all the stations feature nice architecture and design. Due to its recent construction, the line is quite fast and features a very smooth ride. One thing that I commend the CTA on is the wise choice to place the line on the railroad right of way, instead of in the median of the Stevenson Expressway, as putting "L" lines in highway medians often isolates them from the neighborhoods they are intended to serve. Audio announcements on the line, as with the rest of the CTA's buses and trains, was amazing, with clear announcements at every station announcing nearly everything one needs to know, though announcing connecting buses would be nice. I would propose infill stations on the line at Cermak, 43rd, and California, as well as extending the line to Ford City (79th), with an intermediate stop at Marquette. I also would strongly recommend the removal of all park n' rides along the line, with the smaller ones at Halsted, 35th/Archer, and Kedzie being turned into small buildings, such as health clinics, walk up apartments, or restaurants, and the larger ones at Western, Pulaski, and Midway being turned into full scale mixed use development. Finally, I would add a Metra station for the Heritage Corridor Line at 35th/Archer to create a transit center there.
The CTA Red Line is by far the centerpiece of the entire CTA's transit system, if not the whole RTA's. Carrying around 252,000 passengers every weekday, 365 days a year, the line runs much of the length of the city, from the city limits at Howard Avenue all the way to 95th Street on the South Side. Because of this, extremely frequent service is offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Even at 2:00 AM on a Monday, one would still wait no more than 15 minutes for a train. The line is operated with eight car trains, most of which are 5000 series cars, though some 2600 cars still run on the line. The southern terminus of the line, 95th, is home to a very large transit center, with many frequent CTA and Pace buses stopping here before going to points north, south, east, and west. Currently, this transit center is in the process of being rebuilt and modernized, as the station is the busiest in the system. From 95th to Sox-35th, the line runs in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway. around 27th Street, the line rises out of the expressway to stop at Cermak-Chinatown. This entire segment of track from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th was renovated in late 2013 as part of the Red-Purple Modernization plan. These vital renovations help save South Side residents up to 20 minutes on there commute, and newer, better, wheelchair-accessible South Side stations. After Cermak-Chinatown, the line goes underground to stop at Roosevelt, where transfer to Green and Orange Line trains is possible via a series of walkways. Afterwards, trains stop at the recently renovated Harrison Station, before traveling into the heart of the Loop to stop at the three (formerly four) Loop stations on the Red Line's long platform from Lake to Jackson under State Street. At Jackson, transfer is available to Blue Line trains via an underpass, and to Brown, Purple, Pink, and Orange Line trains via a short walk on the surface. at Lake, transfer is available to Brown, Purple, Pink, Orange, and Green Line trains via another short surface walk. from Lake, the line continues in a subway to North/Clybourn. Stations in this section have all been renovated fairly recently, but still look quite shabby, so something must be done about this immediately, such as taking out the ugly center wall between the side platforms at three of the four stations. From just past North/Clybourn, the line runs above ground over the North Side Main Line all the way to its terminus at Howard. From Fullerton to Belmont, the line runs on express tracks, and then on local tracks from Belmont to Howard, as the center tracks begin as the local tracks, but become express tracks after Belmont, and the line never leaves these center tracks. Stations on this northern segment are generally in good repair, although some are in bad need of renovation, such as Sheridan. As far as proposals for the line, work is being done on extending the line south to 130th Street, as well as constructing a new express/local interchange at Wilson, and modernizing the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr. However, I would propose a radical new plan for the North Side "L" Routes. First, the Red Line local trains would operate from 95th (eventually 130th) to Howard, with some trains losing six of their eight cars and continuing on to Dempster, replacing the current Yellow Line. The Purple Line of today would be replaced with Red Line Express, which would run all stops from Linden to Howard, and then use express tracks from Howard to Armitage, with intermediate stops at either Morse or Loyola, or possibly both, Bryn Mawr, Wilson, possibly Sheridan, Belmont, and Fullerton. Afterwards, express trains would make all stops from North/Clybourn to Roosevelt, except Monroe and Washington, if it is ever reopened, which it should. These express trains would run seven days a week, with very frequent service.
The CTA 49B North Western bus is a nice, medium ridership line that runs from Western & Howard to the Western Brown Line station, and gets about 5,800 riders a day, not bad for such a short route. The line runs with New Flyer D40LFs, which are a little noisy for my taste and should be replaced by hybrid buses as soon as possible. A good thing about the route is it only travels along Western Avenue, creating a very direct service for people living in the diverse West Ridge area. The line sees a large weekend ridership as well, and many people use the line for short trips in their neighborhood, not only for going further into the city. This means that the bus stops quite often to let people on and off, which can make the ride slow. Audio announcements on the line are quite good, but do not announce connecting bus lines, so I feel this should be added. Bus stops are quite nice, featuring the line name, a short route map, destination, and a general hours of operation table. At shelters, benches and a system map are provided as well. Seating in the bus is mostly aisle, so with the next order of buses to run on the line more bench seats should be included. I would propose consolidating some stops so as to speed up the ride, as well as curtailing the 49 Western at Western Brown Line as to reduce duplication from Western Station to Berwyn. Finally, an extension into Evanston via Asbury, Church, Sherman, and Davis to serve the Davis Purple Line station and future Asbury Yellow Line station would be useful.
The CTA 49 Western bus is the second busiest route in the CTA's bus system, and operates 24/7 with very frequent service. The line sees about 29,000 riders per weekday, and runs with New Flyer D40LFs, as well as both new and old NovaBus LFS buses. Personally, I much prefer the LFSs to the D40LFs, but both lack a suitable amount of bench seats, especially for such a busy route. The 49 serves a fairly dense and transit friendly corridor from its southern terminus at 79th to its northern terminus at Berwyn, and functions as a very important crosstown bus, connecting CTA bus, CTA rail, and Metra lines together. Many bus stops feature shelters, and some shelters feature digital next bus indicators. Weekend ridership is fairly high as well, with people getting on and off at almost every stop, and consequentially I would propose stop consolidation for the line immediately to help speed up the corridor. The line is also very direct, never leaving Western Avenue along its entire route, except to serve bus loops at 79th, Western Orange Line, and Berwyn. I feel like short term fixes could be to consolidate stops, as mentioned previously, increase frequencies, and curtail the line's northern end at Western Brown Line, instead of Berwyn. I would also propose replacing Pace route 349 South Western with a CTA route 49A South Western, and increasing frequencies along the line. In the long run, the Western Avenue BRT should help alleviate congestion on the 49, which will mean that frequencies can be decreased, and the BRT can become the more frequent, busy route in the corridor, while also offering a faster travel time.
I am really sorry for how long it has taken me to finish my Chicago entries, and if anyone actually reads these I thank you for your patience!
The CTA Orange Line is also much the same as it was in my last visit. The newest major addition to the CTA system, the line is run with 2600 and 3200 series cars, and has about 57,000 riders each weekday. The line's stations are spaced fairly far apart, and it is quite clear that the main purpose of the line is to link Midway Airport with the Loop. However, the infill stations do see fairly high ridership, so this is OK. All stations on the line past Roosevelt feature large bus terminals, and all the stations feature nice architecture and design. Due to its recent construction, the line is quite fast and features a very smooth ride. One thing that I commend the CTA on is the wise choice to place the line on the railroad right of way, instead of in the median of the Stevenson Expressway, as putting "L" lines in highway medians often isolates them from the neighborhoods they are intended to serve. Audio announcements on the line, as with the rest of the CTA's buses and trains, was amazing, with clear announcements at every station announcing nearly everything one needs to know, though announcing connecting buses would be nice. I would propose infill stations on the line at Cermak, 43rd, and California, as well as extending the line to Ford City (79th), with an intermediate stop at Marquette. I also would strongly recommend the removal of all park n' rides along the line, with the smaller ones at Halsted, 35th/Archer, and Kedzie being turned into small buildings, such as health clinics, walk up apartments, or restaurants, and the larger ones at Western, Pulaski, and Midway being turned into full scale mixed use development. Finally, I would add a Metra station for the Heritage Corridor Line at 35th/Archer to create a transit center there.
The CTA Red Line is by far the centerpiece of the entire CTA's transit system, if not the whole RTA's. Carrying around 252,000 passengers every weekday, 365 days a year, the line runs much of the length of the city, from the city limits at Howard Avenue all the way to 95th Street on the South Side. Because of this, extremely frequent service is offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Even at 2:00 AM on a Monday, one would still wait no more than 15 minutes for a train. The line is operated with eight car trains, most of which are 5000 series cars, though some 2600 cars still run on the line. The southern terminus of the line, 95th, is home to a very large transit center, with many frequent CTA and Pace buses stopping here before going to points north, south, east, and west. Currently, this transit center is in the process of being rebuilt and modernized, as the station is the busiest in the system. From 95th to Sox-35th, the line runs in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway. around 27th Street, the line rises out of the expressway to stop at Cermak-Chinatown. This entire segment of track from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th was renovated in late 2013 as part of the Red-Purple Modernization plan. These vital renovations help save South Side residents up to 20 minutes on there commute, and newer, better, wheelchair-accessible South Side stations. After Cermak-Chinatown, the line goes underground to stop at Roosevelt, where transfer to Green and Orange Line trains is possible via a series of walkways. Afterwards, trains stop at the recently renovated Harrison Station, before traveling into the heart of the Loop to stop at the three (formerly four) Loop stations on the Red Line's long platform from Lake to Jackson under State Street. At Jackson, transfer is available to Blue Line trains via an underpass, and to Brown, Purple, Pink, and Orange Line trains via a short walk on the surface. at Lake, transfer is available to Brown, Purple, Pink, Orange, and Green Line trains via another short surface walk. from Lake, the line continues in a subway to North/Clybourn. Stations in this section have all been renovated fairly recently, but still look quite shabby, so something must be done about this immediately, such as taking out the ugly center wall between the side platforms at three of the four stations. From just past North/Clybourn, the line runs above ground over the North Side Main Line all the way to its terminus at Howard. From Fullerton to Belmont, the line runs on express tracks, and then on local tracks from Belmont to Howard, as the center tracks begin as the local tracks, but become express tracks after Belmont, and the line never leaves these center tracks. Stations on this northern segment are generally in good repair, although some are in bad need of renovation, such as Sheridan. As far as proposals for the line, work is being done on extending the line south to 130th Street, as well as constructing a new express/local interchange at Wilson, and modernizing the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr. However, I would propose a radical new plan for the North Side "L" Routes. First, the Red Line local trains would operate from 95th (eventually 130th) to Howard, with some trains losing six of their eight cars and continuing on to Dempster, replacing the current Yellow Line. The Purple Line of today would be replaced with Red Line Express, which would run all stops from Linden to Howard, and then use express tracks from Howard to Armitage, with intermediate stops at either Morse or Loyola, or possibly both, Bryn Mawr, Wilson, possibly Sheridan, Belmont, and Fullerton. Afterwards, express trains would make all stops from North/Clybourn to Roosevelt, except Monroe and Washington, if it is ever reopened, which it should. These express trains would run seven days a week, with very frequent service.
The CTA 49B North Western bus is a nice, medium ridership line that runs from Western & Howard to the Western Brown Line station, and gets about 5,800 riders a day, not bad for such a short route. The line runs with New Flyer D40LFs, which are a little noisy for my taste and should be replaced by hybrid buses as soon as possible. A good thing about the route is it only travels along Western Avenue, creating a very direct service for people living in the diverse West Ridge area. The line sees a large weekend ridership as well, and many people use the line for short trips in their neighborhood, not only for going further into the city. This means that the bus stops quite often to let people on and off, which can make the ride slow. Audio announcements on the line are quite good, but do not announce connecting bus lines, so I feel this should be added. Bus stops are quite nice, featuring the line name, a short route map, destination, and a general hours of operation table. At shelters, benches and a system map are provided as well. Seating in the bus is mostly aisle, so with the next order of buses to run on the line more bench seats should be included. I would propose consolidating some stops so as to speed up the ride, as well as curtailing the 49 Western at Western Brown Line as to reduce duplication from Western Station to Berwyn. Finally, an extension into Evanston via Asbury, Church, Sherman, and Davis to serve the Davis Purple Line station and future Asbury Yellow Line station would be useful.
The CTA 49 Western bus is the second busiest route in the CTA's bus system, and operates 24/7 with very frequent service. The line sees about 29,000 riders per weekday, and runs with New Flyer D40LFs, as well as both new and old NovaBus LFS buses. Personally, I much prefer the LFSs to the D40LFs, but both lack a suitable amount of bench seats, especially for such a busy route. The 49 serves a fairly dense and transit friendly corridor from its southern terminus at 79th to its northern terminus at Berwyn, and functions as a very important crosstown bus, connecting CTA bus, CTA rail, and Metra lines together. Many bus stops feature shelters, and some shelters feature digital next bus indicators. Weekend ridership is fairly high as well, with people getting on and off at almost every stop, and consequentially I would propose stop consolidation for the line immediately to help speed up the corridor. The line is also very direct, never leaving Western Avenue along its entire route, except to serve bus loops at 79th, Western Orange Line, and Berwyn. I feel like short term fixes could be to consolidate stops, as mentioned previously, increase frequencies, and curtail the line's northern end at Western Brown Line, instead of Berwyn. I would also propose replacing Pace route 349 South Western with a CTA route 49A South Western, and increasing frequencies along the line. In the long run, the Western Avenue BRT should help alleviate congestion on the 49, which will mean that frequencies can be decreased, and the BRT can become the more frequent, busy route in the corridor, while also offering a faster travel time.
I am really sorry for how long it has taken me to finish my Chicago entries, and if anyone actually reads these I thank you for your patience!
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