Speeding up the CTA: an aggressive track improvement program is bringing faster service to thousands of Chicago transit users

Railway Age, April, 2008 by Tom Judge

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In February 2008, the Chicago Transit Authority launched a $200 million construction program that will improve safety and reliability and reduce slow zones on CTA's rail rapid transit network by more than 68%. Construction began in March and will be concluded by the first quarter of 2009. When the work is finished, CTA trains will be able to travel at 65 mph or greater on key portions of the system--something not seen since 1963.

"With its immediate financial crisis solved, the CTA needs to build on its commitment to operating a quality system that is on time, gets people to their destination, and is safe," Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley declared when the Federal Transit Administration and Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority (the umbrella organization for CTA, Metra commuter rail, and Pace buses) came through with the capital support. In announcing the FTA/RTA funding, Daley took it upon himself to voice his opinion on what the CTA needs to do to improve service and be more accountable to Chicago taxpayers (sidebar, p. 43).

The $200 million, though, is a short-term fix, a one-time infusion that cannot be applied to CTA operations. The Illinois state legislature, Daley pointed out, "has yet to provide meaningful long-term capital funding." CTA hasn't received capital funding from the state in more than four years, and the agency estimates that, to attain a state of good repair, it needs about $6.3 billion, long-term.

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That $200 million will have to go a long way, and CTA is making a concerted effort to squeeze every last bit of value out those dollars. In July 2007, the agency launched an aggressive project to eliminate slow zones on two of its busiest lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line. Work on the downtown subway portion of the Blue Line was completed in September 2007. Work on the O'Hare International Airport branch of the Blue Line, and on the north branch and downtown subway portions of the Red Line (which accommodates 108,000 riders), are under way. Work will be complete by the end of 2008.

Progress has been steady. Since announcing the slow zone elimination plan, CTA trains have been able to resume normal operating speed on nearly twelve miles of track. The construction work mainly impacts travel during off-peak hours and involves weekend closures in some areas.

In late 2007, CTA approved a $26.6 million contract to replace deteriorating timber rail ties in the Red Line subway with concrete ties. This project will eliminate 2.5 miles of slow zones in both directions in the subway from Clark/Division to just north of North/Clybourn and just under a mile between Lake and Roosevelt. This is in addition to work to install concrete ties in the Red Line from Grand to Clark/Division.

Slow zones inconvenience customers, and CTA is making progress reducing them on the Red and Blue Lines (sidebar, p. 40). On Chicago's North Side, where long-suffering CTA riders endure delays and inconvenience on the $530 million Brown Line Expansion Project, CTA is taking steps to case the burden as construction moves into the next phase. Since 1970, ridership on the Brown Line has increased 83%. On an average weekday, more than 66,000 riders use the Brown Line.

The Southport Brown Line station reopened for service on March 30, and, for the first time, eight-car trains are serving the line. The introduction of eight-car service occurred nearly 18 months earlier than originally planned. Brown Line trains previously could only be up to six cars long.

"We were able to accelerate the operation of eight-car trains on the Brown Line by reopening the Southport station, and by opening a temporary station at Diversey," explains Huberman. "Longer trains will help ease congestion as our Red, Brown, and Purple Express trains begin to share one southbound track. More riders will be able to board, which is critical, especially during the morning rush, when we expect customers will feel the greatest impact."

Southbound trains are now limited to one southbound track at the Belmont and Fullerton stations due to construction. During the peak morning rush period there will be four fewer Red Line trains traveling inbound from Howard to Downtown (19 instead of 15). However, additional southbound trains will be staged south of Fullerton for use as needed. Four fewer Brown Line trains (12 instead of 16) will operate during the peak, but because the trains will have eight cars, capacity on the Brown Line won't be reduced. Purple Line Express service levels will remain the same, at four trains. South Side Red Line service will also remain the same. To provide eight-car service, the Paulina and Wellington stations, which can only berth six-car trains, are now closed for renovation and platform expansion.

SLOW ZONES

"Slow zones are a major source of frustration to customers so we deem these repairs critical to improving trips for Red and Blue Line riders," says CTA President Ron Huberman. "As work is completed, speed restrictions are incrementally lifted along sections of track. The noticeable improvement in service makes this a worthwhile investment of the limited funds available."