http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/b...0,2059367.story

 

The entire south branch of the CTA Red Line will close for five months starting in spring 2013, with the transit agency offering free shuttle bus service to Green Line rail stations, so a $425 million track replacement project can be completed more quickly, officials said Monday.

 

The decision to close the Red Line from the Cermak-Chinatown station to the 95th Street terminal was made to condense the reconstruction from four years of weekend work to five months total, said CTA spokeswoman Molly Sullivan.

Man, that sucks. But, if it's going to replace 4 years of weekend headaches with 5 months, then I guess it's a good plan.

 

But yeah, I see this affecting attendance. For me, that was the only way I ever went to the park: blue line to red line.

Edited June 4, 201213 yr by TitoMB

It will give more people another excuse not to go to games. It is definitely going to hurt attendance, although its not that bad transferring to the Green Line at Roosevelt north. South, I don't know.

Damnit. This is just gonna give away the secret of the Green Line back to downtown, which is always so much less crowded than the Red Line.

Damnit. This is just gonna give away the secret of the Green Line back to downtown, which is always so much less crowded than the Red Line.

 

I always took the Green Line, but then I was living in Oak Park so I had to end up on the Green Line anyway.

Man, this BLOWS. The CTA is going to have to increase bus service dramatically, which they actually did when they repaired the blue line slow zones north of Division.

There is one way to make sure attendance isn't hurt. WIN THE WHOLE f***ING THING!

Given that the Sox will upset Texas in the ALCS and win another world series in '12, I think fans will find a way to make it.

Given that the Sox will upset Texas in the ALCS and win another world series in '12, I think fans will find a way to make it.

Bleeding optimism.. all right!

Good news, south of Roosevelt the Red Line will be running on Green Line tracks so you'll just have to walk a little farther. State and 35th actually used to be the Red Line stop. It won't make it the shuttle bus/transfer nightmare the Tribune made it out to be.

Edited June 4, 201213 yr by Dick Allen

Good news, south of Roosevelt the Red Line will be running on Green Line tracks so you'll just have to walk a little farther. State and 35th actually used to be the Red Line stop. It won't make it the shuttle bus/transfer nightmare the Tribune made it out to be.

 

 

It may work.

 

Begs the question however if they will be forced to do the same on the Blue Line to O'Hare in a few years.

 

 

It may work.

 

Begs the question however if they will be forced to do the same on the Blue Line to O'Hare in a few years.

 

I believe they already finished the work on the Blue Line to eliminate the slow zones. It took years working almost every weekend. Now with the Red Line, they figured closing it for a few months is easier and cheaper.

I believe they already finished the work on the Blue Line to eliminate the slow zones. It took years working almost every weekend. Now with the Red Line, they figured closing it for a few months is easier and cheaper.

There still are a ton of slow zones up north and between Clark/Dvision and Chinatown. I wonder how they will address those. You go about 1/2 a mile an hour the last block into Chinatown.

This is going to f*** my post-Sox green line to the city plans up quite a bit.

Wait, so the IIT station will also be used by Red Line during this time? If that's the case, it's not even a story. If it's more than that, it's going to factor into my decision on split season renewal.

Driving to Sox games from the West Suburbs is something I never intend on doing again. Forget about the traffic, gas money, parking money, and all that jazz. The last time I drove down there, I had work late. I got there before first pitch and was told to use one of the lots by the park. It was full. Everyone was then directed to IIT- it was full. Two innings were spent in traffic as we inched toward the lot a little further down the street- it filled up a few cars ahead of us. We ask the attendant that just closed the lot where to go- he's not prepared for this question and puts his thumb in his ass. We cross the Dan Ryan and head back towards the park. We're told to return to the original lot we were directed to.

 

After driving back and discovering that it's still closed, and they in fact haven't finished building that parking garage in the 60-90 minutes we spent in traffic, we're told that we should try McCormick Place. Not the half-empty bus-lot right by the US Cellular Field sign, but McCormick Place. The 5th inning is about to begin. Thanks, maybe by the time I get there I can catch the auto show as well.

 

I realize that this was an exception, and most of the time you can park right next to home plate 3 innings into a game, but this was absurd. Union Pacific West to Red Line exclusively after that.

Damnit. This is just gonna give away the secret of the Green Line back to downtown, which is always so much less crowded than the Red Line.

And I just got a stop on Morgan!!!!

Jerry is going to need to charter some party buses to cover those areas affected during games. Problem solved. Hopefully should be open for the 2013 playoff..if not playoff party buses.

 

Sox just have to promote the Green Line, but it will definitely hurt attendance.

The CTA needed to replace this track, so it was a matter of no weekends for 3 or 4 years or just using the Green Line for 5 months. Better to just get it over with, and the CTA is saving something like $75 mil by doing it this way.

How about some CTA Red Line buses for White Sox games. Make a route that pretty

much hits all of the red line stops. Charge people the same amount as taking the Red Line.

 

Parties buses b/c it should be pretty much White Sox fans on them. Eventruths those

buses into something good, something fun.

 

Or rent out some of those double decker buses from the 2005 parade. Maybe charge a little bit extra but it would be fun. Let people yell out from the top and throw confetti.

Edited June 5, 201213 yr by sunofgold

Damnit. This is just gonna give away the secret of the Green Line back to downtown, which is always so much less crowded than the Red Line.

 

 

This x 100 billion. We had a good thing going with the Green Line. It was so damn convenient.

Eventruths? The f***?

Wow that sounds like a big FUBAR waiting to happen for the CTA Red Line.