With the high cost of full scale rapid transit, should the CTA look to light rail as the most logical form of transit expansion in the downtown area once the Circle Line is built?
The opportunities for light rail to link up with existing rapid transit stations (as well as bus stops) is considerable.
Light rail is far less expensive and far less disruptive than rapid transit costruction. The old plans that have been floating around should be revived...as well as increased, including:
• a connection between the West Loop (Ogilvie, Union) Metra stations that connects with River North through the r.r. right-of-way south of Kinzie to link up with Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier
• a cross Loop line on Madison or Monroe, clear out to the UC
• If a Grey Line can not be established on existing Metra trackage, a light rail line (continuation of the Monroe one) to McCormick Place
• a Roosevelt Road line that links Museum campus, the growing businesses south of the Loop, UIC, the Med Center...a high growth corridor that needs to be tied together
• a similiar line on Division would accelerate the already impressive redevelopment of the Cabrini area.
Other lines could be considered. Careful planning to coordinate existing and future CTA rapid transit, CTA bus, and Metra with a new CTA-run downtown light rail system and CTA Circle Line would do wonders in tying together the far flung real estate of downtown Chicago and help it function more and more like one regon.> |
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