98-552: The North Side Main Line is a branch of the Chicago "L" system that is used by Red , Purple , and Brown Line trains. As of 2012, it is the network's busiest rail branch, serving an average of 123,229 passengers each weekday. The branch is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) long with a total of 21 stations, from Howard Street in Rogers Park down to Lake Street in Chicago's Loop . The branch serves
196-569: A 54% increase in weekday riders since 1992. On the other hand, weekday ridership on the South Side portion of the Green Line, which closed for two years for reconstruction from January 1994 to May 1996, was 50,400 in 1978 but only 13,000 in 2006. Boardings at the 95th/Dan Ryan stop on the Red Line, though still among the system's busiest at 11,100 riders per weekday as of February 2015, are less than half
294-517: A Ventra disposable ticket, contactless credit or debit card, and certain smartphones. Unlimited ride Ventra cards/tickets are only valid for one passenger. CTA buses also accept cash. Up to three children under 7 can ride free with a fare-paying rider. The CTA has many free and discounted fare options, for elementary, middle, and high school students, college and university students, people with disabilities, senior citizens, and military service members. Only buses allow riders to pay directly with cash at
392-512: A budget saving move by the CTA. The 1972-76 fleet of GM "New Look" buses , 1870 total, which were originally air-conditioned (although there were problems with the air-conditioning systems, eventually being disabled and sliding windows installed in the buses), composed the majority of vehicles in service into the early 1990s. In 1995, the CTA placed an experimental order of their first 65 low floor transit buses from New Flyer Industries D40LF . In 1998,
490-574: A farebox. Exact fare is required, since no change is given. Since January 7, 2018, the bus full fare is $ 2.50, the senior/disabled fare is $ 1.25, and the student fare is $ .75. No cash transfers are available. Previously, some rail station turnstiles accepted cash, but this feature has been removed in an effort to speed up boarding. Cash at rail stations is only accepted at Ventra Vending Machines to purchase Ventra cards and tickets. The CTA no longer sells Transit Cards. All remaining Transit Cards must have been used by July 1, 2014. In its place CTA has adopted
588-611: A flat fare of $ 2.50 for almost the entire system, the only exception being O'Hare International Airport on the Blue Line, at which passengers entering the station are charged a higher fare of $ 5.00 (passengers leaving the system at this station are not charged this higher fare). The higher fare is being charged for what the CTA considers "premium-level" service to O'Hare. Use of the Midway International Airport Station does not require this higher fare; it only requires
686-606: A new main station entrance on the south side of Wilson, with two island platforms to provide access between the two lines, two auxiliary entrances: one at Sunnyside Avenue and one on the north side of Wilson. Reconstruction began in October 2014 and ended in February 2018. The station remained open during reconstruction. The complete set of renderings and boards on display during the open house meeting are now available. Chicago %22L%22 The Chicago " L " (short for " elevated ")
784-556: A pivotal role in the development of the London Underground , and who was immortalized by Theodore Dreiser as the ruthless schemer Frank Cowperwood in The Titan (1914) and other novels. Yerkes, who controlled much of the city's streetcar system, obtained the necessary signatures through cash and guile—at one point he secured a franchise to build a mile-long "L" over Van Buren Street from Wabash Avenue to Halsted Street, extracting
882-617: A publisher's editor in New York or some other east coast city; in Chicago the same expression is routinely rendered 'L'." As used by CTA, the name is rendered as the capital letter 'L', in single quotation marks. "L" (with double quotation marks) was often used by CTA predecessors such as the Chicago Rapid Transit Company; however, the CTA uses single quotation marks (') on some printed materials and signs rather than double. In Chicago,
980-472: A ramp to bridge the 3-4in height gap. Notes: In 1953, the CTA placed an order for Flxible buses after the latter's absorption of the Fageol Twin Coach Company. Until 1973, CTA's fleet included a large number of electric trolley buses – or "trolley coaches", as they were commonly known at the time. In the 1950s, the fleet of around 700 trolley coaches was the largest such fleet in
1078-416: A scoping process and which they provided public meetings and a comment period. The purpose of the scoping process was to ask operators and attentive parties to provide guidance on the proposed alternatives, the purpose and need for the project and the proposed topics of evaluation and potential effects and mitigation measures to be considered. During the scoping process CTA introduced six alternatives as part of
SECTION 10
#17328511540631176-494: A secondary purpose of serving as bomb shelters, as evidenced by the close spacing of the support columns (a more extensive plan proposed replacing the entire elevated system with subways). The subways bypassed a number of tight curves and circuitous routings on the original elevated lines (Milwaukee trains, for example, originated on Chicago's northwest side but entered the Loop at the southwest corner), speeding service for many riders. By
1274-470: A station reconstruction project to accommodate longer trains. Annual traffic on the Howard branch of the Red Line, which reached 38.7 million in 2010 and 40.9 million in 2011, has exceeded the 1927 prewar peak of 38.5 million. The section of the Blue Line between the Loop and Logan Square , which serves once-neglected but now bustling neighborhoods such as Wicker Park , Bucktown , and Palmer Square , has seen
1372-406: A successful public display of professional works of art designed with input from nearby communities. This program provided high-profile locations for public art and server as a gateway to communities served by the CTA stations. Media under consideration included, but were not limited to, mosaics, art glass, ornamental fencing, mixed-media artwork, and freestanding sculpture and furniture. The CTA and
1470-531: A third. By the 1950s, the service was used throughout the system. All lines used the A/B skip-stop service between the 1950s and the 1990s with the exception of the Evanston and Skokie lines, which were suburban-only lines and did not justify skip-stop service. On the lines with branches, skip-stop service sent all "A" trains to one branch and "B" trains to another branch. On what became the Blue Line, "A" trains were routed on
1568-684: A total of 532 million rides in 2011, a 3 percent increase over 2010 with ridership rising to levels not seen for 20 years. The CTA operates 24 hours each day and on an average weekday provides 1.7 million rides on buses and trains. It has approximately 1,800 buses that operate over 140 routes traveling along 2,230 miles (3,590 km). Buses provide about one million passenger trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops. The Chicago Transit Authority's 1,450 train cars operate over eight routes and 222 miles (357 km) of track. Its trains provide about 750,000 customer trips each weekday and serve 146 stations in Chicago and seven suburbs. Currently,
1666-545: Is currently focused on eliminating slow zones, modernizing the Red, Blue, and Purple lines, and improving "L" stations. In addition, CTA has studied numerous other proposals for expanded rail service and renovations, some of which may be implemented in the future. During the 2000s and 2010s, the CTA has completed several renovation and new construction projects. Pink Line service began on June 25, 2006, though it did not include any new tracks or stations. The Pink Line travels over what
1764-413: Is home to a collection of art – including mosaics, sculptures and paintings. More than 50 pieces of art are exhibited at over 40 CTA stations. According to the CTA's website , the original pieces of artwork contribute to each station's identity and enhance travel for customers. Art promotes a friendly, inviting atmosphere for these stations, which serve as gateways to the communities they serve. Many of
1862-467: Is mostly dominated by New Flyer's D40LF , numbered 1000–2029, which replaced buses that were built in 1991 and 1995. In 2014, CTA ordered 400 new buses from Nova . The number increased to 425 after it exercised an option. The buses are numbered 7900–8324. The CTA exercised another option for an additional twenty-five buses, numbered 8325–8349, from Nova Bus. Currently, CTA is delivering additional 600 new buses (numbered 8350-8949) from Nova Bus which replaced
1960-686: Is now known as the Pink Line. The CTA has since created an ongoing program to showcase permanent works of art in conjunction with the City of Chicago Public Art Program. The Arts in Transit Program is funded by the Federal Transit Administration, and created opportunities to develop original artwork for station reconstruction projects along the CTA Red and Brown Lines. Artists were selected for each of
2058-442: Is operated by Cubic Transportation Systems . Riders using Ventra pay $ 2.25 for bus, $ 2.50 for rail (except Blue Line O'Hare station, $ 5). Disabled & seniors who are 65 or older pay $ 1.10 for bus, $ 1.25 for rail. Elementary and high school students 7–20 years old: Valid 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on school days pay $ .75 during school hours and pay $ 1.10 during weekends and holidays. The two transfers, within two hours, from
SECTION 20
#17328511540632156-840: Is served by the Brown Line, the State Street subway which is served by the Red Line, the Skokie Branch which is served by the Yellow Line , the Evanston Branch which is served by the Purple Line, and The Loop which is served by Brown and Purple Line trains. North of Howard , the Purple Line continues to Evanston and Wilmette , and the Yellow Line runs through southern Evanston en route to its terminus in Skokie . The North Side Main Line serves
2254-523: Is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois . Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014, and the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States after
2352-465: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 for all transit operators in the U.S., all CTA buses are accessible , with a ramp on every bus available for use upon request by anyone who has trouble with steps, even temporarily. The majority of train stations CTA operates have elevators or ramps to provide access for customers with disabilities. All trains are accessible, either through fully level boarding or
2450-604: The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad , Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad , and South Shore interurban lines, and ran the trains of the first two into downtown Chicago via the "L" tracks. This period of relative prosperity ended when Insull's empire collapsed in 1932, but later in the decade the city with the help of the federal government accumulated sufficient funds to begin construction of two subway lines to supplement and, some hoped, permit eventual replacement of
2548-759: The Green Line , the Purple Line and the Douglas branch of the Blue Line (the modern-day Pink Line ) also had 24 hour service. In the years of private ownership, the South Side Elevated Railroad (now the South Side Elevated portion of the Green Line) provided 24 hour service, a major advantage when compared to Chicago's cable railroads which required daily overnight shutdown for cable maintenance. In 2015,
2646-531: The Near North Side , Old Town , Lincoln Park , Lakeview , Wrigleyville , Uptown , Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods of Chicago , and has stops near Wrigley Field and Loyola University . Yellow and Purple Line trains merge onto the line at its northern terminus, the Howard Street Station. Red Line trains and the weekday rush hour Purple Line Express trains continue south on the part of
2744-574: The New York City Subway and the Washington Metro . As of January 2024, the "L" had 1,480 rail cars operating across eight different routes on 224.1 miles of track. CTA trains make about 1,888 trips each day servicing 146 train stations. In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 416,200 per weekday in the third quarter of 2024. The "L" provides 24-hour service on the Red and Blue Lines, making Chicago, New York City, and Copenhagen
2842-579: The University of Chicago , and the Museum of Science and Industry . The first "L", the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad , began revenue service on June 6, 1892, when a steam locomotive pulling four wooden coaches, carrying more than a couple of dozen people, departed the 39th Street station and arrived at the Congress Street Terminal 14 minutes later, over tracks that are still in use by
2940-421: The "L", the CTA introduced A/B skip-stop service. Under this service, trains were designated as either "A" or "B" trains, and stations were alternately designated as "A" stations or "B" stations, with heavily used stations designated as both – "AB". "A" trains would stop only at "A" and "AB" stations, and "B" trains would stop only at "B" and "AB" stations. Station signage carried the station's skip-stop letter and
3038-611: The $ 2.50 regular fare. The higher charge at O'Hare has been the source of some controversy in recent years, because of the CTA's plan to eliminate the exemption from the premium fare for airport workers, Transportation Security Administration workers, and airline workers. After protests from those groups, the CTA extended the exemptions for six months. Since 1993, "L" lines have been officially identified by color, although older route names survive to some extent in CTA publications and popular usage to distinguish branches of longer lines. Stations are found throughout Chicago, as well as in
North Side main line - Misplaced Pages Continue
3136-531: The 1940s, the financial condition of the "L", and of Chicago mass transit in general, had become too precarious to permit continued operation without subsidies, and the necessary steps were taken to enable a public takeover. In 1947, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) acquired the assets of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines , operator of the city's streetcars. Over
3234-483: The 1990s, use of the A/B skip-stop system was only used during rush hour service. Another problem was that trains skipping stations to save time still could not pass the train that was directly ahead, so skipping stations was not advantageous in all regards. In 1993, the CTA began to eliminate skip-stop service when it switched the southern branches of the West-South and North-South Lines to improve rider efficiency, creating
3332-402: The 20 (Madison St) bus in 2006, before expanding it to other routes in 2008. The original claim justifying the addition of this technology was that it would reduce the issue of bunching buses . The system also allows riders to be able to determine the location of buses online. A report prepared by the CTA claims that there was a decrease in bus bunching from 3.9% to 2.3% from 2007 to 2009, but
3430-452: The 3200-series and 5000-series. The design and arrangement of seats were modified to improve ergonomics and increase leg room. Enhanced air conditioning will circulate air more efficiently during hot summer days. Laser sensors above the doors will count the number of passengers, allowing the CTA to track passenger volumes and change its schedules accordingly. State-owned manufacturer CRRC Sifang America (China Rail Rolling Stock Corporation) won
3528-448: The 5000-series were received in 2009, and entered passenger testing in April 2010, with 396 more ordered once the tests were completed. On July 20, 2011, CTA announced the order of 300 more railcars, bringing the total ordered to 706 at a cost of about US$ 1 billion. In 2014, the CTA received their first electric buses from New Flyer, making the CTA the first major U.S. transit agency to use
3626-454: The 7000-series cars commenced in June 2019. This is the first time in more than 50 years CTA rail cars are manufactured in Chicago. Ten cars in the 7000-series began testing revenue service on April 21, 2021. The base order is for 400 cars and will be used to replace the 2600-series cars. If the CTA ordered the additional 446 cars, they would also replace the 3200-series cars. In May 2023,
3724-450: The Brown Line in April 2008. The project was completed in December 2009, on time and on budget, with only minor punch list work remaining. The project's total cost was expected to be around $ 530 million. Chicago Transit Authority The Chicago Transit Authority ( CTA ) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago , Illinois , United States, and some of its suburbs , including
3822-479: The CTA announced it has received $ 200 million funding from the Federal Transit Authority; this money will go towards the development of the 9000-series rail cars. The plan is to acquire up to 300 new train sets. Chicago's rapid-transit system is officially nicknamed the "L". This name for the CTA rail system applies to the whole system: its elevated, subway, at-grade, and open-cut segments. The use of
3920-884: The CTA has been recently renovating all the Howard branch stations as part of the Red North Station Interim Improvements (see below). In November 2011, the CTA announced the Red North project as part of the Red Line Capital Investment. The cost of the project was $ 86 million with a $ 57.4 million contract granted to contractor Kiewit Infrastructure. The project included seven stations to be renovated which included Granville , Morse , Thorndale , Argyle , Berwyn , Lawrence , and Jarvis . The project started on June 1, 2012 at Granville and finished its renovation on December 13, 2012 at Jarvis. The project also caused
4018-460: The CTA introduced a new fare payment system called Ventra . Ventra enables passengers to purchase individual tickets, passes, or transit value online, by smart phone, or at participating retail locations. Ventra also works with CTA buses, Pace (suburban buses), and Metra (commuter rail). Payment by a smartphone app, the Ventra app, or by a contactless bankcard is possible. As of 2018 , the "L" uses
North Side main line - Misplaced Pages Continue
4116-643: The CTA placed an order for 484 new low floor transit buses from Canadian bus-building firm Nova Bus . This executed move billed the CTA as Nova's American launch customer for the latter's signature product, the LFS series. This was also done to meet the "Buy American" requirements for buses in the United States transit bus market, since General Motors ceased bus production and Flxible went out of business. Lastly, these buses replaced buses that were built in 1983 and 1985 as these buses both lack air conditioning, aging, and not ADA compliant. Today CTA's current fleet of buses
4214-496: The CTA provides regular service within Chicago and the neighboring suburbs of Forest Park , Evanston , Skokie , Oak Park , Summit , Cicero , Berwyn , North Riverside , Rosemont , Evergreen Park , Oak Lawn , Park Ridge , Harwood Heights , Norridge , Lincolnwood , and Wilmette . The CTA accepts payment with a Ventra Card which can be purchased with a single-ride, 24-hour unlimited ride ($ 5), 3 day unlimited ride ($ 15), 7 day unlimited ride ($ 20), 30 day unlimited ride ($ 75),
4312-554: The Chicago Edison electric utility (now Commonwealth Edison ), whose interest stemmed initially from the fact that the trains were the city's largest consumer of electricity. Insull instituted many improvements, including free transfers and through routing, although he did not formally combine the original firms into the Chicago Rapid Transit Company until 1924. He also bought three other Chicago electrified railroads,
4410-518: The City of Chicago Public Art Program, administered by the Office of Tourism and Culture, encouraged and facilitated collaborations between artists, government agencies, the community and other partners. The City of Chicago Public Art Program accepted qualifications from local and national professional artists or artist teams capable of creating permanent public works of art for the CTA Arts in Transit Program for
4508-681: The Congress branch while "B" trains were sent to the Douglas branch. On the North-South Line, "A" trains went to the Englewood branch and "B" trains went to the Jackson Park branch. In both cases, individual stops were not skipped beyond the points where those branches diverged. As time went by, the time periods which employed skip-stop service gradually decreased, as the waits at "A" and "B" stations became increasingly longer during non-peak service. By
4606-759: The Green Line. Over the next year, service was extended to 63rd Street and Stony Island Avenue , then the Transportation Building of the World's Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park . In 1893, trains began running on the Lake Street Elevated Railroad and in 1895 on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated , which had lines to Douglas Park, Garfield Park (since replaced), Humboldt Park (since demolished), and Logan Square. The Metropolitan
4704-638: The Loop elevated; as early as the 1920s some city leaders wanted to replace the "ugly" elevated tracks and these plans advanced in the 1970s under mayors Richard J. Daley and Michael Bilandic until a public outcry against tearing down the popular "L" began, led by Chicago Tribune columnist Paul Gapp , and architect Harry Weese . Instead, then new Mayor Jane Byrne protected the elevated lines and directed their rehabilitation. The State Street subway opened on October 17, 1943. The Dearborn Subway, on which work had been suspended during World War II , opened on February 25, 1951. The subways were constructed with
4802-588: The Milwaukee elevated into the Kennedy Expressway in 1970. As of 2014, Chicago "L" trains run over a total of 224.1 miles (360.7 km) of track. Ridership has been growing steadily after the CTA takeover despite declining mass transit usage nationwide, with an average of 594,000 riders boarding each weekday in 1960 and 759,866 in 2016 (or 47% of all CTA rides). Due to the Loop Flood in April 1992, ridership
4900-497: The Red Line Dan Ryan branch reconstruction. The Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project enabled CTA to run eight-car trains on the Brown Line, and rebuilt stations to modern standards, including accessibility. Before the project, Brown Line platforms could only accommodate six-car trains, and increasing ridership led to uncomfortably crowded trains. After several years of construction, eight-car trains began to run at rush hour on
4998-446: The U.S., and represented about one-quarter of CTA's total number of surface-transit vehicles (motor bus, trolley bus and, until 1958, streetcar ). Possibly influenced by the 1967 Chicago blizzard , during which CTA trolley buses were unable to maneuver around abandoned automobiles without dewiring, CTA decided to discontinue trolley bus service. Trolley bus service was phased out in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and trolley buses ran for
SECTION 50
#17328511540635096-587: The Ventra Card system. The Ventra Card can be purchased online, Ventra Vending Machines at CTA rail stations, and at authorized retailers like Walgreens, CVS Pharmacies and check cashing locations. Ventra is an electronic fare payment system for the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace that replaced the Chicago Card and the Transit Card automated fare collection system. Ventra (purportedly Latin for "windy," though
5194-751: The Wells Street Bridge and enter the Loop at Tower 18. The line began operation on May 31, 1900, between The Loop and Wilson Avenue as the Northwestern Elevated Railroad . On May 16, 1908, service on the line was extended to Central street in Evanston. From 1919 to 1963, the line was also utilized by interurban trains of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad . Since 2002, the main line has gone through plenty of renovations and rehabilitation projects and those projects are still going on as of today. Station renovations and track replacements have been happening ever since early 2012 and
5292-503: The actual Latin word is ventosa ) launched in August 2013, with a full system transition slated for July 1, 2014. The Ventra payment system includes several options of payment, including a contactless smart card powered by RFID , a single day or use ticket powered by RFID , any personal bank-issued credit card or debit card that has an RFID chip, and a compatible mobile phone . This includes Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. Ventra
5390-644: The assets of the Chicago Motor Coach Company , which was under the control of Yellow Cab Company founder John D. Hertz , resulting in a fully unified system. Today, the CTA is one of the three service boards financially supported by the Regional Transportation Authority and CTA service connects with the commuter rail Metra , and suburban bus and regional paratransit service, Pace . The Chicago Transit Authority provides service in Chicago and 10 surrounding suburbs. The CTA provided
5488-466: The completion of the order of the 2600-series cars, Budd changed its name to Transit America and ceased production of railcars. With 509 cars in operation, the 2600-series is the largest of the three series of "L" cars in operation. The cars were rebuilt by Alstom of Hornell, New York , from 1999 until 2002. The 3200-series , was built from 1992 until 1994 by Morrison-Knudsen of Hornell, New York. These cars have fluted, stainless steel sides similar to
5586-538: The contract, besting the other major competitor, Bombardier from Canada by $ 226 million. Concerns have been raised over possible malware, cyber attacks, and mass surveillance by the Chinese government. The computer and software components and the automatic train control system will be made by U.S. and Canadian firms. The cars are being built at a new CRRC Sifang America rail car manufacturing plant at 13535 South Torrence Avenue in Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood. Production of
5684-413: The conversion of the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line and the Howard branch of the Red Line to all-stop service. The removal of skip-stop service resulted in some increases in travel times, and greatly increased ridership at former "A" and "B" stations due to increased train frequencies. Station signage highlighting the former skip-stop patterns would remain into the 2000s, when it was gradually replaced across
5782-402: The current Red and Green Lines. From this point, Green Line trains made all stops along the entire route, while Red Line trains stopped at all stations south of Harrison . The elimination of A/B skip-stop service continued with the opening of the all-stop Orange Line and the conversion of the Brown Line to all-stop service. In April 1995, the last of the A/B skip-stop system was eliminated with
5880-551: The elimination of slow zones in which trains accelerate faster than usual. As part of the program, the CTA also dubbed the "Red & Purple Modernization Project." CTA recently studied four possible alternatives for the project and they are willing to provide community updates that can make improvements of those studies in late 2012 to 2013. CTA was proposing to close down five stations on the Red and Purple lines. The five potential stations include Foster , South Boulevard , Jarvis , Lawrence , and Thorndale . In 2011, CTA planned
5978-611: The highest level since the station opened in 1969. The 2003 Chicago Central Area Plan proposed construction of a Green Line station at Cermak , between Chinatown and the McCormick Place convention center, in expectation of continued density growth in the vicinity. This station opened in 2015. Currently, the Red Line and the Blue Line provide 24-hour service, while all other lines operate from early morning to late night. Prior to 1998,
SECTION 60
#17328511540636076-405: The information in several businesses in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. Using the developer API published by CTA, some augmented CTA bus tracking applications have been developed for mobile phones, and CTA has its own Transit App, CTA also has a bus tracker (Beta starting January 2011), and it can also be accessed through a computer, smart phone, text messaging, or any smart device. The CTA
6174-508: The last time on March 25, 1973. CTA buses were known as the "green limousine" or the "big green" — buses were one or more shades of green from the CTA's establishment until the end of the 1980s. With the delivery of the TMC RTS buses in 1991, a more patriotic color scheme was adopted, and the green scheme was fully phased out by 1996. A notable color scheme was the " Bicentennial " of about 1974 to 1976. CTA bought very few buses between
6272-610: The line opened. In discussing various stylings of "Loop" and "L" in Destination Loop: The Story of Rapid Transit Railroading in and around Chicago (1982), author Brian J. Cudahy quotes a passage from The Neon Wilderness (1947) by Chicago author Nelson Algren : "beneath the curved steel of the El, beneath the endless ties." Cudahy then comments, "Note that in the quotation above ... it says 'El' to mean 'elevated rapid transit railroad.' We trust that this usage can be ascribed to
6370-732: The line that is known as the Howard Branch . The Ravenswood branch connects to the Main Line north of the Belmont station, where Brown Line trains merge onto the Main Line. The part of the line south of this junction is known as the Loop Branch or the Ravenswood Connector . On the portion of this branch shared by Red and Brown Line trains, Red Line trains operate express on the inside tracks, while Brown and Purple Line Express trains run local on
6468-401: The mid-1970s and the end of the 1980s. During this time, purchases were only made in 1979 (20 MAN / AM General SG 220 articulated buses ), 1982-83 (200 Flyer D901 buses and 125 additional MAN articulateds), and 1985 (362 MAN Americana standard-length buses). Another aspect of this period was that with the exception of the 1979 and 1983 MAN orders, none of those buses had air-conditioning,
6566-505: The network are in subway tunnels, at grade level, or in open cuts. The "L" has been credited for fostering the growth of Chicago's dense city core that is one of the city's distinguishing features. And according to urban engineer Christof Speiler, the system stands out in the United States because it continued to invest in services even through the post-World-War era growth of the expressway ; its general use of alleyways instead of streets throughout its history, and expressway mediums after
6664-556: The new wave of electric buses as part of a regular service. After the September 11 attacks , CTA announced its "If you See Something, Say Something" campaign. CTA has also installed a security camera network, and a system to send real time images from cameras in buses directly to emergency responders. CTA has also been actively prosecuting vandals, announcing on several occasions that felony convictions were obtained against persons who spray painted authority vehicles. The CTA installed GPS Bus Tracker systems on all buses starting with
6762-500: The next few years CTA modernized the "L", replacing wooden cars with new steel ones and closing lightly used branch lines and stations , many of which had been spaced only a quarter-mile apart. The CTA introduced fare cards for the first time in 1997. Rail service to the O'Hare International Airport first opened in 1984 and to the Midway International Airport in 1993. That same year, the CTA renamed all of its rail lines; they are now identified by color. Later, after assuming control of
6860-404: The nickname dates from the earliest days of the elevated railroads. Newspapers of the late 1880s referred to proposed elevated railroads in Chicago as " 'L' roads." The first route to be constructed, the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad gained the nickname "Alley Elevated", or "Alley L" during its planning and construction, a term that was widely used by 1893, less than a year after
6958-415: The north side of the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since 2005, this branch has been renovated several times and is currently being reconstructed. On January 7, 2011, CTA requested a rehabilitation program for the North Side Main Line. This project is part of the Red Ahead program . The North Side Main Line connects to five other branches of the Chicago 'L', including the Ravenswood branch which
7056-551: The now-retired 2200-series . The 5000-series train cars are equipped with AC propulsion; interior security cameras; aisle-facing seating, which allow for greater passenger capacity; LED destination signs, interior readouts, and interior maps; GPS; glow-in-the-dark evacuation signs; operator-controlled ventilation systems; among other features. AC propulsion allows for smoother acceleration, lower operational costs, less wear and tear, and greater energy efficiency. The AC propulsion can take advantage of regenerative braking , meaning
7154-461: The only three cities in the world to offer 24-hour train service on some of their lines throughout their respective city limits. The oldest sections of the Chicago "L" started operations in 1892, making it the second-oldest rapid transit system in the Americas, after New York City's elevated lines . The "L" gained its name from "el" because large parts of the system run on elevated track. Portions of
7252-482: The outer two tracks. The Red Line passes through Wellington and Diversey stations (which is served mainly by Brown Line trains) and all trains make another stop at Fullerton . After Fullerton, the Red Line descends into a portal after Armitage , and enters the State Street subway, while Brown and Purple Line express trains continue elevated for the remainder of the Main Line to Merchandise Mart , where they cross
7350-505: The peak volume in the 1980s. In 1976, three North Side "L" branches – what were then known as the Howard, Milwaukee, and Ravenswood lines − accounted for 42% of non-downtown boardings. Today (with the help of the Blue Line extension to O'Hare), they account for 58%. The North Side, which has historically been the highest density area of the city, reflects the Chicago building boom between 2000 and 2010, which has focused primarily on North Side neighborhoods and downtown. It may ease somewhat in
7448-614: The pieces are a result of the Arts in Transit Program , which is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and coordinated locally through the City of Chicago's Office of Tourism and Culture. A number of other pieces were created through the CTA's Adopt-A-Station program and through partnerships with organizations such as the Chicago Public Art Group . In 2004, the CTA and the City of Chicago Public Art Program installed nine permanent works of art at eight renovated rail stations on what
7546-535: The project. This project will completely rebuild the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr stations and the construction of a new Red-Purple bypass, construction on the project began on October 2, 2019 and will be completed in 2025. From 2014 to 2018, The Chicago Department of Transportation rebuilt the Wilson station, which serves as a major transfer point between Red and Purple Line Express trains. The rebuilt station has
7644-539: The rapid transit system's convenience. Operation on the Yerkes-owned Northwestern Elevated , which built the North Side "L" lines, began three years later, essentially completing the elevated infrastructure in the urban core although extensions and branches continued to be constructed in outlying areas through the 1920s. After 1911, the "L" lines came under the control of Samuel Insull , president of
7742-492: The remainder of the older Nova buses that were delivered between 2000-2002, in addition to starting the retirement of New Flyer D40LF buses delivered between 2006-2009. The rail orders of the CTA include the last railcar stock built by the Budd Company and rail cars built by Boeing-Vertol and Morrison-Knudsen . The most recent order was from Bombardier who built the 5000-series from 2009 to 2015. Ten (10) prototypes of
7840-504: The renovated stations. CTA promotes its Public Art with a video and online gallery . The Chicago Transit Authority produced a monthly television show, Connections , from May 2003 until March 2011. The show, hosted by Braydens Connections, was broadcast on City of Chicago Public-access television cable TV channels 23 & 49, as well as on Comcast 's CN100 in the Chicago metropolitan area , including areas of Michigan and Indiana . Connections featured news and information about
7938-505: The report neither demonstrated a direct connection between Bus Tracker and this reduction in bunching, nor did it show whether this was a temporary or permanent phenomenon. CTA has also made its Bus Tracker and other developer tools available, and is making Bus Tracker arrival data available through text messaging . One of the first applications of the Bus Tracker Developer Tools involved the installation of monitors showing
8036-407: The requisite majority from the pliable owners on the western half of the route, then building tracks chiefly over the eastern half, where property owners had opposed him. Designed by noted bridge builder John Alexander Low Waddell , the elevated tracks used a multiple close-rivet system to withstand the forces of the passing trains' kinetic energy. The Union Loop opened in 1897 and greatly increased
8134-412: The start of a trip is free. After that, it is considered a new trip and the user is charged another fare. Ventra readers on buses and rail station turnstiles can accept contactless payments directly from mobile devices. Riders can pay a PAYG fare ($ 2.50) by touching mobile phones with Apple Pay , Google Pay and Samsung Pay —or any contactless bankcard with the contactless wave symbol. As mandated by
8232-520: The stations included in the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project and select renovated Red Line stations. With the completion of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project in December 2009, original artwork was installed in each of the 18 renovated stations along the CTA's Brown Line. By combining the visibility and accessibility of the city's mass transit system with the creativity of Chicago's art resources, this program resulted in
8330-442: The suburbs of Forest Park , Oak Park , Evanston , Wilmette , Cicero , Rosemont , and Skokie . The CTA operates over 1,350 "L" cars, divided among four series, all of which are semi-permanently coupled into married pairs. All cars on the system utilize 600- volt direct current power delivered through a third rail . The 2600-series was built from 1981 until 1987 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. After
8428-560: The system due to deteriorated track, structure, and other problems. By October 2008, system-wide slow zones had been reduced to 9.1% and by January 2010, total slow zones were reduced to 6.3%. CTA's Slow Zone Elimination Project is an ongoing effort to restore track work to conditions where trains no longer have to reduce speeds through deteriorating areas. The Loop received track work in 2012–2013. The Purple Line in Evanston received track work and viaduct replacement in 2011–2013. The Green Line Ashland branch received track work in 2013, prior to
8526-663: The system. The first air-conditioned cars were introduced in 1964. The last pre–World War II cars were retired in 1973. New lines were built in expressway medians, a technique implemented in Chicago and followed by other cities worldwide. The Congress branch, built in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway, replaced the Garfield Park "L" in 1958. The Dan Ryan branch, built in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway, opened on September 28, 1969, followed by an extension of
8624-475: The term "subway" only applies to the State Street and Milwaukee–Dearborn subways and is not applied to the entire system as a whole, as in New York City where both the elevated and underground portions make up the New York City Subway . Like other large and aging rapid transit systems, the Chicago "L" faces problems of delays, breakdowns, and a multi-billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance. The CTA
8722-447: The train returns excess energy to the third rail as it slows down. With the DC propulsion of the previous series, they utilize dynamic braking which converts the excess kinetic energy into heat within a resistor bank. Next-generation train cars, the 7000-series , have been ordered and are beginning to enter service. Each 7000-series rail car will feature LEDs, 37 to 38 seats, and is a hybrid of
8820-449: The trains of the Chicago "L" and CTA bus service . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 279,146,200, or about 993,700 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The CTA is an Illinois independent governmental agency that started operations on October 1, 1947, upon the purchase and combination of the transportation assets of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines streetcar system. In 1952, CTA purchased
8918-510: The wake of the current high level of residential construction along the south lakefront. For example, ridership at the linked Roosevelt stops on the Green, Orange, and Red Lines, which serve the burgeoning South Loop neighborhood, has tripled since 1992, with an average of 8,000 boardings per weekday. Patronage at the Cermak- Chinatown stop on the Red Line, with 4,000 weekday boardings, is at
9016-564: The war, better knit the system into the city, and in pioneering ways. It consists of eight rapid transit lines laid out in a spoke–hub distribution paradigm focusing transit towards the Loop . In a 2005 poll, Chicago Tribune readers voted it one of the "seven wonders of Chicago", behind the lakefront and Wrigley Field , and ahead of Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the Water Tower ,
9114-468: The world's rapid transit systems. A drawback of early "L" service was that none of the lines entered the central business district. Instead trains dropped passengers at stub terminals on the periphery due to a state law at the time requiring approval by neighboring property owners for tracks built over public streets, something not easily obtained downtown. This obstacle was overcome by the legendary traction magnate Charles Tyson Yerkes , who went on to play
9212-480: Was also color-coded by skip-stop type; "A" stations had red signage, "B" stations had green signage, and "AB" stations had blue signage. The system was designed to speed up lines by having trains skip stations while still allowing for frequent service at the heavily used "AB" stations. A/B skip-stop service debuted on the Lake Street Elevated in 1948, and the service proved effective as travel times were cut by
9310-560: Was at 418,000 that year because CTA was forced to suspend operation for several weeks in both the State and Dearborn subways, used by the most heavily traveled lines. Growing ridership has not been uniformly distributed. Use of North Side lines is heavy and continues to grow, while that of West Side and South Side lines tend to remain stable. Ridership on the North Side Brown Line, for instance, has increased 83% since 1979, necessitating
9408-410: Was demolished to make way for the Eisenhower Expressway. The new route, which serves 22 stations, offered more frequent service for riders on both the Congress and Douglas branches. Pink Line trains could be scheduled independently of Blue Line trains, and ran more frequently than the Douglas branch of the Blue Line did. In late 2007, trains were forced to operate at reduced speed over more than 22% of
9506-612: Was formerly a branch of the Blue Line from the 54th/Cermak terminal in Cicero to the Polk station in Chicago. Pink Line trains then proceed via the Paulina Connector to the Lake Street branch of the Green Line and then clockwise around the Loop elevated via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells. Douglas trains used the same route between April 4, 1954, and June 22, 1958, after the old Garfield Park "L" line
9604-528: Was the United States' first non-exhibition rapid transit system powered by electric traction motors , a technology whose practicality had been demonstrated in 1890 on the "intramural railway" at the World Fair that had been held in Chicago. Two years later the South Side "L" introduced multiple-unit control , in which the operator can control all the motorized cars in a train, not just the lead unit. Electrification and MU control remain standard features of most of
#62937