1.
Chicago Transit Authority
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Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago L and CTA bus service. In 1952, CTA purchased the assets of the Chicago Motor Coach Company, today, the CTA is one of the three service boards financially supported by the Regional Transportation Authority. The Chicago Transit Authority provides service to Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs, the CTA provided a total of 532 million rides in 2011, a 3 percent increase over 2010 with ridership rising to levels not seen for 20 years. CTA operates 24 hours each day and on an average weekday provides 1.7 million rides on buses and it has approximately 1,800 buses that operate over 140 routes traveling along 2,230 route miles. Buses provide about one million trips a day and serve more than 12,000 posted bus stops in 10 suburbs. The Chicago Transit Authoritys 1,450 train cars operate eight routes and 222 miles of track. Its trains provide about 750,000 customer trips each weekday and serve 144 stations in Chicago and seven suburbs. Currently, the CTA operates within Chicago and the suburbs of Forest Park, Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, Summit, Cicero, Berwyn, North Riverside, Rosemont. The CTA accepts payment with a Ventra card, a single-ride or 1-day Ventra disposable ticket, contactless credit or debit card, children under seven can ride free with a fare-paying rider, 3-child limit. Only buses allow riders to pay with cash, the bus fare is $2, the L fare is $2.25, and no cash transfers are available. 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 the Ventra Card system, the Ventra Card can be purchased online, at any Ventra machine at CTA stations, and at authorized retailers. Ventra is a fare payment system for the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace that replaced the Chicago Card. Ventra launched in August 2013, with a full system transition slated for July 1,2014, Ventra is operated by Cubic Transportation Systems. Riders can pay a quarter for up to two transfers within two hours, the Chicago Transit Authority produced a monthly television show, Connections, from May 2003 through December 2011. The show was hosted by Dale Rivera, Jeanne Sparrow, Connections was broadcast on City of Chicago Public-access television cable TV channels 23 &49, as well as on Comcasts CN100 in the Chicago media market, including areas of Michigan and Indiana. Connections featured news and information about the CTA and services it provides, individual segments from Connections are available on CTAs YouTube channel. The majority of train stations CTA operates have elevators or ramps to access for customers with disabilities
2.
Pink Line (CTA)
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The Pink Line is an 11.2 mi rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago L system. It is CTAs newest rail line and began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25,2006, the route to the Loop follows tracks shared with Green Line trains on Lake Street, connected by the previously non-revenue Paulina Connector. In September 2012, the average weekday boardings on the Pink Line was 33,737, the Pink Line does not make any L train transfers on the Douglas Branch. The Pink Line operates between 54th/Cermak and the Loop, weekdays from 4,05 a. m. to 1,25 a. m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 5,05 a. m. to 1,25 a. m. This would allow a doubling of Blue Line trains to Forest Park on the Congress Line, the CTA has also promised that service to/from 54th/Cermak would be increased 100% during weekday rush hours. On February 15,2006, the CTA approved the separate plan, non-rush hour trains would be routed via the Loop, Green Line tracks and Paulina Connector. During weekday rush hours, service would be available on this routing as well as the route via the Dearborn Street Subway every half hour. These changes went into effect beginning June 25,2006, with the trial scheduled to end 180 days later on December 22,2006. Originally, Douglas trains were operated by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated directly into the Loop by means of the Metropolitans main line, the entire Douglas Branch is ADA accessible. The Pink Line began operation on June 25,2006, using the rebuilt Paulina Connector which had not been used in revenue service for 48 years. The service, which was set up as a temporary service to be run for a trial period of 180 days. Pink Line trains operate clockwise on the Inner Loop track via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells before returning to 54th/Cermak, on December 4,2008, CTA announced its decision to make the Pink Line permanent. On the Pink Line, what was once the Blue Lines Douglas branch begins at 54th Avenue, the line turns north near Paulina Street stopping at 18th and Polk stations, then crosses over the Eisenhower Expressway. Here, a two track non-revenue branch diverges that descends to the expressway to provide a track connection to the Blue Line. It continues on the Paulina Connector to share tracks with the Green Line on Lake Street with stops at Ashland, Morgan and Clinton, the Pink Line is operated with the Bombardier-built 5000-series railcars. Trains operate using four cars on weekdays and weekends, occasionally, the Pink and Green Lines borrow each others cars when either line is short on cars. The 5000-series cars returned to the Pink Line on May 7,2012, at the time of their reintroduction, all Pink Line consists using 5000-series cars were six cars long. The last 2600-series cars were removed from service from the Pink Line on June 8,2012, most of the Pink Lines 2600-series cars were reassigned to the Blue Line to replace its 2200-series cars
3.
Side platform
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A side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. Dual side platform stations, one for direction of travel, is the basic station design used for double-track railway lines. Side platforms may result in a wider overall footprint for the station compared with a platform where a single width of platform can be shared by riders using either track. In some stations, the two platforms are connected by a footbridge running above and over the tracks. While a pair of platforms is often provided on a dual-track line. Where the station is close to a crossing the platforms may either be on the same side of the crossing road or alternatively may be staggered in one of two ways. With the near-side platforms configuration, each platform appears before the intersection, in some situations a single side platform can be served by multiple vehicles simultaneously with a scissors crossing provided to allow access mid-way along its length. Normally, the facilities of the station are located on the Up platform with the other platform accessed from a footbridge. However, in cases the stations main buildings are located on whichever side faces the town or village the station serves. Larger stations may have two platforms with several island platforms in between. Some are in a Spanish solution format, with two platforms and an island platform in between, serving two tracks
4.
Chicago "L"
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The Chicago L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U. S. state of Illinois. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicagos L provides 24-hour service on some portions of its network, being one of only five rapid transit systems in the United States to do so. The oldest sections of the Chicago L started operations in 1892, making it the second oldest rapid transit system in the Americas, the L has been credited with fostering the growth of Chicagos dense city core that is one of the citys distinguishing features. The L consists of eight rapid transit lines laid out in a spoke–hub distribution paradigm focusing transit towards the Loop. Although the L gained its name because large parts of the system are elevated, portions of the network are also in subway tunnels, at grade level, or open cut. In 2014, the L had an average of 752,734 passenger boardings each weekday,486,267 each Saturday, over the next year service was extended to 63rd Street and Stony Island Avenue, then the Transportation Building of the Worlds Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park. In 1893, trains running on the Lake Street Elevated Railroad and in 1895 on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated, which had lines to Douglas Park, Garfield Park, Humboldt Park. Two years later the South Side L introduced multiple-unit control, in which the operator can control all the cars in a train. Electrification and MU control remain standard features of most of the rapid transit systems. A drawback of early L service was none of the lines entered the central business district. The Union Loop opened in 1897 and greatly increased the rapid transit systems convenience, 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. The construction of the Subway created the necessity to tunnel under the Chicago River, 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 a purpose of serving as bomb shelters. The subways bypassed a number of curves and circuitous routings on the original elevated lines. In 1947, the Chicago Transit Authority acquired the assets of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines, operator of the citys streetcars. Over the next few years CTA modernized the L, replacing wooden cars with new ones and closing lightly used branch lines and stations. Later, after assuming control of the L, the CTA introduced a service known as the A/B skip-stop service. Under this service, trains were designated as either A or B trains, a trains would only stop at A or AB stations, and B trains would only stop at B or AB stations
5.
Douglas branch
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As of February 2013, it serves an average of 17,474 passengers every weekday. The branch serves the Near West Side, Pilsen, Lower West Side, South Lawndale, and North Lawndale neighborhoods of Chicago, and the west suburb Cicero, Illinois. The branch operates from 4,05 a. m. to 1,25 a. m. weekdays, initially known as the Douglas Park branch, construction began in June 1893 and the line was inaugurated on April 28,1896 between Marshfield Avenue and 18th Street. The branch started off with four stations and was the shortest of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated, construction time was longer than in other sections. On August 7,1896, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Western Avenue, on June 29,1900, the City of Chicago approved an extension of the branch to 40th Avenue and construction took place in mid-June 1901. On March 10,1902, the Douglas Park branch was extended to Lawndale Avenue, which allowed the opening of four new stations, California, Kedzie, Homan, and Clifton Park. On May 22,1907, the Douglas Park branch was extended to 46th Avenue, the station was a few meters from the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric which was one of the largest employers in the area of Chicago at the time. On December 16,1907, the Douglas Park branch was extended to 48th Avenue, extending service to the town of Cicero, on August 20,1910, the Douglas Park branch was extended to 52nd Avenue. On August 1,1912, service was extended to 56th Avenue, the final stretch on the branch was to Oak Park Avenue, in Berwyn, Illinois, which opened on March 16,1924. On February 3,1952, service on the Douglas line was suspended to all stations west of 54th Avenue, service to these areas was replaced by a bus route. The stations at Roosevelt and Douglas Park were closed three months later, the new system changed the service and it was decided that all stations on the Douglas branch would now be B and the Congress branch would now be A. In 1973, due to cuts, the 50th Avenue station closed. In 1983, Polk and Cicero were rebuilt to make them ADA accessible for passengers with disabilities, the poorly utilized Laramie station was closed to accelerate service the following year. In 1993, 18th Street was rebuilt to provide access for passengers with disabilities, in 1995, the A/B service was abandoned and all trains stop at every station, does not affect the service of the stations on the Douglas branch. In 1996, the CTA changed the name of the branch to the Cermak branch, in 1998, the branch lost its 24-hour service, along with the Purple and Green lines. On September 10,2001, the CTA began a $363 million renovation project of the branch which was completed on January 8,2005, as of today, all eleven stations on the branch are ADA accessible. The current Pink Line route was assigned to the Douglas branch on June 25,2006, the CTA ended Blue Line service on the Douglas branch on April 25,2008. Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Douglas branch at Chicago-l. org
6.
Damen station (CTA Pink Line)
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Damen is a station on the Chicago Transit Authoritys L system, serving the Pink Line and the Pilsen neighborhood. Damen station opened in 1896 as part of the Metropolitan West Side Elevateds Douglas Park branch, at the time the entrance was on Hoyne Avenue. Like the Kostner station to the west, during reconstruction of the Douglas branch in 2003, at this time the name of the station was changed to Damen and Hoyne became an auxiliary entrance. CTA21 Cermak 50 Damen Damen Station Page Damen Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View Hoyne Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
7.
54th/Cermak station
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54th/Cermak is a station on the Chicago Transit Authoritys L system, serving the Pink Line, and is the western terminus of this line. It is at Cermak Road between 54th and Laramie Avenues in Cicero, Illinois and it is the only terminal with only one track used for service. Trains board on the half of 54th/Cermak station and unload on the western half
8.
Polk station
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Polk is an L station on the Pink Line of the Chicago Transit Authority. It is adjacent to Rush University Medical Center within the Illinois Medical District in the Near West Side community area, Polk Station opened on April 28,1896, as part of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroads Douglas Park branch. In 1983 the original station was demolished and rebuilt, a Dunkin Donuts was added to the station in September 2004. CTA7 Harrison 157 Streeterville/Taylor Pace 755 Plainfield/IMD Express Media related to Polk at Wikimedia Commons Polk Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
9.
The Loop (CTA)
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The Loop is the 1. 79-mile long circuit of elevated railroad that forms the hub of the Chicago L system in Chicago, Illinois. As of 2012, the branch has served 74,651 passengers every weekday, the Loop is so named because the railroad loops around a rectangle formed by Lake Street, Wabash Avenue, Van Buren Street, and Wells Street. The railroad loop has given its name to Chicagos downtown, which is known as the Loop, however, transportation historian Bruce Moffat has concluded that The Loop was not used as a proper noun until after Charles Yerkes 1895–97 construction of the elevated structure. In 201120,896,612 passengers entered the L via these stations, five of the eight L lines use the Loop tracks. Two of the three lines, Blue Line and Red Line, run underground through the center of the loop. The Yellow Line is the only CTA line that does not run on or connect to the loop, the Purple Line Express and the Brown Line enter from the north at the northwestern corner. The Purple Line Express makes a circuit in the clockwise direction while the Brown Line makes a full circuit traveling counterclockwise. The Orange Line enters from the south at the southeastern corner, following the completion of a full circuit in their directions, trains of these four lines return to their terminals making stops in the reverse order they made when heading to the Loop. The Green Line runs in both directions but does not make a circuit, using only the north and eastern sides of the Loop to move between the Lake Street branch and the South Side Elevated. Two towers control entry to and exit from the Loop, Tower 12 stands at the southeastern corner. Tower 18 stands watch over the three-quarter union located at the northwestern corner, the current Tower 18 was placed into service on September 7,1969 after being relocated diagonally across the junction from the original 19th century tower. Charles Tyson Yerkes masterminded the linking of these railroads, originally there were 12 stations, with three stations on each side. The construction of the west-leg of the Union Loop over Wells Street required the removal of the platform of the Fifth/Lake station. The addition of the Northwestern Elevated Railroad caused the removal of the rest of the station as the remaining platform sat across the new entry point. This left 11 stations, two on the leg of the loop and three on each other leg. 1977 Chicago Loop derailment Chicago Central Area Transit Plan Wells Street Terminal Historic American Engineering Record No, iL-1, Union Elevated Railroad, Union Loop Loop Elevated at Chicago-L. org
10.
Clark/Lake station
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Clark/Lake is a Chicago L station located at 100/124 West Lake Street in Chicagos Loop district, and is accessed from the James R. Thompson Center and 203 North LaSalle building. It is one of the most complex stations on the L system, comprising an elevated station, the elevated station is serviced by the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines, while the subway platform is serviced by the Blue Line. In December 2014 it had an average of 17,644 weekday passenger entrances, the Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago City Hall, and Chicago Title and Trust Center are also served by the station. It is the busiest station on the Loop Elevated, and the second busiest station on the L system as of December 2014, clark/Lake is a super station consisting of two stations that have been merged into one. The original elevated station opened on September 22,1895 as one of three stations on the Lake Street Elevated Railroads Wabash extension and this extension became the Lake Street leg of the Union Loop when it was completed in 1897. The subway station opened as Lake Transfer on February 25,1951, from 1988 to 1992, the elevated station was reconstructed, with its main entrance in the James R. Thompson Center. This allows transfers between the station and the subway station without leaving the paid area, and so the stations were combined into a single station. Due to this, it is the one station that serves six of the eight lines, the Blue Line serve the subway station while the Green, Orange, Brown, Pink and Purple Lines serve the elevated station
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Media related to 18th (CTA) at Wikimedia Commons
