Results tagged “redline”

• Things got heated at today's Cook County Commission vote on the tax roll back and WBEZ has the sound bites to prove it.
• The CTA is investigating rider claims that a door on a Red Line train stayed open as the train moved from the Addison to Sheridan stops just after midnight Sunday morning.
• A deal has been reached between the University of Illinois and striking graduate assistants.

And so it begins. Apple, the supermegaultra computer/tech company, is looking into a deal with the CTA that could bring the cash-strapped transit agency some much needed money while opening up an advertising smorgasbord. The Sun-Times reports that the CTA has confirmed they're in talks with Apple for something that would amount to "station domination." Essentially, Apple would pay for refurbishments to a train station in exchange for "first dibs" on any and all advertising that would go up at the station. Not surprisingly, the station being discussed is North/Clybourn on the Red Line; construction is already underway on a new Apple store nearby. (Apple decided on that location for its new store after its much-publicized split with the Block 37 project.) One thing the deal, which could give the CTA up to $4 million in funding for the refurbishments, will not do is hand over station naming rights.

What at first seemed to be a bad situation getting worse for morning traffic is slowly clearing up. Yesterday afternoon, a "pavement failure" on the Kennedy Expressway prompted IDOT officials to caution motorists to avoid all downtown expressways for 24 hours. Then, this morning, Red Line service in the Loop was cut when a man fell on the tracks at the Jackson Red Line stop, forcing Red Line trains to the elevated lines.

• The CTA Board approved plans to extend the Red, Orange, and Yellow Lines, but we'll believe it when we see it.
• U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky's son-in-law died while snorkeling during a family vacation in Mexico.
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois is cutting 650 jobs.

The CTA staff is expected to present a recommendation today to the CTA board today that would call for the extension of the Red, Orange, and Yellow lines. Per WBBM:

Another beautiful spring weekend, another weekend of CTA work. Not only will the Blue Line be shut down between Clark/Lake and Western/Milwaukee (again) and served by shuttle buses, but the Red Line will be rerouted along elevated tracks for the stretch between Fullerton and Cermak/Chinatown. Well, that makes sense, because there's nothing going on this weekend. Check out the CTA's Alerts page for full details. [via CTA Tattler]

A man was seriously wounded after being stabbed multiple times on-board a CTA Red Line train this afternoon as it traveled north from the Roosevelt stop. A DePaul student sitting nearby, Jamie Huberty, witnessed the attack.

• The Sun-Times looks at Amber Cremeens, the McHenry native killed last week by her ex-boyfriend Tyler James Martin, who shot himself after a stand-off with police in Logan Square on Friday.
• State Attorney General Lisa Madigan is prepping a lawsuit against Caterpillar, Inc. over the huge oil sludge spill from earlier this month.
• The Arlington Heights-based company responsible for Golden Tee is gambling on a new slot machine.

Debris on the tracks halted Red Line trains for a spell and even though they're moving again, we're getting word from readers that there are heavy delays heading Southbound from the Howard stop, where the incident occurred. Monitor the situation at the CTA website. Thanks for the tip, Lee!

Work on the CTA Red and Blue Lines is happening this week, so be sure to plan accordingly. Work on the Sheridan Red Line stop will change where passengers will board and exit trains; the work will be from Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. As for the Blue Line, trains will run on a single track between Rosemont and O'Hare from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m., starting tonight and finishing Friday morning, to continue work on eliminating slow zones.

A CTA train derailment in the Howard Red Line rail yard temporarily interrupted Red Line service and has indefinitely shut down Yellow Line service. The #97 bus is offering service for Yellow Line riders until further notice. Southbound Red Line trains between Howard and Thorndale were temporarily suspended but service has since been restored and the CTA is saying to expect only minor delays on the Red and Purple Lines. The derailment occurred around 9 a.m. and there's no word what line the derailed train was associated with. Update: Service has been restored to the Yellow Line.

Things should be flowing again on the north side. All four tracks of the Red, Purple and Brown Line routes are now open as of today at Belmont. Fullerton returned to four-track service last month.

Three men have been charged with murder stemming from a weekend fight that led to a third-rail electrocution. Daniel McKenzie, 43, was at the Roosevelt Red Line station around 2 a.m. Sunday morning when he was attacked by three men (pictured): brothers Clint Johnson (left), 29, and Martell Darnell Johnson (center), 21, and Maurice Evans (right), 23.

A 43-year-old man died over the weekend after being electrocuted by the third rail after he fell or was pushed onto the El tracks at the Red Line Roosevelt stop. Daniel McKenzie's death was ruled a homicide today. Three men McKenzie was apparently arguing with on the platform are in police custody, but no charges have been filed. [Trib]

Donald Wells, the truck driver behind the wheel in April's deadly crash into the Chinatown Red Line stop, died Friday. An autopsy Saturday was inconclusive, and his cause of death is still being investigated.

CTA President Ron Huberman has a plan to right the wrong that is the Block 37 CTA not-at-all-super-station mess: Private investment. Ayeee.

Southbound Red Line trains aren't running right now. Our woman on the scene says southbound trains aren't running at all from Grand, but northbound trains are. Developing...

In what is now a weekly right of passage, the CTA is doing all kinds of stuff to the train lines this weekend. Which is fine, because there's really not much going on this weekend besides all the street fests, Blues Fest, Printers Row Book Fair, the Sox home games, and all the tourists in town. We know it's all for the greater good and many of the reroutes are during off-peak hours, but that doesn't mean it won't affect anyone. Here's a quick summary of what's happening with each line this weekend.

Yesterday's Red Line derailment was another case of operator error, the CTA said today, and another case of a motorman blowing a red light. This time, the operator missed a red signal light then tried to back up, which is not what you're supposed to do, and that's when the train derailed.

A Red Line train derailed early this morning near 95th Street. The 14 passengers all walked off the four-car train, but one was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

The CTA has released its Mystery Shopper reports (recall the mystery shopping program), and apparently the rest of the city rides the Heaven Express down Miracle Drive, direct from Unicorn Town.

Despite this week's news that the work on the Fullerton and Belmont stops will be finished ahead of schedule, we're still drinking the CTA flavor Haterade. Honestly, we've given up taking the El on weekends. With slow zones, closures and reroutes, not to mention the ongoing Brown Line construction/clusterfuck, it's easier in this beautiful weather to just walk or ride our bikes (always wear a helmet!). With lots of people traveling and making their way around town for fests and other spring-time activities, it's important to keep an eye on the CTA Customer Alert website. Here's a quick run-down of this weekend's closures.

Hotcha! The CTA says it's going to finish construction at the Belmont and Fullerton el stops by the end of 2008, six months earlier than expected. How will they accomplish such a feat? By uh...working faster.

The Grand Red Line station is due for a major renovation, to the tune of $67 million. It's the firs time the station has been thoroughly updated since it was built in 1943. Old!

The Red Line is going to be jacked this weekend. Southbound trains will be running on the elevated tracks between Cermack and Fullerton stops.[CTA]

The Holy Fuck, A Place To Bury Strangers, and Airiel show this coming Sunday at Schubas sold out quite a while ago, but we've got a pair of tickets to give away to some lucky Chicagoist reader.

At a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Scholarship Breakfast this morning, Governor Blagojevich gave a three-minute speech, and included this charming verse, aimed at the seniors in the audience.

No Pants 2K8, a no-slacks spectacle that was started by the New York-based performance comedy group, Improv Everywhere, is upon us, and you know what that means: Drop trou, pronto!