Comments on: Chicago’s Block 37 Superstation, Designed for Quick Airport Service, Unfinished and Unused

By: CaptainVideo

CaptainVideo — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:06:06 +0000

It would be relatively easy to provide express service from Block 37 to O’Hare by running the system partly on CTA tracks and partly on Metra tracks. This would require using dual-power railcars that can run both on the CTAs electicity and with diesel. Run the train out Block 37 on the Blue line until it crosses the river and the Metra tracks. Build a portal to connect this to the Metra tracks that run to Elgin and then run the trains by diesel until the Metra tracks for Antioch cross off and run it on those tracks until where they intersect the Blue line going into O’Hare. Switch to the CTA tracks into the airport running on CTA electic power. This would provide very fast express service from downtown to the airport. People could check in and check their bags at Block 37 and go dirictly to the gates when they get to the airport.

By: Nathanael

Nathanael — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:46:53 +0000

The track link was worthwhile, but not worth spending money on (the horribly indirect connection via the Pink Line, the Loop, and the junctions between the Orange and Red Lines is tolerable). The CTA never seemed that enthused.The City was crazy, not the CTA.

But can you imagine the CTA opposing Mayor Daley when he was on a rampage, as he was at the time? It would have been futile. The only solution is to stop electing the Daley Machine.

By: Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:06:37 +0000

I blogged about this exact topic nine months ago on my personal blog, Chicago Carless, and on my Huffington Post Chicago byline. Find that post, entitled, “Who Stole the ‘L’ Stop at Washington/State?”, here:

http://www.chicagocarless.com/2009/01/23/who-stole-the-l-stop-at-washingtonstate/

By: Jerard

Jerard — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:32:17 +0000

I wondering, how in the world they will make the connection easy when both subways have long uninterrupted platforms and are bored tube tunnels?

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:31:50 +0000

@ Adam, What did they need this connection for??? There is a connection to the rest of the system via the Pink Line for maintenance. A colossal waste of money.

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:38:32 +0000

Yes. Bad idea. No argument there. But the CTA did need to build a connection between the red and the blue subway lines though. These two lines don’t currently have any direct subway track connection to each other. Granted, it’s not necessary now, but this was their only opportunity to do so downtown before the land was built on and they lost the chance to do so forever. I wonder if the airport express station was just a way to get the track connection built.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:10:07 +0000

Actually, in Chicago politics, radicals like Ayers are opposed to the Daley machine, which supports moderate politics regardless of which party is in charge. People who are already in power have no need for radical changes, which threaten their cash flow.

By: Exponential Corruption

Exponential Corruption — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:22:38 +0000

And then we put this same criminal enterprise in charge of the country. Just think of how many unfinished transit and HSR projects we’ll have after their hyper-deficits crash the dollar. But then social architect Ayers was never good with math.

By: michael

michael — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:01:35 +0000

I might be mistaken – but I’m pretty sure that the City of Chicago is on the hook for the new station-that-never-was. The CTA would be leased access to it or something backwards like this. The CTA is not out the money – they are out TWO stations though. In order to do this “superstation” they closed the Washington Red Line station, telling everyone it would reopen when everything was finished. It was a critical connection for transfers between the Red and Blue lines. Now it’s gone indefinitely also.

A note on your graphic for the access to Midway airport – I don’t personally think it’s that bad. They have done some upgrades where you walk – you no longer have to walk through the parking garage – it’s all enclosed after you leave the station. Also, the baggage area you highlighted is actually across the street from the main terminal in it’s own building at least 100 feet away if not more. The situation there isn’t ideal, like it is at O’Hare but coming through Midway is 1000x easier for sure.