The Most Famous Elevated Metro System | Chicago L

[@RMTransit]

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[@fredashay]

Thank you for calling the Sears Tower the "Sears Tower!" :-)

[@fredashay]

Another interesting thing about the "el" is that it has a station platform that is so long that it's treated like two different stations with trains stopping at one end and then stopping again at the other end. _EDIT: Ah! Yes! You mentioned this at the end of the video!_

[@TheBrightSkittle]

I’m wondering if one day, you could talk about the Montreal Metro (just asking)

[@Anonymouslikemydad]

@@fredashay he messed up because the current name is Willis not Sears

[@danopticon]

If you did not know, the “Purple Line” (or the Linden-Howard, as many of us still know it) was open 24-hours-a-day as well, until really quite recently … I think it was in 2001 or 2002 that I was caught on the platform at 3 a.m. unaware there was no train coming to whisk me home. But in the 1980s and 1990s that all-night service was vital to my adolescent and early-to-late-twenties social life!

[@janoswimpffen7305]

My favorite difference betweeen the two major US systems: People in New York always "take the subway" even when it's elevated. In Chicago, people always take the "L", even when it's a subway.

[@theodoretaylor5228]

hahahhaa true

[@cathyt502]

haha, true. I remember when the Blue Line ended at Milwaukee Ave. and Logan Blvd. in the 70s. There was a bar and magazine, snack shop there. In the summer, the carnival set up outside on Kedzie Blvd. Fun times. I still have an ashtray and beer mug won at that carnival flipping nickels.

[@Chicago_Jayhawk]

Most people here don't call it a subway because majority of it is above ground. NYC probably has a much higher percentage below ground.

[@theodoretaylor5228]

@@Chicago_Jayhawk largefacts. Plus even though the newyorkcity metro area has a massive underground track range, it still has an even larger elevated track range throughout the five boroughs which I thought was pretty impressive as well. But theres nothing like the L. The way it damnnear hangs off the edge of the steel viaducts is insane in itself.

[@ROBYNMARKOW]

True; though my parents reminisce about taking the" EL" from Brooklyn into Manhattan .

[@alanthefisher]

Chicago is easily one of my favorite systems in North America, it's so unique and it has a ton of charm. Also the state street tunnel lonnnggg platform is incredibly funny to see in person.

[@Tylar571]

When I went to college in the loop I would often walk up and down the state street platform to avoid the cold rather than get on the train.

[@dylanneumeyer3825]

Quincy station is possibly the most charming metro station I have ever seen.

[@TheMetroologist]

@@dylanneumeyer3825 I love the smell of the wood when it rains downtown, Quincy ftw

[@JacobKlippenstein]

I heard that it's considered the longest subway platform in the world since it's all connected. Not sure if that's true or just a technicality, but thought it was illustrative of its significant length.

[@jspihlman]

It reminds me of Taipei's subway which has a few stations in the center of the city connected by what's essentially an underground mall.

[@davidberlant5096]

The Chicago 'L' has another unique feature not mentioned: the availability of outside heat lamps at all outdoor L stations. Heat is available from November to March. A very welcome sight during Chicago's harsh winters!

[@benwarped7272]

yeah those little 4ft by 2ft heating areas (2 on each platform) SURE DO A LOT.

[@superyerfdog]

@@benwarped7272 At least the pigeons like them! (They're very cute in the winter)

[@davidberlant5096]

@@benwarped7272 Well, I appreciate them being there as opposed to not being there at all. Especially when the outside temperature is 12 degrees with a wind chill of -2, like today!

[@robertpreston2220]

I wish they had air conditioning ones in our endless brutal summers!

[@gaktaulagi3579]

I do quite enjoy the rotisserie chicken lights

[@Mr_mime2387HK]

The only thing really bothers me about the Chicago 'L', is its radial system layout, meaning that passengers who want to travel from suburb to suburb, they have to go through the center, which not only makes travel time longer, but also increasing the pressure of the lines.

[@jtsholtod.79]

Agreed. The spoke and hub layout was borne out of historically independent lines, with no desire to integrate. Now it is severely lacking a circular connecting route. Opponents have always said "that's not how people in Chicago travel". I would argue they actually do a lot, but can't by train, so end up driving. That said, there are many connecting bus routes, but they are very slow (as is Chicago traffic in general during any waking hour).

[@AaronSmith-sx4ez]

Hub+spoke is fine...as long as you have radial routes. A radial line for the L would do wonders for the system.

[@RMTransit]

For sure, having a circumferential route would massively improve the usefulness of the whole system!

[@jtsholtod.79]

I would also add that the reason it's been "difficult" to employ newer, open gangway rolling stock on the Red Line is that they sometimes divert it from the subway portion of the system using the Brown and Orange/Green lines through the Loop. That means it is often subject to the same tight corners as the rest of the fleet. The Blue Line more rarely has diversions except to occasionally use the Douglas Park branch, and that again has a few very tight turns.

[@DavidJohnson-dp4vv]

Time to build an underground fully automated line connecting all lines. Not necessarily connecting to the suburbs but making to where people don't need to travel to the loop to get to another burb.

[@SynchroSk8]

I grew up in Chicago and didn’t realize how spoiled I was. Even when my folks opened a business out in Arlington Heights, I was still able to connect thanks to the Metra. I moved out to Phoenix over twenty years ago now and it was absolutely a shock to my system. I remained working in public service for most of my career, but the last five years I began working for the regional transit authority. I wanted to help grow and improve the system Phoenix does have. Watching a video like this reminds me of the long way we have to go.

[@bradleyb8138]

Elections in Maricopa say otherwise. Folks support public transit growth in the Valley.

[@0fficialdregs]

you will get there. i love the chicago transit as well

[@HenryMidfields]

Wishing luck from a former Tokyoite and current Sydneysider. As someone who enjoys proximity to public transport, I think everybody deserves access to some form of good public transit.

[@0fficialdregs]

@@HenryMidfields agreed. i think any large building, an office building or mall, should have a metro line

[@michigandersea3485]

Chicago is a great city as the USA goes. It's hobbled by the worst corruption and worst city government of any major US city, though. It just shows how many assets Chicago has that it's as great as it is, despite the horrifically bad leadership. Not to mention the problems with shootings in some neighborhood, which are horrible and generally publicly denied/minimized by local politicians, as well as people in safer neighborhoods who can easily live in denial.

[@Bobrogers99]

Some cities tore down their elevated tracks, considering them to be ugly, noisy and light-blocking, but they didn't always replace them with efficient alternatives. Chicago was smart to keep them and develop them further.

[@HallsofAsgard96]

2nd avenue el anyone?

[@jordanplays-transitandgame1690]

chicago nearly tore down theirs after a crash on the loop. they even started a portion on the blue line.

[@GeneralLiuofBoston1911]

Washington Street El? Atlantic Avenue El? Charlestown El?

[@Bobrogers99]

@@GeneralLiuofBoston1911 I used to take the Washington Street el to work every day. It was perfectly functional, if also grubby.

[@quincexl1279]

The MBTA is one example.

[@rilke3266]

As a person that just moved to Chicago from a city with ZERO public transportation, it is such a blessing to always have an incredibly cheap and reliable way to get almost anywhere in the city at any time.

[@benwarped7272]

RELIABLE❓ when is CTA reliable❓ LOLOL

[@BlownMacTruck]

@@benwarped7272 Uo until Covid, the CTA had a very consistent track record, backed up by its schedule data. There have been issues coming to light since then, however.

[@TX.hook-em]

@@benwarped7272Name me a public transport system (in the US) that’s better than Chicago’s? I’ll wait…

[@robertpreston2220]

agree

[@whispermason8052]

Welcome. It's one of the best places on earth to Live. Hope you love your new home as much as we do.

[@fernbedek6302]

Chicago is the US’s Nagoya. 3rd biggest city. In the middle of the country. And so often forgotten.

[@RMTransit]

Haha, that’s an interesting comparison! You’re not wrong!

[@lukec2576]

I actually live in Nagoya. Very true!

[@stickynorth]

Yup! Industrial heartland of the nation, not really that high profile or glamorous anymore but still a quality city nonetheless!

[@theodoretaylor5228]

@@lukec2576 which country is your city located?! This is intriguing.

[@lukec2576]

@@theodoretaylor5228 Nagoya, Japan

[@bob_._.]

I really like the bare aluminum look of the trains; a classic interpretation that fits well with the modern Midwestern urban environment.

[@0fficialdregs]

less is more.

[@Rubycon99]

It's a nice look, although I personally prefer the old green/white L trains.

[@chooch1995]

Stainless steel…..

[@Astromontana]

As a native Chicagoan (don't live there anymore) who grew up using the L a lot (mostly the Green Line), I do like the ideas for expansion you propose, but there are some problems. The Brown Line connecting to the Blue line part would be extremely difficult to do considering it would have to be mostly underground due to how densely packed a lot of neighborhoods around Kimball/Homan are and the fact that the Blue line is right in the center of a major highway at that point you marked. For the Brown line expansion in the loop, I rather have an underground system that goes under Illinois Ave and stops at Navy Pier since there's no direct rail service to it and it Navy Pier, along with a lot of stores and places along and around Illinois Ave, are famous tourist destinations and lots of places for local nightlife people. As for the Circle Line you propose, I would like to see a complete loop with rail service under Lake Shore Drive, giving rail stops for Solider Field, 31st, North Ave, and Montrose Ave (for the beaches) and Lincoln Park Zoo. It can also have a stop at Navy Pier, connecting with the Brown Line for another rail option.

[@0fficialdregs]

smart! I was thinking of having a dedicated line strictly running on the street to Navy Pier and loop around to go underground and connect with the underground sub.

[@maas1208]

Why have the brown line be extended to Jefferson Park using an L over Lawrence Avenue.

[@GojiMet86]

Chicago would be ripe for a major transit expansion, perhaps turning the METRA (or at least the electric division) into an S-Banh style system. A big issue though, is that all the commuter lines end in 4 different terminals, and through running Philly-style would be hard to pull off. The transfers to the existing L are also hard to come by. METRA would also have to electrify all the other lines and maybe have to change over to single-deckers, but this would greatly expand service into areas that don't see a lot of it, especially the South Side.

[@Aliceintraining]

The problem is that they are dealing with Class 1 freight company's using and running on the rails as well as operating most of the passenger services for metra. electrifying all the lines would cost way more as you would need to update all the train detection and interlocking systems. the money would be better spent by fixing up the timetable first before trying to buy newer equipment.

[@markdebruyn1212]

But the some other lines are owned by the BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad, we don't know if they allow their commuter lines to be electrified

[@chrisnewman9292]

Why would Metra have to change over to single deck trains when Metra electric/South Shore already have double deck trains?

[@RMTransit]

There’s certainly a lot of room, but getting the L in order should probably take precedence!

[@muhmuhmuhmusic]

Bring the MED into city-based service before the red extension should absolutely be a priority, it’s almost entirely within cook county instead of the suburban rings. Through-running is likely to happen for Amtrak at union station in the next five years, the mail platforms are being reconfigured, and a few metra services might work there too. Metra-owned RI continuing on NCS up to Ohare is probably doable and useful.

[@ZontarDow]

Chicago L shows how long a great system can last though bad times given the past 60 years of what the city has gone through. A good system will survive bad economies and politics.

[@jtsholtod.79]

Survive? Yes. Progress? Debatable. The system functions okay, but not great, and needs a lot of maintenance work just to stay that way. I really hope it gets more attention to serve the needs of the next 100 years.

[@ZontarDow]

@@jtsholtod.79 indeed, unions would never allow it but they should replace the rolling stock with automated trains, and ass platform screens and enclose every station so they're cool in summer and warm in winter.

[@winterwatson6811]

😂😂😂 clearly, unions are the only reason because massive infrastructure costs can’t have ~anything~ to do with it. don’t those evil workers wanting benefits and wages understand? that’s what the food bank is for!

[@ZontarDow]

@@winterwatson6811 I spent 7 years working in a factory, I say this from experience you don't have when I say that workers who are halfway competent hate unions as the next one that does more then skim off our paycheck while not doing anything in our interest and donating to political parties with the intent of pushing politics that harm us would be the first. People who've never been in a union love the idea, people who have rightfully hate the reality.

[@RMTransit]

For sure, but it survived as one one of the worlds best - not sure it’s fate would be the same if it wasn’t

[@davidburrow5895]

While I'm a huge fan of the 'L', I'm glad you gave some love to the CTA buses. Something I LOVE about the Chicago bus system is that they almost exclusively run on the grid system--to the point that the CTA map is a pretty good map of the city. I hate visiting cities where the buses loop around so much you don't know where they're going next.

[@Mergatroid]

I've lived in Chicago my whole life, so it's awesome to see you finally cover this!

[@peterjamesfoote3964]

Probably the best Chicago rail system video by someone not living in Chicago. A few things of note: The Metra stations don’t meet at one central station by design. When the US rail system was expanding in the 1800’s store owners in the central loop area like Marshal Fields and hoteliers like Potter Palmer (Palmer House Hotel) decided that a great way to boost business for those traveling across the continental US by rail would more likely spend a day in Chicago spending money if they had to change stations in Chicago! Chicago’s location a one to two day travel from the East coast also made it a great location for a travel break. This worked and Chicago benefited greatly from this decision. Today, Amtrak only uses one of those old stations coming into Union Station underground adjacent to Willis (Sears) Tower across Wacker Drive. A great tour of upper Chicago can be taken of the Loop by getting on a Brown line train (or Purple Line train in rush hour) and riding in a circle from the Mart Station around in a circle back to the Mart Station. If you do this twice, you can look (and film) this looking both East and West to see very interesting architectural features that don’t stand out at street level. Because the L system has been there so long many architects built in special features to their buildings at L level because so many would see these features. The Quincy/Wells stop on the L is a short walk east of Union Station and has been restored to historical beauty. The Brown, Orange, Pink Lines (and Purple in AM and PM rush hour) provide convenient access to the rest of the CTA L system. So rail fans coming into Chicago via Amtrak have easy access to the rest of the system including travel to O’Hare (Blue Line) and Midway Airports (Orange Line). One of the reasons the L cars don’t connect easily like some systems is that most trains make very sharp turns in the Loop especially, and this makes easy open connections between cars difficult and sometimes unsafe. Veteran riders do use the doors between cars regularly, but someone with a small child in a stroller, or traveling with a bicycle or in a wheelchair should not use them especially on these sharp turns. The random digit dial customer satisfaction surveys that began in 1995 (I was the Project Manager for them from 1997-2002) shattered many myths about who CTA’s customers were on both their Rail and Bus system and resulted in many of the modern features that you admired though some (like internet access in the subway) took some substantive work to implement. Among other things, the survey found that most customers (seeing passengers as customers rather than riders was an important cultural change CTA made during this era which included transforming ticket agents into customer assistants in stations, making all public information available online, prioritizing spending based on what customers were least satisfied with and found most important about CTA service drove many customer focused spending changes including putting cameras on all vehicles (including buses) in all rail stations, creating a larger customer service hotline (1-888-Your-CTA) and the travel information and announcement system you admired both on the platforms and in the stations. One thing that really surprised Customers as these last were implemented was how on time CTA’s rail system is. (The pandemic was a big financial problem for all US transit systems an the CTA had to reduce service in response though it kept its 24 hour service. It is now doing its best to rebuild back to previous service levels including added security on bus and rail but much depends upon how much work travel returns to the system. Previously work related trips were the primary trip purpose for CTA customers, so non-work trips (to and from school, to and from shopping, social event travel, sports and tourist travel, and church travel while important cannot replace the work travel lost. However, some major employers in the loop, do require in person attendance including sales work, financial work, banking, and others). What drives Transit anywhere in the world is population density. This is why Transit in Europe has such high demand and heavy scheduling. Chicago is blessed with a great deal of density however, it’s area is quite large (234.53 sq mi (607.44 km2)) which means that some regions are still underserved by CTA. The Red Line extension was slowed by economic and political delays but will help to address some of this. The Circle Line and the O’Hare express service were put on semi-permanent pause but splitting the Pink line off of the Blue line is a positive artifact of those changes and thoughts of an extension out to Navy Pier are not impossible in the future. While the CTA is not a department of the Chicago City Government, but is an independent state agency under the umbrella of the local Regional Transportation Authority, finding support for extensions of CTA service into the suburbs is often difficult, although a cross city line running North and South along Western Avenue (27.4 miles) or Cicero, have great promise and would stimulate tremendous job growth but even with the economies of Elevated construction, total costs would be prohibitive. While the Orange Line opening created massive job growth and property value increases in the areas adjacent to the service that is always the perception local residents have when plans are considered when regional decade planning is done. One opportunity for growth would be to expand the Orange Line out to Ford City (South along Cicero from Midway Airport) or beyond to 87th or even 95th Street. This could ease an enormous amount of congestion along Cicero and provide incredible links to jobs in the city center. The CTA has run some express buses from Midway to a few major suburban employers from Midway Airport just as it adds school trips to its bus schedule, but one difficulty is that suburban density and planning are so car centric that gaining support for these proposals is difficult. Another difficulty Transit across the nation has is that National Expenditures favor enormous military spending over all other infrastructure spending. Yet starting in the 80’s Reagan’s diversion of many budget priorities from transit and education to his “Star Wars” military spending has made getting any operational spending and subsidies for transit difficult. Even with the threat of Global Warming, cleaner alternatives like Electric Buses (which CTA is implementing) and more bus service (local and express) are urgently needed. Chicago, at 600’+ above sea level is not under threat of being flooded out of existence, but if such flooding does impact the nation, it and the Great Lakes Region as a whole may need to be prepared for a massive influx of Sea Level refugees. This seems absurd on some levels, yet this type of scenario is something urban planners must envision when looking a decade or more ahead. Thanks for a great video. I’ve been retired for some years now, but I was there during key moments in CTA history (9/12 and The Chicago Flood) and left with a love and appreciation for CTA and it’s role in the region’s economic engine.

[@pawelfronczyk1579]

Wow , great knowledge.

[@AdamDaki]

Wow! Thank you so much for all this history and insight, very valuable

[@adrianmizen5070]

All this talk of expanding the rail lines makes me laugh. The city, county, and state are bankrupt and terribly misgoverned. NY and CA might be even more poorly governed, but they have a lot more money and geographical advantages to play with vs. Chicago with its lousy weather and insignificant port. The airport and freight rail will also be used less and less as more of the northeastern economy moves to the southeast, and suddenly Chicago isn't on the way to the west anymore. The local economy is shrinking rapidly as businesses flee (see CME). In a decade or two it will be another Detroit, with or without expanded rail.

[@pawelfronczyk1579]

@@adrianmizen5070 Public transportation is not profitable for the state in any other place in the world, probably, and no Chicago is not going to become second Detroit, too much old money here.

[@jasonlescalleet5611]

Yay! You covered the L! Chicago is probably my favorite city to visit in part because it is so convenient to fly into Midway, walk to the back of the terminal, and get on the Orange line into the loop where all the hotels are. The other cities I’ve visited regularly are more car oriented and you need to either rent a car or take a taxi or shuttle in to where the transit is. I also enjoy walking around Oak Park and looking at the houses there, and it is really nice to be able to take the Green line from the hotels to a place like that. I love the old stations and viaducts, and think of Chicago as having a Steampunk transit system. I think I might even still have a Ventra card in my wallet despite having not really traveled since the pandemic started.

[@jtsholtod.79]

Great summary! I also find that the CTA's online train and bus tracker sites (unfortunately not apps) are very good in providing real-time transit information by replicating the simple "next train" boards found around the stations. The Ventra (pay system) app also does much of the same, but also integrates location-based train, bus and bike share (Divvy) availability, as well as some rudimentary integration with Metra (commuter rail), Pace (suburban bus), and basic crowdedness projections. These really do help in getting around and avoiding the all-too-frequent service interruptions. While not perfect, they are much better than most "official" transit apps/sites.

[@karatransitfur]

I’d love if they added the real time train map to the Ventra app!

[@RMTransit]

Thanks for watching! It’s good to see some of the smaller details so well done!

[@LunaDragofelis]

An advantage of websites compared to apps is that they're not dependent on having a device with an operating system supported by the app (mostly the duopoly of iOS and Android). A well designed (as in functionality, not appearance) website can be accessed and used from nearly any device with a web browser.

[@evanholmes2908]

I know this is a very late reply but I have been using an app called transit stop since I was in high school. I believe they just directly take the data from these websites and display them. You can refresh it as much as you want and it's free! 10/10 would recommend to anyone living or visiting Chicago it has CTA bus and train times.

[@weenisw]

Minor correction: The loop was called the loop prior to the present loop tracks being built. Originally it referred to three cable car loops in the same area. These were built after the success San Francisco had had. Sadly none of this was preserved like in SF. There’s a book about Chicago Cable Cars by author Greg Borzo

[@AaronOfMpls]

I'd imagine they had the same problem St Paul (Minnesota, US) did with cable cars -- the cable slot got clogged with snow and ice in the winter. 🌨❄ St Paul had cable cars too in the 1880s and 90s, in part due to hilly terrain getting in and out of the Mississippi River valley. But they converted it (and the remaining horsecar lines) to electric streetcars in the 1890s once that became practical. ...Even though the bonds the city took out for the cable cars weren't fully paid off until the 1920s and 30s. 🙂 And then, like most North American cities, they converted to busses in the 1930s-50s.

[@glennhavinoviski8128]

@@AaronOfMpls And sadly, Chicago had the largest streetcar network in North America (Pacific Electric in Southern California was considered an interurban network). The most interesting aspect of that was that in the 50s, rather than selling off their relatively young PCC streetcar fleet to Toronto or Boston or others that kept their streetcars, CTA cannibalized the still relatively new PCC parts (window panels, seats, trucks, brakes, motors, other equipment) and incorporated them into corresponding L cars (the famous green and white 6000-series L cars seen on TV and in the movies). Those 6000-series cars were a mainstay on the L for over 30 years, and even saw some brief service in suburban Philly on the Red Arrow lines.

[@ohioweatherguy]

As a former Chicagoan (who hopes to move back eventually), it's nice to see some coverage of the CTA/L. I lived car-free and relied exclusively on the L and buses to get around. I would normally take an express bus down Lake Shore Drive from Uptown in the early mornings to get to my office in the West Loop, while in the afternoon I'd hop on the red line to head back north to my condo. It's was actually a very consistently reliable setup for my commuting needs. And if by chance there was an issue with the L or buses, I had backup options for getting to/from home and work. The redundancy between the L & the grid-based buses makes living car-free much easier. Nice video! One note, it looks like you have the wrong direction for the orange line traveling around the loop. It travels clockwise rather than counter-clockwise. Only the brown line runs counter-clockwise around the loop (and the green line partially when it's heading towards Harlem in Oak Park). Interesting you noted the Sears Tower and referred to it as formerly known as the Willis Tower when it's actually the opposite. But Chicagoans (and many others) still refer to it as the Sears Tower so I'm sure there are plenty of people appreciative of your reversal in names. :)

[@julianmedrano882]

As a someone who frequently uses public transportation and has lived in Chicago all my life, I couldn't have said it any better! Give me a bike and CTA and I can go anywhere in Chicago!

[@dpai486]

I think he says formally, not formerly

[@ohioweatherguy]

@@dpai486 Ah yes, I think you're right.

[@julianmedrano882]

@@dpai486 No, it was formerly, it is no longer the sears tower and is now the Willis tower

[@trongriffinproductions7159]

I also want to move back.

[@brunhildevalkyrie]

As a chicago resident, I believe a circumferential line is absolutely needed, but an airport express is a absolute waste of money.

[@PRHILL9696]

Chicago el trains and subways are featured big time in endless films and TV shows for a reason! It is so cool in so many ways!

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

What a time for the upload, I'm currently on holiday in Chicago! The system is very convenient to use and the fare system great value for money, but my goodness does the infrastructure need an overhaul. The track in parts is absolutely shocking (especially when coming in from O'Hare), the noise with some vehicles unbelievable, and travel times in some areas much longer than they ought to be. The station distances outside the city centre are also longer than they should be. But I do love the vintage elevated viaducts

[@jtsholtod.79]

If you do get the chance, go to the Museum of Science and Industry. They have the Pioneer Zephyr, as well as many unique exhibits. If you are staying longer and have access to a car, a drive out to the Illinois Railway Museum is well worth the visit. Lots of vintage trains and CTA vehicles.

[@jtsholtod.79]

@@SigmaRho2922 The existing stops are somewhat close, but not great, especially at night in that area of town. Ridership is pretty low for events. Damen will help, but they really should have built a Pink Line stop at Madison which would be right there.

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

@@jtsholtod.79 I went to the Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday, and had a great time. I did also look up the Illinois railway museum, but we've got no access to a car, and it is quite a bit out of the way. Today's sadly my last full day in Chicago, as I'll be leaving tomorrow on the California Zephyr for San Francisco.

[@jtsholtod.79]

@@mikeblatzheim2797 Hopefully you had the chance to do the Chicago Architectural Boat Tour (the one run by the Chicago Architectural Foundation), and go to Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders (long wait, but amazing, and close to the free Lincoln Park Zoo which is worth a visit).

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

@@jtsholtod.79 I went on the fireboat Chicago river tour, sadly for the others there's not enough time left; planned for today is a visit to the Field Museum.

[@portugueseeagle8851]

Fun fact: The 2400 series train from the Chicago L was built in Portugal by SOREFAME, of all things. They entered service in 1978 and were retired just in 2014!

[@JBS319]

The carbodies were built in Portugal, but the cars were constructed by Boeing-Vertol in Pennsylvania.

[@portugueseeagle8851]

@@JBS319 One never escapes the train people xD Thx for correcting me!

[@sulphurous2656]

Press F to pay respects to the 2200 series and 2400 series railcars and the (soon to be replaced by the 7000 series) 2600 and 3200 series cars

[@murdelabop]

Something else that would be good for the Chicago area would be high speed rail between Chicago and Milwaukee, among other cities.

[@raney150]

High speed rail at a frequent enough service could actually merge the two metropolitan areas in the near future. I've already met people that commute from Milwaukee to Chicago, but high speed rail would make it so much more common

[@AlexCab_49]

@@raney150 Don't they have the Hiawatha?

[@alexanderkane2581]

@@AlexCab_49 only 7 trains per direction per day, so if you're running late, you'll have to wait about two hours for the next one

[@aredub1847]

my mom and grandparents used to come to chicago on the train from iron mountain michigan. I would love to rail service to be reestablished.

[@stickynorth]

100% Milwaukee should be the Hamilton to Chicago/Toronto an affordable hipster destination within a quick commuter rail train from downtown... Or like Baltimore is from Washington in theory... Or Newark is from NYC...

[@eryngo.urbanism]

Incredible. I just went to Chicago recently, and it really is a cool city. I'll be spending more time there in the future.

[@DavidSSabb]

11:25 - what's really frustrating about the lack of a stop for the United Center is there is that it would be so easy to build. As the line passes over Monroe Street there's only parking lots for the United Center on either side of the street, so there's not even any right of way issues. And in case you're thinking the parking lots mean that's a bad location for a station, it would actually also be a block away from a large senior housing apartment complex and a lot of shopping and restaurants in the West Loop. There's a big transit gap here because there's also no blue line stations when it passes just to the south of this neighborhood

[@LIFEwithBAVAN]

The green just got a stop at damen. However, green to Ashland isn't too far from Ucenter either

[@toranshaw4029]

Chicago is one of the few cities I'd visit just to ride their transit network. Also, their transport authority did really good ride-along videos covering each of their lines! That new Brown Line crossing does remind me of the District Line at Acton Town.

[@howardjeffreym]

I’m from Chicago and now live in London near Acton Town. The four tracks between Barons Court and Acton Town very much remind me of the ‘L’ on the North Side of Chicago where Brown, Purple, and Red Line trains run local and express services just like the Piccadilly and District!

[@caddyzig]

Excellent video! We just visited Chicago last week and had a fantastic time, even taking a historical tour of the L. It was fun to recognize many of the sights and stations we experienced and learn more about them.

[@madcrowmaxwell]

There's a certain historic charm to a lot of the vintage stations and it would be a shame to lose that. Accessibility work for old stations that doesn't affect the visual appearance too much would seem to be preferable to complete rebuilds in a contemporary style, I would think.

[@weenisw]

I completely agree. Let’s not continue to pave over and demolish our history and character. I think a good balance is totally achievable.

[@brianmolina8818]

I really agree too. The historic Quincy station at the Loop comes to mind for me. I believe they recently completed an accessibility project (elevator) which did not change the historic character. I hope similar things can and will be done where they can to preserve the architecture.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

100% agree. The only thing I disagree with RMtransit on is the way he always paints "dated" as a negative. So long as they are well maintained, older stations, vehicles, and infrastructure do a lot for a city's character and historic feel. Also, on a more opinion based thing, I generally don't like modern station architecture, it feels like it's trying to feel flashy but be cheap, as opposed to the more elegant but detailed older stations. I'm not super familiar with Chicago, so I don't know if all their new infrastructure is as funky as the main example from the video, or how nice the older stations are, but that's what I've noticed as a general trend.

[@txquartz]

@@brianmolina8818 Quincy is actually a ”preservation” station- it's no longer really original. They did it in part because they knew they wanted to build modern ones a la Washington/Wabash as replacements.

[@brianmolina8818]

@@txquartz That's true to some extent, many elements are new/replicas, though I believe a lot of the core elements are fairly original. You have a point though, the end goal of modernizing stations/new replacement stations would be a priority. Speaking of, LaSalle on the Loop is something I'm wondering how CTA would handle...

[@TheZatrahc]

The "ring train" idea is something I've been thinking about since I moved to this city ten years ago. Chicago is very much a donut city: Downtown is for business, tourism, some big ticket (think museums) cultural amenities, but it's very sparsely populated all things considered. Most life in Chicago goes on in neighborhoods about five miles outside of the loop. The ring you drew looks mostly spot on, though I would want the southern end of it to go a bit further south so that it doesn't pass through the old stockyards. While the pre existing tracks are nice to have, there's denser population below that, and any of those stations in the stockyards would require a lot of urban development to go around them. A great opportunity, sure, but a lot of that land is currently vacant for a reason. Can't have heavy industry for a hundred years and not have some leftovers. One thing important about Chicago being an outdoor elevated system is that our weather is notoriously bad. A 15 minute wait for a train or bus is never ideal, but you hardly think about it in June. It becomes a bit harder to deal with in February.

[@briansieve]

Winter L waits can be unbelievable even for Chicago tolerance of extreme cold. Being 20 feet up in the air on a station over the street (Red line at Bryn Mawr I am looking at you. But there are many) with the wind whipping down the wind tunnels created by the straight streets surrounded by tall buildings - and just a couple blocks from Lake Michigan... there are no words.

[@1234canadianguy]

This video came at almost the perfect time for me as I recently booked a trip to Chicago for a couple of days in August, my first international trip outside of Canada since the pandemic began. I'm especially looking forward to riding the L around Chicago!

[@jaykay1899]

How was it?

[@radagastwiz]

I'm so accustomed to how Jago talks about Charles Yerkes that when I hear his name I expect to see that one photo of him scroll up the screen. Good to hear of him on another channel!

[@raney150]

A lot of Chicago and also add to their wish list of expansions a line down either Ashland Avenue or Western Avenue. This would be the second line to not go across the loop, but it would have several connections and would serve a lot of people.

[@JulesOfIslington]

If you want to do a follow-up on some of the interesting history of the Chicago L, you could cover the history of some of the previous alignments of the lines, such as how the CTA swapped the branches of the Howard-Englewood-Jackson Park line with the Lake-Dan Ryan lines to form the current Red and Green lines, or how most of the current Pink line used to be a branch of the Blue line.

[@zephaniahgreenwell8151]

I know you gave it a quick mention but Chicago's bus system is pretty good too.

[@liamtahaney713]

Best city in America. Interestingly, the metro in Brussels of all places is quite "loop" like. It's a medium sized underground circle around the main center of the urban area. It's bysected north south by a tram tunnel and east west by another metro line. They don't run trains all the way around the loop, unfortunately. Though the infrastructure is very different, the layout of the Brussels metro surprised me with it's similarly to Chicago (much smaller scale as well)

[@RMTransit]

Brussels is a very unique system indeed and will definitely get a dedicated video in the future!

[@randomguy477]

@@RMTransit would love to see that

[@liamtahaney713]

@@RMTransit I work in Brussels, so I can definitely shoot some b roll!!!

[@benwarped7272]

definitely NOT the best city in america.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

Personally, I don't get the big deal about rapid transit or stations feeling "dated". Bad accessibility, lack of amenities, or poor state of repair I get as problems, but not the fact that an old station or vehicle feels old. So long as it is serviceable, who cares if the platforms are made of wood, or if the stations don't feature modern architecture?

[@dylanneumeyer3825]

Quincy station is a great example of old infrastructure standing the test of time and looking awesome while doing it.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

@@dylanneumeyer3825 Perfect example of what I mean. A simple, tasteful station with elegant ironwork and various bits of nice detailing. The only aesthetic renovation that wouldn't be a tragedy is a fresh coat of paint, possibly in a lighter color, or just refresh the brown it already has.

[@bobzwol]

Thank you for doing a superb job on this video! I grew up in Chicago in the 60s & 70s. The rapid transit system was a major part of my life. You can imagine my horror when I moved to Los Angeles in 1979 and there was absolutely NO rail transit whatsoever for the 8 million people residing in LA County. Glad THAT’S changed for the better.

[@matthewdavisson]

I love Chicago! The L is great, as is CTA in general. The bus system works just about everywhere the L doesn’t. I have no problem getting around the city. Chicago is highly underrated.

[@DieselElevators]

The thing that sells the MTA for me over Chicago is its versatility. When visiting NYC, i can get within mere blocks of literally anywhere I've ever wanted to go by only taking subways, no buses or taxis or uber. In fact, I've never been on any of those, only commuter rail and subways. CTA is very limited in where it can take you. When visiting Chicago recently, I found that I had to walk FAR distances to get pretty much anywhere I wanted. The L doesn't even connect to Union Station, you have to walk several blocks across the river to get to it. If the CTA was more versatile, I would've liked it better. For what they do have though, it's a good and interesting service.

[@johndraughon7100]

Thanks for making this! As someone who’s lived in & around chicago for most of my life I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. This was really well done! I like many chicagoans feel the need for an “outer loop” of sorts. My fantasy map idea for it is to construct a straight line for tracks running up and down Western Ave. The brown, Blue (on both branches) pink, orange, and even one Metra line all have stops at Western. Making this run of new tracks great for transfer options. Also, Creating this run of tracks would allow for Connection to most, if not all, other lines by then continuing the “outer loop” line along the existing orange and brown lines on either end and through the city center. And that would allow for Connections to the other lines, most notably the red and green lines at Roosevelt and the red line and purple lines at Belmont. Thanks again for making this! And I’m really glad you mentioned the brown line over pass at Belmont and how the bus system here is under appreciated.

[@saurabhbagai5982]

Thank you for covering this topic. There was talks of an grey circle line and a blue line express from the airport in the mid 2000s but the funding wasn’t funding. I’m glad they decided to go with station improvements because the were very old and outdated. On a side note, there are some edits that are not correct in your video, for example when you have the green line, you write purple line to linden. There are a few others like this throughout the video. Again, thank you for covering this historic train system.

[@RMTransit]

I don’t see there being a good reason not to do both honestly!

[@maas1208]

​@@RMTransit Can you do a video on the Metra

[@trivialtrav]

There's something comforting about hearing the L at night or seeing the sparks in the distance. It lets you know the world hasn't ended just yet.

[@Acela2163]

I do appreciate the 'L' getting the attention it deserves, however I feel I must make some notes on the points made in this video, as I want to highlight some of the nuance with the system. Something that I must correct is that the 'L' cars are not derived from streetcars. We did use PCC derived cars at one time, but only the electrics were reused, with the bodies being entirely newly built. The turning loops that you mentioned have nothing to do with streetcars, as streetcars never ran over the 'L' tracks (save for a few exceptional circumstances) and the 'L' has always had double-ended trains. The loops at terminals are simply there to reduce dwell time by not having to switch ends. Now, we do refer to the trucks (bogies) that the trains ride on as "Trolley Blocks," but that is because trains on the 'L' are fitted with track brakes. Track brakes allowed the 'L' to safely operate on grade level lines at speeds of up to 70mph (113 km/h) thanks to the increased stopping power. Sadly, the 'L' is currently limited to 55, but I live in hope... Everything else is minor, but I do want to address that: 1. Union and Ogilvie stations did once have direct connections to the 'L', but the line serving Union (the Metropolitan Main Line) was torn down to make way for I-290, while Ogilve lost it's connection in 90's when the station was rebuilt. LaSalle has never had one because of short-sighted planning. 2. The "2-track corridor" that the Brown and Purple Lines use is actually the south half of the North Side Main Line, and was also 4 tracked with express service north of Chicago Ave. The line lost its outer 2 tracks when all the local stations were closed as part of CTA's cost-cutting in the 40's and 50's. 3. The NSML is the last remaining express line, but the South Side and Lake Street L's also had express service, using a bi-directional 3rd track. The Metropolitan used a mix of 3 and 4 tracks, as well as interlocked passing sidings, which are a story of their own. 4. Open Gangway cars were trialed on the 'L' back in the 40's, with the original 5000-series (no relation to the current series). To allow the open gangway cars to navigate the tight curves, the cars had to be shortened further, down to 29 feet or 8.8 meters, and it proved to be more work than needed (especially when it came to maintenance) and reverted back to the 48ft cars. I would like to see a walkthrough design eventually, but it isn't as simple as it may be for other systems. 5. A major reason why the 'L' uses one standard design is interoperability. The Red Line is frequently rerouted onto the Loop during maintenance or disruption, and so must be able to navigate the Loop. Other examples include the Orange and Blue Line fleet swap from a couple years ago, the shared rolling stock pool of the Red, Purple, and Yellow Lines, and the partial interlining that the Brown Line has with the Orange line currently and has had with the Purple Line. So glad to see you covering the the L, and glad that I can share some of the appreciation for my favorite metro system.

[@ianyoung193]

I lived in Chicago the last two years for hockey and school and completely fell in love with the city. Coming from the suburbs of Denver, where we have a pretty eh light rail system, its a night and day difference living in Chicago. Theres just something about walking from my home to the L, popping in my headphones and watching the city go by that you just can't replicate or explain. Makes me really worry about how long the city is going to stay affordable because I very much hope to live there after graduating,

[@beth1591]

Yesssss, I have a playlist just for when I’m taking the L

[@frankguy6843]

My rent increased like 4% from last year to this year, Chicago is still extremely affordable and the shitty news coverage calling it dangerous probably discourages a lot of people from moving here. Spoiler alert, it just isn't that dangerous outside of certain neighborhoods and even then mostly just at night. Pretty sure Chicago is losing people year over year for now, but if they update the public transit I think they will attract a lot of younger people, I've noticed a lot of interest in good public transit in just the last 5 years, hope Chicago capitalizes. Best city in the world, no bias of course...

[@sonicboy678]

Incidentally, some Brown Line trains are through-run with the Orange Line (I specifically emphasizes the Brown Line because all of these through-run trains are scheduled to run counterclockwise along half of the Loop, whereas the Orange Line runs clockwise).

[@prazzlerazzle5565]

Love the brownge line

[@dminalba]

The Loop in Chicago has one of my favourite stations ever!!! Quincy which is a recreation of a L station as it was in 1800s

[@nanodudek]

At 10:19 the green text in the corner describes the purple line. Thank you for your video!

[@Punksarepunk]

So glad this video is a thing! I've wanted something like this about the Chicago L for a while it really doesn't get enough love

[@cami7961]

Bus and L was my main transportation for many years, always a convience when there was a concert downtown , just hop on the L and go...now i live in houston, and you def need a car to get around..ill always appreciate my City 💓

[@Kludgzenjammer]

Ah finally, the video is here. The Chicago L will always be amazing, no matter how bad it gets!

[@PoshJosey]

You forgot the best fun feature, which is the holiday train that's decked out in lights and decorations!

[@raken0230]

Even though I live in the Chicago area I've never really understood the train system, thanks for the video it helped me learn a bit about my own hometown!

[@ntatenarin]

I live next to an L-line. It can be a bit noisy and shaky, but I love hearing the trains pass by!

[@AlexCab_49]

Chicago has (for US standards) great public transportation and is quite walkable but unlike New York or San Francisco, no insane housing costs and is quite affordable for a major city, though I have heard Chicago IS pricey for the Midwest.

[@Mike-ukr]

Of course it's pricy for the Midwest, it's the only city worth living there

[@AlexCab_49]

@@Mike-ukr lot's of young people should be flocking to Chicago. Chicago is basically New York but much more affordable.

[@Mike-ukr]

@@AlexCab_49 Yes, and also great for resisting climate change

[@aredub1847]

@@Mike-ukr yup. that is blue gold out there.

[@AlexCab_49]

@@Mike-ukr I think more ppl should move to Chicago instead of Houston or Phoenix.

[@Barryfordmemphis]

EXCELLENT!!! I used to live in Chicago and used the L everyday. Thanks for a look at my old hometown!!!

[@tianruixiao9239]

Great video, I thought navigating through the loop was a bit confusing while visiting, but I really loved the elevated track design and the tight corners it has, somewhat like a roller coaster :D Chicago will always be a nostalgic city for me.

[@talideon]

It really looks as if it could do with some semicircular lines to join things up further out.

[@RMTransit]

Absolutely!

[@youweremymuse]

Chicago is the only place I've seriously used public transport, and this video made me realize how many unique aspects of the cta there are. Most cities dont have estimated arrivals listed outside of the train station? How do you know when to run to the train??? Also, while I know modernizing the stations might be practical, ill be sad to see the historical wood and metal structures go. I was just thinking today about how I probably use the same stairs people used in the 50s. Super cool.

[@briansieve]

Even just a decade or so ago, you knew to run up the platform when you heard the train rumbling from blocks and blocks away. And if there are multiple lines, then you just ran for nothing if it is not our line. Obviously it is better now.

[@benwarped7272]

and CTA trains never show up on time. what good is tracking software when nothing shows up❓

[@rfranklin3000]

@@briansieve I grew up in Chicago and lived there almost my entire life up until last year. At age 42 now, I have vivid memories being in my teens and 20s commuting through the city for work or play, and transferring between the Red and Blue line subways at Jackson station, you walk down into a transfer tunnel between the subways and walk about 2 blocks. Everyone would just be calmly walking, and then all of a sudden we all would just break into a sprint halfway through because we can hear the train pulling into the station at the subway coming up. Hilarious to think about now! These old knees would just be late LOL! Another great memory is how many awesome musical performances I've observed in the subways waiting for my train, because the city licenses street performers to sing and play music for commuters. R&B, Jazz, Blues, Blue Grass Folk, Country, even Classical. Awesome!

[@briansieve]

@Raymond Franklin ha. I used to do the same thing. Before the blue line to Cicero became the Pink Line I transferred in that long tunnel. Lol. In the evenings the kids would usually be playing drums on buckets in that tunnel. And you still could hear the train coming. Lol

[@pikapomelo]

What do you even build a platform out of if not wood? And how do you ride in things that are not metal boxes?

[@CardGameAcolyte]

18:05 as a frequent 12 bus rider, there is an immense amount of irony in you having that route on the screen as you say the busses should run more often

[@japanesetrainandtravel6168]

Having visited NYC several times and Chicago once, I had been a bit biased towards New York given its history, rolling stock varieties and lines. Watching this video, I feel now I didn’t do The CTA enough justice. I rode the Orange Line and the Red, but oddly fell in love with the Brown Line which I used from loop to Belmont before hoping on the Red back into the city. As you’ve presented, this is less a celebrated system considering its size. Glad to see the system start to get some much needed upgrades and the connector line and airport express route would be a great addition. Would be great in a future video to compare Metra with GO Transit given how extensive it is

[@briansieve]

The brown line feels the most "local" to me north of the Belmont station.

[@TMD3453]

Great! I’ve ridden the el for 30 years. Absolutely true about the vintage feel. Some stations have nice metalwork and the elevated track design does make it seem like going back 100 years. Good to hear about price value and 24 hr lines. Makes me appreciate. Chicago was the rail capital of the US and still might be. If you haven’t done anything on Amtrak, I’d be interested in your take. Best way to go from Chicago to Milwaukee. Good for leisure travel on longer distances. Cheers many thanks will remember this.

[@babynamesinfo]

I'm a regular rider of the Brown Line, and it's fun to see places I recognize in this video! I rode on a 7000 series train last year when they were testing them. They're definitely an upgrade, though I prefer the arrangement of seats on the regular Brown Line trains. Also, I am glad that they're not changing the train cars to be all interconnected, because having the separate cars at least contains the smell when people smoke on the train. Connecting them all would just make the whole train smell like cigarettes.

[@jamesu9607]

Best thing on the L is the announcements booming across the neighbourhoods from the elevated stations - stayed near Belmont and Wellington and could hear them both from the house. BELMONT, this is BELMONT, This is a BROWN LINE train to the loop. MIND the CLOSING DOORS!

[@briansieve]

It was SUCH an improvement when the voices were recorded, though. When I was new to Chicago I missed many stops and transfers because I never understood a single word Charlie Brown's teacher grunted into the mic. The same goes still when they run express for a few stops or divert. If you take too long trying to figure out what they just mumbled, you will be delayed a lot by having to wait and return up the line again.

[@gordonjustin4787]

That was a very good Presentation. I hope to visit Chicago one day. Thank You

[@PiousMoltar]

I'm just some random English dude but I agree, the Sears tower is probably my favourite skyscraper. It's just cool somehow.

[@paintkiller93]

Interesting timing for you to release this as I was visiting Chicago

[@agitatedcooking]

Long time viewer, first time commenter and subscriber! Loved to see your take on our transit system. I agree 100% on the need for a circumferential line--the relative lack of connections outside the Loop often makes a slow local bus the better option for moving between outlying neighborhoods, even if there is an L stop at each end of the trip.

[@mentonerodominicano]

The buses for me are probably the CTA's unsung heroes. They're great to travel to L stations because sometimes you do have to walk a considerable distance to the stations. They're also excellent for late night schedules. And speaking as a visitor, maybe another L train that runs along Cicero or Pulaski would be great.

[@eriklakeland3857]

Jefferson Park to Midway via Cicero as a SkyTrain style line would be outstanding.

[@chrisransdell8110]

Great maps and visuals. The L is very charming and feels approachable and welcoming in a way that the NYC subway never has for me. Overall, for where it goes, it's very satisfying. It does seem like it should have some more far flung service than it does but Chicago has so much commuter rail to fill that role for a lot of downtown bound riders.

[@ViniciusSC10]

7:55 About the red line connecting two stadium, we’ve the same thing here in São Paulo. The Line 3-Red starts at Palmeiras-Barra Funda near Palmeiras stadium and it ends at Corinthians-Itaquera near the Corinthians stadium and they’re the fiercest rivalry in town. I love how gorgeous the Loop is. It not a ugly elevated viaduct, it’s connects so well if the adjacent buildings and the neighborhood. Loved being in Chicago, hope to go back soon.

[@thickernell]

As a 32 year resident and amateur Chicago rail nut, this was very well done Reece. Just a couple of comments. The term "loop" actually predates the elevated loop. It was a term used to describe the street cars looping around the downtown to go back out, forced to do so of course by Lake Michigan being to the East. Also, O'Hare technically has another rail service, that being Metra North Central Service. It only takes 34 minutes from Union Station. But the O'Hare stop is in remote parking so you have to change to the airport People Mover or a short bus to get to the terminals. Not perfect, but a valid option for many people living near that Metra branch and from Downtown. It also has infrequent service.

[@valeriemcdonald440]

I watched this video to see how different the train looks now from how it was in the 90s movie, The Fugitive. It basically looks the same, I love it! The wooden platforms are cool.

[@Azuratsz]

0:41, 24 hour service?!? I never thought it would be a thing! 8:49 Never seen something like that. 😳

[@stuartbee5716]

Another great video, what I remember after visiting Chicago in the month of December is the horrendous freezing weather, there were space heaters on the exposed stations but it was frigid and just how noisy those L trains are when moving!!! Love from london Uk.

[@karatransitfur]

Great overview of the system! Love this system and this city ❤️

[@parz173]

Living in south loop the L is amazing and i think it's very pretty. I live about 2 minutes of walking away from the LaSalle Blue line station and it's so useful.

[@briansivley2001]

I live in Skokie where the Yellow Line goes through and I used to live near the Howard Street CTA Terminal and I have many ideas for expansion. One merge Pace Suburban Bus and Metra Commuter Rail into one organization kinda like The Metro North and MTA and begin from there. For example there were plans to extend the Yellow Line from Dempster Skokie to Old Orchard Mall and eventually Lake Cook Road using the former Union Pacific/North Shore Line Skokie Valley Branch Right Of Way I say it should happen. Also extend The Blue Line from O'Hare to Woodfield Mall and end at The Northwest Transportation Center and connect to buses. I would also extend The Orange Line to it's original intended end of the line at Ford City Mall with potential for a future extension.

[@bobstern1758]

A very nice synopsis and primer to our train system. I am surprised that when you were talking about the State St. Subway you didn't mention the fun fact that the platform that covers the various downtown stations is the longest continuous platform in the world at over 3000 feet.

[@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife]

For those of you who are saying the radial layout is unorthodox, yes, because a single circumferential line is missing where it should be HOWEVER, this fails to take into account some important details: (and Vox actually fell into the same trap of calling the L system bad without looking at it objectively first) [Let me preface this by saying this - Chicago *is* a global city actually; it is as of the 2018 GaWC an Alpha + global city, however, according to the 2020 revision, it dropped a rating to just Alpha global city; it is no surprise that Chicago has grown into such a powerful player on the world stage... and it did so on the back of the CTA L and Bus system] (for those of you wondering what the GaWC is, a quick Google search will help you out) For one: the L system was and is mostly intended to follow along major thoroughfares from heavily populated outer neighborhoods and to eventually end up in the loop where most people are trying to get. Secondly: the L was never intended as a singular, end-all, transit solutions for an ity that had peak population of nearly 4 million. The city of Chicago actually had perhaps one of the *most* densely built catenary streetcar systems in the entire world until they started ripping them out in favor of buses and automobiles. Today, Chicago's CTA bus system is one of the busiest in the world and serves every single major radial, and grid street in the city. *Chicago's transit system is intentionally designed to be multimodal* - this is why transfers costs nothing to maybe 30 cents. So no, the radial design of the L isn't as flawed as people say. Are there better ways we could have designed it? Yes. But as it is, it literally allows me to not need a car. Combined with Metra, SSL (NICTD), and Amtrak Midwest... there are very few places that I need to go that requires me to own a personal vehicle here. And on top of that, with an ever growing focus of pedestrian infrastructure in this city (just look at all the new protected bike lanes going in, the 606 trail, the lakefront trail, our intentional use of narrow residential streets and good alleys, and much more) not to mention the very unfettered, very forward hostility from the city and county government towards private vehicle ownership (see - speed and light cameras, parking ticketing, wheel tax, city sticker costs, state registration costs, high urban fuel tax, potholes everywhere, terrible traffic, etc.) It really is no mystery why private vehicle ownership among Chicago's younger generations is plummeting. The thing is with the L and the CTA in general is that the system is not "complete" in the sense that new lines are always being investigated for feasibility and often are extended or reconstructed. *Tl;Dr - Chicago's transit system is intentionally multimodal and is priced accordingly. Yes it can always be improved but if you intend to get around Chicago efficiency you will quickly learn when to take the bus, the L, Metra, or Divvy bikes (or whatever else, like the Lime kickscooters). I highly suggest that all of you visit Chicago! (It's awesome year round, even during the winter - and NO, our winters are not anywhere near as bad as people would have you think) and in order to truly get a feel for how our metropolitan transit system works (CTA (L and Bus), Pace Bus (suburbs), Metra commuter rail, South Shore Line NICTD commuter rail, and Amtrak Midwest (halfway Intercity, halfway regional commuter), I think it is imperative to get to experience it first hand. Like me? I've never been to NYC and have not a freaking clue on how it works, and thus, have no opinions regarding the line. I wish to experience it sometime though! At the moment, the MTA is really the only other decently competitive urban rapid transit system in the US. There are others that are coming close and getting better but still, are far behind when it comes to extent and functionality. For instance, our trains have a now 2-3 hour suspension of service and since the pandemic, a reduction in passenger loads and a driver and maintenance crew labor shortage has reduced line frequency across all systems and they STILL come every 10-30 minutes fairly reliably (but not as good as before) and people here are *freaking out* - that's when you know you've built a great and VERY important system. Chicago would die without it's transit systems.

[@jetsons101]

I've been in Chicago a few times, never used the trains- - -we just walked everywhere but they were fun to see.

[@waynecopple385]

My apologies if this as already been mentioned but the Yellow Line to Skokie is the only remnant of the former North Shore line (Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee). It operated hourly electric trains all the way to Milwaukee until its unfortunate demise in 1963.

[@mateocabral1660]

The Orange line is my neighborhood line, and is my personal favorite

[@mitchl4456]

I was just in Quebec City last week and was very suprised with the bus service they have. they have LOTS of bus lanes, bus singles, and good transfers to other transit seivices. You can go from Qubec Transit to Levis Transit at the same stop. There is also a ferry that runs from old Quebec to downtown Levis. and there is bus connections at the ferry docks. 100% think you should do a video on all the transit in Qubec City

[@skylerm9540]

Having moved out of Chicago over 6 years ago, I've come to really miss the transit system there. I never owned a car for the decade I lived in the city proper as using the transit system between the buses and L, it was almost a hassle to have one. You take the L to the airport, any event, and could use the Metra trains to get to the burbs to see family. This video made me miss the city even more! I do think some of the expansion and other projects suggested would be hard to do. The city is pretty dense and there isn't much room to make any additional track. Although folks could benefit from more frequent service sometimes, the bus system makes up for the lack of trains in some areas.

[@ShawnBird]

All that talk about elevated rail, and not one mention of the SkyTrain; this channel has come so far. Great video, Chicago sounds so interesting from a transit perspective. I heard they have a lot of interesting ways to get around the ice and snow too, like burners under the rail switches.

[@ThepareeLi]

Love Chicago and the L. Great video! I’m really glad the RPM project got all the funding. There was a new proposal to create an express connection to OHare but not sure if that’s still under consideration….. and I’m glad someone else agrees that a new circular line would be great for Chicago!

[@thomasburton2093]

I ride CTA everyday to get to work. With current gas prices and Inflation I wouldn't of been able to survive without it.

[@Rubixsmike]

There was a plan that fell through to create a “circle line” follow the red line through the state street subway, exit onto the orange line going southwest, and turn north onto the vertical section of the pink line, before reconnecting with the red line on the near north side. A vast majority of it would’ve used existing infrastructure. As a local I’m Kinda bummed the plans never came into fruition :(

[@daisukiman]

You should talk about the stations more if you ever get to do another revision of this vid!!! One feature I would highlight is how many of the stations have pedestrian overpasses that go over the tracks. At some stations (specifically on the Green Line) you can get a great view of the Chicago skyline (and, of course, the trains) from these overpasses!

[@briansieve]

I used to ride the Pink Line when it was the 54th Cermak branch of the Blue line to work every day from 99-2001. That giant trestle across the Eisenhower and into the hospital campus made for breathtaking sunrise views.

[@RespectfullyCurious]

As someone who has grown up in Chicago, I would say that you're spot on in pointing out that Chicago's transit system if very radial. All lines feed into the city, but don't really connect the city together. Meaning, it's hard to go from one side of the city to another without first going to the city center. For those unaware, Chicago is fairly segregated based on Socio-Economic status. Most of the violence you hear about on the news happens in just a handful of neighborhoods...neighborhoods with no economic engines supporting them. Adding metro lines that better connect the city would allow a better flow people throughout the city. The city is just too damn big for how few metro lines we have. Also, in 16:19 you draw a new line where there's a huge gap in rapid transit. I live there. It sucks. It makes people overly reliant on cars to get anywhere. We have to take buses through bottlenecks of traffic just to get to the green or blue line. This can also be seen in the southwest side of Chicago, there's no transit lines down that way either.

[@Xewgx92]

The CTA studied a circle line in the mid 2000s but it was ultimately shelved. Additionally, in the study documents for alternatives considered there is a Ashalnd elevated rail that would be considered that was in 2013 revived in 2013 as the ashland BRT which was further shelved because of Nimbys. Ashland is on of the widest streets in chicago and could easily support an elevated rail line down it that would also connect all the lines.

[@eriklakeland3857]

Is Ashland too close to the Loop to really provide the function of circumferential travel, though? I think Western or Damen may be slightly better for still serving key destinations but being a bit further from the Loop.

[@maas1208]

It would also provide the Blue Line a 2nd track connection to the rest of the L system.

[@romanmcghee600]

Beautiful narration of my city and I thank you 😊

[@tylerkochman1007]

They need to build the shelved Mid City Transitway (an outer line connecting the various spokes) as a REM style system. In the early 2000s, it was projected it could have been their third-most-used line if constructed.

[@eriklakeland3857]

Agreed that a circumferential route should be a REM style system, for the high off peak frequency it’d yield. Not sure about that alignment, though. Seems like the easiest place to build it but not necessarily the best in terms of connecting key destinations and dense neighborhoods.

[@tylerkochman1007]

@@eriklakeland3857 The main purpose would be to allow for easy transfer between CTA lines (as well as Metra lines), though. Yes, a central stretch (between the Orange and Eisenhower Branch Blue lines) would be in industrial or underdeveloped areas. But, north of that (between the Green Line and Kennedy Branch blue line) , there could be stops in well-populated residential neighborhoods not currently reached by the CTA rapid transit system. And the southern portion would go through well-populated residential neighborhoods also not served by any rapid transit at the moment. The And building it on that alignment allows you to allow every line that it connects with to offer a two-seat ride to Midway Airport. If you build closer to the city, you not only drive up cost, but you eliminate the to serve intermediate areas and you lessen the advantage such a system poses in providing the ability to transfer between the outer portions of the line.

[@nascarfan20105]

You pretty much gave a nice summary of the CTA in a nutshell when it comes the many projects they've had over the years. The Green line shutdown from 1994-1996 was interesting along with the Red line shutdown from 2012-2013.

[@devilpizza123]

I've always thought Melbourne's system is quite similar to Chicago's L with the loop around the CBD/Downtown and all lines heading out from the city in a radial fashion. Only difference is Melbourne has a high amount of track sharing, confusing direction change in the loop (though this is only an issue for the Northern and Burnley groups now) and poor off peak frequency. Both cities are in dire need of an orbital line with Melbourne planning one now.

[@DisastrousCake]

As someone who lives in one suburb and works in another suburb far away, I wish there were circumferential lines. It’s been requested for ages, but never actually developed. It’s a lovely system when I’m in the city for entertainment or when I travel to my company’s downtown office.

[@cadethomas5686]

The abandonment of the Northshore line between Chicago and Milwaukee may be one of the greatest losses in the history of American Rail.

[@maas1208]

Bring back the North Shore line, you cowards

[@BioHazard3600]

@@maas1208 fax, I consider Chicago and Milwaukee as twin cities despite the fact that they are located in different states, I once thought about a commuter rail dubbed Chicago-Milwaukee connector but I didn't realize that Northshore existed so we must bring it back

[@lhuff13]

Stoked to see my city and request get a shout out!