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Redesigned Metra Homepage It was remiss of me to let last week pass without posting about the newly revamped Metra web site. Beneath the considerable cosmetic update lie a couple of important new features for riders. First, anyone can now purchase passes and 10-ride cards online, without having to go through an application process. Second, Metra has introduced [...] Velib bikes in Paris. Photo by the noggin_nogged (Creative Commons) Today’s Tribune has an editorial exploring what’s happened since Mayor Daley proposed bringing a Paris-style bike sharing model to Chicago after a visit to France in late 2007. Long story short: bike sharing is more complicated than the city realized, and the Paris model hasn’t [...] A couple weeks ago, I posted about Zipcar adding I-Pass to all their Chicago cars. Via their Facebook page, I see that I-Go is now on the case as well, starting with their Evanston and Oak Park cars, and soon to the entire fleet. Speaking for myself, I’m quite happy to see this development. Yesterday’s WIndy Citizen offered an extensive look at the Wilson Station on the Red Line, in honor of it’s selection as the systems “Most Crusty” station in a Red Eye reader poll. (Via Uptown Update.) Courtesy of today’s Getting Around column in the tribune, two updates of interest to CTA riders: The CTA has abandoned plans to convert more rail cars to the “Maxi” configuration with fewer seats and more room for standing passengers. (However, existing Maxi cars, which I believe all remain on the Brown Line, will not get converted [...] The Sun Times published a nifty interactive graphic on its web site this week that gives approximate costs to the various kinds of regular capital expenditures made by the CTA. (I can’t quite determine what article it relates to, but this gives me an excuse to link to the Sun Times’ transportation blog, The Ride, [...] Gold Line Proposal It’s not really a new story, but today’s Tribune has a nice write up about the grassroots “Gold Line” proposal to bring better mass transit to parts of the city’s South Side. Much like the earlier “Gray Line” proposal (second item in link), a key component to the plan involves expanding service [...] In today’s Chicago Tribune, Jon Hilkevich wades into the CTA’s somewhat complicated fare structure, suggesting that because of recent changes, many riders might want to re-evaluate whether or not switching to a 30-day pass would save them money. Excellent advice, although I ‘d also add that if you regularly use mass transit you should check [...] Good news via Zipcar’s Facebook page: As of this weekend, Zipcar’s Chicago vehicles will include EZ-Pass transmitters allowing Zipsters to use automatic tolling lanes and open road tolling (compatible with Illinois I-Pass). The announcement doesn’t specify, but I assume the tolls automatically get added to the reservation invoice. This is a huge convenience; let’s hope [...] Hot of the virtual presses… Last week I sat down with John Greenfield, who runs the the excellent Vote With Your Feet blog covering green transportation and related issues to talk about the book and why I wrote it. Today he posted a (lightly edited) transcript of our conversation, and amazingly, managed to make it [...] I’ve certainly overheard a couple of conversations on the El this week about the terrible events on the DC Metro earlier this week, when one train on their Red Line collided with another in Maryland. Of course, transit safety is critical, and we should all hold our transit agencies to a high standard. But Matt [...] In case you missed it, current Transportation Secretary (and former congressman from IL-18) Ray LaHood got the Deborah Solomon treatment in last week’s New York Times Magazine. The interview is fairly broad but not very deep, but still gives some notion of the administrations priorities when it comes to livable communities. But although I’ve been [...] The Chicago Tribune has a brief but interesting story today giving it’s assessment of the best and worst El stations, along with a nice interactive graphic showing changes in ridership since 2000 by every station in the system. Quite interesting, although I’m not sure you can make a clear connection between the state of a [...] Carless in Chicago goes into fairly deep detail about our local car-sharing options, I-GO and Zipcar and the distinctions between them. But the Wall Street Journal recently took a more subjective look at the two companies’ services, and those of two others not currently in Chicago, with interesting findings. (Via Motormouth.) |
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Copyright © 2010 Jason Rothstein - All Rights Reserved |
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