Chicago: Red and Purple lines modernization

[marmar]

http://www.transitchicago.com/rpmproject/




from the CTA:


What's RPM?

We’re undertaking the largest capital improvement project in CTA history: the Red and Purple Modernization Program (RPM). This major initiative will completely rebuild the nearly century old North Red Line from Belmont to Howard and the Purple Line from Belmont to Linden in Wilmette. As we rebuild, much needed capacity will be added in this growing residential corridor to accommodate current and future riders, and to deliver faster and smoother rides with less crowding and more frequent service.

This massive, multi-stage project is scheduled to be completed in phases, which allows us to make the greatest number of improvements while minimizing impacts on riders and the surrounding communities.

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[font size="4"]About the Red & Purple Modernization Program[/font]
[font color="purple"]Rebuilding vital infrastructure for Chicago’s future[/font]

The Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) corridor is a 9.6 mile stretch of track that was built close to a century ago—much of it in 1924—when Calvin Coolidge was President and the Wrigley Building had just been constructed. Most of this infrastructure is at the end of its useful lifespan. Frequent maintenance to repair tracks and remove slow zones is costly and hinders service.

[font size="3"][font color="blue"]Significant ridership, population growth[/font][/font]

The Red Line is now Chicago’s busiest ‘L’ line, serving some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the country, and the number of riders along this corridor is only growing. Morning and evening rush period ridership increased by nearly 40 percent over five years.

CTA needs to increase service on the Red Line to serve more riders, yet with current infrastructure constraints it has reached capacity – we cannot add more trains during rush periods. If nothing is done, CTA will be unable to add more trains to accommodate riders, trains will become more overcrowded, and passengers wait times will increase.

Chart showing projected ridership on the north side 'L' lines, showing how demand is expected to outgrow the current capacity of the cooridor as limited by Clark Junction (where Brown Line's Ravenswood Branch branches off)



[font size="3"][font color="blue"]RPM: Meeting future ridership demand[/font][/font]

In order to completely rebuild and modernize the stations, tracks and infrastructure along this corridor, we must be able to improve the efficiency of our operations to be able to increase the number of trains to meeting rising ridership demand. ...................(more)

http://www.transitchicago.com/news_initiatives/planning/rpmodernization/about.aspx