Jack E. Horsley’s letter (Voice, June 14) advocating demolition of the Jackson Park elevated makes absolutely no sense to me. He sees the tracks as an obstacle to revitalization of the Woodlawn area but notes that the L tracks were equally much a part of the Woodlawn whose good old days he fondly remembers. Surely on his inadvertent return to Woodlawn Mr. Horsley saw more plausible obstacles to Woodlawn’s rebirth–burned-out buildings, vacant lots where shops and homes had once stood and the visible presence of gangs.
Much more sensible was the letter in which Frank Rechtien proposed extending the Jackson Park line and thereby giving its potential customers more reason to use it. Rechtien’s idea of an extension running under Jackson Park to the Museum of Science of Industry is excellent. Another idea worth considering would be for the CTA to acquire the Metra South Chicago line and turn it into an extension of the Jackson Park line, which would require relatively little new construction and would allow much more frequent rail service to South Shore and South Chicago, as well as opening up potentially fruitful possibilities for connections between CTA and Metra services.
In any event, Rechtien is right on the ball in criticizing the Tribune for its willingness to give up such an asset as the Jackson Park L without seriously considering ways in which the city could take advantage of it.
