As if Mondays weren’t tough enough, the morning commute for thousands of CTA riders was disrupted after a crane atop a truck struck the Brown and Purple Line “L” tracks over Chicago Avenue, dramatically slowing service for nearly eight hours.
Although full service was restored by afternoon and in time for the evening rush hour, many riders spent the day wondering if their trip home would be equally annoying.
The trouble started about 6:20 a.m., when a truck with an attached hydraulic crane attempted to pass underneath the tracks but instead smashed into the steel supports, damaging the structure in at least eight places, CTA President Frank Kruesi said. The driver also wiped out two streetlights, Kruesi said.
Authorities stopped service along the lines and established a shuttle bus system to ferry riders to the usual Brown Line stops between the Fullerton Avenue stop and the Clark and Lake Streets stops in the Loop. Some Brown Line trains were rerouted along the Red Line tracks, though officials said the rerouting did not affect Red Line service.
More than 100 trains were affected by the incident, Kruesi said.
Despite CTA announcements on the platforms and trains–and the presence of CTA reps at stations–the morning still was confusing and frustrating for some commuters.
Southwest Side resident Nancy Mendez, 18, said she had expected more customer service help.
“I came out of the Merchandise Mart, and none of the CTA workers were there to direct us to the buses,” she said. “I think they could have done a little bit better job.”
CTA workers were deployed to affected stations to help redirect riders, and hastily drawn signs were posted on the doors of some stations to alert riders of the disrupted service.
Although the CTA had staffers out in force, rider Gregory Delaporras, 32, said they could’ve been more helpful.
“They didn’t manage it well at all. There were a lot of us on the platform, but we didn’t know what was going on” and CTA staff on hand didn’t say anything to customers, the Lincoln Park resident said.
But the Brown Line is always a problem, Delaporras said. “The trains are always five minutes early or five minutes late, and now they raised [the fare] 25 cents–what, three months ago? I don’t think it’s fair.”
Each day about 46,000 people ride the Brown Line and 10,000 people ride the Purple Line, according to the CTA. CTA customer service handled more calls than usual during the morning rush, a spokesperson said.
As a quick fix, the CTA installed four “pogos,” or temporary pillars, to support the tracks until repairs can be completed, which may take up to two weeks, Kruesi said.
As of early afternoon Monday, around 30 CTA workers–including ironworkers, crane operators and structural engineers–were on hand to survey the damage.
Barriers were set up to cordon off the stilts, diverting eastbound traffic on Chicago Avenue and reducing westbound traffic to one lane. From street level, passersby could see the twisted steel girders the truck caught as it was driven under the tracks.
The truck driver, Frederick Herman, 25, of Munster, Ind., was cited for improper vehicle height and damage to public property, according to police. After ripping his way under the tracks, Herman stopped and pulled over in the next block.
Kruesi said the CTA would seek reimbursement from the driver’s employer. “I know it’s more than you and I would want to pay,” he said.
How often do vehicles hit the ‘L’?
Monday morning’s accident isn’t unheard of, CTA president Frank Kruesi says, but it doesn’t happen often.
Before the Green Line was rebuilt, cars and trucks used to sometimes hit the steel supports along the Lake Street tracks, Kruesi said. When the tracks were rebuilt in 1996, the supports were moved closer to the sidewalk, which prevented vehicles from striking them as frequently.
At the Chicago Avenue station tracks hit Monday, a sign posted one block west of the tracks alerts drivers that the distance between the street and the tracks is 13 feet 4 inches, even though the actual distance is 15 feet 2 inches–a buffer of nearly two feet. The truck driver Monday was driving a vehicle 15 feet 6 inches tall.
REDEYE.
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REDEYE ON THE SPOT
Were you affected by delays on the “L” this morning? What’s your biggest gripe about the “L”?
“Yes, because it was the first time I was taking the ‘L’ to work, and I had to make three transfers. … I think that it’s a lot slower than a lot of other train systems that I’ve been on in other cities.”
–Heather Shook, 22
Loyola University employee, Hinsdale
“My problem with the ‘L’? When something happens, nobody tells you anything. And I understand, because they don’t want to create any panic. But still, it’s nice if they say what’s happening.”
–Madison Zglinsky, 28
marketing assistant, West Side
“I sat at the Belmont station for, like, 45 minutes, and then they told you to just get off. They said walk or wait for a bus because it would just take too long. … I took a cab. It was $25 extra. I was late for school. It’s super unreliable, all the time.”
–Jillian Gorski, 22, student, Lakeview
“Yeah, it took me two hours to get to work. I come all the way from Howard, so I take the Purple Line express. When I got to the platform, they said the Purple Line/Brown Line was basically shut down. They recommended taking the Red Line, so I took the Red Line. … It’s usually pretty regular and runs pretty efficiently, this is the first time I’ve experience any major delay.”
–Skip Palka, 28, sales, Rogers Park
“Yes. They basically said get off at Irving Park or get off at Belmont, and they said there was going to be a shuttle. … But no shuttle bus was there, so I ended up taking a cab. I spent about 15 bucks opposed to my regular $1.75. I have no major qualms. I’m pretty satisfied with it. It’s a block away when I get on, a block away when I get off. I really can’t beat it.”
–John Buzzone, 34, sales, North Center
“I don’t use the Brown Line, but yeah, there were more people
riding my train. It slowed it down a little bit, like, 30 minutes. Any gripes? No, not too much–unless there is somebody acting crazy. Generally the ‘L’ is pretty good, since I’ve been riding it, it’s pretty decent. But there’s nothing great about it either. It’s just easy and convenient, or at least they try to be convenient.”
–Sean Dillon, 22, student, Burnham
— Elise Bergman.
