Despite taking significant strides forward technologically, the CTA will likely be remembered for train slowdowns and station closings in 2006. Tuesday’s “Going Public” column took the good with the bad, recapping the year that was in public transportation.
Throughout the year, RedEye has printed your compliments, comments and complaints about riding in the city, and today is no different. In the meantime, keep telling us what’s on your mind. Visit redeyechicago.com/goingpublic or e-mail goingpublic@tribune.com.
Things are looking up
I enjoy reading your column, Kyra, and appreciate the focus you give the CTA. But I have to say I was a bit disturbed that the majority of the categories you came up with were negative (“The best and worst of CTA moments in 2006,” Dec. 26).
When I moved to Chicago 12 years ago I was excited about having access to such an extensive public transportation system. I was even willing to give up my car. I will agree that very quickly I found fault after fault with the CTA and at times regretted that I had gotten so dependent on it. I was just as critical of CTA and its employees as the next guy.
But over the years, I’ve seen a steady effort to turn things around and improve the service without overtaxing my wallet.
Another thing I realized is that as a CTA customer, it’s up to me to do my part: be courteous to CTA drivers and service reps, follow the simple rules, use the tools they are providing to plan my commute and be willing to let them know in productive ways when they’ve failed me.
Forget the negative: 2006 is the year that CTA is better than it’s ever been, and it’s going to get better!
Patrick Herlihy, Old Irving Park
Speak easy
Wednesday on the afternoon Purple Line train from State and Lake, the engineer got on the phone from the Bryn Mawr station and talked all the way to Linden. I doubt her full attention could have been on her job.
All the prerecorded messages over the speaker system ask that people on electronic devices be considerate of other passengers. This engineer talked in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the entire car.
Don Smith, 50, Deerfield
What’s your speed?
It seems like there are three speeds on “L” trains: “Go like hell,” “Stop like hell” and “Slow as hell.”
The “Slow as hell” makes a bit of sense … unfortunately. We all know about the different maintenance issues that have created the slow zones as well as standard rush-hour delays.
What I cannot understand is how the motormen accelerate and decelerate their trains! You’ll just be standing, waiting to go and WHAM–massive acceleration causing riders to hang on for dear life. This, I have affectionately labeled “Go like hell.”
Then we have the previous mode’s antithesis. Same story: You’ll just be standing there reading, listening to tunes or scoping the train for all the gorgeous people who take the Brown Line. Then suddenly, one wonders if we have to come to a stop in 10 feet, as the track has disappeared and we are about to plummet to the ground. Again, we all clamber to hold on to a permanent object while trying to maintain our footing. This is “Stop like hell.”
Why can the motormen not operate a smooth acceleration and deceleration? I’m not blaming them; I don’t think they have an option, there is no way they all can be that bad.
Tony Tangora, 32, Lakeview
Jeers for CTA, Daley
Mayor Daley should be ashamed. Chicago is a first-class city with what is rapidly becoming a third-class public transportation system.
The CTA’s recent service quality can only be described as abysmal. The mayor wants to bring the Olympics to Chicago, but he can’t even get his citizens to work on time. It has come to the point where I dread my twice-daily commutes, wondering what new and creative way the CTA will find to delay me.
The only improvement I have noticed is an increased attempt to communicate information about delays to passengers, but there is a long way to go.
Where is the outrage? I see it in the faces of my fellow commuters, but why isn’t Daley pointing fingers?
If a mayoral candidate were to include transit reform as part of a sane and comprehensive platform, you can bet he or she would have my vote.
Josh Varga, 28, Lincoln Park
