Saturday was our first wedding anniversary, and since we were married in Vegas, we decided to adventure out to a casino to celebrate. It was, uh, an adventure.
Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transit. Show all posts
Rogers Park Carless
Well, I can't call myself Chicago Carless, because that moniker is already taken. But I can be Rogers Park carless!
Back in August, when we lost our paid parking space, we decided to drive the car up to my father's place in Minnesota. As I mentioned then, it was a trial run, of sorts.
The trial was mostly a success. One caveat: Parking the car at my father's home was a pain in the ass. That just wasn't working out, for various reasons. So, in early November, I took the train up to Minneapolis and drove my car back down to Chicago.
Parking the car on the street here in Rogers Park throughout November was a real pain. We had to park a good 8-10 blocks away, and of course, you're supposed to move it every three days. That sucked.
I have no desire to keep a car in the city at this stage in my life, so I hatched a plan to sell the car to a friend of mine in Texas. We drove down to Texas over two days, Thanksgiving day and the day after. Boring drive, but easy, and kind of fun.
Spent the weekend in Dallas, met up with various friends, ate a lot of good food. Flew back to Chicago on that Sunday.
I still owed a couple of dollars on my car loan, so I paid that off with the money my friend paid me for the car, and the clear title arrived today. I took it out of one envelope and dropped it right back into another envelope and mailed it to my friend in Texas.
As soon as that was done, I called my car insurance company (Progressive Direct) and canceled. Since I actually like them, I wasn't jerky to them on the phone and politely answered their questions. Assuming we ever buy another car, they'd definitely be my first choice for car insurance. It's always been painless dealing with them.
So now, I'm free of a car payment and free of an insurance payment. I'm free of a car, and it feels good to be carless.
Back in August, when we lost our paid parking space, we decided to drive the car up to my father's place in Minnesota. As I mentioned then, it was a trial run, of sorts.
The trial was mostly a success. One caveat: Parking the car at my father's home was a pain in the ass. That just wasn't working out, for various reasons. So, in early November, I took the train up to Minneapolis and drove my car back down to Chicago.
Parking the car on the street here in Rogers Park throughout November was a real pain. We had to park a good 8-10 blocks away, and of course, you're supposed to move it every three days. That sucked.
I have no desire to keep a car in the city at this stage in my life, so I hatched a plan to sell the car to a friend of mine in Texas. We drove down to Texas over two days, Thanksgiving day and the day after. Boring drive, but easy, and kind of fun.
Spent the weekend in Dallas, met up with various friends, ate a lot of good food. Flew back to Chicago on that Sunday.
I still owed a couple of dollars on my car loan, so I paid that off with the money my friend paid me for the car, and the clear title arrived today. I took it out of one envelope and dropped it right back into another envelope and mailed it to my friend in Texas.
As soon as that was done, I called my car insurance company (Progressive Direct) and canceled. Since I actually like them, I wasn't jerky to them on the phone and politely answered their questions. Assuming we ever buy another car, they'd definitely be my first choice for car insurance. It's always been painless dealing with them.
So now, I'm free of a car payment and free of an insurance payment. I'm free of a car, and it feels good to be carless.
Labels:
car,
chicago,
chicago carless,
minneapolis,
transit,
travel
Are CTA Trains Designated Homeless Shelters?
Mike Doyle's on a crusade to stop harassment of the homeless. What form does this harassment take? The CTA has posted signs, and intends to enforce, riding guidelines that say you have to exit the terminal at the end of the line. Meaning, you can't ride back and forth on the trains all day long. Mike indicates that this is an attempt by the CTA to kick the homeless out into the cold. And at Christmas, no less!
Actually, what they've done is reinforce the point of the el: it's to get people from point A to point B. What this highlights is that the el is not a homeless shelter. If we need more/better shelter for the homeless (and I don't doubt that we do), then that's the problem we need to fix. Not to try to misuse (or allow the misuse of) public transit infrastructure to store the less fortunate. It's a poor fit, and everybody loses.
I think the CTA is right, and Mike Doyle is wrong. And it's a bummer to see Mike's once-excellent Chicago Carless blog reduced to a one-note trumpet of hysteria-- seven of his nine most recent posts are on this issue.
What does the CTA have to say about this? From today's Sun Times:
"While our trains may serve as temporary shelters, they're not good shelters for anyone," said [CTA President Ron] Huberman. "We're going to try to make sure individuals who are homeless who are on our system can at least have access to people who can help them find safe, more comfortable housing."
Gaffney said 229 people were taken from the CTA to "appropriate facilities" by outreach workers in the last year.
But this is a small part of the thousands who are removed from trains for "continuous riding."
The article also states that the CTA also partners with the city's Department of Human Services, which works with the mental health services provider Thresholds. Outreach workers have 24-hour access to the CTA, and they enter the trains looking for people who need help.
Mike may have a point if he means to say that signage on the CTA isn't going to solve the homeless problem. I just don't think the signage, or enforcement of this policy, hurts people, or the homeless, and it appropriately reflects what the el system is actually for.
Nothing to see here, move along.
Actually, what they've done is reinforce the point of the el: it's to get people from point A to point B. What this highlights is that the el is not a homeless shelter. If we need more/better shelter for the homeless (and I don't doubt that we do), then that's the problem we need to fix. Not to try to misuse (or allow the misuse of) public transit infrastructure to store the less fortunate. It's a poor fit, and everybody loses.
I think the CTA is right, and Mike Doyle is wrong. And it's a bummer to see Mike's once-excellent Chicago Carless blog reduced to a one-note trumpet of hysteria-- seven of his nine most recent posts are on this issue.
What does the CTA have to say about this? From today's Sun Times:
"While our trains may serve as temporary shelters, they're not good shelters for anyone," said [CTA President Ron] Huberman. "We're going to try to make sure individuals who are homeless who are on our system can at least have access to people who can help them find safe, more comfortable housing."
Gaffney said 229 people were taken from the CTA to "appropriate facilities" by outreach workers in the last year.
But this is a small part of the thousands who are removed from trains for "continuous riding."
The article also states that the CTA also partners with the city's Department of Human Services, which works with the mental health services provider Thresholds. Outreach workers have 24-hour access to the CTA, and they enter the trains looking for people who need help.
Mike may have a point if he means to say that signage on the CTA isn't going to solve the homeless problem. I just don't think the signage, or enforcement of this policy, hurts people, or the homeless, and it appropriately reflects what the el system is actually for.
Nothing to see here, move along.
Labels:
chicago,
chicago carless,
cta,
mike doyle,
transit
Blago Broke It
"Blago Broke It" is what I'll be saying next week, when all the buses go away.
OK, not *all* the buses, just the ones I use to get downtown, to go out to eat, to get to the Metra, etc.
All because Blago (A) waited until the last minute, and (B) decided to bung it all up by adding in this "seniors get free rides" stuff that nobody asked for and nobody wants.
Thanks, Governor Press Release.
OK, not *all* the buses, just the ones I use to get downtown, to go out to eat, to get to the Metra, etc.
All because Blago (A) waited until the last minute, and (B) decided to bung it all up by adding in this "seniors get free rides" stuff that nobody asked for and nobody wants.
Thanks, Governor Press Release.
Transit: Free Rides are a Bad Idea
As mentioned over here. I'm in full agreement; free fares for seniors are an awful idea. If implemented, it'll be ripe for abuse. People will steal cards, you'll never know exactly who's allowed to use one by looking at somebody, etc.
I'm not against reduced fares, but I do think it's a distraction, a ploy by Blago to try to require it as a condition of proper CTA funding. (Note that I don't think of this as a "bailout" -- that would imply the CTA screwed up. They didn't. It's Blago and the legislature who are falling down on the job, here.)
I'm not against reduced fares, but I do think it's a distraction, a ploy by Blago to try to require it as a condition of proper CTA funding. (Note that I don't think of this as a "bailout" -- that would imply the CTA screwed up. They didn't. It's Blago and the legislature who are falling down on the job, here.)
On the Awesome Level of Discourse...
...in our [Rogers Park neighborhood] blogland community.
As I mentioned previously, Craig Gernhardt asks"Has Joe Moore created a hate in Rogers Park towards military personal?" No word from Joe on whether or not he has stopped beating his wife. However, in the mean time, I'm sure if a gnat farts in the Amazon rain forest, Craig will help us to understand how it's the fault of the local political machine.
As a follow up, Thomas Westgard takes Craig to task for publishing the Grodner police report with the names and personal information of witnesses left intact. Makes sense. Until the bit where Tom calls Craig "an irresponsible drunk."
I took issue with that in comments, and was rewarded with this from Tom: "Oh, now I think I understand your point, Al. You're saying that I should have gone after Craig on the point about the witnesses, but the attack on his drinking habits was gratuitous."
Tom agrees. "That might be true," he says, but then he goes on to call me a "lackey" because I dared to raise the issue. As he seems to have misused the word, I'm not quite sure what he actually meant.
Tom and Craig have a strange, synergistic relationship.
On another note, maybe I should try to ride the #96 bus one last time before it disappears in the doomsday scenario. I moved here from Minneapolis, which is a very, very small town as far as public transit is concerned. They don't have anything like the El, Metra, or the amazingly broad and wide bus coverage that we are lucky to have here in Chicago. I love it, as it has meant that I've had to drive barely once every few weeks, instead of daily, like I did in Minneapolis. And here we are, to the point where Illinois is about to throw away big chunks of the Chicago transit system. It's just amazing and sad. Mass transit is one of the things that makes the Chicago area special, and apparently not enough people realize it.
(ETA: This content was from my old Rogers Park neighborhood blog, now rolled into this one main blog.)
As I mentioned previously, Craig Gernhardt asks"Has Joe Moore created a hate in Rogers Park towards military personal?" No word from Joe on whether or not he has stopped beating his wife. However, in the mean time, I'm sure if a gnat farts in the Amazon rain forest, Craig will help us to understand how it's the fault of the local political machine.
As a follow up, Thomas Westgard takes Craig to task for publishing the Grodner police report with the names and personal information of witnesses left intact. Makes sense. Until the bit where Tom calls Craig "an irresponsible drunk."
I took issue with that in comments, and was rewarded with this from Tom: "Oh, now I think I understand your point, Al. You're saying that I should have gone after Craig on the point about the witnesses, but the attack on his drinking habits was gratuitous."
Tom agrees. "That might be true," he says, but then he goes on to call me a "lackey" because I dared to raise the issue. As he seems to have misused the word, I'm not quite sure what he actually meant.
Tom and Craig have a strange, synergistic relationship.
On another note, maybe I should try to ride the #96 bus one last time before it disappears in the doomsday scenario. I moved here from Minneapolis, which is a very, very small town as far as public transit is concerned. They don't have anything like the El, Metra, or the amazingly broad and wide bus coverage that we are lucky to have here in Chicago. I love it, as it has meant that I've had to drive barely once every few weeks, instead of daily, like I did in Minneapolis. And here we are, to the point where Illinois is about to throw away big chunks of the Chicago transit system. It's just amazing and sad. Mass transit is one of the things that makes the Chicago area special, and apparently not enough people realize it.
(ETA: This content was from my old Rogers Park neighborhood blog, now rolled into this one main blog.)
PSA: Without funding, CTA fare increases and service cuts are on the way
This is a public service announcement from Chicago Transit Status, and SaveChicagolandTransit.com.
As part of a contingency plan CTA has proposed in the event their budgetary needs remain unfulfilled due to inadequate funding and no changes made by the legislature, CTA, Metra, and Pace are facing $226 million in shortfalls this year.
CTA's shortfall is at $110 million, and, without that gap being filled, the Yellow Line would be abandoned and the Purple Line Express service discontinued (Purple Line Evanston Shuttle service would remain). Also, dozens of bus routes would be eliminated leading to overcrowding on remaining service (including the Red and Brown Lines), and fares would go as high as $3.25 depending on when you board and how you pay.
Visit http://www.savechicagolandtransit.com to learn more about the service cuts, the fare increases, and the situation that led to this proposal. Then, use the site to contact your legislators ONLINE!
As part of a contingency plan CTA has proposed in the event their budgetary needs remain unfulfilled due to inadequate funding and no changes made by the legislature, CTA, Metra, and Pace are facing $226 million in shortfalls this year.
CTA's shortfall is at $110 million, and, without that gap being filled, the Yellow Line would be abandoned and the Purple Line Express service discontinued (Purple Line Evanston Shuttle service would remain). Also, dozens of bus routes would be eliminated leading to overcrowding on remaining service (including the Red and Brown Lines), and fares would go as high as $3.25 depending on when you board and how you pay.
Visit http://www.savechicagolandtransit.com to learn more about the service cuts, the fare increases, and the situation that led to this proposal. Then, use the site to contact your legislators ONLINE!
Sometimes I leave Rogers Park
Sometimes I leave Rogers Park, and sometimes I take my car with me when I do so. Then I get confused by the fact that the highways in the area are generally all referred to by names, instead of by number. Thankfully, this article exists to help guide me, in case I ever need to figure out where the "North-South Tollway" is.
CTA Bus Schedules
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) means well. They have a useful website with all possible bus schedules available, in PDF format. Unfortunately, to select a bus route from that site requires Javascript -- which a lot of phones don't support (including mine). It's no big deal that the maps themselves require Acrobat Reader to display -- most fancy PDA phones nowadays come with a PDA viewer, or one can be downloaded. But lacking that crucial Javascript support, there's no way for me to even select which bus route schedule I want to view.
Who remembers which bus schedule they need when they're sitting in front of the computer? I take so many different buses lately that I can't keep all their schedules straight. Or, I'm standing at a bus stop, wondering how long until the next bus is supposed to come through, and wishing that I could look it up on my PDA phone.
That's why I created this page, with a simple link to each bus schedule on the list. Click on a bus route name/number to download the schedule, in PDF, directly from the CTA website.
Chinatown/Pilsen Weekend Shuttle
1 Indiana/Hyde Park
2 Hyde Park Express
3 King Drive
X3 King Drive Express
4 Cottage Grove ----- OWL
X4 Cottage Grove Express
N5 South Shore Night Bus ----- OWL
6 Jackson Park Express
7 Harrison
8 Halsted
8A South Halsted
9 Ashland ----- OWL
X9 Ashland Express
10 Museum of Science & Industry
11 Lincoln/Sedgwick
12 Roosevelt
14 Jeffery Express
15 Jeffery Local
17 Westchester (PACE Route 317)
18 16th-18th
19 United Center Express
20 Madison ----- OWL
X20 Washington/Madison Express
21 Cermak
22 Clark ----- OWL
24 Wentworth
26 South Shore Express
28 Stony Island
X28 Stony Island Express
29 State
30 South Chicago
33 Magnificent Mile Express
34 South Michigan ----- OWL
35 35th
36 Broadway
38 Ogden/Taylor
39 Pershing
43 43rd
44 Wallace-Racine
47 47th
48 South Damen
49 Western ----- OWL
49A South Western (PACE Route 349)
49B North Western
X49 Western Express
50 Damen
51 51st
52 Kedzie/California
52A South Kedzie
53 Pulaski ----- OWL
53A South Pulaski
53A South Pulaski Limited
54 Cicero
X54 Cicero Express
54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd
54B South Cicero
55 Garfield ----- OWL
X55 Garfield Express
55A 55th/Austin
55N 55th/Narragansett
56 Milwaukee
56A North Milwaukee
57 Laramie
59 59th/61st
60 Blue Island/26th ----- OWL
62 Archer ----- OWL
62H Archer/Harlem
63 63rd ----- OWL
63W West 63rd
64 Foster-Canfield
65 Grand
66 Chicago ----- OWL
67 67th-69th-71st
68 Northwest Highway
69 Cumberland/East River
70 Division
71 71st/South Shore
72 North
73 Armitage
74 Fullerton
75 74th-75th
76 Diversey
77 Belmont ----- OWL
78 Montrose
79 79th ----- OWL
80 Irving Park
X80 Irving Park Express
81 Lawrence ----- OWL
81W West Lawrence
82 Kimball-Homan
84 Peterson
85 Central
85A North Central
86 Narragansett/Ridgeland
87 87th
88 Higgins
90 Harlem
90N North Harlem
91 Austin
92 Foster
93 California/Dodge
94 South California
95E 93rd-95th
95W West 95th
96 Lunt
97 Skokie
X98 Avon Express
100 Jeffery Manor Express
103 West 103rd
106 East 103rd
108 Halsted/95th
111 Pullman/111th/115th
112 Vincennes/111th
119 Michigan/119th
120 North Western/Wacker Express
121 Union/Wacker Express
122 Illinois Center/North Western Express
123 Illinois Center/Union Express
124 Navy Pier
125 Water Tower Express
126 Jackson
127 Madison/Roosevelt Circulator
129 West Loop/South Loop
132 Goose Island Express
134 Stockton/LaSalle Express
135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express
136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
143 Stockton/Michigan Express
144 Marine/Michigan Express
145 Wilson/Michigan Express
146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
147 Outer Drive Express
148 Clarendon/Michigan Express
151 Sheridan ----- OWL
152 Addison
155 Devon
156 LaSalle
157 Streeterville
165 West 65th
168 UIC-Pilsen Express
169 69th-UPS Express
170 U. of Chicago-Midway
171 U. of Chicago-Hyde Park
172 U. of Chicago-Kenwood
173 U. of Chicago-Lakeview Express
174 U. of Chicago-Garfield Stations
192 University of Chicago Hospitals Express
200 Main Shuttle
201 Central/Ridge ----- OWL
205 Chicago/Golf
206 Evanston Circulator
Who remembers which bus schedule they need when they're sitting in front of the computer? I take so many different buses lately that I can't keep all their schedules straight. Or, I'm standing at a bus stop, wondering how long until the next bus is supposed to come through, and wishing that I could look it up on my PDA phone.
That's why I created this page, with a simple link to each bus schedule on the list. Click on a bus route name/number to download the schedule, in PDF, directly from the CTA website.
Chinatown/Pilsen Weekend Shuttle
1 Indiana/Hyde Park
2 Hyde Park Express
3 King Drive
X3 King Drive Express
4 Cottage Grove ----- OWL
X4 Cottage Grove Express
N5 South Shore Night Bus ----- OWL
6 Jackson Park Express
7 Harrison
8 Halsted
8A South Halsted
9 Ashland ----- OWL
X9 Ashland Express
10 Museum of Science & Industry
11 Lincoln/Sedgwick
12 Roosevelt
14 Jeffery Express
15 Jeffery Local
17 Westchester (PACE Route 317)
18 16th-18th
19 United Center Express
20 Madison ----- OWL
X20 Washington/Madison Express
21 Cermak
22 Clark ----- OWL
24 Wentworth
26 South Shore Express
28 Stony Island
X28 Stony Island Express
29 State
30 South Chicago
33 Magnificent Mile Express
34 South Michigan ----- OWL
35 35th
36 Broadway
38 Ogden/Taylor
39 Pershing
43 43rd
44 Wallace-Racine
47 47th
48 South Damen
49 Western ----- OWL
49A South Western (PACE Route 349)
49B North Western
X49 Western Express
50 Damen
51 51st
52 Kedzie/California
52A South Kedzie
53 Pulaski ----- OWL
53A South Pulaski
53A South Pulaski Limited
54 Cicero
X54 Cicero Express
54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd
54B South Cicero
55 Garfield ----- OWL
X55 Garfield Express
55A 55th/Austin
55N 55th/Narragansett
56 Milwaukee
56A North Milwaukee
57 Laramie
59 59th/61st
60 Blue Island/26th ----- OWL
62 Archer ----- OWL
62H Archer/Harlem
63 63rd ----- OWL
63W West 63rd
64 Foster-Canfield
65 Grand
66 Chicago ----- OWL
67 67th-69th-71st
68 Northwest Highway
69 Cumberland/East River
70 Division
71 71st/South Shore
72 North
73 Armitage
74 Fullerton
75 74th-75th
76 Diversey
77 Belmont ----- OWL
78 Montrose
79 79th ----- OWL
80 Irving Park
X80 Irving Park Express
81 Lawrence ----- OWL
81W West Lawrence
82 Kimball-Homan
84 Peterson
85 Central
85A North Central
86 Narragansett/Ridgeland
87 87th
88 Higgins
90 Harlem
90N North Harlem
91 Austin
92 Foster
93 California/Dodge
94 South California
95E 93rd-95th
95W West 95th
96 Lunt
97 Skokie
X98 Avon Express
100 Jeffery Manor Express
103 West 103rd
106 East 103rd
108 Halsted/95th
111 Pullman/111th/115th
112 Vincennes/111th
119 Michigan/119th
120 North Western/Wacker Express
121 Union/Wacker Express
122 Illinois Center/North Western Express
123 Illinois Center/Union Express
124 Navy Pier
125 Water Tower Express
126 Jackson
127 Madison/Roosevelt Circulator
129 West Loop/South Loop
132 Goose Island Express
134 Stockton/LaSalle Express
135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express
136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express
143 Stockton/Michigan Express
144 Marine/Michigan Express
145 Wilson/Michigan Express
146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express
147 Outer Drive Express
148 Clarendon/Michigan Express
151 Sheridan ----- OWL
152 Addison
155 Devon
156 LaSalle
157 Streeterville
165 West 65th
168 UIC-Pilsen Express
169 69th-UPS Express
170 U. of Chicago-Midway
171 U. of Chicago-Hyde Park
172 U. of Chicago-Kenwood
173 U. of Chicago-Lakeview Express
174 U. of Chicago-Garfield Stations
192 University of Chicago Hospitals Express
200 Main Shuttle
201 Central/Ridge ----- OWL
205 Chicago/Golf
206 Evanston Circulator
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)