Pink Line (Chicago Transit Authority)

The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago. The route to the Loop follows tracks shared with Green Line trains on Lake Street, connected by the previously non-revenue Paulina Connector. Average weekday ridership on the Pink Line is 32,338 as of September 2011. ^[1]

Initial proposal

In January 2005, the CTA held hearings on its proposal to reroute trains from 54th/Cermak via the recently rebuilt Paulina Connector to the Lake Street Green Line, carrying Douglas branch trains to and around the elevated Chicago Loop (clockwise) for the first time since Douglas trains began using the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway in downtown Chicago on June 22, 1958. This would allow a doubling of Blue Line trains to Forest Park on the Congress Line, since service would no longer be divided between the Forest Park and 54th/Cermak destinations. The CTA has also promised that service to/from 54th/Cermak would be increased 100% during rush hour.

At the initial time of proposal, this plan was often referred to as the "Silver Line," as the original idea was to use grey as the line color on printed materials and give it the friendlier route name of "Silver."

On February 15, 2006, the CTA approved the separate plan. Non-rush hour trains would all be routed via the Loop, Green Line, and Paulina Connector. During rush hour, service would be available on this routing as well as the original route via the Dearborn Street Subway every half hour. These changes were implemented beginning June 25, 2006, with the initial trial period scheduled to conclude 180 days later on December 22, 2006.

Operation

As the Blue Line Douglas Branch

Originally, Douglas trains were operated by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated directly into the Loop by means of the Metropolitan's main line. Construction of the Congress Street Superhighway (known now as the Eisenhower Expressway, I-290) in the 1950's required the removal of the Metropolitan's main line, resulting in Douglas trains being routed to the Loop via the Paulina Connector and the Lake Street "L" in very similar fashion to the present service. Upon completion of the new Congress branch in the median of the expressway, all trains of the Douglas branch were operated via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway through to the city's Northwest Side and eventually to O'Hare Airport.

Converting to the Pink Line

On March 30, 2006, the Chicago Transit Authority announced that of the top three colors, Pink, Gold and Silver, Pink had received the most votes in a write-in essay contest for Chicago-area schoolchildren in kindergarten through 8th grade—a $1,000 savings bond was awarded to a selected essay writer who advocated the color pink.^[2]

The Pink Line began operation on June 25, 2006, making use of the rebuilt Paulina Connector which had not been used in regular revenue service for nearly 50 years.

The service, which was originally set up as a temporary service to be run for a trial period of 180 days (6 months), doubles service on both the Douglas branch and the Forest Park (or Congress) branch of the Blue Line. This is accomplished by routing all but 12 trains per day coming from O'Hare to Forest Park, and adding entirely new service from the 54th Avenue terminal in Cicero to the Loop via the Paulina Connector and the Lake Street branch of the Green Line. Douglas trains circle downtown Chicago clockwise around the Inner Loop track via Lake-Wabash-Van Buren-Wells before returning west and southbound via Lake-Paulina to Cicero.

On December 12, 2006 the CTA board approved a six month extension to the trial period before making a decision on whether or not to make the changes permanent,^[3] and another 180-day extension was added to the trial in June 2007.^[4] On December 4, 2008 CTA announced its decision to make the Pink Line permanent. ^[5]

Douglas Branch Blue Line closing

On April 27, 2008 the CTA began a six-month experimental ceasing of Blue Line operations on the Douglas Branch. All Douglas Branch operations will now be served by the Pink Line.^[6] On December 4, 2008, the CTA decided not to reinstate the Douglas Blue Line service and to make the Pink Line permanent.

Current routing

On the Pink Line, what was once the Douglas Branch begins at 54th Avenue and Cermak Road in Cicero (5400 W. - 2200 S.). The line runs east on street level right-of-way just north of and parallel to Cermak Road from the terminal to about a quarter-mile (400 m) east of Cicero Avenue, then diagonals northeast until it reaches a corridor parallel and adjacent to 21st Street at Kostner Avenue. It then continues east between 21st Street and Cullerton Street, climbing up from surface level to elevated structure, through the North Lawndale, Little Village, and Pilsen neighborhoods of Chicago, with stops at Kostner, Pulaski, Central Park, Kedzie, California, Western and Damen. The line turns north near Paulina Street stopping at 18th and Polk Streets, then crosses over Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) where the Blue Line Forest Park runs in the median. It continues on the Paulina Connector to share tracks with the Green Line with stops at Ashland and Clinton, before finally terminating at the Loop clockwise.

Operating fleet

Currently, the Pink Line is operated using Budd-built 2600-Series and (effective November 8, 2011) Bombardier-built 5000-Series rail cars. However, due to their different electrical systems, the two series cannot be trained together in the same consist. Trains usually consists of only four cars during much of the day, and only two cars during late evenings on weekends. 54th Yard does occasionally send out six-car trains during rush hour, but this only occurs when there are extra cars in the yard. Since the arrival of the 5000-Series cars, six-car trains have become increasingly common, especially on weekdays. The Pink Line will eventually be completely re-equipped with 5000-Series cars by early 2012, moving the existing 2600-Series cars back to the Blue Line in the process.

Possible route to Ravenswood

In 2002, the CTA proposed the creation of the "Circle Line", which would utilize segments of existing rail lines to keep new construction to a minimum, in addition to 6.6 miles (10.6 km) of new subway and elevated segments to the 'L' system to complete the circumferential route. Maps additionally suggested a possible extension of the existing Brown Line beyond the Loop to 54th/Cermak via the Green Line and the Paulina Connector, and Orange Line service from Chicago Midway International Airport to Kimball, as other potential routings using the new infrastructure. This project is currently undergoing a standard federally mandated alternatives analysis.

Station listing

At Washington/Wells, Pink Line trains head back to Clinton, then make all stops in reverse order to 54/Cermak.

References

1. ^ http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/ridership_reports/2011-9.pdf
2. ^ Chicago Transit Authority. And the color is... Pink Line. Last updated March 30, 2006. Retrieved March 30, 2006.
3. ^ Monifa Thomas. "Nonstop airport trains on pause". Chicago Sun-Times. http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/170452,CST-NWS-cta13.article. Retrieved 2006-12-19. 
4. ^ "Agenda - Chicago Transit Board - Regular Meeting, June 13, 2007". Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on January 24, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080124171449/http://www.transitchicago.com/news/whatsnew2.wu?action=displaynewspostingdetail&articleid=106196. Retrieved 2007-08-19. 
5. ^ http://www.transitchicago.com/news/ctaandpress.wu?action=displayarticledetail&articleid=110385%20
6. ^ "Blue line's Cermak branch to get cut :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Transportation". http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/838770,cta031208.article. 

External links

• Pink Line at Chicago-'L'.org
• CTA Selects Winning Essay of Name the Line Contest - CTA Press Release on the Pink line