Your support is needed to get the Gray Line running:

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, CTA, AND METRA, TO EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE GRAY LINE

Building new Rapid Transit lines:

Highliner train NB on mainline at 87th St. (note rapid transit style physical plant)

+ A Rapid Transit ("L") line normally costs about $100 million per mile to build, but the Gray Line would only cost approximately FIVE MILLION DOLLARS PER MILE. + The in-city part of Metra Electric (22 miles - 37 stations) would cost about $2.2 billion to build new today from scratch. + Since 95% of the Gray Line is operating RIGHT THIS INSTANT, the conversion from Metra to CTA operation would cost only $50 to $100 million FOR THE ENTIRE 22 MILE LINE.

Why convert the in-city Metra Electric Lines to the Gray Line:

E. 93rd St. and S. Brandon Av. terminal of the SOUTH CHICAGO BRANCH (Red brick station house to be equipped with CTA fare collection equipment)

+ Metra's Electric District Lines are a Class I Railroad that is constructed to rapid transit standards (the same as CTA's "L" lines); i.e.: - Electric Mulitple-Unit trains - Stations with floor level platforms - Station space for off-train fare collection - Closely spaced (1/4 mile) in-city stations - Mostly grade-separated Right of Way - Four track mainline from downtown to 115th St. It is the only one of Metra's suburban rail lines that is constructed as such.

CTA Gray Line trains would operate on the local (center) tracks of Metra Electric's four track mainline that extends from downtown Chicago to 115th St. / Kensington:

Benefits of the Gray Line:

Highliner train NB near 27th St.

Benefits for Metra:

+ Metra's Electric District lines are totally underutilized within the city (outside of rush hours), due to their being in direct competition with many CTA routes throughout their common territory. + Few profits are available through the existing in-city operating format (except during rush hours). + Many Metra Highliner cars sit idle all day weekdays (between the morning and evening rush hours) stored at Weldon Yard - adjacent to Soldier Field at 16th St. (see photo below), and evenings and weekends yarded in outlying locations; NOT making any money for Metra, nor providing any service beneficial to the communities along the route.

Idle Highliner trains stored mid-day at Weldon Yard near downtown Chicago. (Soldier Field on right)

+ Metra is required by law to direct the majority of their capital and operating funds towards their suburban services, the in-city services are subordinate. + The Gray Line would relieve Metra of operating the unprofitable in-city Electric District services under the Metra banner; many in-city Electric District stations have total daily boardings of LESS THAN 300 RIDERS. + The Gray Line would allow Metra to make money running Highliner trains that sit idle most of the day now, and it would give Metra an indirect access to city funding. + The in-city Highliner trains operated by Metra for CTA would not require washroom facilities; NO CTA 'L' trains provide washroom service, so they would not be provided on this new CTA rail route. + Only Electric District University Park service trains would require washrooms (as are provided on all other Metra suburban routes); a great cost reduction in the total number of Electric District cars that would have to be washroom equipped. + The Gray Line could also relieve the South Shore Line of having to carry Illinois riders (reducing its load capacity for its Indiana passengers) by establishing a "Hegewisch Shuttle" between Kensington and Hegewisch. + The CTA Gray Line and Red Line could also serve a new "Kensington Transit Center" that would provide close connections between many adjacent rail lines.

Metra Electric District "Bryn Mawr" Station in the median of E. 71st St. at S. Jeffery Blvd. on the SOUTH CHICAGO BRANCH. (note very close CTA bus connections)

Benefits for CTA:

+ By stimulating a large increase in transit ridership along the entire SE Lakefront Corridor (est. 50 to 70,000 per day), + By much more efficient and effective use of CTA's south and southeast side east-west bus routes (and some north-south CTA bus routes, as well as Pace bus routes) as feeders; + And by allowing the reassignment of many buses from long-haul routes to feeder, and other local services (with substantial savings in manpower and operating costs); + The Gray Line could carry, and maintain CTA above the 53% operating costs from farebox requirements of the RTA.

Chicago's world famous skyline viewed from Lake Michigan.

Benefits for Chicago and
the SE Lakefront Corridor:

+ A new non-polluting electric rail transit alternative to the 2-year Dan Ryan Expressway Reconstruction Project. (Current South Side Traffic Conditions) + A new regional CTA rapid transit service, with no disruptive major construction, and with extremely low capital costs. + The Gray Line is the ONLY plan by any City, State, or Federal agency, or any Transit Operator, or any other organization, TO PROVIDE DIRECT CTA RAPID TRANSIT SERVICE TO: ILLINOIS CENTER MILLENNIUM PARK ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY COLUMBIA COLLEGE DE PAUL UNIVERSITY GRANT PARK THE MUSEUM CAMPUS SOLDIER FIELD CENTRAL OLYMPIC VENUES McCORMICK PLACE THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE MICHAEL REESE HOSPITAL BRONZEVILLE OAKLAND / KENWOOD 53RD ST. SHOPPING DISTRICT HYDE PARK THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WASHINGTON PARK OLYMPIC VENUES EAST WOODLAWN 71ST & JEFFREY SHOPPING DISTRICT SOUTH SHORE & THE SOUTH SHORE CULTURAL CENTER SOUTH CHICAGO & THE US STEEL LAKEFRONT SITE REDEVELOPMENT 93RD & COMMERCIAL SHOPPING DISTRICT GRAND CROSSING / ETA THEATER CHATHAM VILLAGE SQUARE CENTER CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY OLIVE-HARVEY COLLEGE THE PULLMAN HISTORIC DISTRICT KENSINGTON TRANSIT CENTER SOUTH ROSELAND CALUMET HEIGHTS ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN BLUE ISLAND

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in Jackson Park.

+ Greatly improved access to attractions and employment opportunities in (and between) SE Corridor communities, as well as the rest of the city. + Increased Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality goal adherance. + Reduced auto usage and parking requirements in (and between) SE Corridor communities. + Greatly increased new and fill-in commercial and residential development along the entire Corridor.

+ Many new and permanent jobs created both within the transit agencies themselves, and in all of the diverse communities existing along the line. + Greatly increased local retail sales and business viability. + Enhancing the determining factors in the granting of transit line associated Location Efficient Mortgages:

+ Attracting Transit Oriented Development to the high density areas in the vicinity of the rail line and its stations:

+ Enhancing the implementation of TIF's (Tax Increment Financing / Funding districts) all along the in-city routes:

Gray Line Media coverage:

Proposed Route Map of Metra Electric and New CTA Gray Line:

Take a tour of the Gray Line:

[A Station Guide]

NIPC Chicago Population and Employment Diagrams

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