September On the Bi-level

This summer, Metra installed switch monitors at five critical switching points as part of a six-month pilot program aimed at reducing the number of delays caused by switch failures by 50 percent.

A $17.8 million federal grant will allow Metra to replace a 120-year-old bridge in Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. The Federal Rail Administration (FRA) grant was announced in late August through a joint statement by Illinois’ U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth. In addition to the federal funding, Metra will provide $4.5 million of its own funding for the project.

OFF TRACK

What is up with the train tracking functionality on the Metra website? I previously remember Metra offering “real-time” train tracking and estimated departure times, however when I track things on the website now, it only seems to offer times based on the scheduled departure times, not real-time. The real-time functionality was particularly helpful when trains were running late. Is this functionality ever coming back, or should we consider it dead forever? Thank you!

D.Z.

We’re sorry about the issues you’re noticing. Our GPS system is severely out of date; that’s why you’re seeing some trains not tracking. Last December, the board approved a replacement and major upgrade to the whole system, and we are in the early stages of installing it. But deployment of an entirely new GPS system is very complex and it’s going to take a year or so before it is fully operational. In the meantime, we’re working on some fixes that should tide us over until a new system is installed. So please bear with us. When the new system is running, it will be a huge improvement.

SEAT-HOGGERS

I am taking Milwaukee District West Line express trains every day from Franklin Park to Union Station and back in the afternoon. These trains are packed. Many times I am standing because lot of passengers are taking two seats, one for themselves and one for their belongings. When making announcements, conductors should make a notation not to take up two spaces or charge them for two seats. I am on the 4:20 p.m., from Union Station to Big Timber ,and the person sitting next to me is not happy because I asked to move her bag so I could have the seat. It should be conductors’ responsibility to inform passengers of the rules. Hope this issue will be addressed with your employees.

A.L.

Seat-hoggers know they’re in the wrong, and while conductor announcements help, especially on a crowded train, they aren’t a cure-all. If they were, this column would never receive any letters. For some people, plunking their bags down next to them to have a seat all to themselves seems to be just a passive-aggressive way to try to claim their space and hope no one calls them on it. This commuter has no problem politely saying “excuse me” and asking people to move their stuff. It is public transportation after all, and sometimes we members of the public need to interact with each other. Remember, they’re in a bad mood because they’re embarrassed that they got called out, so don’t let their bad mood change yours.

THOUGHTLESS SOCKLESS

One more time! Could announcements on the train be made, reminding the thoughtless people to keep their socks on if they want to put their feet on a seat! In addition to the attached (a photo showing bare toes poking through the gap between the top and the bottom of a train seat was attached to this email), yesterday on the UP West Line, a guy had his bare feet taking up two seats. The train staff are great and probably don’t want to confront the offenders, but they saw the guy and could have made a “friendly reminder” announcement.

Even when clad in socks, feet aren’t allowed to be propped up on the seats or the upper deck railings of Metra trains. Yes, the conductors should be calling this out and asking the offenders to put their feet on the floor where they belong but on a case-by-case basis. General announcements about behavior that doesn’t belong outside the privacy of one’s home usually fall on deaf ears. The photo you enclosed, however, was next- level gross. That said, toes wedged in the gap between the top and bottom portion of the seats may have escaped a conductor’s notice. In cases like this, you really do need to speak up because sometimes other people really are that clueless.

BARGAIN HUNTER

I know if we get off at a stop later than what our ticket is for, we are supposed to pay the difference to the conductor. I’m curious if I have to get off on a stop earlier than my ticket, will the conductor reimburse me for the difference? Seems like that should work both ways.

We see what you’re doing here, but that’s not how it works. A person paying the surcharge for traveling beyond their zone is paying money they owe for the actual service being provided. Whereas, in the case you describe, the passenger is choosing to use a ticket that they purchased in advance for a higher zone than necessary. That’s not on us. But there’s an easy way to avoid overpaying. With the Ventra App, you can purchase a One-Way Ticket on the fly without standing in line or paying an onboard surcharge, and you’ll only need to pay for travel to the zone you are actually using.

Metra is partnering with the Illinois Chiefs of Police and Operation Lifesaver for National Rail Safety Week. As part of this weeklong event, Metra will hold safety blitzes at stations across the region and participate in numerous other safety events across the region to educate our riders about the importance of rail safety. The week will also include the kickoff of Metra’s Annual Safety Poster and Essay Contest. The 14th annual edition of the contest allows students in kindergarten through 12th grade across Chicagoland to learn about rail safety by creating safety messages through artwork and essays. Look for more information on the contest in next month’s issue.

Metra introduced new schedules on four of its lines as the fall season began, including the continuation of a pilot program that added weekend service on the UP Northwest and BNSF lines. Schedule changes are also being made on the Rock Island and Heritage Corridor. Most of the schedule changes involve minor adjustments to departure times at intermediate stations to reflect actual operating conditions and changes in stopping patterns for some runs. In June, Metra piloted a summer schedule program to give customers more weekend travel options.Those new trains were well-used and Metra plans to continue the pilot on the UP Northwest and BNSFuntil further notice.

Since 1973, the Historic Pullman Foundation and the Pullman Civic Organization have co-sponsored the annual Pullman House Tour, making this one of Chicago’s oldest continuing tour of homes. This year’s event takes place on the weekend of Oct. 12-13 and presents a cross-section of the different types of housing built in the 1880s as part of the original town of Pullman. Getting to Pullman is easy on the Metra Electric Line. The Pullman National Monument and neighborhood is located just across Cottage Grove Avenue from the Electric Line’s 111th St. Station. Proceeds from the tour help fund restoration and preservation projects in the Historic Pullman District.

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Metra tests switch monitoring system to reduce delays

Federal grant funds bridge replacement