Please use the following or similar format in this post's comment box when you publish your experiences with PACE, Metra, and especially the CTA.**
Riders Name: (Optional)
Date:
Approximate Time:
Location: (69th Street Station, Corner of Roosevelt & Michigan)
Train/Bus: (Red Line, #8 Halsted, etc.)Run Number: (You can ask the operator for this information)
Direction Travelling:
Problem/Observation: (Dirty platforms, heat lamps not working, Handicapped accessible doors not working, bus bunching, overcrowded, late, etc.)
**These comments will be sent to the Regional Transit Authority board, the Illinois House Mass Transit Committee, the Chicago office of the Mayor, and the Federal Transit Administration in Washington, DC.
19 comments:
Harry Brooks
April 30, 2008
3:40 PM
Has anyone noticed that the CTA wasted thousands of dollars printing new route maps dated April 2008 and as of April 28, 2008, the maps were out of date due to the elimination of 54th Blue Line service?
Hi Fellow cta riders: I as a loyal cta rider have noticed something very alarming as of late, bus drivers on their cell phones chatting while driving, say it aint so but it is. as dangerous as it is to drive while texting and chatting in our private vehicles just how alrmed i was to see this, please C.T.A. stop this trend !!!
Riders Name: John
Date: August 3, 2008 (Sunday)
Approximate Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Chicago Station
Train/Bus: Red Line
Direction Travelling: North Bound to Howard
Problem/Observation: A man smoking weed and being obnoxious. He was also threatening some of the riders.
Hello eveyone: I would like to share with you on of the most frustrating/annoying situations I've ever encountered riding the CTA. I was on the #12 Roosevelt bus traveling west bound around 7:00pm on 08/01/08. I boarded the bus @ Throop and was going to Pulaski. When the bus reached the Kedzie stop the driver paused and seemed as if he was waiting for a relief. Keep in mind there was another #12 bus in front of us once we arrived at the Kedzie stop (which I wish I could have boarded if I had known better). The driver just sat there and waited patiently, not informing the riders as to what was going on until a large complaint errupted from the riders as to what the delay was... At this point he mentioned that he was waiting for a relief that appears not to coming to relieve him. So we just sat there for around 30 minutes before 2 supervisors showed up and talk it all over with the driver for another 15 minutes before flaging down another westbound #12 bus for us to board. The driver of this bus was the lead driver of the driver for the stalled bus and we sat another 10 minutes while he stressed his opinion of the delayed bus situation. To make a long story short; CTA made all of it's riders wait 55 minutes to resolve an issue of a driver waiting for his relief. I just think the driver could have just dropped everyone off once he learned no one was relieving him. Since he was not far from the last destination (Monitor) and talked the issue over with his superiors later. That would have displayed good customer service, which CTA obviously lacks and need to improve on.
Riders Name: Jeanette
Date:08/13/08
Approximate Time:2:00pm
Location: Halsted Train Station (800W/2500S) at the intersection of Halsted and Archer Avenue
Train/Bus: Orange Line
Direction Travelling:Toward the Loop
Problem/Observation: There was a power outage, and the train sent us back to the Halsted Train Station. It was difficult to understand the information that was givin through the intercom. However, as we arrived back to Halsted, we were instructed to leave the train. There was absolutely no CTA staff on the platform to redirect the people that had to be evacuated from the train. I began to follow the crowd outside the Halsted train station. I was not sure were to go at this point. Mind you, I had my five-month-old daughter with me. I decided to ask a CTA attendant at the security booth for help. The first male attendant did not have any answers. Just then a female black attendant approached me and several other people that were just as lost as I was. She was extremely rude, and seemed to be bothered with the fact that we were looking for assistance. She rudely began to explain that we were to take the Archer bus to Roosevelt (as if she was speaking to children). I was very upset at this point and walked away expressing verbally how ignorant she was. She began to yell at me, (exact words)"Who you callin ingnorant!" She continued to follow me yelling at me. I turned around and said that she was very rude and ignorant, and I continued to walk across the street. At that point the female attendant yelled, "You better walk your butt across the street." As I stood across the street to wait for the Archer bus, the same female attendant came across the street to confront me. She began to yell at me, "next time you come here, don't bring your baby", and walked back to the station. At the time she said this, I was on the phone talking to my husband who heard everything she said.
Hindsight, I should have taken her information. Unfortunately, I was so uspet with the whole ordeal, I didn't think to get her information. I had my five-month-old, I was stranded in Halsted, with no idea how to get to my destination.
I ride the red line in the morning and the emergency doors are used by all type of people mostly soliciter.An idea would be to first post that it is a fifty dollar fine to cross the train through these emergency doors.Put the proper authorities CPD on board to write citations and it would raise needed revenue for the city of Chicago and it would give riders a long needed relief.
Being a student, I got a standard reduced fare card over the summer. I didn't notice how annoying the regular cards are. (not the ones given to you when you register at school) Not only did I have to wait for a CTA official to let me through when I showed them the card, which caused me to miss many trains, but I also had to argue with workers that stated that I wasn't eligible for the card until the school year started! Several times after I used the card, a CTA lady said I wasn't eligible to use it yet stating "obviously every other worker didn't know the rules", forcing me to buy another card, miss the next train, and pay more! I was so relieved when I got my standard student card.
Hello, I am a Columbia College Journalism student. I am currently writing an article about the CTA, it's budget problems, quality of service, and saftey concerns. I am hoping that one of you devoted bloggers would be interested in being interviewed for this article. The article will not be published and will be used for class purposes only. Please reply to KirstenSteinbeck@gmail.com if you are interested, and thank you very much. :)
Riders Name: frustrated
Date:09/19/08
Approximate Time:7:15am
Location: 69th Redline Stattion Train/Bus: Red Line
Direction Travelling:Toward the Loop
Problem/Observation: I really don't know what happen but I got to the train station on my way to work once again and the train that was suppose to be there at 7:17 or 7:19 a.m did not come until after 7:30 am which there was never a reason no or anything given to the commuters who had to stand on a platform which was crowded to the max and people were gettting upset and not only that when the train finally arrived it went express from 69th to Lake street and after that to Belmont there was no remorse or anything from the cta staff and also where I have a free transfer on Roosevelt I had to pay when I got off on Lake Street, which I then had to wait for another train that took all day. For Cta to continue to talk about fare hikes they need to get there equipment right first.
what about these baby strollers cta needs to do something this must and will stop everyone is mad about people getting free rides what about all the kids that ride free also lets count a mother or father gets on the bus with a stroller they lift the 2 seats up put the stroller there and they also have 3 or more kids all rideing for free so for there $2 they take up about 6 seats this has to stop if you can lay down and make them then stand and hold them your stroller should not be in any ones way everyone talks bad about the old getting to ride free what about all these kids rideing free iam shure they get enough free wick public aid so see no one should mind that the old ride free worie about all the kids haveing kids....
the baby strollers need to go
lets all take a stand over these baby strollers people is always getting mad you all need to tell c.t.a iam going to talk to someone about these baby strollers it has got out of control.........
M
17 Oct 2008
6:56
Pace Route 353
Bus# 2407, Run# 410
The driver was extremely rude to passengers and has a history of making uneccessary remarks. She also refused to allow passengers to exit the bus this morning and drives erratically (purposely accelerating as I moved to the back of the bus, nearly causing me to hit a pole.)
what about these dam cell phones i had a girl sit next to me she was on her cell phone my whole trip screaming on her cell the whole time i whould like to know how these people can pay for these cell phones when most of all them get free money like public aid free wick free doctors babies after babies when most of these girls are babies there selfs you lay down and make these babies then get a dam job and pay for these babies there should be no more free public aid no more free wick no more free doctors then they whould not be on these cell phones use the cell phone money on your babies not everyone wants to watch these girls keep getting free stuff get a job or keep your pants on.......
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Riders Name: Ty
Date: 26 Dec
Approximate Time: 5:00 AM
Location: Michigan Avenue
Direction Travelling: Northbound, to the Train Station
Problem/Observation: I can't blame the CTA for the delays, but they could've done a better job at COMMUNICATING the issues. There were NO BUSES RUNNING, and I was waiting for either a 34 or a 119 Michigan bus. I wound up walking with a few other travelers, including one young lady who walked from 119th & Stewart!
It's bad enough that the buses were not running, but to add insult to injury, two CTA workers in an SUV passed by our merry troop as we walked northbound down Michigan Avenue... and they appeared to be laughing at us! How hard could it have been for those workers to let us know what was going on?
The northbound Red Line was delayed, but at least the operator/conductor was keeping us informed as to why we were being delayed. Even he sounded frustrated when he couldn't answer the question "When will this train be moving again?"
I just hope that people remember today when it comes time for Mayor Daley's reelection.
From:EYES on CHICAGO; I,M WATCHING YOU! HEY CTA I,VE SEEN THREE BLOODIE FIGHTS ON THE RED LINE IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS. An I,m sick of it so you are now put on notice. an chicago I PROMISE THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON WITH THE RED LINE! AN K.KYLES IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME LEAVE A MESSAGE IN YOUR IN THE REDEYE,OR EMAIL ME dragonraiders1@yahoo.com OK Thankyou
Ocassionally, a Purple line train coming into the merchandise mart station heading south will not yet have the purple sign on the car. This ends up having people who think it is a brown line getting on the wrong train. The conductor changes the sign as the train is leaving the mart stop, or right after people have boarded the train but not before the train gets into the station. This is too late. Sometimes the announcement on what train it is not clear either. This happened last friday, the 25th and monday the 28th. On Monday, the conductor didn't try to change the signs until after the train was leaving the station and then she said the signs were not working, but she didn't say this until after the train left the merchandise stop , around 6:05 pm.
Riders Name: (anonymous)
Date: 9/18/14
Approximate Time:10:40 pm
Location: Conservatory Central Park Green Line Stop Platform, intersection of Lake St and Central Park Ave.
Train/Bus: Green Line
Direction Travelling: Eastbound
Problem/Observation: 5 youths began throwing items across platform and threatening me with physical violence after apparently disapproving of the genre of music that was attached to my ringtone (heavy Metal guitar) These assholes know I called the police and will probably escalate this situation if I see them at the same time again.
The Green Line at Central Park has been riddled with problems, including thieves stalking riders and committing robberies, drug use on the train itself (weed and heroin) fare jumpers etc.
Now that the cold weather is settling back into the Chicago area, the homeless, drug addicts, the recently released from prison, gang members and drug dealers will be traveling and doing business on the train all night long. They are conducting their drug operations via cell phones and having their clientele meet them on the train and they just use the CTA as a mobile narcotic delivery service because its too cold to stand on the street corner all day long.
The CTA needs more of a Police presence on the actual trains, because the private security firms are unable to deal with these problems as they arise, especially if the offenders are armed.
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