Study conducted by: Chirag Sabunani Advisors: Dr. Kalyan Raman Dr. Aaron Gellman

1. Making the “L” more SustainableHow the CTA can increase “L” ridership and reduce the number of cars driven Study conducted by: Chirag Sabunani Advisors:Dr. Kalyan Raman Dr. Aaron Gellman Funding Organizations:ISEN Transportation Center at Northwestern University

2. Index • Motivation • Executive Summary • Hypothesis & Methodology • Regression Results • Recommendations • Potential Impact

3. Motivation • Scenario: Despite its inherent benefits, people often prefer alternatives to the CTA • Objective: • To identify and recommend potential solutions to factors pushing people away from the “L” • To measure potential sustainability impact of recommended changes www.visitingdc.com/images/cta-train.jpg

4. Executive Summary • Original hypothesis relating station performance to rider satisfaction proven false • Station performance not statistically significant in predicting rider satisfaction • Typical response of “L” rider:Riders want it [the “L”] to be reasonably clean, safe, and to be on time, higher frequency, and not break down every other day • Lower travel times are the only meaningful statistically significant variable in improving rider satisfaction railfanning.org/graphics/chicago_3851.jpg

5. Hypothesis & Methodology • Hypothesis • Rider satisfaction is related to station performance. Profitable real estate investments can thus increase rider satisfaction and lead people to choose the “L” • Methodology • Target audience: People who travel to Chicago by car or METRA • A survey was conduced to collect data on consumer preferences. Regression analysis was used to analyze results Images from Wikipedia

6. Regression Results

7. Regression Results • Station performance is not statistically significant in predicting rider satisfaction • Riders have accepted CTA’s dire financial position and seek a basic, clean, well-functioning system • In the words of a survey participant: Riders want it [the “L”] to be reasonably clean, safe, and to be on time, higher frequency, and not break down every other day http://blogs.suntimes.com/transportation/2008/03/what_cta_stations_really_need.html

8. Regression Results cont.Travel-times • Longer travel time is the only meaningful statistically significant variable affecting (lowering) rider satisfaction • ‘Not getting what I am paying for’ & ‘Other’ are also statistically significant variables but they provide no basis for recommendations. They are therefore excluded from analysis • Need • To lower travel time on the “L” • CTA Limitations • The limitation of two-tracks over most of the “L” prevents train-passing and express services northatlantamedical.com/index-3.html

9. Recommendations

10. Reducing Travel times • Merge Purple & Red Lines • Close minor “L” stations • Develop joint METRA and “L” services • Build the Circle Line • Remove Slow Zones from tracks Wikipedia Commons

11. Merge Purple & Red Lines Fullerton http://www.rususa.com/city/trainmap.asp-region-chicago • Current Scenario: Red Line stops at Howard Purple Line runs from Howard to Linden (Purple Line Express service includes downtown) • Disadvantages: 2 trains needed to provide service from downtown to Linden Transfers at Howard take time (10 min. going North, 2 min. going South) • Key Insights: “L” has 4 tracks from Howard to Fullerton for Purple Line Express service Brown Line & Purple Line Express follow the same path starting Belmont

12. Merge Purple & Red Line cont. Key Red Line Brown Line Yellow Line Red Line Express Multiple Line station Dempster Thorndale Bryn Mawr Lawrence Fullerton South Blvd Central Noyes Davis Howard Jarvis Morse Berwyn Argyle Wilson Sheridan Belmont Linden Foster Main Loyola Granville Addison Diversey Wellington • Recommendation: Extend Red Line to Linden & close ‘Purple’ Line. Run a Red Line express from Howard to Fullerton simultaneously with normal Red Line service • Impact: • Time saving from efficient service, reduced congestion at common Brown and Purple Line stops • Extra trains from closed ‘Purple’ Line can be added to Brown Line and new Red Line

13. Close minor stations & Compensate with bus-rerouting • Current Scenario: Due to track limitations, all “L” trains must stop at all stations (except Purple Line Express) • Disadvantages: Service slowed even for minor stations • Key Insights: Most buses operate on routes connecting minor and major stations

14. Close minor stations & Compensate with bus-rerouting cont. CLOSE Re-route Quicker Service Wikipedia & http://www.Chicago-L.org/ • Recommendation: Close low-traffic stations near one another and compensate by re-routing buses to transport riders to major stations • Impact: Quicker service for most “L” customers and cost savings from closing low-traffic stations

15. Joint METRA & “L” Services • Current Scenario: Riders need separate tickets to ride METRA and CTA • Disadvantages: Separation of services, uncertainty due to no “L” schedules and additional cost discourages dual use of METRA and CTA for transit to/in Chicago • Key insights: Where there is abundant parking at METRA stops, driving to METRA station is encouraged. METRA is taken downtown and then using CTA within downtown – IF CTA buses & trains run abundantly from Ogilvie METRA www.ktransit.com

16. Joint METRA & “L” Services • Recommendation: Pursue a CTA and METRA collaboration that will allow bundling of CTA and METRA services (and even parking).Increase bus frequency from Ogilvie • Impact: This could reduce driving into downtown and increase ridership for both CTA and METRA METRA www.ktransit.com

17. Circle Line • Current Scenario: • The Circle Line is being considered to connect CTA and METRA Lines, to provide transit shortcuts and more efficient linkages • Without the Circle Line, Ogilvie is 8 min. walking distance from nearest “L” station • Lack of CTA bus & “L” schedules presently discourages connections • Disadvantage: Delay and uncertainty of service discourages office-goers from using Metra-CTA combination.

18. Circle Line • Recommendation: • Pursue the plan for the Circle Line and benchmark systems like the London Tube and Boston T for station design and operations • Ensure there is a stop at Ogilvie Transportation Center

19. Remove Slow Zones http://www.transitchicago.com/ • Current Scenario: 9.2% of all CTA tack-miles fall under Slow Zones Slow Zones take 38% of track-miles in certain areas • Disadvantages: Slower service and potential damage to tracks • Key Insights: Funds from $56.6 million federal stimulus being applied to remove Slow Zones • Recommendation: Make improvement work highest priority

20. Comparison of changes

21. Potential Impact

22. Drivers switching to “L” • Present automobile worktrips1: 305K/day • 2020 projected automobile worktrips: 332K-354K/day • CTA has a variety of options to lower travel times and attract drivers to ride the “L” • If drivers are attracted to the “L:” 1: Metro Transportation Group, Inc., ‘SUMMARY OF GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT TRENDS For THE CENTRAL AREA OF CHICAGO,’ Prepared for The Parking Industry Labor Management Committee (PILMC), August 7, 2003 2: These numbers are based on following assumptions $4.5 Collection per person/day 1.1 persons/current car driven Average one-way driving distance = 25 miles Average CO2 emission per mile per car =1.1 lb/mile Average energy use per mile per car =1KWH/mile It is assumed that the energy and CO2 emissions from extra passengers on “L” is negligible compared to resultant savings

23. Summary • Rider satisfaction on “L” is lowered by longer travel times • CTA has several options to choose from to lower travel time, which can induce people driving to Chicago to use the “L” • Current potential daily impact • Energy = 16.8 GWH • CO2 = 5555 Tons • Revenue = $1.51 million • The right systems can lead to behavioral change. Together we can make Chicago more sustainable

24. Special Thanks to

25. Prof. Kalyan RamanProf. Aaron GellmanProf. Benjamin ArmbrusterMs. Diana MarekMs. Donna Kwiatkowski