ON THE BI-LEVEL Commuter Newsletter, November 2010 No fare increase in 2011
The proposed 2011 2015 capital program includes the allocation Metra unveils next year’s budget; of $585 million in State of Illinois bond program proceeds to replace plan also calls for no service cuts 160 Highliner cars on the Metra Electric District. Those new cars already have been ordered. The Metra Board of Directors has approved the release of the State bond proceeds and other capital funding will be allocated agency’s proposed 2011 Program and Budget book for public hearing in the amount of $175.8 million to complete a number of station and and comment. parking improvements across the Metra system. Metra’s proposed 2011 budget includes $634.2 million for opera Public hearings on Metra’s 2011 budget will be held on Nov. 3 tions and a $407.5 million capital program. No fare increase or cut in and Nov. 4 at locations throughout the six county region. A list of the service is planned in 2011. dates, times and locations of these hearings can be seen on Page 4. However, lower than projected ridership and sales tax receipts Copies of the budget are available for review online at www. coupled with higher insurance and maintenance costs forced Metra metrarail.com and are being distributed to municipalities and librar to transfer $35 million from its 2010 capital program and $25 million ies across the region. from its 2011 capital program to operations for use on preventive Following the public comment period, the Metra Board will vote maintenance in 2011. on a nal budget at its Nov. 12 meeting. The budget will then be for The agency also proposes to continue to delay lling vacancies warded to the Regional Transportation Authority, which will vote on and to combine job functions to reduce costs in 2011. the region’s transportation budget in December. Metra’s fi rst female engineer retires After a 38 year career in railroading, including more than 22 years serving Metra commuters in northeast Illinois, Vallorie O’Neil retired from Metra last month. She was honored by the Metra Board of Directors at the Oct. 15 board meeting, her last day on the job. O’Neil, a Steger resident, joined the railroad industry at the age of 18 as a clerk at the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, one of BNSF’s predecessor railroads. She worked as a clerk for several years before entering engineer training. For eight years, O’Neil piloted Burlington Northern freight trains between Chicago and LaCrosse, Wis. She was hired as a Metra trainman in 1988 and worked several months as a conductor before entering Metra’s engineer training program. She retrained to learn commuter operations and made her rst solo trip on July 9, 1989, becoming Metra’s rst female locomo tive engineer. In addition to engine service and conductor, O’Neil also held the Vallorie O’Neil operates a Rock Island train in her last day on the following positions at Metra: Assistant Road Foreman and Road Fore job Oct. 15. man of Engines, Trainmaster and Senior Trainmaster. Being a woman in a male dominated profession hasn’t presented An avid horseback rider, O’Neil is looking forward to continue any real problems for O’Neil. “I managed to gain acceptance from riding for fun. She also looks to spend more time with family and most other crew members and operating personnel rather quickly, and serve as a motivational speaker and mentor to women in non tradi I’ve generally enjoyed the camaraderie.” tional jobs.
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On the Bi-Level Turn on the lights recon gured to accommodate bi gers too. Thanks for the insight, Published by Metra’s Media cycles plus some seating for those and tell those conductors to make Relations Department. Send Why do your conductors (usu who wish to sit near their bike? It more regular announcements dis letters, questions or feedback to ally, but not always) turn out the On the Bi-Level, Metra, 547 W. would eliminate all the problems couraging seat hoggers! It’d help lights on the train before leaving Jackson, Chicago IL, 60661- of bikes being crowded with pas us hogbusters tremendously. 5717. Or e-mail onthebilevel@ Union Station? If it is a safety sengers in the handicapped areas Jason metrarr.com. issue, why does it only happen and also people could bring them We can’t guarantee all letters 80 90 percent of the time? And will be printed or answered. aboard prime inbound morning, A suggestion to Kevin for either way, why do some conduc Please keep letters to less than outbound evening commutes. I service advisory noti cations: you 200 words and include your fi rst tors turn them back on within realize besides cost there are other can also receive noti cations via name, hometown and what line seconds, while others leave them potential problems, namely in the Twitter – search for @Metra for you ride. (Names are not re- out (with all the passengers sit quired but strongly encouraged.) downtown terminals, but gure the entire system or individual ting in pitch black conditions) for We reserve the right to edit letter many utilizing this would be lines. You’ll have some control for length and grammar. minutes on end, until we’re com privilege probably will have left over the time frame and you can pletely out of the station? It’s very a given inbound train before it send noti cations to your cell Board of Directors irritating to have work/reading reaches the Loop in the morning. phone. Standard message rates interrupted during that time, and With traf c more and more out apply. Carole R. Doris it’s compounded by the capricious Chairman of control, it would give people Pete nature of it. DuPage County many other options. Phil Greg Thanks for the tips. Larry A. Huggins Vice Chairman The conductors don’t turn out Chicago As you suspect, the problem is Santa trains? the lights. When the train is in money. We are now using every Several years ago my kids and the station, the lights and other Jack Schaffer car that we own, so we can’t I rode the Rock Island Santa train Treasurer systems are powered by plugging dedicate any exclusively to bikes. and we enjoyed it. Is there going McHenry County the trains into the electricity at We are buying new Highliners for to be a Santa train this year? the station. That allows us to Arlene J. Mulder the Metra Electric but that is to Tom Secretary idle the engine to save fuel and replace worn out cars. We don’t Suburban Cook County limit emissions. When they leave, have money to buy any extra ones. Metra no longer operates the engine supplies the power. James V. Dodge Santa trains. However, many So when the lights go out, it’s Director Technical help desk public libraries, park districts and because we’re switching from the Suburban Cook County Your latest OTBL mentioned other community agencies and or plugged in power to the train. there is no Metra app, but they ganizations reserve group travel James C. LaBelle Sometimes that’s pretty seamless Director can use the website. There’s trips on Metra around Christmas so you don’t notice. Sometimes it Lake County another option too: download the so they can hold their own events, takes few moments. Edward W. Paesel PDF of the schedule and e mail it primarily “Polar Express” trips. Director More room for bikes? to yourself, or nd an app that lets You can check with your local Suburban Cook County you save PDFs. Works great for organizations to see if they are Is it possible in the near future me, and I’ve helped other passen planning such an event. Jack E. Partelow that there will be Metra cars Director Will County Willis E. Pennington Jr. About those quiet cars.... Director Cook County We received a deluge of e wonderful riders. (We received or the results of their doctor visit mails after we asked you for your more than 800 and counting...) for all to hear, but then again, we Caryl J. Van Overmeiren input about the idea of trying out Most of you begged for relief didn’t expect to. No one fesses Director Kane County quiet cars on our system. The from your rude and noisy fellow up to annoying others, do they? bottom line is this: we are going passengers. Others – a small num While our survey was hardly sci William A. Widmer III to implement a pilot project early ber – thought it was bad idea for enti c, it’s clear that quiet cars in Director next year. We still have to work various reasons. We didn’t hear some form (in any form, many of Suburban Cook County out the details, and to do that we from anyone who said they want you said) would be hugely popu will rely on the many thought ed to preserve their right to loudly lar. Stay tuned, we will get back ful e mails we received from our recite next week’s shopping list to you shortly (and quietly!).
WWW.METRARAIL.COM NOVEMBER 2010 3 SOUND OFF “...the snarky, snotty observations by Metra’s customers about fellow commuters ... offer some of the best free entertainment around.” - SouthtownStar, March 13, 2009
What an answer Say what? I’m reading the responses to Attention Rock Island com Sound Off in the October issue muters! Although you may think of On The Bi Level. Some of the that only typical commuters use Sound Offs are crazy, but the your line, there is in fact a rider responses are normally profes gifted with a supernatural ability sional, polite, but rm in putting among us. She was last spot people in their place. I’ve never ted on Friday’s train No. 607. said Wow to a response yet. Until This rider has a sixth sense – the TODAY. Who answered your ability to sense knees behind her Sound Offs this month? So rude! seat, and react emotionally to If I responded to people who them before they make contact wrote in at my job the way this with her seat back! Although the person did, I’d be red. Some raw extent of this rider’s abilities thing tells me something changed are not known, you may be in this month and it wasn’t for the the presence of this phenomenon better. of human evolution if you see Saying someone is from the following: 1) The rider in Sel shville? Or the unbeliev front of you scowls and stares ably long and rude response to at you at random times during the Quiet Car comment, geesh. your trip, 2) An in ammatory Whoever responded to these is But does it work on answers that stink? statement is muttered in your worse than the people writing in. direction, along the lines of “Will of rotten esh and I was forced West line all the way to Elburn And if someone thought these you PU LEEEZE get your knees to change compartments. Please and I’m nine months pregnant. responses were funny? They outta my chair?,” and 3) You save your unfortunate victim for It’s harder to get in and out of were wrong. Ugh. and your fellow riders are struck home. the regular seats, so I try to look Natalie with confusion due to a lack of Irene for the rst row seat facing each visible contact between the knees And we thought cellphone other, or disabled priority seats. We hoped our readers would in question and the gifted rider’s calls were a nuisance... I don’t understand how younger understand, after reading the seat. than 40 year old “men” just sit reply to the rst Sound Off letter, If you nd yourself in this What a gas there and stare at me while I’m that were going to be less re situation, do not be alarmed! As To the guy who feels the looking for a suitable seat. There spectful and therefore less boring the human species evolves, we need to repeatedly have gas leaks aren’t any more gentlemen in the with our responses last month must practice tolerance to those on North Central Service No. world. Now I have found some in response to the gripe that we all around us, including those 109, you’re not funny. The rest thing that makes me feel better were being too professional and with new superhuman abilities of us all have to sit on a crowded about my commute – posting too polite. Sorry if it was too far superior to our own. train with a brown cloud emanat their actions on Facebook. It is a over the top. As for the quiet car Dave ing from you. Either hold it in or nice release, so I don’t feel I need Sounding Board reply – we don’t eat a healthier lunch. to the write to OTBL every time. think it was rude, but if it was it We’ll bet Kevin and Irene Kevin And it’s not just seat hoggers, but was unintentional. We hope you over there wish they had similar cellphone loudmouths, incessant read the entire response to see powers of advance detection. And we thought stinky sand texters (if you’re going to do it that it actually contained some wiches were a nuisance... for an hour, shut off the key What a closing good news – that we are consid stroke beeping) and people who ering (and, in fact, are going to What bad behavior Heard on the Rock Island: walk out of the lavatory, leaving implement) a quiet car test (see To Rosalind regarding She: “Let me sit by the win the door wide open so we can Page 2). “seathoggers,” you’re right about dow and take a nap. I need my look in at the toilet! Be warned Now, speaking of ugh.... those individuals who believe beauty sleep.” they own the seats for the dura people! Hell hath no fury… He: “This train ain’t going What a smell tion, when their butts are merely Rachael THAT far!” To the woman across the rail squatting. I ride both the UP What is it about toilets and True story! from me: your sandwich smelled North AND the full run of the UP bad smells this month? Tom
E-MAIL US AT [email protected] 4 ON THE BI-LEVEL NOVEMBER 2010 Fall Travel Notes
Amtrak begins Union Station work 2011 Budget Public Hearing Schedule Amtrak last month announced a $40 million project to improve Chicago Union Station, including installing air conditioning in the Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 Great Hall and increasing the number of public restrooms. By next 4–7 p.m. 4–7 p.m. summer, air conditioning will return to the Great Hall more than 40 McHenry County City of Chicago years after the railroads that previously shared ownership of Union Woodstock City Hall Metra Station abandoned the AC system in the grand waiting area. (Union City Council Chambers 547 W. Jackson Blvd. Station is now owned by an Amtrak subsidiary, the Chicago Union 121 W. Calhoun St. 13th Floor Board Room Station Company.) Additional restrooms will be installed on the Woodstock Chicago concourse level. Amtrak is also expanding seating areas for its pas- Suburban Cook (North) DuPage County sengers. All the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. Arlington Heights Clarendon Hills Village Hall Six of Metra’s 11 routes use Union Station, and more than 130,000 Village Hall Village Board Room Metra riders pass through the facility each weekday. Hanson Room, 3rd Floor 1 N. Prospect Avenue 33 S. Arlington Heights Rd Clarendon Hills Work to begin on 80th Ave. Station Arlington Heights Lake County The Village of Tinley Park has announced that construction on the Kane County Grayslake Village Hall new 80th Ave. Station on the Rock Island line is expected to begin Geneva City Hall Village Board Room shortly, with completion anticipated in late spring or early summer of City Council Chamber 10 S. Seymour 22 S. First St. Grayslake 2012. The existing station will remain in operation during construc- Geneva tion of the new facilities, which will be located east of the current Will County building. There will be minimal impact on the availability of park- Suburban Cook (South) Joliet City Hall ing. The 5,400-square-foot brick station will include a clock tower, Homewood Village Hall Conference Room #1 Village Board Room 150 W. Jefferson Street full kitchen and Internet café, restrooms, a great hall, a covered 2020 Chestnut Road Joliet drop-off area and veranda, three warming shelters, decorative light- Homewood ing and a pedestrian underpass.
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