CHICAGO..TRYING TO GET AROUND THE TRANSIT DILEMMA FROM URBAN SPRAWL

Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority is looking at a rail beltway circling the suburbs to make possible suburb-to-suburb commuting. While virtually all the world's rail commuter services consist of radial routes from a metropolitan area's central business district, the Chicago plan aims to reverse the long decline in transit's market share by expanding into non-central business district markets. A study of suburban commuting patterns indicated that there is a potential for a circumferential north-south rail service about 15 miles from downtown Chicago adjacent to the Illinois Tollway. The rail project, far from implementation (if ever), is seen as having 3 selling points: (1) Mass transit would be taking the offensive in a market battle it has been long losing; (2) The political base for mass transit would be broadened since it would involve a project not in some way tied to downtown Chicago; (3) Effectiveness of the transit system would be enhanced by making possible inter-suburban commutes.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1794668
• Publication Date: 1984-11

Media Info

• Pagination: 5 p.
• Serial:
  • Mass Transit
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 11
  • Publisher: Cygnus Publishing, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0364-3484
  • Serial URL: http://www.masstransitmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Beltways; Central business districts; Marketing; Radial travel; Railroad commuter service; Suburbs; Travel patterns; Urban sprawl
• Geographic Terms: Chicago (Illinois)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00391943
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 1985 12:00AM