Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Why doesn’t Metra have wireless internet on its trains yet? Mostly because it would be enormously expensive and a technological challenge, too. But should they?
Should Metra get Wi-Fi? Even if it’s expensive and hard to implement and maintain? The commuter-rail network is considering the possibility, the Chicago Tribune and other news agencies report, but price and technology continue to be two major barriers, despite that a DePaul University report shows 48 percent of Metra riders use personal electronic devices during their commutes. According to the paper, it could cost over $70 million to install wireless internet on all 11 Metra lines over five years—though some of that could perhaps be recouped by paid plans or sponsorships—and there’s a fear that the technology might quickly become obsolete or go unused by customers who prefer other connectivity, like smart-phone hotspots or air-cards. "(…
Monday, May 13, 2013
Lake Forest ranks 11th according to Crain's tracking of household income in the zip codes of Metra train stations.
A look at income levels in suburban towns with Metra stops provides a glimpse at the disparity in wealth throughout the area, according to a map by Crain's Chicago Business Journal. Among all Chicago and suburban Metra stops, Lake Forest ranked as the 11th highest income with an average income of $133,383, while Lake Bluff ranked as the 35th highest income with an average income of $101,858, according to Crain's. Neighboring Deerfield ranked 14th with an average income of $126,943, while Highland Park ranked 18th with an average income of $114,680. Lake Forest residents are in the top 10 percent for the highest incomes, while Lake Bluff residents have 10.1 to 30 percent of the highest incomes, according to the map. The Metra station that…
Monday, February 4, 2013
The price of the 10-ride ticket is no longer discounted.
Metra riders are no longer getting a discount for purchasing a 10-ride fare. The Metra Board of Directors voted last month to change the cost of the once discounted 10-ride pass to be equivalent to the price of 10 one-way fares. The change was made to help fund capital improvement projects, the Pioneer Press reports. The policy went into effect Feb 1. Lake Forest commuters will now pay $57.50 for a 10-ride pass, or $5.75 for a one-way ticket. Monthly passes are $163.75 and weekend tickets are $7. Lake Bluff commuters will now pay $62.50 for a 10-ride pass, or $6.25 for a one-way ticket. Monthly passes are $178.00 and weekend tickets are $7. Ten-ride tickets purchased between Nov. 17 and Jan. 31 are valid through Feb. 28. What do you …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Metra's board voted to drop the discount on its 10-ride ticket.
Folks who ride the Metra regularly may now have to shell out an extra few bucks for every 10th trip. That's because the Metra board of directors voted 8-2 on Nov. 16 to raise the cost of a 10-ride ticket. The new 10-ride ticket would cost the same as 10 individual tickets. In the past, the discounted fare only charged the equivalent of nine rides. The increased fare would go into effect Feb. 1, and 10-Ride tickets purchased Nov. 17 through Jan. 31 would be valid only through Feb. 28, according to the Metra website. Even though the measure was passed by the board, the fare increase cannot legally be adopted until Metra holds a meeting for public comment. These public hearings will be held simultaneously at eight Chicagoland locations from 4…
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Metra advises voters who use the Lake Forest Station as a polling place to find an alternative route.
- NEWS
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Thursday, November 1, 2012
Courtesy of Metra Metra is advising Lake Forest residents who use the Lake Forest Station on the Milwaukee North line as a polling place that the replacement of a railroad crossing near the station may require them to use an alternate route on their way to vote on Election Day. Work began Oct. 31 to replace the crossing at Everett Road over the Milwaukee North tracks in Lake Forest, requiring the closure of Everett at the tracks. That work, part of Metra’s routine replacement of older grade crossings in its system, is expected to be completed next Wednesday. The Lake Forest Station on the Milwaukee North line is located west of the tracks on Telegraph Road, about midway between Conway Road on the north and Everett Road on the south. Voters…
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Construction Could Start Next Summer
The Lake Forest City Council approved conceptual plans for a pedestrian underpass at the West Lake Forest Train Station at its July 16 meeting. HDR Engineering Inc. will move forward to develop detailed plans, which must be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation and Metra. After that, the engineers will return to the City Council for final approval. The construction is expected to cost between $2.5 and $3.25 million and will be partially funded by $2 million from state and federal grants, which Lake Forest received after two Lake Forest High School students were killed by Metra trains earlier this year. “The main priority was pedestrian safety, so this is where the funding came from,” City Manager Bob Kiely said. The …
Friday, July 27, 2012
The West Lake Forest Station would be the line’s only Lake County stop.
Approval of four of the five agencies necessary to make the West Lake Forest Metra Station an Amtrak stop for long distance rail travel has been verbally received. The Illinois and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation, Metra, the City of Lake Forest and Amtrak have granted verbal approval for an Amtrak stop to be added at the West Lake Forest depot, but the project still hinges on the support of Canadian Pacific Railway. “We are very optimistic at this point,” Lake Forest City Manager Robert Kiely said. Canadian Pacific is concerned that adding an Amtrak stop would stress the tracks’ capacity and is looking into how it might affect its freight traffic. While Kiely said he did not have a timeline for when the railroad will make a …
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
A trip to David Burke's Primehouse doesn't go as planned.
It felt like being back in high school -- "Can you come pick me up?" That was the opening line of a phone call home to my wife recently, when I bizarrely ended up stranded in the wilds of downtown Evanston. It certainly wasn't where I expected to be. The plot line was simple enough. A friend from overseas was in Chicago for a day. The last time he passed through the Windy City, he made the mistake of admitting on his Facebook page that he had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Oh how I scoffed at the idea that someone visiting Chicago should have to settle for corporate supersize food. Tony, I told my friend, the next time you come to Chicago, you absolutely must call me, and I will take you someplace great. Thus the invitation came, with a …
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
He manages to drive his car just enough off tracks at Waukegan and Halfday roads.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Lake Forest resident Michael Bungert was given two tickets after his 2010 GMC Terrain was struck in the rear by a northbound Metra train early Tuesday morning near the intersection of Waukegan and Half Day roads, according to the Lake County News-Sun . Bungert, 57, was transported to Highland Park Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries after all of the vehicle's air bags deployed. According to the News-Sun article, Bungert was driving southbound on Waukegan Road at approximately 7:30 a.m. and attempted to make a right turn onto westbound Half Day Road. The intersection is under heavy construction. Bungert told Bannockburn police he turned in between two barrels where there was space for a car to proceed through, …
Friday, May 18, 2012
Life as we know it may be disrupted a bit while the eyes of the world are on Chicago for three days.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, May 18, 2012
For the first time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will conduct a summit in an American city other than Washington, D.C. In addition to global leaders, more than 2,000 journalists and countless demonstrators and activists are expected to inundate the Chicago area. Some protests have already begun. Security measures are in place for the days before the summit and the actual meeting days, Sunday, May 20 and Monday, May 21, when more than 60 heads of state and government will come together to discuss security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. Although you are not a NATO delegate, some of the plans may affect your life during this time. Here is a rundown of the security plans as they now stand. Check websites listed …
Walter White
9:44 pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Metra ought to stay out of the phone business, and focus on the train business. more ›