iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

No worries, I sit on a rail-trail interdepartmental working group, so it's just a matter of pulling notes or talking to the engineering PM.

606 Extension is in Phase II design. I'll have to dig into the construction status and funding. Usually, I'm only involved in the Phase I (planning) efforts of these things, and when they go into design and construction IDK what the hell is going on, lol.

City acquired the ROW from Norfolk Southern in 2018 in a land swap.

Englewood is past 60% design. City has $20M in funding for construction. I don't know the construction timeline yet.

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Holy shit, the CP trackage rights agreement covering CP dispatching goes through 2083. That must have been a 99-year agreement when it was signed.

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Cortland Garage is just behind you!

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Thanks for sharing this! Super informative.

The ask has been made and the response from CPKC has been no. I'd love to read a copy of the trackage rights agreement, but I've been told by several sources that a lot of these "agreements" are handshake type deals. Wonder if the MD has a codified agreement? Would be worth a FOIA.

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I thought the Republican Party was the party of personal responsibility? 🤔

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When Smarts Streets goes citywide next year the revenues are gonna really flow!

Altenheim is still owned by CSX and is subject to inquiry for usage by the O'Hare Flyer. El Paseo is complicated and should be thought of in two sections based on train customers. Englewood has no customers. I'll have to get back to you on status.

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Sadly, the Milwaukee Lines train frequencies are capped despite owning the lines, by CPKC, who dispatches. This is problematic in light of whatever happened with the UP-NS merger. UP is widely assumed to never give up dispatch control, same as CPKC.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 15/09/2026

NITA should have a bylaw prohibiting the service boards from having their board meetings at the same time.

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Probably, as long as it doesn't include CPS.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 15/09/2026

Of course, all of this is an affordability argument, and yet, the Trib Editorial Board also came out against the BUILD Act.

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 15/09/2026

Two editorials in two days about Arlington Heights schools tell me that the Daily Herald editorial board must have taken over the Trib's editorial board.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 10/09/2026

They can't even control their own agents from hacking themselves.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 10/09/2026

The context is last mile solutions. In the same speech he also mentioned one system, one fare, one timetable.

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 09/09/2026

We NITA better service coordination.

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 09/09/2026

And on the South Shore Line. CSS&SB runs freight via trackage rights on the SSL under wire.

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All of this deregulation of the food industry started in the 1980s so we can blame a generation of Republican leadership for these consequences.

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I always thought Metra should do a better job on the marketing side highlighting events and venues throughout the region that is well-served. But perhaps this could be a larger NITA task?

And People Over Parking Act! This is going to be a huge first meeting.

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Editorial: Illinois got another credit upgrade. So why are we still last?

Fiscal decisions decades in the making and now we're on our 12th credit rating upgrade and the Trib just can't take the win. No one is arguing that we've solved the fiscal problems, but it's not going to be fixed immediately. www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/08/m...

chicagotribune.com

Despite a slew of credit upgrades, Illinois is still dead last.

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Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 04/09/2026

Metra should impose a constraint on a grade separated flyover at B-12 if the Flyer is gonna run 4 tph.

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 03/09/2026

We don't want nobody nobody sent!

This is absolutely a fantastic use of AI. I love everything about it!

Which makes me think that there's definitely some kind of barrier where too many people don't feel like the city is family-friendly. And, in some cases, this is true.

A lot of my suburban friends - many who have lived in the city when younger - seem baffled that my wife and I continue to live in the city after kids and <gasp> sent our kids to CPS.

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This was predictable given this alignment.

Ryan Richter, AICP @ryanjrichter.com · 29/08/2026

Happy NITA Day to all who celebrate!

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If it's in reference to the Portage Park situation, we can rest assured that the people who actually came out to the meeting and submitted comments were overwhelmingly in favor. The keyboard warriors are exactly that.

The CN angle is interesting since they only allow Metra 10 trains per day on the NCS but are somehow going to allow 4 trains per hour on the flyer? I also assume Metra will ask for a flyover at B-12 given their existing traffic as well as CPKC. Figure another flyover at the Rockwell sub too.

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CSX maybe agrees since the Altenheim is not used. CN? They only allow Metra 10 trains per day on the NCS but are somehow going to allow 4 trains per hour on the Flyer? I have my doubts.

It's not yet but the door has been cracked open since the toll increase was mandated in the NITA Act.

The bemu range is 60 miles, so each trainset can make three runs before a recharge unless some sort of electrical infrastructure in-between. Seems like a lot of trainsets would be needed and a maintenance and storage facility to boot.

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I'm not opposed to a private entity building something like this. I'd like to know more about the capital cost estimate and operating plans. Lots of missing information in the reporting.

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Doubtful. Amtrak has plans to reactivate those platforms for their existing services.

Also wondering where the maintenance facility and station at the "Old Post Office" will be. It's interesting that they're not saying CUS, but they'll still have to deal with Amtrak unless there's some alignment that I'm not aware of.

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More questions than answers in their response. Interesting.

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Yep. WA1 will increase capacity for more freight through the Rockwell sub.