The best way to fly to Midway Airport may soon be via the CTA.
The CTA is eyeing an overhaul of the 3200-series rail cars that run on the Orange and Brown lines. The move is expected to create a smoother ride on these two rail lines, CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. The transit agency will be issuing a request for proposals to create and deliver parts to overhaul the rail cars.
The CTA board is slated to approve the parts request, valued at nearly $92 million, at Wednesday's monthly board meeting. The agency is providing the labor for the overhaul, which is expected to cost a total of $166 million for 257 cars, Chase said.
The cars will "feel spruced up. Their performance will improve," Chase said.
The alterations include changes such as electronic signs that display train destination and new doors. The overhaul is expected to begin in the spring and last through 2016. The 3200-series cars were built in the 1990s. The fixes are expected to extend the cars' lives for six years until the arrival of the new 7000-series, which will replace older cars on the Brown, Orange and Blue lines.
Later this year, the CTA is expected to issue a request for proposals to create the new 7000-series cars, which could be delivered as early as 2017.
The agency had issued a similar request months ago but only received two bids because of a requirement that the 7000-series cars would have to be compatible with the 5000-series cars with the aisle-facing seats. Officials said they decided to drop that requirement in the hopes of getting more bids.
One feature of the 7000-series cars that is staying the same through the bidding process is the seating. The 7000-series cars will have a combination of forward-, aisle- and rear-facing seats.
Some riders have complained about the aisle-facing seats on the 5000-series cars, which were introduced on the CTA in 2010. Some say they feel crammed together in the bucket seats on those cars and have expressed difficulty in carrying a large bag or coat because of a lack of elbow room.
More than 500 of the 5000-series cars are operating on the CTA on the Green, Pink, Yellow, Red and Purple lines. The agency expects the final 200 cars to be delivered by the end of next year.
Go hubs go
The Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association, an organization devoted to urban planning, is hosting a presentation Wednesday about how to increase train operations and improve pedestrian flow at Union Station. The meeting will be held 9 a.m. to noon, at Union Station, 222 S. Riverside Plaza. Tickets are $15. Go to www.ilapa.org for more information.
Stationary
A weekly dispatch from a CTA station of note
This week: 47th Green Line
It's Throwback Thursday every day at this CTA station in Bronzeville. Murals of jazz musicians adorn the stationhouse walls, a nod to the area's concentration of blues and jazz clubs in the 20th century. While the station is nothing flashy, the area around the station yields more blues artwork and history. "The Blues Brothers" filmed steps away at Shelly's Loan and Jewelry, which was featured as Ray's Music Exchange in the movie.
Next up: Argyle Red Line