Hyde Park residents and visitors may soon get a new method of transportation and it doesn't require a Ventra card-or any fare at all.
Officials from the 53rd Street Special Service Area, which funds services and programs with local tax dollars, are looking at starting a pilot program for a free trolley that would operate through the Hyde Park business district.
The group plans to test the trolley on Thanksgiving weekend and a weekend in December before Christmas, said Eric Reaves, the program manager for the 53rd Street Special Service Area.
The route and schedule still are being ironed out but the trolley is slated to run on Lake Park Avenue and 53rd and 55th streets, Reaves said. The trolley is intended for weekend use but could be expanded to weekdays, based on interest.
There appears to be demand for transit options besides the CTA and Metra in the Hyde Park community area, which has loose borders of Washington Park on the west, Lake Michigan on the east, 51st Street on the north and 60th Street on the south. Reaves said he has heard from residents that it is hard to get around the neighborhood on public transit.
The CTA doesn't have any rail stops in Hyde Park, though buses serve the area. Metra Electric District trains stop at multiple points in Hyde Park as it connects Millennium Park to the south suburbs, but they don't run as frequently as CTA trains. The CTA did not respond to a request for comment.
In an August survey of 718 Hyde Parkers, 91 percent said they would likely use the free trolley, which would be paid for with taxpayer dollars. It is estimated to cost about $830 to operate the trolley for 10 hours. The 53rd Street Special Service Area is expected to discuss the survey results at 7 p.m., Sept. 24, at the Hyde Park Hyatt, 5225 S. Harper Ave.
Nearly 80 percent of survey respondents said they would use the trolley to run errands while 76 percent said they would ride it to restaurants. About 60 percent of respondents were younger than 40.
This would not be the first free transit service in Hyde Park. Every weekend last month, a free shuttle service operated in a loop through Hyde Park and Washington Park, making stops at several museums including the DuSable Museum of African American History, Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and the Museum of Science and Industry.
GO Airport Express shuttles provided the transportation, which was paid for by Choose Chicago, the city's tourism office, which gets most of its funding from state and local government sources.
The University of Chicago also operates a few Hyde Park area shuttles for its students, faculty and staff who have school-issued IDs. In November, the university began a shuttle between campus and 53rd Street and Lake Park Avenue. A university spokesman did not return a request for comment.
Em Hall, who lives near 53rd Street in Hyde Park, said 53rd Street is congested with vehicle traffic. She wonders how much time the trolley would save passengers, who may find it faster to walk than get stuck in traffic on the trolley on 53rd Street.
Though she wishes the trolley would travel to more places including farther south to 57th Street, she plans to try it during its Thanksgiving weekend test run."I think anything that brings alternatives to Hyde Park I'm all for it," said Hall, 34.
Epic rail
Take a trip through time to Madison, Wis. Pullman Rail Journeys, which specializes in rides in vintage rail cars, is operating special train service between Madison and Chicago on Oct. 3, 4 and 11. Rail service currently doesn't exist between those two cities. Round-trip tickets start at $99. Go to travelpullman.com for more information and to book tickets.
Stationary
A weekly dispatch from a CTA station of note
This week: Argyle Red Line
My first thought when the Red Line doors open at this Uptown station is always, "I don't want to get off at this station." The platform is very narrow and difficult to traverse. It's even worse in snow or slick conditions or when the stop is crowded. Thankfully, help may be on the way. The Argyle stop is one of four North Side Red Line stations the CTA is proposing for large-scale renovations. The agency has suggested wider platforms and elevators to make these stops accessible for disabilities. The $1.13 billion project could begin as early as 2017, based on funding availability.
Next up: Damen Pink Line