CTA/Metra connection question

Here's something that's bothered me for a long time - why the heck aren't any of the CTA El routes directly connected or immediately adjacent to Chicago's commuter/intercity rail stations, especially Union Station? I realize the disconnect may be related to when the lines were built, but it still seems very odd to an outsider like me and a major drawback in Chicago's rail system. I mean, in Philadelphia some people wonder why the Market-Frankford El doesn't have an internal connection to 30th Street Station (both the primary Amtrak station and one of 3 primary SEPTA regional rail stations in Philadelphia), but the line still is only a very short 1/2 block walk from 30th Street. In New York, the subways are connected to both Penn Station (primary NYC Amtrak/NJ Transit/LIRR hub) and Grand Central Terminal (primary Metro-North hub), and some people complain that the midtown Manhattan PATH terminal is located too far away from Penn Station, yet it is only one (admittedly long) block away from Penn Station and is still connected to multiple NYC subway routes!

There's also something else related that bothers me - why don't the CTA El and Metra have more shared stations, or at least stations at the same, adjacent stops? It seems like from looking at a Metra map that if you want to transfer lines on Metra, you need to go all the way to downtown Chicago (and then possibly walk a few blocks) to get on another line, even if the Metra lines are relatively close to each other a few miles away from the Loop. If there were more connections between CTA and Metra service outside the Loop, this possible problem would be reduced.

I guess I really don't understand why Chicago's rail system is set up the way it is, because it seems to me it could work (or could have worked) more efficiently if things had been built slightly differently.

In the past some rapid transit lines did run very near mainline rail terminals. For example, the Northwestern Elevated (today's Brown/Purple/Red north of Loop) had a terminal at North Water Street which was next to the CNW's original Chicago terminal. Then CNW moved to current location next to Lake Street L Clinton stop. The Metropolitan Westside L ran on Van Buren and Jackson with a stop next to Union Station. Union Station was itself replaced and moved in 1920ss. When the Dearborn subway was built that L was torn down to be replaced by today's Congress Blue line and Douglas Blue/Pink lines running in Eisenhower Expy median. The Loop L still does stop more or less across the street from La Salle St Metra station. If CTA ever builds the Circle Line, part of the deal is it will connect with quite a few Metra routes outside the Central Business District, with new transfer stations constructed where possible.

From the back-and-forth press releases that went between Metra and the CTA during that funding scare we had a year or so ago, I don't think the two agencies are the best of friends. Even though each agency is under the RTA umbrella (along with Pace), they're not really in any hurry to help eachother out. This may change soon, as I think it's becoming evident that this rivalry isn't doing much good for the riding public. But I think it's becoming harder for Metra's management to handle the fact that the CTA is now at, in many respects, an all-time high water mark.

You have to remember that since Metra's inception in the mid-1980s, the CTA has steadily improved its infrastructure and operations and is now on Metra's "level" in the minds of many potential riders (and politicians!). At the same time, Metra has also seen vast improvements and certainly isn't willing to give up on obtaining funds for its own future service improvements.

So, short answer: Politics

The elevated and interurban lines were in competition with the steam roads for suburban riders and had an advantage with direct CBD access while the steam stations were located around the periphery.

A subway under Clinton serving Union and Northwestern and completing a Blue Line subway loop is always in future plans but has a big price tag.

Circle line stops would be co-located with outlying Metra stations.

Won't see either in my lifetime but hey, at least we got airport service.

byte wrote:So, short answer: Politics

No doubt. Also relevant to this discussion would be the Circle Line thread, which gives more specifics about the project, while also illustrating the prominent role politics played in keeping a CTA Green line transfer station from being built to connect with Metra Electric's 63rd St. station. For more details...

www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24683

The original Lake St. L did have a platform to platform connection to the C&NW station at Clinton. I believe it was nicknamed the Northwest Passage. It was removed when the Lake St. line was rebuilt.