Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Gotta get downtown this weekend? Check with Patch before you go.
For the first time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be holding a summit in an American city other than Washington, D.C. In addition to global leaders, over 2,000 journalists and countless demonstrators and activists are expected to inundate the Chicago region. What does that mean for our area? For starters, some institutions have already anticipated trouble. Leaders at Oak Park-River Forest High School moved the student prom ahead to April 28, about three weeks before the event's original May 19 scheduling at the downtown Chicago Hyatt. Playing it way safe, organizers with the annual What's Blooming on Harrison Street art festival moved the street fair, originally scheduled for this weekend, to Memorial Day weekend. Police in …
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Photo of Oak Parker Chris Kuthill, dressed in South Park garb, surfaces online. He wonders what took so long.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Casey Cora
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Reddit basically exploded earlier this week after this photo of a real life Eric Cartman riding the CTA rails surfaced. Commenters wanted to know: Was this guy for real? Does he dress like this on purpose? Who is he? Thankfully, the intrepid geeks at the Onion's A.V. Club Chicago found him. And he's from right here in Oak Park. His name is Chris Kuthill, and yep, he's dressing like that on purpose, and has been doing so for awhile. And yep, he knows you're taking his picture with your smartphone. And yep, he's cool with that. Just ask. Wanna learn more about Kuthill? Follow his brand new Twitter account @CartmanIRL
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Backbone" of universal fare system to take root with automated payments on trains and buses.
Those flimsy, easy-to-lose CTA fare cards will soon be history. Officials with the agency on Tuesday approved a deal that will bring new technology to CTA buses and train stations allowing users to tap debit cards, credit cards and prepaid CTA cards to pay their fares. According to the Sun-Times, commuters will eventually "be able to use their cell phones in the same manner to pay for their fares." The system, operated by the San-Diego based Cubic Transportation Systems, is expected to save the CTA about $5 million a year by "finally getting the CTA out of the fare-collection and banking businesses," according to Chicago Tribune transportation writer John Hilkevitch. The city's $454 million contract with Cubic will last 12 years. According…
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
New website collects the good, bad and ugly stories of commuting on the CTA.
Long ugly fingernails. An impromptu striptease on the Red Line. A German Shepherd, commuting solo on the Blue Line and scaring potential riders. Surely, there are countless tales to be told while commuting in a major metropolitan city like Chicago, and a new website aims to collect those stories in one place. Called Oh, L No!, the site is broken down by color-coded rail line and its mission is pretty simple: "Oh, L No! is a place where you can read and post stories from the ‘L’ in Chicago. Select an ‘L’ line, or an individual story and see what other people have shared!" The site also has an accompanying Twitter page.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
City officials to enact $25 million for 'Renew Crew' repair and cleanup of transit stations.
- GOVERNMENT
- Casey Cora
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Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Chicago Transit Authority rail stations across the Chicago area are getting a facelift. Will the effort include Oak Park? "We don't have a complete list ready right now but it's not limited to Chicago proper," a CTA spokeswoman told Patch. At a news conference Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Forrest Claypool announced the debut of a public-private partnership that will result in makeovers for more than 100 rail stations. The effort will utilize a mix of city employees and private contractors — dubbed the "Renew Crew" — to perform the work over the course of a year, moving from one station to the next painting walls and ceilings, repairing masonry and busted concrete, planting trees, washing tunnel walls and replacing …
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Budget cuts force limitations on seniors' free public transportation rides.
Know a senior citizen who relies on free public transportation to get around? That's about to change. Beginning Sept. 1, the Regional Transit Authority's "Seniors Ride Free" program will expire for all senior citizens except those defined as "low-income" using standards adopted from Illinois Department on Aging "Circuit Breaker" program. All other seniors will pay a discounted, half-price, fare. Related Video: Seniors Voice Opinions on RTA Free Ride Changes The Seniors Ride Free program, enacted in 2008 by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been targeted for cuts in light of both the state's ailing finances and the transportation agencies' budget woes. A 2009 Chicago Tribune story quotes a UIC study estimating the programs impact — free …
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Chicagoland commuters promised a more seamless way to get around by 2015.
A universal fare card system for Regional Transporation Authority, Metra and PACE transportation systems was signed into legislation by Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday, according to the Daily Herald. The bill will "allow riders to use credit or debit cards or prepaid cards on all transit systems effective Jan. 1, 2015." "This is 21st century transit reform," Quinn said during the signing ceremony, according to The Chicago Tribune. “Now it's the law and everyone will work toward that date,” RTA deputy executive director of communications Diane Palmer told the Herald. “This is obviously a key priority for the RTA.” Additionally, the law calls for Metra to create a train tracking system that is similar to the Chicago Transit Authorities' Bus and …
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Authorities say foursome swiped spray paint from Oak Park garages.
Four juveniles ranging in age from 10 to 13 years old were charged June 11 with taking spray paint from the garages of two homes in the 900 block of South Euclid Avenue and 1000 block of South Oak Park Avenue, police said. The 13-year-old also was charged with spray painting the overhead garage doors of five homes in that neighborhood, police said. After an investigation, the four were apprehended after an officer ordered the operator of an eastbound CTA Blue Line train to stop the El car the four were riding in, police said.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
After choking robberies, authorities urge caution.
- THE NEIGHBORHOOD FILES
- Casey Cora
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Saturday, April 9, 2011
Careful out there. A trio of similar attacks in Oak Park attacks involving a man who's choking his robbery victims has prompted safety reminders from police, including: More tips are included in the attached PDF.
Friday, February 25, 2011
CTA service resumes after overnight disruption.
Police in Oak Park will question the driver of an SUV which blasted through a dead-end guardrail, soared through the air and landed on train tracks several stories below. Police Sgt. Michael Richardson said the unidentified female driver was headed north on Taylor Avenue and was approaching Garfield Street just before 3:20 a.m. when the SUV "continued past Garfield, past the guard rail and down into the train tracks — which are significantly lower than Garfield Street." The vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, ended up on the eastbound CTA Blue Line tracks near the Austin stop. The driver was concsious and outside of the SUV when emergency responders arrived, police said. She was taken to Loyola University Medical Center with non-life …
41.87065
-87.77795
S Taylor Ave & Garfield St, Oak Park, IL
Site of crash
/articles/crash-sends-car-onto-blue-line-tracks
/locations/3509567
Hippies are really cool.....
11:13 am on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
LaSalle and Washington, right outside my window right now, is closed because a bunch of socialists who would love to have China dominating globally are marching down it...Yeah, this is all Rahm's fault.... more ›