In a stunning surprise from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), the Green Line trains that go across campus on the elevated tracks no longer have a slow zone in place. This has led to a very noticeable change in speed across campus for both directions, with the southbound trains reaching up to 45 miles per hour, and northbound trains able to leave the station quicker. This change in speed has shaved up to 3 minutes off the travel time between Cermak-McCormick Place and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT, which had a slow zone instituted virtually the entire way to 35th. This change in speed does not come without its issues, though.
The higher speed of the trains on the over-century-old elevated structure has resulted in unintended consequences. The speed now causes far more noise than it used to when the speed restrictions were instituted. Previously, the train could only be heard less than a quarter mile away as it approached at crawling speed. Now, the train can be heard about half a mile away before you even see it. Some students have reported hearing it from their classrooms across State Street. While under the structure, the noise is now even worse, to the point where one can no longer speak, even in a loud manner, without it sounding like gibberish.
This change has its positives; however, one can also see the new negatives of having a higher-speed train between the loop and campus. I personally believe the CTA has to move forward with infrastructure improvement projects in the southside. Instead of spending a billion dollars per mile for a seven-mile extension of the Red Line to 130th Street, that seven billion could go towards quieter infrastructure in the southside elevated lines, which are the oldest parts of the system. The Red and Purple Line viaducts on the north side are incredibly quiet compared to the old elevated structure and embankments they had before. Welded steel rail and concrete are the key to having quieter and even faster trains run on the CTA elevated lines.
The CTA has the opportunity to put money into much more needed infrastructure improvements across Chicago, and Nora Leerhsen (CTA Acting-President) might just be the key to those improvements. Leerhsen has been rolling out key service improvements across the city, including 10-minute bus lines and more train service. Her leadership has proven that when we have transit experts running our transit agencies, transit improves. What we need now is a way to get the CTA to listen to its customer base.