While waiting for an inbound Brown Line a conductor of the Red Line was waving out of his open window at all the Chads and Trixies heading into the loop before proceeding into the subway. With a slight look of disgust on my face since I was unable to board the first train, I felt the urge to bite my thumb at him.

Dear CTA, 

I am upset that you have not used technology to be more proactive in solving the current issue of the Brown Line growth. The current plan of three tracks and increased bus service is more responsive and seems like it was whipped up in less than a year.

Microsoft has developed this wonderful technology called SQL which is a technology to contain large amounts of information in an organized and efficient manner. Here’s an idea. Collect the ridership information from the turnstiles and store them in a database. Do you have any idea the type of projection reports that could have been produced? Two, three or even ten years ago there could have been a plan developed to maintain, upgrade and support the currently failing CTA infrastructure.

Don’t argue my point and say that the implementation of this technology would cost too much. There are open source projects that have the same functionality as Microsoft’s SQL server called MySQL. This website is based on entirely open source MySQL and PHP code which has not cost me a single cent.

I have heard first hand from a consultant at one of the major planning firms downtown, which I shall not name, that the CTA has mounds of data but they do not know how to handle or use it.

SELECT FROM CTA WHERE COMPENTENCY > 0;
0 ROWS RETURNED

I have an idea. Spend $80K (plus benefits and two weeks of vacation) a year and hire me. I will design, maintain and develop a database system that will help you be proactive and not responsive. Where shall I send my resume?

Brent

Brent is a Microsoft Certified Partner and works as a consultant for small and medium sized businesses in Chicago.

Today at the Armitage Brown Line stop workers were handing out a bunch of flyers about alternative bus service that will help during the impending three track disaster. The CTA is stating that travel times are expected to double which got me thinking about the economic comparison between taking a taxi or the Brown Line to the loop.

This graph compares how much you lose based on your hourly pay at the firm with travel times of 20, 30 and a horrible 40 minutes if the CTA performs that poorly when the three track system is implemented.

Depending on how much you make per hour, it may be worthwhile to take a cab to work. The shaded portion refects that one should take the Brown Line to the loop.

I have talked to a few Chads and the going rate for a cab to LaSalle and Adams is around $15 during rush periods and $20 in gridlock (including tip). Remember that indivuidal results may vary depending in the location within the Village.

9:13 AM. Waiting for Brown Line into the loop

9:14 AM. Southbound Red Line train goes into the tunnel

9:24 AM. Southbound Red Line train goes into the tunnel

9:25 AM. One CTA worker puts sand on the platform, another is using a hammer and nails to construct the future Armitage platform  while three stand around and talk about their cell phone plans.

9:29 AM. Southbound Brown Line arrives at Armitage.

Armitage station
5:10 PM
Waiting for a Brown Line or Purple Line north
Five Red Lines go south
Four Red Lines go north
Three Brown Lines go into the loop
CTA Chair Carole Brown gets driven to work

I have pretty much lost faith in the CTA with all the construction foolishness. Double the commute time for me to get into the loop? What? 30 minutes? Why don’t I just move to Naperville and drive to the loop.

Assume confines of standard Brown Line car.
 
Define:
D = Dumpy Passengers
A = Attractive Passengers
L = Lateness in the AM; L=0 at 07:30 AM.
 
Let %D + %A = 100%
 
At all values of L less than .25 hours, %A = 5%
As L approaches 1 hour, %A = 50%, the maximum value of the function
As L approaches 2 hours, %A approaches negative infinity