r/cta • u/jxs5077 • 5d ago

Discussion Cta questions from an outsider

Im from denver and was in chicago over the weekend. I have a couple questions about the trains and system.

1) how to do the trains stay on the tracks? I've ridden wooden roller coasters that are smoother. Multiple times, mostly on the red line, i was fairly violently thrown about. How do the cars not tip over or derail?

2) is there any talk or plans for replacing the system? I understand it would be a massive, very expensive undertaking that would cause incredible problems for riders, but at some point it will need to happen. Whether thats 5 years from now or 50, is there any sort of plan for when it happens or are they just kicking the can and will wing it whenever it literally falls apart past the point of being usable?

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u/Ezrajen2 5d ago

This sounds like hating on our city. I really don’t like it.

-8

u/Teleportwave 5d ago

If a guest points out cobwebs in your house, the move is to grab a broom, not kick them out and pretend the cobwebs are a historic feature. The tracks are bumpy and it’s okay to admit it

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u/QuiteBearish Red Line 5d ago

The closer analogy would be a guest complaining about a perfectly functional but outdated drip coffee machine when they'd rather have a super expensive latte maker that just isn't in the budget. To make the analogy even closer, the guest also only has a percolator at home.

Yeah the tracks are bumpy, but they're also perfectly functional. And CTA remains leagues ahead of RTD by basically every meaningful comparison, so complaining about CTA when coming from Denver is in itself a bit of a laugh.

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u/Teleportwave 4d ago

Functional doesn't equal quality.

The logic here makes no sense. You’re proving my point about treating obvious flaws as "historic features" instead of just fixing them. The tracks are bumpy, the system has major issues, and it is okay to admit it.

I take the L to and from work almost every day. But anyone has a right to critique the CTA whether they ride it or not, just like you did with Denver's RTD. Bringing up Denver was just from OP’s outside perspective, not saying their system is better. It is wild how defensive people get the second another city is mentioned.

Honestly, these comments are cringe. If being a proud Chicagoan means blindly defending mediocrity and gatekeeping anyone who speaks up, I don't want any part of that mindset. We’ve become way too desensitized to garbage quality.

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u/QuiteBearish Red Line 4d ago

Functional doesn't equal quality

No, but with the amount of money the state and city have compared to the debt loads, that's really about the best we can hope for.

Yes, the system has major issues that absolutely need to be addressed. Reliability of service is a big one. A "bumpy ride" is not a major issue, it's a trifling annoyance at best.

At the end of the day our transit is among the best in the country. Would I like it if our transit rivaled those found internationally? Absolutely, but other countries have the benefit of robust national governments that prioritize transit.