(Chicago television station CBS2 posted the following article on its website on March 19.)
CHICAGO — Metra is bracing for a possible influx of new riders because of the Dan Ryan Expressway reconstruction project.
But, even without them, the commuter rail agency’s ridership is up.
WBBM’s Bob Roberts reports ridership jumped 8.7 percent in January over year-ago levels.
Monthly ticket sales have not been so brisk since 2001.
Weekend ridership is up 30 percent.
Metra Planning Director Lynette Ciavarella said that doesn’t count riders who hoarded 10-ride tickets in late January because of last month’s fare increase.
Ten-ride ticket sales jumped 27 percent in January.
Ciavarella said that eclipses the 25 percent one-month jump in 1996 and the 18 percent jump four years ago.
“Based on this trend, we anticipate that the 10-ride tickets are going to return to their previous levels in about a month or two,” she said.
The 10-ride tickets purchased in the days before the fare increase will be good through January of next year.
Metra Deputy Executive Director Rick Tidwell said he is not sure what to expect when Ryan reconstruction hits full speed April 1.
Tidwell said past reconstruction projects on the Ryan, Stevenson, Kennedy and Edens expressways failed to produce any sizable increase in ridership.
But, Tidwell said, Metra has extra capacity on its Electric and Rock Island Districts in case motorists decide to switch.
Metra has retained 14 aging Electric District Highliner cars and 50 former Chicago & North Western bi-levels that had been scheduled for retirement to assure that additional seats will be available on the lines.
The same cannot be said of the South Shore Line service, operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.
Its 68-car fleet now is overcrowded during rush hours, and General Manager Gerald Hanas said no extra equipment is available.
South Shore ridership also is up sharply.
NICTD officials have inquired about the possibility of acquiring bi-level cars similar to the 26 cars just delivered to Metra for use on its Electric District trains.