Why We Oppose the Brown Line Flyover at Belmont:
Keep CTA’s RPM (Red & Purple Modernization) Project on Track. It’s time to replace dangerous 100+-year-old CTA tracks, overpasses, supports and outdated stations to enhance safety and speed. But Drop the Added-On Flyover. The CTA plans to build a “bypass” flyover track for the northbound Brown Line train to end the delay caused when Red or Purple L
ine trains wait for the Brown Line train to cross over their tracks. Presented to the public and the federal government by the CTA with false statements and intentionally misleading illustrations, this “signature project” add-on to the RPM will waste $millions in taxpayer funding and destroy Central Lakeview. The Brown Line Flyover Is NOT Needed.
20-30 seconds. That’s the delay when a Brown Line train reaches the Belmont station at the same time as a Red or Purple Line train. Not ‘up to 4 minutes’ or even ’84 seconds average’, the “findings” Rahm & the CTA presented when announcing the Flyover plan. Ask any rider. Time it yourself. The Flyover Will Destroy Central Lakeview & Clark Street. The Flyover will swing high – 60+ft. to the top of the train – over Central Lakeview, turning a large portion of this thriving restaurant, shopping, business district into a permanent under-El wasteland. 16-20 commercial and residential properties, some historic, will be demolished. Businesses left standing will face empty space, soaring El supports, an overhead train. Don’t Let Them Waste $320+ Millions in Taxpayer Money. Especially when the North Side Lakefront served by Red Line already has by far the best public transit service in the city. Instead, spend on South Side transit service. Add handicap access across the system. Fix all the parts that have been neglected. Who Benefits? Not CTA Riders, Not Chicago, Not You!
