Commuter Newsletter, April 2009

BI-LEVELON THE

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Metra trains provided nearly 87million passenger trips last year tocommuters in the six-countyregion, the most annual riders inthe agency's 25-year history. The86.8 million trips represent thehighest number of rides providedby commuter rail in NortheasternIllinois in 40 years.Since dipping to 56.4 million

passenger trips in 1983, whenMetra was formed, the number ofcommuter rail riders in the regionhas jumped 54 percent, averaging2 percent growth per year.Compared to 2007, the previousannual system ridership record of83.3 million, Metra saw anincrease of 4.2 percent.It’s the third year in a row that

Metra set a ridership record.“We keep growing because we

provide safe, reliable service as analternative to road travel,” saidPhilip A. Pagano, Metra executivedirector. “The traveling public hasalso become more aware that rid-ing the train is considerablycheaper and faster than commut-ing by car on slow, congestedhighways. This surge in ridershiphighlights the need to continue tomaintain and expand our com-muter rail system.”Other major contributors to ris-

ing ridership include record highfuel prices and weekend serviceenhancements on two lines.Snowy weather last winter and inDecember was another factor,pushing some drivers to trains.Seven of the 10 highest rider-

ship months in Metra’s history

occurred last year, including July,the first month with more than 8million riders.The busiest route continues to

be the BNSF Railway, which saw17 million trips in 2008. That’s a4.3 percent increase from 2007.The two largest gains were on

the Union Pacific North line andthe North Central Service. TheUPNorth jumped 14.1 percent,providing 10.5 million rides, whilethe NCS went up 13.6 percent,providing 1.6 million rides.On other lines:- TheMilwaukee North saw a

10.9 percent increase to 7.8 mil-lion trips.- TheMilwaukee West line

increased 5.9 percent to 6.9 mil-lion rides.- SouthWest Service ridership

increased 5.7 percent to 2.5 mil-lion trips.- UP Northwest ridership

increased 4.7 percent to 10.6 mil-lion trips.- The UPWest line increased

3.1 percent to 8.1 million trips.- TheHeritage Corridor line

saw a 0.8 percent increase to746,000 trips.- Service on theMetra Electric

dropped 3.9 percent to 11.3 mil-lion trips, while Rock Islandtrains saw a 2.8 percent drop to9.6 million trips. Those decreasesare at least partly due to riders

shifting back to their cars in 2008after the November 2007 comple-tion of the Dan Ryan reconstruc-tion project. But those lines arestill above 2005 levels, the last fullyear before the construction proj-ect began.Metra’s on-time performance

for 2008 was 95.4 percent, a slightdrop from 2007. A significantnumber of delays were caused bylarger-than-normal passengerloads. Passenger loading account-ed for 13.5 percent of delays in2008, versus 11.9 percent in 2007.In addition, Metra had 683 weath-er-related delays in 2008, up fromthe average of 138 in the previousfive years.

Metra ridership sets record

Commuters who participate ina transit benefit program at theirjobs saw their benefits nearlydouble -- to $230 a month from$120 a month -- as part of thefiscal stimulus bill that waspassed by Congress and signedby President Obama.Employers can offer their

employees who commute a taxsavings benefit when they enrollin the RTA/CTATransit BenefitFare Program. This programenables employers to use pre-taxdollars to purchase either CTAfare cards or RTAFareCheckswhich are then distributed toemployees to cover the cost oftheir monthly commute. CTAfare cards can be used to pay forfares on both the CTA and Pace

while RTAFareChecks arevouchers that can be redeemedto purchase fare media on theCTA, Metra, Pace, the SouthShore Line, vanpool and on cer-tainAmtrak routes.The benefit can be used in

three ways:1) Employers can give work-

ers up to $230 a month to com-mute by mass transit or eligiblevanpool. The workers get themoney tax-free and the employ-er gets a tax deduction.2) Employers can allow

workers to use pre-tax income topay for transit or vanpools, up tothe $230 monthly limit. Workerssave money on federal and statetaxes, and employers save onpayroll costs.

3) Employers and workersshare the commuting costs withthe combined contribution not toexceed $230 a month..Check with your company to

see if it offers the transit pro-gram. For more info go towww.rtachicago.com.

As a BNSF rider it's veryfrustrating to spend my trip tothe train station listening to theradio, hearing multiple trafficreports that never mention anydelays on the BNSF (on multi-ple channels even), even thoughthere are delays on other Metralines mentioned, only to arrive atthe station, get out of my car,and hear the “voice in the sky”at the station announcing delays.I'm trying to figure out whetherMetra doesn't want to publicizeproblems on the BNSF, or if thestaff of the BNSF is that goodthat they can immediately deter-mine the length of a delay beforeit hits the radio and I happen toarrive at the station at the precisemoment that a problem happensevery single time it happens.What gives?

Greg

We know there have beenproblems on the BNSF this win-ter but a news blackout isn't one

of them. Information aboutdelays on that line is given outin the same manner and with thesame frequency as other lines.

Is there going to be a newstop at 35th Street from theRock Island line this year?

Tammy

Thanks to the federal stimulusprogram and the efforts of U.S.Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), thatproject is fully funded and workwill begin soon.

The paper had an article say-ing Metra is bidding for 10 newlocomotives. I read in the lastissue of OTBL that Metra hadno funding. Has this changed?

Kyle

No change. To speed thingsup, we started the biddingprocess even though we don’t yet

have funding. We’re hopeful theLegislature will come through intime.

Will the increase in train traf-fic on the EJ&E crossing the UPWest tracks have an affect oncommuter trains? Will there bedelays, change in schedule?

Don

We had expressed fears to theSurface Transportation Board,the agency that ultimatelyapproved the deal, that extratraffic on the EJ&E line couldpotentially expose Metra trainsto delays, particularly at acrossing in West Chicago, wherethe increased operations leavelittle room for error. STB, how-ever, concluded CN could usethe EJ&E without adverselyaffecting Metra. CN has agreedto continue to give priority topassenger trains over freighttrains at those crossings. Therewon’t be any schedule changes.

A news blackout?

It’s just optimism

35th St. stop comingEJ&E impact

2 ON THE BI-LEVEL

SS OO UU NN DD II NN GG BB OO AA RR DDG o t a q u e s t i o n , w e ’ v e g o t a n a n s w e r

Board of Directors

Carole R. DorisChairmanDuPage County

Lonnie W. Hill Vice ChairmanCook County

Larry HugginsTreasurerChicago

Arlene MulderSecretarySuburban Cook County

Jim DodgeDirectorSuburban Cook County

James C. LaBelleDirectorLake County

Edward W. PaeselDirector Suburban Cook County

Michael SmithDirectorWill County

Jack SchafferDirectorMcHenry County

Caryl J. Van OvermeirenDirectorKane County

William A. Widmer III DirectorSuburban Cook County

Philip A. PaganoExecutive Director

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Published by Metra’s MediaRelations Department. Send let-ters, questions or feedback toOn the Bi-Level, Metra, 547 W.Jackson, Chicago IL, 60661-5717.Or e-mail onthebilevel@metrarr.com.We can’t guarantee all letters

will be printed or answered.Please keep letters to less than200 words and include your firstname, hometown and what lineyou ride. (Names are not requiredbut strongly encouraged.) Wereserve the right to edit letters forlength and grammar.

ON THE BI-LEVEL

Crossword solution

Tax benefit for transit increases

To all the North Central rid-ers who use the bathrooms inthe Buffalo Grove station: becareful if you use them whenthe sun is shining on the win-dows because you can seeEVERYTHING. The personpicking me up pointed that out.She got quite a show while shewas waiting for my train.

Pam

OK, everyone, consideryourselves warned.

An incident last summerreminded me there are goodpeople in the world. I was care-less one day and left my month-ly pass at home. I boarded atPark Ridge and it was an expresstrain to Clybourn. The conductorasked for my pass and I realizedI didn't have it. To my horror, Irealized I didn't have my walleteither. I was certain the conduc-tor would ask me to get off thetrain at Clybourn. But a nicewoman who also got on at ParkRidge caught on to my predica-ment and let the conductorpunch an extra ride on her 10-ride card. So, to that very nicewoman I'd like to say “Thankyou.” I now carry an extra 10-ride card in addition to mymonthly. It's yours wheneveryou need a ride.

Tim

It’s always nice to be therecipient of a random act ofkindness. Your letter helps bal-ance all those gripes from rid-ers about other riders...

Many of us downtownNaperville riders have signifi-cant difficulty trying to safelyexit at our stop due to manyRoute 59 riders blocking thedoors and aisles as they try toposition themselves for anearly exit. I understand whattheir objective is but theycause great difficulty for usdowntown Naperville riders.There is no attempt by theconductors to make announce-ments to not block the aisles.Why is there NO enforcementor mention to these Route 59riders?

Bob

We can’t tell you how manycomplaints we get about thisissue, on this line and everyother. Look, the people liningup early know they’re inconve-niencing others. They knowthey should wait. They knowthey’re being rude. But thatherd mentality clicks in andoverrides everything else.Conductors do makeannouncements, and we at Onthe Bi-Level have addressedthis issue many, many times.But it seems the me-firstersdon’t listen, don’t read, anddon’t care.

They say a picture is worth1,000 words, and the attachedis what were subjected to onSouthWest Service train #827in February, on the second carback from the engine. This

man (he cannot be called agentleman, as a gentlemanwould never do this), proceed-ed to take his shoes and socksoff and stick his bare footbetween the seat back and bot-tom of the seat in front of him!Unreal to think he did this in

the middle of winter. I do notwant to think what he willremove on the train in the mid-dle of summer!

Joanne

Really? This is inappropri-ate behavior? Doesn’t every-one love stinky feet?

I have been talking Metra foryears. I can pretty much tuneeverything out (jacking up theiPod helps).What I can-

not stand is thedisgustinghabit peoplehave of cuttingtheir fingernailson the train. Inaddition tosounding likefingers on ablackboard, it is unsanitary anddisrespectful. Wake up people,Metra is not your garbage can.Do this at home!

Kate

Common sense tells us thatthis behavior is not appropri-ate. But sometimes sense is notso common after all.

Some people on Metra needto loosen up when other passen-gers talk on their cell phones.I've been riding Metra every dayfor over a year, and have usedMetra countless times beforethen. In that time, there maybehas been three or four incidentswhere someone was talking ontheir phone in a loud and disrup-tive fashion which truly annoyedme. Most people talk so quietly,I cannot hear what they are say-ing. If I can hear, I swear theyare some of the most boring con-versations I've ever overheard.The average time passengersprobably spend on their phonesis about 2.7 minutes I'd say. Sowhy do so many people makesuch a big deal about a whis-pered three-minute conversa-tion? The common occurrenceon Metra that I feel is impolitewhich gets overlooked is eatingon the train. Food can reallystink up an entire car. A lot oftimes, the smell is very unpleas-ant. Other times, it just makesme hungry. I think the dated signin cars about being courteouswhile talking on your phone

should be replaced byone that addresses eat-ing while riding.

Brian

Most riders wouldprobably agree thatmost cell phone callsare innocuous and notannoying. But it’s that

small number of loud, obnox-ious you-do-realize-we-all-can-hear-you-don’t-you? calls thatwe all remember. It’s the sameway with food: most of thetime it’s not a big deal, butthere’s always someone whotakes things too far. (And does-n’t clean up after themselves.)

APRIL 2009 3

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SOUND OFF SOUND OFF “...setting new standards of thoughtlessness, grouchiness, pettiness, elitism and self-absorption.”

-Chicago Sun-Times, June 12, 1994

Restroom warning

A helpful hand

Like this one

Or this one

Or even this one

Or this one

4 APRIL 2009ON THE BI-LEVEL

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Across1. Cut ties6. Bogus10. Allows14. Upper-crust15. Christen16. Hero17. Vote for18. Field19. Monster20. Misleading fish?22. Requirement23. Texting guffaw24. Paramedic service26. __ with (pile on)30. Far-seeing avian

pupil?35. Groups of three36. Usage fee37. Shades38. Sprawled like _ __

doll (floppy)39. Table lace40. "I smell _ __"

(suspicious)41. Strega ___

(children's book)42. Charged atoms43. Writing44. Waterfowl's final

act?46. Family symbols

47. M.D.48. Frazier or Biden49. Grating52. Consuming a

humiliating avian meal?

59. Sandwich cookie60. Resident of Belgrade61. Scent62. Legal claim63. One of the Great

Lakes64. Thought65. Swirl66. Soaks up67. North suburban expressway

Down1. Wizard2. Women's magazine3. Competed4. Scratch5. Says again6. Growl7. Mata ___8. Prayer ender9. Frugally10. Simba’s cut?11. Brink12. Ripped13. Iditarod transport21. Fish eggs

26. Musial and Lee27. Pointer28. Goddess of the hunt29. Show with Lassie

and Pokey?30. Spring sound31. Evils32. French currency33. Bread ingredient34. Melrose Place, 90210 actor Rob ___

36. Warner Bros. creation

39. Religious subdivisions

43. Before the Super Bowl

45. Picard's command: “Make it ___”

46. Criminal48. Agrees49. Part50. Dry51. Plant53. Relating to aircraft54. Journey55. Dirt56. Sweet-smelling

flower57. Sign58. Used pieces of gum

Crossword

Solution on Page 2

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ships for On the Bi-Level, one of the industry's most-read commuter newsletters. Our surveys show our rid-ers value commuter rail's ability to remove stress fromtheir lives with reliable, cost-effective service. Byadvertising in OTBL, you'll be able to reach a broadspectrum of the region's savviest consumers.

Metra riders by the numbers:!More than 60 percent have annual household incomes exceeding $75,000

! 37 percent are college graduates! 17 percent are under 30 years of age and 23 percent are 30 to 39.

Why do they ride?! 81 percent say it cuts their stress and gives themtime to relax

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If these numbers add up to you, consider advertisingin On the Bi-Level. For information, e-mail us atonthebilevel@metrarr.com

Metra's SouthWest Service linebegan operating on Saturdays onMarch 21, giving residents of theSouth Side and south suburbs analternative to driving when theywant to enjoy shopping, culturalevents and recreational activitiesin downtown Chicago.Three trains leave Manhattan

for Union Station at 6:15 a.m., 11a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Saturdays,and three trains make the returntrip from Union Station toManhattan at 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m.and 10:30 p.m. Metra also expanded weekday

service on the line starting March23. Train #815, which used to runfrom Union Station to 179th St.in Orland Park, and #830, whichmade the return trip from 179thto Union Station, now serve thelast two stations on the line,Laraway Road in New Lenoxand Manhattan. The change means riders who

use those last two stops to com-

mute to Chicago in the morningdon’t have to wait until 5 p.m. toboard a train that can take themhome. Instead, they can now taketrain #815, which leaves UnionStation at 12:35 p.m. and arrivesat Laraway Road at 1:46 p.m.and at Manhattan at 1:57 p.m.The train arrives at 179th St. at1:36 p.m, three minutes earlierthan the old schedule, but theother scheduled stops for thattrain did not change.However, riders of #830

should note that there werechanges to the scheduled stopsfor that train. It used to leave179th St. at 1:58 p.m. and arrivedowntown at 3:01 p.m. Under thenew schedule, it leavesManhattan at 2:25 p.m. andLaraway Road at 2:33 p.m., hit-ting 179th St. and the rest of theinbound stops about 45 minuteslater than the old schedule. Itarrives at Union Station at 3:48p.m.

Saturday trains arrive onSouthWest Service line