We’ve seen a lot of posts on social media and other outlets about how the train line that would
host the Crosstown Trail should be used for mass transit, specifically for light rail or an L
extension.
We here at Crosstown Trail HQ hear you. Not only that, we completely agree. Chicago is the
hub of US railroading infrastructure, we have miles of under-used and abandoned rail right-of-
ways that would make for a world-class mass transit system, something the US hasn’t seen in a
century.
If this were a possibility in the near future, or even within a generation from now, the Friends of
the Crosstown Trail would become the Friends of the Crosstown Railroad. Unfortunately for
Chicago rail fans, there is no scenario where the economics, demographics, tastes, and public
appetite justify the buildout of a North-South transit line in the parts of the city that the
Crosstown Trail line goes through.
Here we’ll break down the five big reasons why this piece of land will not become a transit line
within our lifetimes, but also how The Friends of the Crosstown Trail can keep the mass transit
dream alive.
1. The City Already Looked at the Crosstown as a Mass
Transit Line (Twice Actually) and Said No (Both Times)
In 1998 the Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) created a document called Destination
2020, which brought up the idea of using the Beltway railroad embankment (i.e., the proposed
Crosstown Trail route) and other lines to create a corridor that would connect the outer
neighborhoods to each other and connect O’hare Airport to Midway. While many topics in the
document became real, there wasn’t enough appetite for a new line near the western edge of
the city. Read the study here: https://cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020_plan_1997.pdf
Then, in 2002 Mayor Richard M. Daley looked at the corridor for the Mid-City Transitway
Feasibility Study, but passed on it for reasons that we’ll get into down the page.
And for honorable mention, As part of the 2016 Olympic bid then Mayor Emanuel’s Circle Line
Alternatives Analysis looked at the possibility of building a route around the city that would
connect all the other major transit lines – though it would have run east of the proposed
Crosstown Trail. When Chicago got knocked out of the Olympic bidding process in the first
round, the circle line fizzled. The study’s website is currently down but here is the public
comment record: https://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/6/CirResp200606.pdf
2. There’s Already a Data-Backed Transit Plan for The Area
Since the pandemic, train ridership has struggled to return to it’s peak. Work from home and
other changes to our daily habits depressed L-train and Metra numbers. In this environment it’s
hard to sell a new train line. But know what mode is seeing a resurgence? Buses. A bus is
cheaper, more adaptable, and serves more stops than a train, which is part of the reason why
the CTA and CDOT created the Better Streets for Buses Plan
https://www.transitchicago.com/betterstreetsforbuses/. They chose the Pulaski Corridor, which
runs just east of the proposed Crosstown Trail, to study the feasibility of a Bus Rapid Transit
line. Unlike a train, this could be deployed within a year and cost a little more than the price of
paint, and there’s already proven demand from ridership of the existing buses in the area.
3. The Price Tag. Woof.
Let’s first look at turning the proposed Crosstown Trail line into an L. If we use the current Red
Line extension as our reference point, we’re looking at one billion dollars per mile. The distance
between O’hare and Midway, using the Beltway railroad and other railways, is about twenty-two
miles.
So 22 billion dollars.
To put that in perspective, that’s about ten times the annual CTA budget. In fact, Chicago’s total
operating budget for 2026 is less than $17 billion.
And keep in mind, this plan would essentially serve inter-airport travelers, who by definition are
just passing through Chicago, not contributing to its tax base in any meaningful way.
I can’t get the price for a Metra line, but it wouldn’t be cheap, especially because the line
effectively terminates around Foster Ave. While it could continue on to the northern suburbs,
why? There isn’t a ton of demand for direct service from Skokie to Midway. And while it may
seem like a convenience on paper, the next point will undermine even that.
4. The south side railways are in heavy freight use
Just like the Bloomingdale Trail (AKA The 606) the proposed Crosstown Trail route involves an
active rail line that serves a single client. Part of the Crosstown Trail proposal includes providing
funding so that the client can improve their truck facilities. But the rails just south of where The
Crosstown Trail and the Bloomingdale Trail terminates is one of the nation’s busiest freight train
corridors. While a commuter line could curve here to connect with existing Metra lines, that
would be pointless since Metra’s Milwaukee District North line already does that while also
serving the same areas as the Crosstown Trail. If it continued south to Midway the line not only
has to intersect busy east-west lines, but has to share the railroad with freight, who usually get
signal priority. That means a potential commuter going from Irving Park to Midway might have to
wait an extra hour for signal clearance, when they could have taken the route by bus or Blue-
Orange line and gotten there just as fast.
5. Induced Demand vs Current State
Right now there aren’t a lot of neighbors on Chicago’s northwest side asking for a new train line
to go through their community. Any major rail infrastructure project would require a
comprehensive communication plan, litigation, and heavy financial compensation, or face the
same outrage that the failed Crosstown Expressway
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosstown_Expressway_(Chicago) succumbed to. The idea
motivating a lot of rail boosters is that if there was a fast, reliable rail line in the area, more people and businesses would frequent the communities along the corridor, leading to a more
vibrant city. This is speculation and it tramples over the prerogatives of many neighbors who do
not want to live next to another rail corridor. The Friends of the Crosstown Trail is a community-
based organization and we actively solicit and listen to feedback from the people who’s lives will
be most affected by the potential trail. We wouldn’t push for it if the community at-large showed
no interest or opposed our work. If there was massive community support to re-activate the
Beltway railroad for commuter rail, we would pivot, but that’s simply not what we’re hearing from
the people who live by us.
As a parting handshake to the die-hard rail enthusiasts who don’t want to give up on the
potential Beltway commuter rail, I have good news. The Crosstown Trail proposal follows the rail
banking rules in the Rails to Trails Act https://www.railstotrails.org/trail-building-
toolbox/railbanking/. This means that the rail interests get to maintain ownership of the Beltway
line, and they can request it back for re-activation whenever they want. In practical terms, if
there is a prolonged surge in freight or commuter rail needs along the corridor, the Crosstown
trail will preserve the rail bed and right-of-way from any commercial or private land claims. The
proposed Crosstown Trail is as much a part of our nation’s rail heritage as it is a bicycle and
walking project.