From the Archives: The Orange Line to Midway
This video was produced in 1993 to promote CTA's new Orange Line to Midway line and highlighted the new service and its new fare system.
The Orange Line is the most recent line to be built from scratch, opening on October 31, 1993, and was the first 'L' line to open with a color name. It also had several other firsts, including being the first line to have all ADA-accessible stations, the first non-shuttle service to be run with one-person train operation, and in acknowledgment of the lower density of some of its neighborhoods and the auto-centric society of the end of the 20th century, was the first to have park'n'ride lots at most stations. With the extension of the ‘L’ to Midway Airport, Chicago became one of the few cities in the world to have rail transit service to two airports.
The Midway branch also was the first line to have all of its stations operate on an “exact fare” system. Stations were equipped with modern turnstiles, all of which were equipped with magnetic stripe card readers used by passes at the time. Paying per ride, they required exact change or tokens, even if you paid at the booth. Station staff were no longer Ticket Agents, but rather Transit Assistants - they no longer accepted cash fares and would not make change. Their only role in fare collection was to validate reduced fare and (non-magnetic stripe) unlimited ride pass riders and punch transfers. Token vending machines were provided at all stations. The exact fare system was designed to reduce staffing requirements and allow station staff to spend more time answering questions and providing customer assistance rather than handling and counting money. The exact fare system mirrored what has been in place on CTA buses since 1969, and the streamlined fare collection procedures were a transitional step toward the automated fare collection (AFC) system, with its mag stripe Transit Cards, rolled out just a few years later.
The Orange Line serves several points of interest, including Midway Airport, Art Institute of Chicago, the Board of Trade, Chicago Cultural Center, City Hall/County Building, Daley Center, Museum Campus, Soldier Field, and Thompson Center.
CTA's Ride the Rails: Orange Line in Real Time: • CTA Ride the Rails: Or...
CTA's Ride the Rails: Orange Line Time-lapse: • CTA Ride the Rails: Or...
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I like the automated station announcements we have on the trains and buses now. The operator doesn't have to remember to do them, and they are clearer than when the operator gets on the microphone.
@Minelaughter
Жыл бұрын
It was probably really difficult especially for Blue, Red, or Green line Operators because those have the most stops
@jeopardy60611
Жыл бұрын
@@Minelaughter all you needed was a simple cheat sheet.
The dude with the white Miami jacket just keeps walking back and forth through the turnstile like in the beginning out of the station and then back in, during the reduced fare scene
@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79
2 жыл бұрын
That was a Starter Pullover Jacket. People were getting robbed for their Starter Jackets back then in Chicago.
@Minelaughter
Жыл бұрын
Most likely wanted to transfer to a bus, then realized when there was no buses, he went back on the train and took a different route.
Midway has changed in the past 23 years
@jazielreacts3998
4 жыл бұрын
Oh ok idk beacs i was born u years ago
Wow, how things have really changed since then. Awesome!!
I remember this clearly. I was ending my freshman year in high school in ‘93.
This is so complex, thanks for Ventra. But why couldn’t I chose to pay with 150 pennies? And those trains don’t even run in the orange line nor only on it.
@fnihp30
3 жыл бұрын
Didn’t seem complexed back in the day. It was an improvement from using the ticket agents, where there used to be lines.
@jazielreacts3998
3 жыл бұрын
The 2600 series is still on the orange line the orange line is 1 of the three lines that still use the 2600 series
@AVeryRandomPerson
2 жыл бұрын
The 3200 Series were used on the Orange Line until 2014
its strange how those "passengers" look so coordinated during the presentation.
@omarmolina0501
6 жыл бұрын
DeviousRage28 Ha yeah
@iwouldliketoorderanumber1b79
2 жыл бұрын
Because they are already use to doing it on a daily bases.
@Minelaughter
Жыл бұрын
Of course. They have places to be and they wouldn't want to act crazy when CTA employees and security are watching them, especially at an airport
Aaaaaand New York's MTA is still using those mag stripe cards.
@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife
5 жыл бұрын
Mag swipe? CTA has like a boop-and-go thing called Ventra. I'd assume it's all magnetic based but Ventra is just connected to your bank account. No idea how MTA does it but Ventra works with all CTA and RTA transit lines (Pace Buses, Metra Rail, L Trains, CTA Buses, Divvy Bikes)
@brianreed31
5 жыл бұрын
Mta is phasing in Omny the next 4 years
@jazielreacts3998
3 жыл бұрын
@@scenicdepictionsofchicagolife mta uses the stripe card called metrocard but the MTA is planning to retire the metrocard and use a boop and go thing its called omny btw metrocard is ending 2021
@videonut1988
3 жыл бұрын
@@jazielreacts3998, 2023. OMNY physical cards for riders who don’t have advanced phones will come in ‘21.
Man to think I was only a toddler moving to Cincinnati at this time how the time flys.
These turnstiles are still used in Cleveland and Detroit, and were used on SEPTA until 2 years ago.
@videonut1988
3 жыл бұрын
I notic- wait RTA had the same turnstiles?
@ctanut5328
3 жыл бұрын
@@videonut1988 Yes
Whatever faults this or any other CTA rapid transit lines have today, they are LIGHT YEARS ahead of the way they were in the 1970's!
It's amazing how they had tokens back then. I think they should bring them back again, just saying. CTA always do a good job in transportation.
@atomstarfireproductions8695
3 жыл бұрын
Coins and tokens are probably not coming back because it add tasks that employees need to do: empty the turnstiles, fix jammed coin mechanisms, refill the vending machines with tokens, etc. If you need to pay with cash, put it in your Ventra card or buy a ticket.
@alvinmccranie6978
3 жыл бұрын
atom starfire productions Agreed! The modern buses, at least the ones I ride on still have the coin machine. Mainly the New Flyers.
@atomstarfireproductions8695
3 жыл бұрын
Alvin McCranie it’s probably because you can’t buy single ride bus tickets nor can you add value to Ventra cards on buses, so that is why coins are still accepted on buses.
@Acidlib
Жыл бұрын
I remember riding the el for the first time when they still had flimsy single fare cards that you had to manually swipe when I used the Ashland stop on the pink line in July of ‘09. I was so confused when I came back a year and a half later and everything was contactless reloadable “ventra” cards lol
nice throwback
Man that Hurricanes jacket is 🔥
this video looks like how kmart smells like
Aaaaand we are still using the same trains from 1993.
@LSM_Lover
5 жыл бұрын
That's normal... they can't get new trains every 10 years!! There expensive!
@bsteven885
4 жыл бұрын
Not anymore! CTA needed more trains on the Blue Line after they took away trains that were NOT accessible. The 3200 Series trains from '93 were moved to the Blue & Brown Lines, while 2600 Series trains (built in the 70s) went to the Orange Line. Can't wait until either the 3200s come back OR the new 7000 Series come in the next few years.
@stevelawrence7585
4 жыл бұрын
B Steven the 2600 series cars were built in 1981.
@fnihp30
3 жыл бұрын
I didn’t realized this till now. The silver trains are still sleek and modern-looking.
@jazielreacts3998
3 жыл бұрын
@@bsteven885 2600 series is still on the brown and blue
The turnstile segment is long obsolete thanks to Ventra, still interesting to watch.
I wished that the 3200s r still there, Blue couldn’t share
cta had the same turnstiles as SEPTA used to have and now they got the same turnstiles like NYCTA has...
Swipe the thing now new york uses the swipe thing and the cta uses tap new york is preparing to retire yhe metrocard and make you tap they said it will happen by 2021
just hop over it
@jaywad8876
5 жыл бұрын
And _that_ would be theft, for sure.
@jazielreacts3998
3 жыл бұрын
If your under 7 and you have a adult with youyou can go for free just go under the turnstile if your a adult you cant go under or over it you will just hurt your head
Have trains without conductors is stupid this is not a light rail line
@MrOinkingPig
Жыл бұрын
Are you okay?
@horny99845
Жыл бұрын
Have u seen the accident on the Boston Orange line where a passenger jump out of the train by the window into the river? That line don’t have conductors either No I’m not ok