Tough week for the CTA

Last week there was a delay as a result of a mechanical problem on the Loop elevated L tracks. This was right on the holiday and some people no doubt missed some fireworks. Then another delay not because of a mechanical problem but a suicide threat...

The incident began at about 9 p.m. in the 100 block of West Cermak Road, near the Cermak-Chinatown station, when a man threatened to jump from the viaduct, Fire Department spokesman Joe Roccasalva said. A CTA driver reported the man on the track, said Noelle Gaffney, CTA spokeswoman.

While police dealt with that threatened suicide, CTA cut power to the Red Line track between 13th and 27th Streets to keep the man from getting electrocuted.

The shutdown stopped a northbound train that had just left the Cermak-Chinatown station and was on an elevated track, and a southbound train that had just left the Roosevelt station and was coming out of a tunnel, Gaffney said.

CTA officials were notified about 45 minutes later that the man had been removed from the tracks.

But by that time, people had begun getting off the trains. So power remained off while CTA and fire officials combed the tracks looking for people who left the trains, Gaffney said. Some passengers remained on the trains, where power was restored at 11:07 p.m.

As people made their way off the trains, 12 ambulances took passengers to hospitals, Roccasalva said.

"There was shortness of breath in some of the passengers," Roccasalva said.

Gaffney said that "operators were instructed to open doors and windows to let air in."

The man who had threatened suicide was taken to Mercy Hospital, and police said Sunday that he had not been charged. No further information about him was released.

"It was hard to predict how long it was going to take," Gaffney said. "We've had situations before where there was an unauthorized person on the track, and police were able to clear it more quickly. In this case, it took a little longer than expected."

You know this is going to be a general transit news thread. There are a number of good stories and commentaries on these issues and to boot, I'll include a story that Pace might make on their system if Springfield doesn't bail them out. If you're a transit rider you should care about Pace or Metra cutting service because they're in the same boat as the CTA.

LINKS
Poor Huberman from Second City Cop
Fading service? from The Herald News
Chicago can't compete without good trains from The Sun-Times