Jul 05 2011 06:10 am

Posted by under July 5 Assignment

NYC and Chicago’s subway system are two of the oldest transit systems in America.  Compared to NYC’s subway system, the Chicago ‘L’ is less complex, composed of eight lines and connecting the outer counties to the commercial center of downtown Chicago.  NYC in the 20th century utilized technology and innovation to create a massive underground network that connects all five boroughs, while Chicago limited it’s transit system to eight lines, an elevated rail, and one connecting center called The Loop. The first Chicago ‘L’ s  first locomotive operated on June 6, 1892 when it departed 39th Street Station and arrived at Congress St. Terminal.  It’s drawback during the early years of operation was that none of the lines entered the city center but instead dropped everyone off at a subterminal where the majority of workers still had to walk to their jobs.  State regulations impeded the expansion of the subway system because property owners had to approve the expansion of elevated rails directing going into their neighborhood and over public streets.  After the development of the Loop (a center that connected the eight lines) and the introduction of an express line in the 1940’s, ridership and the efficiency of the rail increased.

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  1. amenaghawon.enoma on 06 Jul 2011 at 3:01 pm #

    Chicago L train system is complex. What is amazing is how different the Chicago and New York train system is. Chicago rails are elevated above the city while the New York subway is below the city. I like the irony between the two because both cities resemble each other.

  2. Kevin Persaud on 06 Jul 2011 at 9:51 pm #

    Although the Chicago train system might have been complex, I believe that the NYC subway system was still at its time more complex. NYC’s subway system had to deal with thousands of people coming into the system from all over the 5 boroughs. Which required many stops and different routes for different train. Even today NYC’s subway system is the most expansive and serves the most part. One of its greatest advantages over Chicago’s system was that it saw the need to take trains underground for more space during the mid to late 1800s.

  3. andrew.hahm on 06 Jul 2011 at 10:49 pm #

    It’s interesting how you posted the topic of subway systems of both chicago and NYC. I actually rode the Chicago “L” Train system and found that both NYC and Chicago train systems are both hectic in their own ways. I only got to ride it for a couple of stops but I certainly agree with Kevin on how NYC has a much more broader system than that of Chicago. This is true only because of the fact that NYC is a lot larger than Chicago. Not to mention that NYC train system is a lot older than that of Chicago’s “L”. This was certainly an interesting post as well as good photographs of the past.

  4. ml086070 on 10 Jul 2011 at 2:49 pm #

    Really and truly.. trains and subways systems are the best thing that men kind could have ever invented. I haven’t been in Chicago yet, but here in NYC you can basically go everywhere and anywhere within the 5 boroughs and beyond.
    The train system either above or below ground is a complex thing. Very useful in those times where people needed to leave the crowded cities and move to other towns for a better living.

  5. HuiLing Liang on 14 Jul 2011 at 11:54 am #

    I agree with all the comments above, the subway transit is the best thing that invented by men kind. The complexity is still an inevitable issue, but it is so true that it brought conviniency to the people to travel long distance and economize with affordable fare.