How Much Will the Metra Fare Hike Cost You?

Metra's board voted to drop the discount on its 10-ride ticket.

Folks who ride the Metra regularly may now have to shell out an extra few bucks for every 10th trip. That's because the Metra board of directors voted 8-2 on Nov. 16 to raise the cost of a 10-ride ticket. The new 10-ride ticket would cost the same as 10 individual tickets. In the past, the discounted fare only charged the equivalent of nine rides. The increased fare would go into effect Feb. 1, and 10-Ride tickets purchased Nov. 17 through Jan. 31 would be valid only through Feb. 28, according to the Metra website. Even though the measure was passed by the board, the fare increase cannot legally be adopted until Metra holds a meeting for public comment. These public hearings will be held simultaneously at eight Chicagoland locations from 4…

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About Town

New Crew Serves Coffee, Fresh-Baked Pastries at Central Street Metra

Opinion columnist Christine Wolf interviews three friends who have "re-opened" a beloved top-of-the-tracks commuter restaurant at the Central Street Metra Station.

When I first moved to Evanston in 1997, I made a daily commute to and from my office in Chicago on the Metra line. It wasn’t a long commute from the Davis Street station to the city, but it felt like a grind, especially since I was pregnant. Now that I write from my home, however, I’m envious of the Metra morning commuters traveling from Evanston’s Central Street Station, where Upstairs Café just opened. Evanston residents and friends Elizabeth Hubbard, Gail Doeff, and Shelley Patterson opened Upstairs Café on Nov. 5, 2012. They bought the business from Mary Lou Smith and her husband, Bill, who’d owned and operated the cafe as Top of the Tracks for 24 years. I stopped by the new place on the third day of business to sample the baked goods …

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Christine Wolf

9:35 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Oh dear! Did I spell Shelley's name wrong????   more ›

New Viaducts Top Concern For Metra in Evanston

Metra CEO Alex Clifford and other top officials from the transit agency held a meeting in Evanston Wednesday to gather public input on the agency’s strategic plan going forward.

With the CTA’s brand new viaducts now in place in Evanston, the flaking paint and rust of their counterparts on the Metra line makes for a stark contrast. At a meeting Metra held Wednesday to gather public input on its strategic plan, officials said new viaducts were the No. 1 request they heard for Metra in Evanston.  “They’re structurally sound,” CEO Alex Clifford told Patch, explaining that the agency inspects them twice as often as is required.  But, he acknowledged, “They’re not pretty.” Wednesday’s meeting was one in a series Metra is holding around the suburbs and in the city this summer, to find out how riders want the agency to spend its limited capital. In order to keep trains running safely in a “state of good repair,” the …

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What Can Metra Do Better in Evanston?

The commuter rail system will be holding a public input session in Evanston this Wednesday.

Evanston residents have the opportunity to share their opinions on Metra service this Wednesday, when the agency holds a public input meeting. As part of its effort to develop a strategic plan, Metra will be holding a series of meetings throughout the suburbs this summer. The open houses are designed to gather feedback on Metra's mission and values, according to the agency's website. "In this time of limited transportation funding, it is especially important that our plans accurately consider the projects and direction desired by the public and key stakeholders," reads a statement about the open houses on the agency's website. Regional rail commuters from around the north suburbs are invited to the open house in Evanston, which takes place…

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Bed Bugs on Your Commute? In Your Garage Sale Purchase? Stay Vigilant

Chicago ranked second last year for bed bug infestations. Experts attribute the rise to global travel; more garage sale and thrift store exchanges; and increased visits between homes and public spaces.

Bed bugs, according to their name, ought to be relegated to mattress pads and box springs. But alas, because there is a spike in bed bugs across the country, the opportunities to bring home the blood-sucking insects are increasingly prevalent on public transportation. "They are transported through public transportation," said Curt Colwell, an etymologist at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) in Springfield. "They move from buses to planes to trains to taxis. It's pretty common." Bed bugs, which are about the size of a dog tick, are human pests that go through five stages of life and require human blood for each phase, according to Randy Allen, regional manager of Wil-Kil Pest Control, a pest management company that serves the …

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Metra's Fare Hikes Now in Effect

Fares are increasing by as much as 35 percent.

Metra's new fare increases went into effect today, increasing the average ticket by 25 percent, though some tickets will go up 35 percent. The Daily Northwestern broke down the impact on Evanston residents: "Evanston lies in the C zone on the Metra system. The cost of a one-way ticket from this zone to downtown Chicago increased from $3.50 to $4.25. Ten-ride fares jumped from $28.50 to $38.25, and the cost of a monthly pass increased 33 percent from $90.45 to $121." How onerous are these increases for you? Are you changing up your communiting routine because of the steeper rates? Let us know in the comments section.

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Mass Transit Commuter Tax Break to Decrease in New Year

Mass Transit Commuter Tax Break to Decrease in New Year

Metra Strike Averted

Had there been a strike, most Metra trains would not run next week.

About Town

Rediscovering My Surroundings

Taking a fresh look at happenings in and around Evanston.

What’s nice about living in a town like Evanston is, there’s always something new and interesting going on.  Sometimes it’s right here in town, and sometimes it’s just around the corner. On Sunday, my husband and I took the kids to a concert at Ravinia, where Rufus Wainwright played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  If you haven’t heard of Rufus Wainwright, here’s a Youtube video of him singing his version of Hallelujah. I hadn’t appreciated the singer/songwriter’s talents until a few years ago when my Evanston friend, the writer Jill Schacter, was over for dinner.  We’d asked her what kind of music she liked, and when she said, “Rufus Wainwright,” we plugged his name into Pandora.  Since that evening, Rufus Wainwright has been a …

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Quinn Approves Universal Fare Card for RTA, Metra and Pace

Chicagoland commuters should have a more seamless way to use the three transit agencies by 2015.

A universal fare card system for RTA, Metra and Pace transportation systems was signed into legislation by Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday, according to the Chicago Daily Herald. The bill will "allow riders to use credit or debit cards or prepaid cards on all transit systems effective Jan. 1, 2015." "This is 21st century transit reform," Quinn said during the signing ceremony, according to The Chicago Tribune. “Now it's the law and everyone will work toward that date,” RTA deputy executive director of communications Diane Palmer told the Herald. “This is obviously a key priority for the RTA.” Additionally, the law calls for Metra to create a train tracking system that is similar to the Chicago Transit Authorities' Bus and Train Tracker programs, …

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