Metra workers are lighting up heaters designed to prevent train equipment from malfunctioning, making the tracks look ablaze with fire.
In a spectacular but functional annual ritual, Chicago transit workers are lighting small fires along the city’s train tracks to “help fuel gas-powered heaters at different points along the tracks, especially near switches.”
The heaters melt ice on the tracks which could impede the functionality of switches and other equipment. “That ice can not only cause wheel slippage on rails, but can also cause switches to operate more slowly or to even stop working altogether, causing extensive delays for trains that are awaiting switch clearance to get routed onto their proper tracks.”
Read the full story: Here's why Metra workers light fires on tracks during cold weather
The Vast Majority of Riders Suspended by Chicago Transit Agencies are Black or Latino
The agencies are allowed to ban riders who are accused of violent or threatening behavior.
Chicago Transit Agencies on Brink of Major Crisis
Without additional funding, regional transit agencies will be forced to cut services by 40 percent.
Chicago Transit Faces Severe Service Cuts
Metra officials warn the agency could cut service by as much as 40 percent to make up for a massive budget shortfall.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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