Circle Line Concept

Thanks to John for bringing up one of my favorite Chicago topics, the CTA and its future developments. We know this is a double edged sword given the recent block 37 super station debacle, but it’s still fun to dream. This brings us to the “Circle Line” concept, which was presented in 2002:

Does anyone have any links to more recent talks about the “Circle Line”? This plan addresses some things I think are very important:

1. Linking the northwest to the near north neighborhoods
2. Providing a much needed public transportation option at the United Center (the bus system is pretty horrible)
   

But the main thing it misses is access to the lake. This is tough, mainly because it would cost a ton of money, but it is one of the main criticisms of the current Chicago 2016 Olympic plan (not a clear explanation of how the public transportation would be linked to the water front and sporting venues). I’m working on a post that talks about this, so stay tuned.

But in the meantime does anyone have ideas on how to improve the “circle line” concept? What about creating access to the lake?