The Economist: stealing Smiff's act

Expect delays

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced in April that a construction project will cause delays on three rail lines, from now until 2009. As the CTA works to expand capacity on the Brown line, which runs between downtown and the north-west side, it is taking certain tracks out of service, to reconfigure them and rebuild their platforms. The construction will interfere with the Brown, Purple and Red lines, which together serve 185,000 people each day. CTA officials have said that trips on these lines could take up to twice as long as usual, and have recommended that commuters take buses or find alternative routes. The city has hired more bus drivers, anticipating an imminent increase in passengers. Grumpy commuters may or may not be soothed by the promise that, when the expansion is complete, they will enjoy modernised stations and longer trains.