Articles filed under Pyke, Marni

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Why gas prices in suburbs are so high right nowMay 13, 2013 12:00 AM
It's hard to tell what's more painful these days, a poke in the eye or filling up your gas tank. We talk to experts who explain why northeast Illinois is in the gas-price doghouse and predict if we'll ever get out. Cook and the collar counties take a hit because the Clean Air Act requires areas with high smog levels (that's us) to use reformulated gasoline, which burns more cleanly.
Do Metra photo ops require PR consultants? Apr 15, 2013 12:00 AM
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive or a negative newspaper article, Metra's hired PR guns can spin a story in a positive direction that makes the agency look good. But is it worth thousands of dollars? When did the focus switch from running trains on time to image?
CTA, Pace face learning curve on joint fare cards Apr 8, 2013 12:00 AM
What will Pace and the CTA's new Ventra card mean for suburban commuters? The move's drawn fire from some Chicago commuters but officials say it should ease travel for riders switching between the systems. The jury's still out on what it means for Metra riders who transfer to CTA from Union or Ogilvie stations.
Suburbs, O’Hare mark 50-year milestone Apr 1, 2013 12:00 AM
It's O'Hare's 50th anniversary. And although it's considered a Chicago institution, the mighty airport is interconnected with the suburbs as a source of pride and irritation; of economic growth and of encroachment on surrounding towns. Airport Commissioner Rosie Andolino and local leaders talk about what's next for this transportation icon.
Readers fix traffic hazards, swap distracted driving tales Mar 25, 2013 12:00 AM
Readers are in the driver's seat in this week's In Transit column. Solving traffic problems. Taking sides on distracted driving legislation. Weighing in about knives on planes. Plus O'Hare's birthday, drug-sniffing dogs and where the gridlock will be this week.
Are knives on planes safe? Move stirs 9/11 memoriesMar 18, 2013 12:00 AM
Who'd have thought 2.36 inches could stir up so much pain, anger and action? That's the size of the knives that will be allowed on plans as a result of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's recent decision to allow pocket knives smaller than 2.36 inches in carry-on bags.The move announced March 5 in a TSA blog post blindsided the aviation community and caused memories of 9/11 to resurface for many.
Proposed hand-held ban puts distracted driving back in the hot seat Mar 11, 2013 12:00 AM
You can't yak on a hand-held cell phone in Illinois if you're a teenager, truck driver, passing through a school or construction zones, but otherwise it's OK. Except in Chicago. And, no texting and driving anywhere. The Illinois House moved to stop the confusion with legislation banning driving while talking on hand-held phones, but will the Senate follow suit?
Suburban bus agency setting a faster PaceMar 4, 2013 12:00 AM
We say Pace bus and you say - yawn? Get over it. The sububan bus agency is reinventing itself with express buses along I-90 and a joint fare card with the CTA that will allow for seamless travel between the two systems. 2013 is the year where "everything changes," CEO T.J. Ross says. “The key to all this is that it's doable,” Ross said, pointing out that discussions on the STAR Line started 15 years ago.
Talk of RTA, CMAP merger draws mixed reviews Feb 25, 2013 12:00 AM
Would a proposal to merge the RTA and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning save money and improve planning and transit in the process? Sen. Terry Link, who is sponsoring legislation forcing the merger thinks so. But those who run the agencies politely skirt the issue.
Are O’Hare modernization talks ready for takeoff?Feb 18, 2013 12:00 AM
Seems like it was just yesterday American and United Airlines made nice with Chicago - dropping a lawsuit over O'Hare expansion and agreeing to restart negotiations in March 2013. Oh wait - that's next month. So what's up? March talks, causing what they didn't say to be most interesting to me. "The city of Chicago remains committed to implementing the OMP and has made great progress doing so," Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said.
A look at the green cars at the Chicago Auto ShowFeb 11, 2013 12:00 AM
It's easy being green if you read our experts guide to alternate vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show. There are a lot of ways to save money on gas and save the planet, from diesel turbo charged vehicles to hybrids with tax credits to some luxurious electric cars. Thankfully, I've got Chicago Area Clean Cities Vice Chair John Walton to offer some analysis.
Stingray not only fish in the sea at Chicago Auto ShowFeb 5, 2013 12:00 AM
What's hot at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show? Anything that's big and powerful, say experts. Gearheads can rejoice at the resurgence of sports cars like the Corvette Stingray and those on a budget will be interested in some concept cars like Honda's new Urban SUV.
Fewer collectors, but higher employee costs for tollway Jan 21, 2013 12:00 AM
The advent of I-PASS is making the job of toll collector an endangered species. With an average salary in the $40,000s that should save personnel costs ... shouldn't it? But even though the workforce shrunk from 1,751 in 2006 to 1,595 this year, spending is still up. In 2006, the authority spent $80.5 million on salaries and wages compared to a budgeted $88.7 million this year (not including sworn state police officers).
Readers lament Amtrak delays, baggage bedlam Jan 14, 2013 12:00 AM
Judging from recent letters, it’s been a season of discontent for In Transit readers stymied in their simple desire to get from Point A to Point B without incident. Columnist Marni Pyke possesses neither an engineering degree nor a cement truck to fix everyone’s transportation woes, but she does provide answers to commuters' questions.
Battery dream team will spark innovations in cars, grid Jan 7, 2013 12:00 AM
Can the science wizards at Argonne re-invent the massive, expensive batteries that power electric cars so that you could afford one? That's the hope, say researchers with the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research. “We're pulling together the best scientific minds in the country to look at new ways to store energy,” said JCESR Deputy Director Jeff Chamberlain, a surface chemist who lives in Aurora.
Planes, trains and automobiles: A look at 2013Dec 31, 2012 12:00 AM
Today we will journey — to the future! Sort of. Four experts have lent their visionary powers to forecast the major transportation stories of 2013, including the deadline for Chicago to resolve a dispute over expansion at O'Hare, better baggage platforms that would make things easier for Metra riders and the Illinois tollway will spend about $412 million for widening the eastbound Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) in 2013.
Toll hikes, NATO among 2012's top transit stories Dec 24, 2012 12:00 AM
So what were the top transportation stories of 2012? Higher tolls? Higher Metra fares? Feuding transit agencies? Accusations of racial discrimination? Coffee banned on trains? Turning tollways into freeways? The answer is all of the above. Plus readers - like you - weigh in.
Readers sore over Metra fare hikes, red-light ticketsDec 3, 2012 12:00 AM
Readers have their say in our InTransit column, sounding off about the latest Metra fare hikes, red-light cameras on Route 12 and more.
Will new chairman bring Metra some Irish luck? Nov 26, 2012 12:00 AM
Can a Southwest Side boy understand the travel needs of the Northwest and West suburbs? New Metra Chairman Brad O'Halloran thinks so. “We can’t even address growth right now,” O’Halloran said. “What we have to do is catch up on the daily maintenance issues." Plus CTA fare hikes, readers' reaction to Metra fare hikes and your gridlock alert.
How $2 billion in campaign cash could have been spent on Illinois roads Nov 12, 2012 12:00 AM
President Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney had spent about a collective $2 billion on their campaigns. What would that kind of money buy if it wasn’t spent on negative ads? For starters: A bunch of railway grade separations to protect drivers and pedestrians from trains and relieve freight congestion in the Chicago region or new buses and train cars for Pace, Metra and the CTA or a completed Elgin-O’Hare Expressway and western bypass around the airport.