Friday December 23, 2005 // By Sandy
The Rockwell shuffle
Just as I start to worry that I won’t be getting enough exercise this winter, the CTA jumps in and offers a solution. As Chief Carole explains over on her blog, the Brown Line expansion project is closing in on our stop, Rockwell Station. Come late February, the station will be shuttered for a six-month overhaul process. “Customers are encouraged,” Carole says, “to use the Kimball, Francisco, and Western stations during this period.” And here I was ready to just give up the commuting business altogether, quit my job, and become a hermit for six months. Thanks for the suggestion, CTA!
This is the much-maligned construction project that’s triggered much indignation among the greater Ravenswood residential crowd. I’m actually not too upset about it, despite the six-month put-out. I know the short-term costs will be more than made up for by speedier train rides and friendlier access for the disabled in the long-run.
As for a back-up station, Sarah and I debate which is closer: Western or Francisco. As the crow flies, it’s clearly Francisco, but crows can fly over rivers. I still say it’s closer; Sarah says Western. I fired up the trusty Google Maps Pedometer to check it out.
Distance to Rockwell: 0.261876 miles
Distance to Western: 0.511795 miles
Distance to Francisco: 0.483345 miles
Francisco wins in by a nose. Taking into account other variables—the extra time it takes the train to get to Francisco; the time to cross Western Ave—I think it’s a toss-up. I expect we’ll run time trials, each picking a station and seeing who can get home first. We’ll have a whole summer of this. It’ll suck for a while, but at least our transit system won’t disappear completely.
I, too, have started to consider the alternatives for when my stop, Francisco, will be closed. Do I walk to Kedzie, up to Rockwell, or on a nice day all the way to Western?
I think it might be a day by day decision for me – all dependent on the weather!
Francisco is so unmemorable that All Music Guide has never bothered to review his albums.
On the other hand, you’ve got Johnny Western and his cowboy songs and Motown singer Kim Weston (almost sounds like “Kim Western”), who is responsible for one of my favorite songs of all time, “Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While).” So I would definitely go with Western.
So instead of simply walking to Western, try Belmont, Fullerton, or all the way to work. Or at least try it on the way home sometime. It’ll be fun! :-)