For 320 Million How Much Time Would The Cta S Belmont Bypass Really Save

When Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently announced plans to spend about $320 million on the CTA’s “Red-Purple Bypass,” I started pondering this important question: How much is four minutes of Mayor Rahm time in real time?

All right, they shouldn’t have killed the number 11 bus, which ran up Lincoln Avenue. And yes, that Ashland Avenue bus rapid-transit plan looks like it will cause more problems than it solves. Plus, we all know that the Ventra card rollout has hardly been smooth sailing. And then . . .

As part of the larger project, the mayor is also proposing the bypass. And that’s where things get tricky.

“We’re going to increase the capacity by 30 to 50 percent of moving trains on time rather than the three- to four-minute wait,” the mayor said.

Actually, it wasn’t so bad. If nothing else, it made me appreciate the operators who do a great job under rush-hour pressure to get those trains in and out of Belmont. Hey, Forrest, give them a raise!

Does this mean that the Red-Purple bypass is a complete and utter waste of $320 million? Well, that’s a little strong. Building the bypass may allow the CTA to run more trains, Steele says. More trains mean more passengers, faster trips, and fewer people driving cars.