If there’s one thing that brings the Northwestern community together — it’s not Dillo Day or even football games — it’s standing in below-zero temperatures at the Howard El stop waiting for a Purple Line train to mosey its way to the platform.
And soon, we may lose that wonderful feeling of camaraderie, which arises from the frustration of waiting under a half-broken heat lamp for that train with “Linden” emblazoned on the front.
The Chicago Transit Authority is severely underfunded. And unless the Illinois General Assembly can conjure up an additional $82.5 million to keep them out of the red, the CTA will cut both jobs and service, including stopping Purple line service after 10 p.m.
The effect of this decision is enormous for both Evanston residents and students, who will essentially be cut off from the city of Chicago after 10 p.m. and will have to endure longer waits for trains.
NU prides itself on its location — tour guides and brochures wax poetic about the promixmity of Chicago and the relative ease of using the El. Students frequently use the El, whether it’s for a Friday night out on the town, concerts, baseball games or jobs. We might complain about the speed or the infrequency, but without a car and without another alternative, the El is about as good as it gets.
No matter what Evanston can and does offer, NU wouldn’t be NU without Chicago and the countless opportunities it offers. And reduced El service will only help convince students to recluse themselves further within the “bubble,” forcing them to stagnate.
Without the Purple line to shuttle people back to Evanston at night, students will begin to depend on cars more, which is both an environmental and safety concern. Students often use the El to visit bars in Chicago and limited late-night service could potentially increase the number of drunk drivers on the road.
Student leaders and administrators alike should be concerned about these potential cuts, even though they are not directly related to or targeted at the campus. The long-term effects could be disastrous for both NU and the city of Evanston, whose lifeline to Chicago keeps it a healthy and vibrant community.
Public transportation is a dying breed in America — and the slow death of the El suggests a greater problem at hand. Even in an economically tipsy country like Russia, where I studied abroad, public transportation is not only well-run (and on time — imagine that) but also well-used by the majority of the population. Here in America, the land of automobiles, mass transit is becoming more of a supplementary mode of transportation, available only in a quickly diminishing number of cities.
Chicago cannot afford to lose the El, and although service cuts don’t seem to amount to much on paper, the message is the same — public transportation doesn’t matter. If the Illinois General Assembly is dedicated to the CTA, it will find a way to allocate this money.
As for students and residents, the only way to voice your concerns would be to attend a public hearing scheduled for Oct. 25 at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave.
I can’t imagine my NU career without the Purple Line. Despite the many times I’ve complained in the past, I actually don’t mind freezing my behind off waiting for the train. It’s better than no train at all.
City editor Malavika Jagannathan is a Medill senior. She can be reached at [email protected].
