Aaron Rogers

"track work between Pulaski and Kedzie is tentatively expected to begin in Summer 2027."
So we have to wait a couple more years for this one-mile stretch, and then what? Everything west of Pulaski will still be in limbo.

I just wish there was more urgency, but funding will always get in the way.

Obvious kudos for making another station accessible!

But I also can't help but feel depressed that we're probably not gonna see a rebuild of the rest of the Forest Park Branch anytime soon. 81% of the track is under slow zones and it seems like there's no plan to fix it.

My favorite type of drivers are the people who chose to bring their car into downtown Chicago and then have the nerve to get impatient/mad at the crowds of pedestrians crossing the street at every intersection.

"Woops we parked a freight train in the way of your Metra during morning rush hour. Also you owe us $50 million." - UP

Pace, I am begging you: please stop swapping drivers on the 307 a block south of the Green Line.

View of Lake Michigan from the beach in Evanston, Illinois, with a partly cloudy sky overhead.

Sometimes you just need to take a day off and visit your happy place (the pier in Evanston).

Amidst everything bad happening, I'm glad I listened to Taylor Swift's new album and heard the lyric "I can make deals with the devil because my dick's bigger."

ICE is directly responsible for creating "warzone" conditions in Chicago that Republicans seem so concerned about.

I had to watch a training video at work about "Using Generative AI Responsibly" in which they said:

"AI doesn't always know what's true. If it can't find an answer, it often makes one up."

Hey maybe that's a sign that we shouldn't be relying on it...?

CTA Connections Connections promotes CTA's existing bus and rail service and the many initiatives, investments and programs being implemented to deliver service that is courteous and efficient. The program showcases ...

I opened YouTube and the first thing it recommended was a new CTA "Ride the Rails" video where you can watch the view from the train driver's front window. So far they've uploaded 2025 versions of the Red and Purple Lines (complete with the rebuilt north side stations).
Happy birthday CTA!

I find it incredibly funny that my 66-unit building in the suburb of Forest Park would apparently be considered "too dense" for a property next to a train station within the City of Chicago.

Quick, we've got to regulate e-bikes!

An inbound Metra train toward downtown Chicago arriving at a station, with the front of the train lit by the sunrise. An outbound train sits on the other platform.

Morning golden hour ☀️🚆

It was probably easier to build a single prototype cafe car which is compatible with all the diesel routes rather than convert an electric unit. Hopefully if all goes well, they will commit to it!

Obviously they aren't the same, but the Rock Island line does travel through the south side.

👀

But the Disney Company has royally screwed up if their most obsessive fans (and biggest moneymakers) are now encouraging followers to read up on how to oppose fascism. I really hope the execs learn their lesson. 4/4

I wouldn't consider myself a full-on Disney Adult (though my husband definitely is), but I enjoy going to Disney World every so often. The history of the rides, the attention to detail in the architecture, and the urban planning and transportation around the resort are all fascinating to me. 3/

You could try to make the argument that adults shouldn't be so invested in something "meant for children," but their parks have something for all ages. I thought it was mostly for kids too until I went as an adult and had a blast. Um hello, Food & Wine Festival at Epcot? 2/

The general negative attitude toward "Disney Adults" has always been weird to me, because why can't we just let people be nerdy over whatever they want? Some folks are really into sports teams, or video games, or trains. But if your obsession happens to be a theme park... 1/

Metra BNSF train toward Aurora arriving at the Harlem Avenue station on a rainy afternoon.

Consistent arrivals every hour should be the bare minimum for regional rail. Frequency is freedom, and I'm glad Metra realizes that people want to take the train on weekends too.

(BNSF train pictured, but happy new schedule day for the UP North as well!)

Sometimes that sign is more accurate than the Transit app, and sometimes it just gives up. Lovely inconsistency.

If we're not allowed to speak ill of the dead, imagine the shit storm that will ensue when It Happens.

So no conjuration magic in The Elder Scrolls 6?

Double vaxxed for flu + covid. Fuck you, RFK Jr.

Forest Park
Park Forest
Oak Forest
Oak Park
River Forest

These are all separate municipalities... We have a real crisis of generic names.

Cutwater vodka mules are my favorite to bring aboard Metra!

Two fortunes from Chinese takeout fortune cookies, which read "You have a charming way with words" and "A treasured friend will visit soon."

So I'm gonna use my powers of charm to convince a friend to come over? 😏

First trip aboard a sleeper car: complete.

I highly recommend the California Zephyr to anyone who is interested! It's a great way to see some of America's beauty, from deserts, to forests, to rocky mountains, and farmland prairies.

Ah, I've been blessed with the center track near Brookfield. Now we're flying!

Yep, and a couple freights. The scheduled time would've gotten here earlier, but thanks to delays I'm now hitting the afternoon rush.