The Loop (CTA)

circuit of elevated rail that forms the hub of the Chicago 'L' system in the United States

The Loop (historically Union Loop, or commonly Loop) is the 1.79-mile (2.88 km) long circuit of elevated railroad that forms the hub of the Chicago "L" system in Chicago, Illinois.

The Loop
The southeastern corner of The Loop
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleChicago, Illinois, USA
Stations8
Service
TypeRapid transit
SystemChicago "L"
Services  Orange Line
  Green Line
  Purple Line Express
  Brown Line
  Pink Line
Operator(s)Chicago Transit Authority
Daily ridership74,148 (average weekday 2016)[1]
History
Opened1895–1897
Technical
Track length1.79 miles (2.9 km)
Number of tracks2
CharacterElevated
Track gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Minimum radius90 feet (27 m)
ElectrificationThird rail, 600v DC

As of 2012, the branch has served 74,651 passengers every weekday.[2]

The Loop is so named because the railroad loops around a rectangle formed by Lake Street (north side), Wabash Avenue (east), Van Buren Street (south), and Wells Street (west). The railroad loop has given its name to Chicago's downtown, which is known as the Loop.[3] However, transportation historian Bruce Moffat has concluded that "The Loop" was not used as a proper noun until after Charles Yerkes' 1895–97 construction of the elevated structure.[4]

References

change
  1. "Annual Ridership Report" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  2. "2012 Annual Ridership Report" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. transitchicago.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  3. Joe Thompson, Cable Car Lines in Chicago
  4. Patrick T. Reardon. "It All Starts Downtown"[permanent dead link]. Hartford Courant, July 26, 2004 (from the Chicago Tribune). Accessed 19 March 2009.