Gray & Gold

As you may remember, I've been working with a power organization called SOUL (Southsiders Organized for Unity & Liberation) to advance the Gray Line Lite rail transit proposal.  SOUL is then part of a coalition called CEO (Communities for an Equitable Olympics) which is demanding a communities benefits agreement with the folks promoting the 2016 Olympics.  This transit proposal, which I've been working on for several years now, has been adopted by CEO as one of its Olympics legacy projects.

SOUL, including me, realizes we need to start calling this something besides the Gray Line, so we've been bandying around some other names.  Internally, we've been jokingly referring to it as the Soul Train, but "Gold Line" will probably become the operational name for the project.  That brings in the Olympics angle and suggests that southeast Chicago will, sooner or later, place first.

(Quick refresher: the Gold Line would make two changes to the Metra South Chicago branch, which runs from Millenium Station thru Hyde Park and then along the lake to 93rd Street.  Trains would run every ten minutes and fares would be integrated into the CTA structure so that we could transfer to buses for a quarter.)

I spent last week learning about leadership in a SOUL-associated training course.  The course is based on the Saul Alinsky model of organizing so now I have the same resources to draw on as Barack Obama, if you overlook his law degree, intellect, eloquence, good looks and wife.  Oddly enough, the training was held at a Cedar Lake, Indiana, bible retreat-- hence the photo here of a duck blind on the lake.  (Those are fake ducks, btw., a fact I learned during an embarrassing moment.)  Anyway, last week's posts were written ahead of time, which was important because our online access was spotty and they kept us busy.  I have plenty of catching up on the news to do.

The Gold Line project is advancing along.  We've gotten endorsements now from Alderman Hairston, who's been arranging meetings for us with important officials, as well as Alderman Preckwinkle, state Rep. Currie, state Rep.-elect Burns, state Sen. Raoul, the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference and the head of the Hyde Park Chamber of Commerce.  A couple weeks ago, we also met with Doug Arnot, who reports to Pat Ryan at Chicago 2016 and he said he felt our project was "consistent" with the kinds of legacy projects the Olympics should have.  I'll try to keep my loyal readers updated on future developments.

Comments

[Eric]

Was "Gray Line" too dull a name? Or does advocacy on its behalf come with too much baggage? I'm curious why a new name was necessary.

[withrow]

The biggest problem is accuracy. Mike Payne's Gray Line used not only the South Chicago line but also the one to Blue Island. His proposal was also too specific IMO-- manned stations along both lines and CTA branding on the trains. The plan we're promoting is South Chicago-line only and agnostic on branding or mannning stations. I can't keep calling our plan Gray Line Lite. So, yeah, baggage is a real issue here.

Some people consider gray to be too boring a color. I wouldn't mind myself, but calling it the Gold Line may end up advancing the cause with some pretty important people. Politicians will know that a popular legacy project is a permanent reminder. Long after the Olympics leave town and long after Mayor Daley retires, folks will point out that it's called the "Gold" line after the Olympics which Mayor Daley brought to town.

Now do I care about the Olympics or whether Mayor Daley gets credit here? No, not in the least. But Chicago is a realpolitik city. If we get this L-level rail service here, they can call it the Hyde Park Progress line for all I care.

[David Farley]

Why not call it "The O-line" and get two ducks for the price of one?

[Otto]

Anne Desclos on line 2.

[withrow]

I'm proud to say I had to Google that name to figure out what Otto was talking about.

[Darius T. Williams]

Yea, I don't like the gray line either...new name indeed!