The Chicago “L”:
A Geographic Perspective
The History of the “L”
The history of Chicago’s subway system is long and complicated. It originated in the last decade of the 19th century, when a line was erected to serve the 1892 World’s Columbian Exposition to the south of the city (see the southbound Green Line which curves east in the map above. Part of this line which at one point reached further east was demolished, but much of it remains the same). Over the next several decades, entrepreneurs rushed to build their own stretches of track. Most of Chicago’s subway lines, contrary to their name, are not actually underground, but rather weave through buildings and alleyways above ground. By 1947, all of the lines were consolidated under the Chicago Transit Authority and they were collectively renamed the Chicago Elevated Line or, colloquially, the “L.”
Most of the “L” tracks were completed by the 1920s and 1930s, with the exceptions of the Blue Line extension to reach O’Hare International Airport in 1984, and the Orange Line which services Midway Airport, opened in 1993. Chicago is one of only a handful of major cities that has subway connections to both of its major airports.
But airport connectivity is one of the “L”s seemingly few modern day success stories. The “L” has several bad reputations, from having low ridership, inconvenient or incomplete coverage, and deteriorating conditions. Certainly, one of the things that the “L” has battled since the 1950s is the highway system and commuter’s preference to use their own cars. Moreover, an exodus of many jobs from downtown Chicago to the suburbs has encouraged more and more people to drive to work.
Although urban exodus is not unique to Chicago, this large city still faces the crisis of having a subway system that does not fulfill the needs of many existing or potential commuters. For example, one of the most cited problems is that the “L” system as it stands is like the spokes of a wheel, jutting out from downtown. But while downtown is relatively well covered with “L” lines, making for easy intra-city commutes, the essential outer wheel is missing. Suburbanites can not travel in any direction or to any other suburbs other than those which fall on their same “L” line. That is, unless they are willing to travel through the city.
Morever, the “L” is falling apart. Long stretches of track need replaced in order to bring the “L” up to speed to function in the 20th century. “Slow zones” have started engulfing the entire system, frustrating commuters. Although the city is working hard to ameliorate the problems, the work is slow and piecemeal due to insufficient funds.
There are many approaches to understanding the failures of the “L,” but this webpage will attempt to explain the demise of the “L” from a geographic perspective. Specifically, I will look at how population patterns have changed using historic census data from 1940 through 2000. Was the “L” ever routed through appropriate neighborhoods where it was able to provide service to areas of high population density? Are there any signs that the “L” will achieve a resurgence, especially with rising gas prices, or are the tracks too inconveniently places to serve those who would benefit most from riding the “L?”
CLICK to start learning about how the “L” and the city of Chicago differ from the suburban side of metropolitan Chicago.
All historical information about the “L” was gleaned for a combination of www.Chicago-L.org and prior research on the subject. All information on Chicago is derived from the author’s personal experience as a Chicagoan.