The Loop (CTA)
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 | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Stations | 8 |
| Service | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| System | Chicago "L" |
| Services | Orange Line Green Line Purple Line Express Brown Line Pink Line |
| Operator(s) | Chicago Transit Authority |
| Daily ridership | 74,148 (average weekday 2016)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 1895–1897 |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 1.79 miles (2.9 km) |
| Number of tracks | 2 |
| Character | Elevated |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Minimum radius | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Electrification | Third 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
- "Annual Ridership Report" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- "2012 Annual Ridership Report" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. transitchicago.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- Joe Thompson, Cable Car Lines in Chicago
- Patrick T. Reardon. "It All Starts Downtown". Hartford Courant, July 26, 2004 (from the Chicago Tribune). Accessed 19 March 2009.
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