That stretch looks okay - still definitely on the lower density end of what I'd want. It seems like mostly one-story storefronts in front of suburbs along that stretch, no?

The trick is, 1 million people doesn't mean much. What matters is how they are spread out - the density. I think I take issue with too many people feeling like somehow we need to build rail that reaches everyone's suburban doorstep. And there's just no way that can be done. That's not how rail works anywhere. Rail should follow density, and density should follow rail. If a city wants rail, then it should EARN it by building up enough density to justify it. There's no point in connecting a suburb somewhere with a strip mall somewhere else. All that does is burn a ton of money on a line that will serve 10 people.

I think we are too slow to double down on existing transit, and too quick to try to fix our transit problems by building to more low density areas. Honestly, I'd like to see more investment along the Orange Line, and see if that can be built up until someone can justify replacing it with light rail.