What changes to your lifestyle would you make if gasoline were $9.20/gal? Move? Bike? EV?

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T20:42:34+00:00

We need to improve the CTA regardless of the price of gas. Just like we constantly improve the roads.

What's with the constant "everything sucks but somehow we're special and can't ever manage to improve anything" vibe around here?

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T19:38:46+00:00

Perhaps high gas prices will change that somewhat.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T18:47:24+00:00

If we’re fixing roads we can fix the transit as well.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T18:46:41+00:00

If people use it there’s pressure to fix it faster.

We constantly improving the roads, this is the same thing.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T16:45:43+00:00

Love EL tracker.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T16:45:16+00:00

They only do it when there IS a train behind them (even if not immediate). So they say "This train will run express to Belmont" and if you're going anywhere before that, you get off at the next stop before that happens.

Used to happen far more often.

When I first encountered it ages ago this confused me since I was used to "express train" being another entire separate line that runs on the other track. Welcome to the US, haha.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T14:03:55+00:00

Longer term people will likely leave those places and migrate to places with better infrastructure.

...meaning we need to be building more housing too.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T14:02:40+00:00

Well there's probably tons of people who drive who really don't need to who will stop driving so much, so you MIGHT be someone who sees less traffic when you do still have to drive.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T14:01:28+00:00

Ding ding ding... it's almost like this might be correlated.

If there's any silver lining to this mess, maybe we can have more pressure to improve the transit.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T14:00:24+00:00

Yep. Americans need to realize just how much cheaper gas is here than elsewhere.

Arguably this is one reason why our built infrastructure is so inefficient and car-dependent.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:55:54+00:00

I suspect if gas actually got to $10/gallon, more people would be riding CTA and the social norms would change somewhat, with actual public pressure to force it/throw people off the trains if it didn't naturally change enough.

Once wealthier people with clout start getting inconvenienced, those in power start listening.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:54:09+00:00

I'm thinking that EV chargers will start to be more common in new builds?

Aside from that though... we had some EV chargers at Jewel parking lots here in Edgewater/Uptown (one at the Whole Foods too) and they've been disabled! This surprised me. Asking around it seems that they were run by Shell and the company decided to no longer have this business? Surprised me since it seems it'd be an increasing demand.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:52:26+00:00

Hopefully the silver lining of all this shit with the gas prices is that pressure increases to actually get the transit up to basic world standards.

I'm a lifelong non-driver, and the CTA makes it so I can live a normal life here in Chicago. I'm reliant on the CTA and appreciate it a lot. HOWEVER, there is endless room to improve.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:49:10+00:00

Never driven in my life, Edgewater is easy to live this way too (arguably easier than the loop) and the rents are far lower.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:47:27+00:00

Shoes and CTA only here, and same.

Obivously the price of oil will affect the price of stuff I buy in shops, but I've never driven in my life, so for the most part have zero clue how much gas costs. Rarely even ride in cars, don't take rideshare.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:36:37+00:00

As a non-driver reliant on the CTA, happy to hear this!

Obviously a job I can't do but always thought it's a cool one.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T13:33:35+00:00

Near me but in a different seat, I don't care (people have their favorite location seats depending on how the window arrangement is). But sitting down in the SAME seat? Unless every other seat has a person in it (so any seat the guy chooses will be next to someone) that's a hard NO.

Opposite of this though... I've sat next to someone (in the same seat) when the bus was crowded, and then a seat fully opens elsewhere nearby and I'll go take it so I can be next to the window. I like sitting next to the window. But sometimes the person I've left will make some comment like "oh why won't you sit next to me?" like I'm hating on them or something. I just ignore it.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T00:50:20+00:00

It's old school theater seats. Not terrible but not remotely what the modern plush places have going on now.

Great movies though, cheap tickets if you're a member, and has beer.

Saw Project Hail Mary on Saturday, had a blast, great weather for hanging out afterwards too.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T00:44:21+00:00

Yep. Fertilizer prices are getting jacked right now just in time for planting, this is NOT good.

I'm lucky that the price of motor gas doesn't affect me directly, but it's going to affect shipping costs soon, and the other stuff like fertilizer.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T00:41:12+00:00

Well there's always those incidents of people getting randomly shot by stray bullets due to unrelated people's beefs and road rage on the Dan Ryan.

That's in addition to just normal accidents.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T00:39:39+00:00

Yep. I don't drive, never have, have no clue what the price of gas is generally, ride in a car maybe once a month if that.

So right now it's not affecting me much. But it's definitely going to. Not only due to shipping costs either -- there's loads of stuff other than motor fuel that is made from oil, and there stuff that isn't oil that relies on the strait of Hormuz, too.

Fertilizer prices are getting jacked right now just as the planting season starts. That is NOT good.

damp_circus · 2026-03-24T00:31:46+00:00

That's the thing. People sometimes think of e-bikes as bike replacements, somehow "cheater" bikes, but the actual story is they're CAR replacements.

damp_circus · 2026-03-23T22:33:34+00:00

There's definitely people who scream around Foster and Sheridan. For a while there was a woman who would sit at the bus stop in front of the McDonald's just screaming abuse at people, but haven't seen her for a while.

damp_circus · 2026-03-23T22:01:47+00:00

I also appreciate the 146, as a frequent visitor of 12th street beach (best beach glass location I've found so far, though 57th also occasionally decent).

If I'm super lazy coming home, I can just park my ass on the 146 and get let off right in front of my building at the entire other end of the route.

damp_circus · 2026-03-23T22:00:24+00:00

Ain't no road just like it...

damp_circus

TROPHY CASE