Wi-Fi on Metra Trains: Pricey, but Worth It?

Why doesn’t Metra have wireless internet on its trains yet? Mostly because it would be enormously expensive and a technological challenge, too. But should they?

By Darren McRoy Should Metra get Wi-Fi? Even if it’s expensive and hard to implement and maintain?  The commuter-rail network is considering the possibility, the Chicago Tribune and other news agencies report, but price and technology continue to be two major barriers, despite that a DePaul University report shows 48 percent of Metra riders use personal electronic devices during their commutes.  According to the paper, it could cost over $70 million to install wireless internet on all 11 Metra lines over five years—though some of that could perhaps be recouped by paid plans or sponsorships—and there’s a fear that the technology might quickly become obsolete or go unused by customers who prefer other connectivity, like smart-phone hotspots …

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Handgun Disappears From Tinley Park Home: Blotter

Tinley Park police reports, March 8-12 • Chicago Heights woman's rings disappear at work • Customer and bouncer tussle at Durbin's • Woman's car vandalized in 80th Avenue Metra lot.

TUESDAY, MARCH 12 A 19-year-old Chicago Heights woman lost two gold-and-diamond rings while at work, according to a Tinley Park Police report. She told police she removed the rings while at her work station at Regency Beauty, 15931 Harlem Ave. The woman knocked the rings to the ground but didn’t pick them up immediately, the report stated. When the woman went to retrieve the rings later, she found that they had gone missing, the report continued. She and several students who work there searched the entire shop but were unable to find the rings. The report lists the value of the rings at $500. FACEBOOK: "Like" Tinley Park Patch's Page for Updates SUNDAY, MARCH 10 A 9mm handgun was reported stolen from an apartment in the 17500 block of …

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Busted! Urinary Track Detection Catches 2 Men Soiling Metra Stations on Same Night

Patch uncovers some of the stranger Tinley Park Police reports. In this edition, two Southland residents prove you should always go before you leave home.

Busted! takes a look at the more unusual reports that the men and women of the Tinley Park Police Department respond to. Names have been withheld to protect the innocent, the guilty and the embarrassed. The old saying goes that great minds think alike. That sentiment also could apply to full bladders. In the wee hours of Feb. 17, two south suburban men separated by about a few miles and 40 minutes could no longer contain their bodily fluids and decided to relieve themselves at Metra station. And they would have gotten away with it, too, if not for security cameras and a village employee monitoring those aforementioned cameras. FIRST INCIDENT At around 12:20 a.m., a 23-year-old Tinley Park man was caught on camera urinating in the tunnel …

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Board Changes Rules So Commuters Know When They Land on Free Parking

Trustees approved new amendments Tuesday that turn past practice into law, making parking free on weekends, holidays and weekdays after 10:30 a.m. at the commuter lots the village runs.

The Tinley Park Village Board put into law Tuesday a practice that's been common when it comes to regulating the commuter parking lots the village runs near the Oak Park Avenue and 80th Avenue Metra stations. READ: Police Dept. Could Sell Vintage Machine Guns it Owns for Big Bucks Trustees unanimously approved amendments to the village's municipal code at the board's Tuesday, Dec. 4, meeting that makes commuter parking free in certain circumstances. Historically, the village hasn't enforced parking restrictions in these situations. The amendments would let commuters park without a permit or paying a fee in the following cases: To park in the station lots, commuters can purchase a permit on a quarterly basis or pay a $1.50 daily fee with …

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Shhh! Railroad Crossing Quiet Zones Start Monday

Tinley Park received final approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to institute 24-hour quiet zones at the village's six railroad crossings. These areas mean engineers can't sound train horns except in emergencies.

With renovation work officially finished and the opening of the pedestrian underpass at the 80th Avenue Metra station, Tinley Park's six railroad crossings can now institute "quiet zones," beginning Monday, Dec. 3. READ: Silence on the Rails—No More Train Horns in Tinley Tinley Park received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration this week to enact the 24-hour quiet zones at the crossings at Central Avenue, 167th Street, 66th Court, Oak Park Avenue, 80th Avenue and 183rd Street, according to a village press release. The zone means engineers cannot sound train horns except for emergency or safety reasons, the release continued. “We have worked diligently to ensure that these crossings meet safety standards,” Trustee Thomas …

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Jacob Moreno

2:21 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012

People this is a huge safety risk here too. Take for instance the 80 mph Metra train that runs every weekday, he flys through Tinley Park and the passes various restaurants block the view of Oak Park avenue. Lets say you have some idiot speedster who barley notices the crossing, and then gets hit, now what? Yes the engineer can use the horns in times of emergency, but by the time he/she starts "…   more ›

Is Tinley's 80th Ave. Station the Taj Mahal for Commuters? (Photos)

That's what Metra's chairman called the newly renovated station during its dedication ceremony Monday. Check out photos from the ribbon-cutting and tell us what you think of the terminal.

As he took the podium at Monday morning's dedication ceremony for the renovated 80th Avenue Metra station, Tinley Park Mayor Ed Zabrocki produced a 34-year-old photo given to him by Village Manager Scott Niehaus. It depicted—in all its aged and bleached-out color glory—a single train along a set of tracks and a parking lot, all anchored in a sea of open field and brush. READ: End in Sight for Work at 80th Avenue Metra Station "I remember sitting here as a trustee in 1977, '78, saying, 'My God, what did we build here'," Zabrocki said of the original terminal and its surrounding environs. "In those 34 years we've come a long way," he added. "And this particular area has kind of grown to be the center of our community in many different ways…

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Harry Callahan

10:46 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012

This is only mynoot of whats going to happen,America died on Nov. 6 2012 even for the ones that caused its death, end of comment.   more ›

Dedication, Underpass Opening on Tap for 80th Ave. Station on Monday

The remodeled 80th Avenue Metra station receives a double-shot of attention Monday as the pedestrian underpass connecting the north and south platforms finally opens, and a morning dedication ceremony marks the completion of the $11.5 million project.

Monday marks another big day for the newly renovated 80th Avenue train station, as the pedestrian underpass open and the Village of Tinley Park, along with Metra, hold a dedication to commemorate the completion of the $11.5 million terminal. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26, with coffee and refreshments at the station, and the dedication will be at 10 a.m., according to a Metra press release. Officials from the village and Metra will be on hand for the ceremony. READ: End in Sight for Work at 80th Avenue Metra Station The opening of the pedestrian underpass, which connects the north and south parking lots and platforms, means commuters soon won't be able to the at-grade pedestrian crossing at the platforms, a village press…

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Metra Fare Hike By the Numbers: Will You Still Buy the 10-Ride Ticket?

Metra's board voted to drop the discount on its 10-ride ticket. Now it costs the same as 10 individual fares, instead of nine. Tell us what you think of the decision. Plus, Patch breaks down the numbers surrounding the increase.

Metra Fare Hike By the Numbers: Will You Still Buy the 10-Ride Ticket?

Metra's board voted to drop the discount on its 10-ride ticket. Now it costs the same as 10 individual fares, instead of nine. Tell us what you think of the decision. Plus, Patch breaks down the numbers surrounding the increase.

If there's one thing you can say about the increase in Metra's 10-ride ticket, it's that you get what you pay for. The Metra board of directors voted 8-2 on Friday, Nov. 16, to make the 10-ride ticket cost as much as 10 individual tickets, ABC 7 News reports. Currently, the price of the 10-ride ticket is equal to nine individual tickets. READ: Check Out the Full ABC 7 News Story for More Details The increase goes into effect Feb. 1. Because no one demanded it, Patch breaks down the numbers surrounding the 10-ride fare hike. Metra fares are dependent on distance. Here's how much that 10th ticket will cost for a commuter to travel from his or her home station to downtown Chicago. What are other commuters paying to make it to work? Here's a …

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Village Wants to (Officially) Make Train Station Parking Lots Free on Holidays, Weekends

Amendments to the ordinances dealing with Tinley Park commuter lots would waive fees on holidays, weekends and weekdays after 10:30 a.m. Currently, the village doesn't enforce parking restrictions during those times.

Call it words needing to speak as loud as actions when it comes to proposed amendments to the Tinley Park ordinances regulating the commuter parking lots the village runs near the Oak Park Avenue and 80th Avenue Metra stations. READ: Proposed Gas Station-Car Wash Put on Hold by Will County Committee The planned changes would make parking free in certain circumstances, codifying enforcement practices that are already in place. To park in the station lots, commuters can purchase a permit on a quarterly basis or pay a $1.50 daily fee with cash or special tokens that can be purchased at the Village Clerk's office or at the Tinley Park Police station. The amendments would let drivers park without a permit or paying the fee in the following …

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