elevated trains
Tracks above streets
Elevated trains are passenger rail systems that run on tracks raised above street level on a framework of columns and beams.
Common in older American cities like Chicago and New York, they're often called the el or the L: We took the el downtown.
The design keeps trains out of street traffic without expensive underground tunneling.
- viaductsElevated bridges over valleys
- steel girdersStructural support beams
- monorailsVehicles on single beams
- tramwaysUrban rail transit systems
- city zoningMunicipal land allocation rules
rapid transit · rush hour · overpasses · architectural landmarks · city skyline · urban canyon · transit-oriented development · metro systems · the Loop · third rail · historical preservation · intercity rail · industrial revolution · steam locomotives · railway platforms · suspension bridges · transit hubs · structural integrity
- transportationcar, bus, airplane, plane, taxi
- transitbus, subway, metro, light rail, buses
- Chicagothe Loop, Chicago, Chicago River, Lake Michigan, Wrigley Field
- rail transitsubway, metro, tram, streetcar, light rail
- urban neighborhoodsboutiques, galleries, row houses, cafes, bungalows
- Chicago infrastructureCTA, Chicago L, the L, O'Hare, O'Hare Airport