The March program will be presented by David Wilson. His program title is Chicago 101 – A Summary of Chicago’s Transit History. For nearly 200 years some kind of public transit has operated in and around Chicago. It has been in the form of stage coaches, omnibuses, suburban trains, steam dummies, horsecars, cable cars, electric streetcars, elevated and subway lines, interurbans, and even a freight subway. This presentation will trace the evolution of those services from the first stage coaches through the latest transit projects and developments.
David has been riding, observing, documenting and loving railroads and public transit for nearly sixty years. He began touring transit systems in his teens, and has been exploring, examining and photographing the local transit facilities and services ever since.
He received a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Kent State University in Ohio, and a Masters of Urban Planning and Policy from University of Illinois at Chicago, both with specialization in transportation. In the pursuit of each degree, David had the privilege of studying under professors who were members of the Electric Railroaders Association.
In 2015 he retired from his 48-year career in transportation management, having worked in marketing and administration for four railroads, and finished his career as a bus route planner for Chicago Transit Authority. He has since authored a book and various articles on transportation history in Chicago and done numerous presentations on various aspects of transportation history and operations.