Modern Living: Getting There Is Half the Fun

Ben W. Heineman, chairman of the Chicago & North Western Railway, is one of the few railroad men who believe that commuters should be treated at least as well as cattle, even if they represent less profit. Noting that during rush hours, bicycles and roller skates are faster than taxis on the Chicago streets, Heineman looked about for some way to speed the final lap of the journey for the commuters his trains had delivered to North Western's Madison Street station. Said he: "We discovered one completely unused 'expressway' right in the heart of the city. It is wider than most Loop streets; it is the one remaining traffic artery in downtown Chicago that is completely free of people, vehicles, stop lights and 'No Left Turn' signs."

Heineman's new expressway is the Chicago River, which passes within half a block of the station. Commandeering a pair of sightseeing cruisers, the Wendella and the Sunliner, Heineman last week launched a diesel-powered gondola service which takes commuters to North Michigan Boulevard in seven minutes. The cruisers run every 15 minutes during rush hours, operate on hourly schedules the rest of the day, charge 25¢ a trip—about one-third the fare in a taxi.

With the usual whiff of flackery, commuters making the maiden voyage were given life memberships in the Commuter Yacht Club, entitling them to be "piped aboard upon returning home after a hard day at the office; to demand inordinate quantities of lime in gin and tonic as a prevention against scurvy; to address the cruiser pilot as 'Mr. Christian.' " Burbled one enchanted voyager: "What's Venice got on Chicago now?"