Transport Chicago is proud to present our first pre-conference event of 2026, presented in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago’s Transportation Subcommittee.
Details:
The day centers on a luncheon conversation featuring the CTA's Graham Garfield in conversation with Marya Morris, FAICP, exploring how Chicago, decades behind Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, finally built its first subway in 1943. Graham will trace the failed plans, political battles, and funding challenges that preceded it, drawing on the Union League Club's own rarely seen archival record of early proposals and the business community's role in shaping them.
After the luncheon, registered guests are invited aboard vintage CTA Heritage Fleet cars for a rare ride on preserved historic transit vehicles. The day closes with an after-work reception in the ULCC Library, where Archivist Cheryl Ziegler will offer remarks and guests can explore the Club's transportation archives firsthand.
Whether you're a transportation professional, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about how Chicago became the city it is, this is a rare chance to engage that story over a meal, on the rails, and in the archives. Proceeds support the Heritage Fleet's preservation mission.
Registration required. Space is limited.
Full Agenda:
11:00 am -11:30 am | Archival Display Opens
11:30 am – 1:15 pm | Luncheon "In Conversation with CTA's Graham Garfield"
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm | Vintage CTA Heritage Fleet Ride on the Green Line
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | After-Work Reception with the Transit Archives in the ULCC Library
Meet the Speakers:
Graham Garfield has spent nearly 27 years at the Chicago Transit Authority, working across operations, construction management, customer communications, and rail service. He currently serves as General Manager of RPM Operations & Communication Coordination, where he helps manage the day-to-day and long-term service impacts of the $2.1 billion Red-Purple Modernization project. Earlier in his CTA career, he led the Customer Information department for over a decade, overseeing everything from signage and wayfinding to the CTA's digital presence and graphic brand standards. His work has consistently sat at the intersection of how transit systems are built, run, and communicated to the public.
Marya Morris, FAICP, has a professional background in urban planning. Today, she works as a perennial garden designer, an editor and writer, and she produces storytelling and live music gigs for Story Jam. She is a 2019 Moth GrandSlam Winner for “Origin Story.” Marya was born in Goshen, NY, grew up and went to college in Madison, WI, and has lived in or near Chicago for many years.
Thank you to YPT for supporting young professionals' participation in this event.