I have ridden the “ELL” in Chicago. At that time it ended at 95th Street on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
I had the occasion to speak recently with a Chicagoan from the South Suburbs. She was not aware that “ELL” was short for “the elevated.” The system rose well above the streets in most neighborhoods, “elevated” above many of the buildings en route to downtown.
As old age approaches, my mind wanders frequently through the pages of my past. Lately it is the “light rail systems” in various cities that come to mind.