8/1/2023 0 Comments Howard red line![]() Along with building wider platforms, elevators, and other features to improve accessibility, the reconstructions will include moving the support beams and columns out of the middle of the station viaducts, installing canopies that cover the entire platform, and replacing the track switches and signals. They are broadly similar to what the transit agency is doing with the Wilson-to-Thorndale segment. These days, CTA has a bit more room to expand the station's footprint, at least west of Sheridan.ĭuring Tuesday's meeting, CTA project manager Christina Bader laid out broad concepts for what the new stations would look like. Because the platform wasn't widened, riders with mobility issues run into the same problem as at Granville. ![]() At the time CTA couldn’t alter the station's basic footprint but it still wanted to make more room for passengers at one of the line’s busier stations. ![]() The design came about as part of 1970s renovations. The stairs, escalators and an elevator are located between the two stretches, making it impossible to move between the inbound and the outbound platforms without first going downstairs. Loyola is unique among the ‘L’ stations because it has a long, narrow island platform that is divided into two sections, one inbound and one outbound. As someone who lived near the station for almost a decade, I’ve seen people trying to use walkers and wheelchairs there, and it always looked precarious. Granville was renovated in the late 1970s, getting an elevator and an escalator in the process, but the platform wasn't widened. Granted, that wasn't a dealbreaker for the construction of the Belmont Flyover bypass as part of Phase I, which involved knocking down about 16 buildings. Sheridan was originally built as an express station, so it has two island platforms, allowing the Purple Line to stop there (although CTA hasn’t taken advantage of that ability in recent decades, aside from some Cubs games.) With buildings surrounding the tracks at all sides, there’s no way to reduce the sharp angles without major demolition work. They have no elevators, and the platforms aren’t wide enough to comfortably accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices. The Red Line stations that would be overhauled as part of the next phases have the same issues as the Wilson-to-Thorndale stops did. The final timeline will depend on how much money CTA will be able to secure and when it will get the cash. State funding would also likely be a piece of the puzzle. The agency's senior manager of strategic planning Sonali Tandon said one funding mechanism could be the existing RPM transit tax-increment financing district, although that only includes the project area as far north as Devon Avenue. CTA would need to come up with a local funding match. CTA is applying for a federal Core Capacity grant, but even if that comes through, the officials don’t expect it to cover more than 60 percent of the cost. The one major “if” hanging over the project is funding. Overall, the goal is to make all the Red Line platforms long enough to berth ten-car trains, and all the Purple Line-only stops able to accommodate eight-car trains. They added that the Granville and Loyola stations, which are already wheelchair-friendly, might be redone, and even the Howard stop, which underwent a major renovation in the 2000s, might see some updates. ![]() The officials acknowledged that reconfiguring the curve was easier said than done given the surrounding buildings, and floated the possibility of moving the station. The bend in the tracks at the Sheridan station, looking north. It's an awkward bit of trackage to navigate, especially as trains get longer. Notably, they discussed the possibility of redoing the track layout for Sheridan station, where northbound trains have to make a sharp westbound left turn toward the platform, and then make another sharp northbound right turn to continue past along Graceland Cemetery. But agency staff and consultants laid out the general vision for the project. Streetsblog attended the hearing last Tuesday focused on the work in Chicago, while a meeting on Thursday concentrated on the suburban portion.Īt this point, CTA is still early in the planning process for the next phases of RPM, so many details are still up in the air. Image: CTAĮarlier this month the CTA announced a pair of virtual public meetings on the RPM Next Phases Planning Study, which will lay the groundwork for the new projects.
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