Looks like Wilson is coming along nicely. With it being a future transfer station between the red and purple express, does the CTA intend on making any other stations between Wilson & Howard transfer stations as well? Perhaps Bryn Mawr and Loyola if there's room to do so at those stations? (although with Berwyn having more bus service, perhaps expansion of the station there is better than Bryn Mawr...)

None of the four stations in Phase I (Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, Bryn Mawr) will get express platforms. This Phase, as I understand it, is now out for bid along with the Belmont Flyover.

Loyola will probably be done as a standalone project in a future phase like Wilson or Howard, and may still get express platforms.

The only other station that might get express platforms is Sheridan, but nobody's really sure what alignment the tracks will take through that area or how much space will be available.

Why doesn't the CTA outfit all new platform roofs, at least in open areas, with solar panels? Even if they didn't quite pay for themselves, they'd be valuable marketing.

Is somebody going to buy that criminally approved strip mall across the street from this huge public investment or are we going to be forced to look at a cash exchange next to a parking lot for another generation?

^ I always love your rants, but calm down a minute. It was a blighted area for a long while. Now with rising property values, it'll surely get redeveloped before too long. And you didn't even mention the four-headed monster of Sonic and McD double-drivethrus on the next block over - don't you supposedly have an anti-cholesterol soapbox too?

I'm not quite certain those are actual solar panels though....? I just thought it was a translucent material to allow light through, although I would love to see solar panels instead.

Can anyone confirm whether or not those are solar panels?

Your broker can look up the owner of record if you'd like to make an offer.

Anti cholesterol soapbox? Sorry, that's somebody else for sure

Good idea.

They're not solar panels. I was just pointing out that since they bear a passing resemblance to solar panels that it might be nice if they actually *were* solar panels. :)

Ahh, my bad, misinterpreted your comment. Totally agree that this seems like a missed opportunity for that, sadly :(

Also (edit), is that crane in the background center for the Montrose & Clarendon highrise?

I was extrapolating from a rough memory you were a doctor, and therefore were presumably anti junk food. (I only said "supposedly." Probably should even have said "theoretically.") Although you might be an eye or foot doctor, and not give a hoot. Or not a doctor, in which case, have a quart of gin and forget about that suburban strip mall.

All, please stay on topic.

^ Back on the reservation ...
In between the giant diagonal Broadway viaduct now being completed and the upcoming Lawrence-to-Bryn Mawr reconstruction, will there be a short section of track structure that ends up omitted from the rebuilding efforts? After all, otherwise they would be billing it as a Wilson-to-Bryn Mawr reconstruction.

This description mentions that the first phase reconstructs the four stations, and track and support structures from Leland Ave to Ardmore Ave. Leland is the EW street immediately north of where the tracks cross Broadway. Ardmore is 2 blocks north of Bryn Mawr.

pleasantly surprised this project is managing to go ahead, going to be a huge quality of life boost for local residents

^^ Thanks. Going as far north as Ardmore is yuuuge, because that will include Hollywood, so that commuting artery will lose the cramped, decaying viaduct straddling it - one that currently is being held up by toothpicks (as Google Street View attests).

^ Also, the new Bryn Mawr station will include an entrance at Hollywood, and will force the redevelopment of Northside Toyota's properties at Hollywood/Broadway, ideally with widened sidewalks. That whole auto sewer will be spruced up.

I thought the new Berwyn was supposed to include a new entrance at Foster, and a rename for the station itself, but it seems that's been dropped.

^ Avoid confusion with Evanston's Foster?

I think avoiding duplication within a single system, even across multiple adjoining systems, is a wise goal. (Except if they are going to hire Norman Foster, then they can go ahead and name all the damn stations Foster.)

^On a network with five "Westerns," that ship might have sailed.

CTA does seem to be adding cross streets to station names nowadays. I think the new Loop station will be shown as Washington/Wabash, for instance. (It should be Washington & Wabash; the virgule typically indicates an alternative rather than additional information.)