Isn't it the same project thats been happening for the last 10 years? Or at least it seems like with employees on the track daily.

No, it's not.

Good news, although I never thought CTA's eligibility was in doubt - we've received New Starts money before for the Brown, Green, and Pink Line rebuilds. The chances of getting funding for the RPM were always pretty secure with a Chicagoan in the White House and an Illinoisan (formerly) running USDOT.

Officially, New Starts funding is for actual new transit lines - it's not meant to bail out agencies like CTA that deferred maintenance for years. On the other hand, FTA is unlikely to approve CTA for new lines if the existing system is in a state of poor repair.

Now for the crappy news - FTA has a massive backlog of worthy projects to fund, ahead of anything for CTA. Congress continues to reduce spending levels on transportation, so this might take awhile.

The 240 million cost of the red line 95th street station seems overly pricey for an el stop and bus route terminus compared to what is there now. I don't understand the need for this when the targeted expansion of the red line south will vastly reduce the number of bus routes terminating there and corresponding passenger volume.

So once the south extension gets built, we'll have this big station at 95th with a passenger and bus load equivalent to 87th street.

Rahm splashed a bunch of money on the 95th rebuild because the extension won't be happening.

Flickr station gallery, for those who haven't seen the renderings yet:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ctaweb/...57637853632955

The design is cool but I think they overdid things. The spaciousness of the facilities is exactly what CTA needs, but that metal grid overlaid on the pedestrian bridge is overkill and kind of ugly. Come to think of it, why is there a pedestrian bridge? The two sides of the terminal are already linked via the platform and 95th St crosswalks.

Direct posting so people can stay on the page...

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/1...6273778b_b.jpg

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7450/1...22262013_b.jpg

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The decorative 'grid' doesnt actually occur on the pedestrian bridge, it does however act as a goofy crown on the North and South ends of the station. I could imagine the design being much sleeker without them, and I sincerely hope they get VE'd.

As for the existence of the bridge... I would guess a few things. Passenger comfort during foul weather, passenger safety by minimizing street crossings, minimize traffic delays on 95th, and possibly issues with IDOT, since I think 95th is a state controlled roadway and it is likely that they balked at a center pedestrian crossing.




BTW, I really like the encapsulation of the station at roadway level. It may not be attractive, but anything to alleviate the noise, road mist, wind, and rain that Dan Ryan Red Line user have to endure is worth it.

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Bingo. And Hooray!

I agree that enclosing the platform is a good idea.

Most of Chicago's stations could benefit from this, actually... especially busy median stations like UIC, Irving Park, or 35th. I believe CTA is studying enclosure of some kind for the Blue Line Vision Study.

I agree that enclosing the platform would be a big improvement from a noise perspective, but what about the perception of safety? Although there certainly are other median running transit systems in the US that have enclosed platforms, like WMATA or MARTA.

Enclosing the platforms will allow CTA to remove windbreaks, columns, and other visual obstructions from the platform, opening up sight lines. People will feel more safe, not less. The station attendant will be able to monitor the entire platform with just 2-3 cameras.

That train station is sick, I don't care what anyone says. Hopefully they will build it as is. Nice to see the CTA with a renewed commitment to good design between this, Cermak, and Morgan.

Any idea who the architect is?

exactly. enclosing expressway median stations, thus allowing the removal of a good deal of the typical platform clutter would greatly increase safety, both perceived and real, not detract from it.

Amen.

I think this is an underappreciated aspect which doesn't get priority enough and should be one of the highest priorities of the CTA.

Transit trackers have made this is a bit less of necessity given that riders can wait in the headhouses longer and make their way up/down the platforms close to approach. Still MANY riders are either lazy or too uncomfortable with heading towards the train only on approach. And yet I think many potential riders recoil at the thought of standing out on cold windswept platforms everyday ingesting a fair amount of auto fumes.

If there was enclosed stations it would also make whatever heat lamps a good deal more effective and efficient I would think. It would be too expensive to keep the platforms climate controlled but they would be noticeable warmer then they often are now.

Wells street Bridge finally opens back up to traffic today

http://my.chicagotribune.com/#sectio.../p2p-78274051/

Indeed! Very happy about this!
http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/t...FAC5BB9C98.jpg

You're totally right. It's frivolous and silly.

I think the design is decent but has the potential to be much better. The grid is the best part but it should have informed more of the design decisions for the rest of the building.

Interesting tidbit I picked up about the new 95th Street station, apparently the platform is being rebuilt to handle (2) Eight car trainsets per side.

Ease of staging perhaps? Also, wouldnt it make sense for the platform to handle (2) Ten car trainsets since we will likely be seeing the longer trains once RPM is completed?

Interesting. This helps with construction staging... build the portion south of 95th, complete with its own 8-car platform, then activate it while the original station is torn down to build the north half. Kinda like the strategy at Clark/Division on a much larger scale.

It's messed up (but kinda cool) that it's cheaper to build a whole redundant set of station accesses than it is to try and work construction around passenger flows.