CHICAGO: Transit Developments

[emathias]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

I've actual wished for a bus tunnel under Michigan Ave from Oak Street to Grand, at which point buses could cross the river on the lower desk of the Michigan Ave bridge. Somewhat similar to Seattle's downtown bus tunnel (though it was converted for light rail and soon will become exclusively used by light rail). Moving the buses under Michigan Ave would help speed up travel in that very congested corridor. Just a pipe dream though. I know it will never happen.

I've advocated for that, too. It would solve a lot of issues, and the existing bus lane on Michigan could become sidewalk, improving walkability and enabling some little performance artist type things. Or close the two center lanes and narrow the side lanes and turn North Michigan into something like La Rambla in Barcelona. I mean, you could do that anyway, but it would be a lot easier with the buses underground.

Usually when I advocate for the extension of Lower Michigan north from Grand as bus-only, I also advocate creating a bus tunnel under Chicago Ave from Orleans to Fairbanks. That's even more of a pipe dream, but it would also greatly improve 66/Chicago flow and travel time between points west and points east of Michigan. The most difficult part of that would be how to deal with the Chicago Red Line station. Even a tunnel from Wabash to Fairbanks would help, but not nearly as much.

Eventually, if Lower Michigan could be turned into a busway, it could be connected to the busway next to Metra Electric and the lakefront express buses from the South Side could get through downtown much faster. One can dream ...

[the urban politician]

Originally Posted by i_am_hydrogen

THE LOOP — A new "L" stop is coming to State and Lake streets, replacing the 122-year-old station that overlooks the Chicago Theatre.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday that city officials have secured a nearly $57 million federal grant to build a new elevated train station in the heart of the Loop.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017...ing-state-lake

Not to knock on Wabash/Washington, but this station occupies an iconic vista on an iconic street. They better design this well

[woodrow]

^^ I am so excited about this! That platform is a danger. I still remember when some poor lady got a bag caught on a Brown Line train or lost her balance, or, whatever, and fell under the train (not suicide). They had to close the platform and Lake Street, because parts of her fell to the pavement. There are sections of that platform that can't be more that 3 feet across.

Fingers crossed for a great design, one that opens up the view down State (obviously going to be somewhat blocked). Related - the way Randolph / Wabash is opening up with the removal of the station is ASTONISHING. Bigger impact than I imagined.

[MayorOfChicago]

"The newly announced upgrade project will also include new elevators to bring the elevated platform to ADA compliance as well as provide a link to the Red Line subway system below."

This has been top on my wish list for the loop L for ages, direct connections! I'm guessing you would still have to use your card as it would connect the mezz to the mezz much easier than plantform to planform (wouldn't that just have to be an elevator?) but that's still huge!!

https://chicago.curbed.com/2017/10/1...a-station-loop

[tjp]

^ That's awesome! I wonder if it'll be an elevator-only connection, or if there there will be stairs / escalators, as well?

[IrishIllini]

How big would the elevator be? There's a mad rush at that station in both the morning and the evening to get to or from the Lake red line stop. I can't imagine even 10% of one L car could fit into the elevator. Crowding around it would probably be awful too.

[OhioGuy]

So unlike Randolph/Wabash which stayed open while the new Washington/Wabash station was built one block south, the State/Lake station will simply close, be torn town, and a new station built in the same exact location? Meaning those transferring to/from the red line will have to walk another block or two to/from Clark/Lake or Washington/Wabash for 2-3 years? Or ride to the southern side of the loop to transfer at Harold Washington Library?

[IrishIllini]

^
Not the cheapest option, but the red line stop at Washington could be reopened?

[Mr Downtown]

^How would that help anything? Red Line already stops at Lake, with street entries in the middle of every block except Washington—Madison.

[10023]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

How big would the elevator be? There's a mad rush at that station in both the morning and the evening to get to or from the Lake red line stop. I can't imagine even 10% of one L car could fit into the elevator. Crowding around it would probably be awful too.

Elevator only transit stations are a nightmare.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by Mr Downtown

^How would that help anything? Red Line already stops at Lake, with street entries in the middle of every block except Washington—Madison.

You could then get onto the Green/Pink/Brown/Purple/Orange lines at Wabash and Washington, which would be a shorter walk than State/Lake to Clark/Lake.

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by 10023

Elevator only transit stations are a nightmare.

For real, they need a straight shot escalator down to the Red. It could be done in a very striking architectural way with some imagination. Too much to ask?

Side note, I've fantasized about a helical escalator for years. This would be an amazing use of one.

[Mr Downtown]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

You could then get onto the Green/Pink/Brown/Purple/Orange lines at Wabash and Washington, which would be a shorter walk than State/Lake to Clark/Lake.

And what prevents you from doing that now? The only mezzanine that's closed is Washington-Madison. The walk from Randolph-Washington to Wabash & Washington is the same number of steps.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

For real, they need a straight shot escalator down to the Red. It could be done in a very striking architectural way with some imagination. Too much to ask?

Side note, I've fantasized about a helical escalator for years. This would be an amazing use of one.

It's always hard to tell with these things, but the numbers being thrown around are pretty big. If CTA doesn't gold-plate everything like Washington-Wabash, then maybe there will be room in the budget for some underground construction to allow for a direct link.

[wchicity]

Has anyone heard anything in regards to the design and/or timeline of the Damen green line stop?

[MayorOfChicago]

With the announcement of the Michael Reese hospital development (or I should say potential for something to happen someday) my vision would be to finally make the metra electric into the Grey Line and then have the end of the line on the north swing down and under Lake Street and build a new underground terminal station butting up towards the Red Line at State Street.

Make the new station at State/Lake elevated tie into this new station under Lake on the east side of State and also the Red Line directly under State.

If you want to dump in some dollars take over half of the lower few floors of the building on the southeast corner of State/Lake and make some new mezz space for the subway stations and have the elevated station dump into the second floor of that building and give the whole thing the Clark/Lake at Thompson Center type station within the building itself.

Would be a great connection! You could keep all your current exits, but you could build an entire transfer station to directly connect all three stations without having to leave the fare area if you moved some stuff around in the north mezz area of the existing red line at Lake.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by wchicity

Has anyone heard anything in regards to the design and/or timeline of the Damen green line stop?

Don't think it's supposed to start construction until 2018 and take approximately two years to finish. Every time I take the brown or purple line I wonder why there isn't a stop at Division yet. There's so much construction visible from the L as it crosses over the street.

[PKDickman]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

Every time I take the brown or purple line I wonder why there isn't a stop at Division yet.

Why would they want to put one there?

The problem on those lines is not one of ridership, it is one of capacity. A new station does nothing to address this.

The trains are already filled and throughput in the loop ultimately limits the number of trains.

Unless there is some heretofore untapped reverse commute potential from that location, it would be a waste of scarce resources.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by PKDickman

Why would they want to put one there?

The problem on those lines is not one of ridership, it is one of capacity. A new station does nothing to address this.

The trains are already filled and throughput in the loop ultimately limits the number of trains.

Unless there is some heretofore untapped reverse commute potential from that location, it would be a waste of scarce resources.

I'm an advocate of an infill station at Division. I think the ongoing and planned construction for the area, coupled with the redevelopment of Goose Island, warrants the reconstruction of the station at Division. There have already been several hundred residential units added to the area just west of Orleans, with literally thousands more to follow. Atrium Village's redevelopment is also well underway. The station at Division would open up transit options to GI and that would only accelerate the former manufacturing district's revival. This area is becoming an extension of downtown and would benefit from increased access to transit.

[MayorOfChicago]

Originally Posted by IrishIllini

I'm an advocate of an infill station at Division. I think the ongoing and planned construction for the area, coupled with the redevelopment of Goose Island, warrants the reconstruction of the station at Division. There have already been several hundred residential units added to the area just west of Orleans, with literally thousands more to follow. Atrium Village's redevelopment is also well underway. The station at Division would open up transit options to GI and that would only accelerate the former manufacturing district's revival. This area is becoming an extension of downtown and would benefit from increased access to transit.

Atriums redevelopment had some concept of a new station built right into the complex. Of course that's great on paper, who knows when it comes to $$$

Also:

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2015...wn-line-l-stop