The Chicago "L" is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014, and the second-busiest rail mass transit system in the United States, after the New York City Subway. In 2016, the "L" had 1,492 rail cars, eight different routes, and 145 train stations; average weekday ridership was 759,866.
Wells Street Terminal was a stub-end downtown terminal on the 'L' in Chicago, Illinois, located at Wells Street between Jackson Boulevard and Van Buren Street. The terminal was in operation from 1904 to 1953.
The Chicago Central Area Transit Plan, or generally referred to as the Chicago Central Area Transit Project (CCATP) in the 1970s, was an extensive study of the rapid transit system in downtown Chicago; the study had begun in 1965.
18th is an 'L' station on the CTA's Pink Line. It is located at 1710 West 18th Street in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station is decorated with colorful murals painted by local artists from Pilsen.
Damen is an 'L' station on the CTA's Brown Line. It is an elevated station with two side platforms, located at 4643–47 North Damen Avenue in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood. The adjacent stations are Western, which is located about one half mile (0.8 km) to the west, and Montrose, about one half mile (0.8 km) to the southeast. Located three blocks east is the Ravenswood Metra station on the commuter railroad's Union Pacific/North Line.
Ashland is an 'L' station on the CTA's Green and Pink Lines. It is an elevated station with two side platforms, located in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood at 1601 West Lake Street. Just to the west of the station the Pink Line branches off from the Lake Street branch to follow the Paulina Connector to the Cermak branch. The adjacent stations are California (Green), which is located about 1 1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) to the west, Polk (Pink), which is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south, and Morgan station, approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) to the east.
Logan Square is a subway station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line and the Logan Square neighborhood. It was the terminus of the Milwaukee Elevated until it was extended to Jefferson Park in 1970 and to O'Hare Airport in 1984 via the Kennedy Expressway. From Logan Square, trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take 14 minutes to travel to the Loop. O'Hare bound trains take 26 minutes to reach the airport. The interior of the station is very similar to Belmont station, which is the next stop towards O'Hare station.
California is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line, on North California Avenue near West Fullerton Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood. From California, trains run every 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take 12 minutes to reach the Loop. It is not to be confused with the California station on the Blue Line's Congress Branch, which permanently closed in 1973.
Western is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line, on North Western Avenue near West Armitage Avenue. The station is located within the Bucktown neighborhood in the larger Logan Square community area. From Western, trains run at intervals of 2-7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take 10 minutes to reach the Loop.
Damen is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line. The station serves the popular and growing Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods. It is the subject of Bert Monroy's famous image Damen. From Damen, trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during weekday rush hours, and take 8 minutes to reach the Clark/Lake station in the Loop.
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park. Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.
The Metropolitan main line is a defunct rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago "L" system. The line ran west from two downtown terminals, the Wells Street Terminal and the Loop via Franklin/Van Buren, to the Marshfield Junction. At this point the Garfield Park branch continued westward, while the Douglas Park branch turned south, and the Northwest branch turned north to the Humboldt Park branch and Logan Square branch. The Metropolitan main line served eight stations aside from those in the Loop. The line opened on May 6, 1895, and closed on June 22, 1958, upon the opening of the Congress branch.
The Milwaukee–Dearborn subway is an underground section of the Blue Line "L" and is located in the Loop area in Chicago, Illinois. It is 3.85 mi (6.20 km) long and connects the northwest (O'Hare) branch to the southwest branch of the Blue Line. As of February 2013, the branch serves an average of 44,584 passengers each weekday. Since the subway is operated by the Blue Line it serves passengers 24 hours a day/7 days a week and 365 days a year.
The Douglas branch, also known as the Cermak branch, is a 6.6 mi (10.6 km) long section of the Pink Line of the Chicago "L" system run by the Chicago Transit Authority in Chicago, Illinois built by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated west of the Loop. As of February 2013, it serves an average of 17,474 passengers every weekday. The branch serves the Near West Side, Pilsen, Lower West Side, South Lawndale, and North Lawndale neighborhoods of Chicago, and the west suburb Cicero, Illinois. The branch operates from 4:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., weekdays, and Saturdays from 5:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., and Sundays from 5:00 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., including holidays.
The Garfield Park Branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago "L" system from 1895 to 1958. The branch served Chicago's Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, and Austin neighborhoods, and the suburbs of Oak Park, and Forest Park, and consisted of twenty-two stations. It opened on June 19, 1895 and closed on June 22, 1958, when it was replaced by the Congress branch of the Blue Line.
