Red Ahead

Last updated
Red Ahead
Overview
StatusUnder construction
Locale Chicago, Illinois, United States
Service
Type Rapid transit
System Chicago 'L'
Services
Operator(s) Chicago Transit Authority
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

In the spring of 2012, Chicago Transit Authority started a station and track rehabilitation program dubbed "Red Ahead", [1] beginning on the North Side Main Line, which is called the "Red North" project. [2] The program monitors the full route of the Red Line, which does not include the stations of Loyola, Bryn Mawr, Sheridan, or Wilson. [3] Stations between Wilson through Fullerton, and the State Street subway, are also not included. In May 2012, the CTA started to work on the North Side Main Line stations which includes Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle, and Lawrence. The stations are listed in order, starting at Granville, then Morse, Thorndale, Argyle, Berwyn, Lawrence, and finally Jarvis.[ clarification needed ] This project started in June 2012 and completed in December 2012. This project is also part of the Red Ahead's "Red & Purple Modernization" project. [4]

Contents

Extension proposals (2006–2016)

Since 2006, proposals have been underway to extend the Red Line south from 95th Street. The CTA developed nine different proposed routes, one of which includes routing the Red Line down the median of the Bishop Ford Freeway and another in the median of Interstate 57. During an alternatives analysis meeting on April 11, 2007, CTA narrowed further study down to five possible routes, two for bus rapid transit and three for heavy rail (rapid) transit. The two bus routes would travel south from the 95th/Dan Ryan terminal either down Halsted Street or Michigan Avenue, while the heavy rail routes left for consideration were the Halsted and Michigan corridors (either underground or elevated) as well as the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated or trench), which would traverse southeastward toward the South Shore Line. In October 2008, the CTA commissioned a $150,000-study of an extension due south to 130th/Stony Island in the community area of Riverdale. [5]

Extension finalization

In January 2018, the CTA finalized the route plan. The extension consists of elevated tracks from 95th Street to 119th Street, meaning that the 103rd, 111th, and Michigan stations would be elevated. The 130th station would be at-grade, making it the Red Line's only at-grade station. [6] In August 2022, the Red Line Extension advanced to the Federal Funding Phase. [7] In December 2022, City Council approved the creation of a district that will send nearly $1 billion in tax revenue over the next few decades to extend the Red Line south of 95th Street, a major step toward completing the project after a half-century of false starts. [8] President Biden's proposed 2024 budget includes $350 million in federal funding for the Red Line Extension project. [9] In 2024, the project stood to receive more than $300 million in funding. [10]

Alternatives

In December 2008, at the Screen 2 presentation of the federally mandated Alternatives Analysis Study, the possible corridors and modes of transit were furthered narrowed down to either Halsted Street (Bus Rapid Transit or elevated Heavy Rail Transit) and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated Heavy Rail Transit). [11]

In December 2009, the CTA identified the Locally Preferred Alternative as the Union Pacific corridor. [12] A map and description of the route are found here: Multiple Environmental Impact Studies will be carried out, and will determine exact alignments and design. [12] [13]

The alignment consists of a new elevated rail line between 95th/Dan Ryan and a new terminal station at 130th Street, paralleling the Union Pacific Railroad and the South Shore Line through the Far South Side neighborhoods of Roseland, Washington Heights, West Pullman, and Riverdale. In addition to the terminal station at 130th, three new stations would be built at 103rd, 111th, and Michigan, and a new yard and shop would be built at 120th Street. Basic engineering, along with an environmental impact statement, are currently underway. [14]

Red Line South Reconstruction Project

On May 19, 2013, at 2 a.m., the Dan Ryan branch closed as part of the Red Line South Reconstruction project, which cost $425 million. [15] Track conditions were causing Red Line riders to experience longer travel times, crowded trains and unreliable service. The tracks had extensive repairs which were able to be completed over a five-month period with full closure, as opposed to a four year schedule if construction was limited to weekends only. This project improved commute time, faster rides, and the overall passenger experience. As part of the project, the Garfield, 63rd, and 87th stations were renovated and equipped with an elevator, making all Dan Ryan branch stations into ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. During the closure, Red Line trains were rerouted on the South Side Elevated to Ashland/63rd, while all Green Line trains went to Cottage Grove. A free shuttle bus system was implemented from Garfield to the Dan Ryan stations south of 63rd Street and from Roosevelt to Cermak-Chinatown. The newly reconstructed Dan Ryan branch and the nine stations reopened on October 20, 2013 at 4 a.m.

Red & Purple Modernization Project

The project replaces embankment tracks (right) with elevated box girder tracks (left), located under the temporarily closed Lawrence station Red Purple Modernization construction at Lawrence.jpg
The project replaces embankment tracks (right) with elevated box girder tracks (left), located under the temporarily closed Lawrence station

This project will completely rebuild the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr stations and the construction of a new Red-Purple Bypass, construction on the project began on October 2, 2019 and will be completed in early 2025. [16] [17] [18] Funding for this $2.1 billion project was secured in January 2017. [19] Construction of the Lawrence through Bryn Mawr modernization began on May 16, 2021.

Red North station interim improvements

In November 2011, the CTA announced the Red North project as part of the Red Line Capital Investment. [20] The cost of the project was $86 million with a $57.4 million contract granted to contractor Kiewit Infrastructure. The project included the renovation of seven stations: Granville, Morse, Thorndale, Argyle, Berwyn, Lawrence, and Jarvis. The project started on June 1, 2012 at Granville and finished its renovation on December 13, 2012 at Jarvis. The project also included the elimination of slow zones in which trains were forced to travel at reduced speeds due to sub-optimal track conditions.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago "L"</span> Rapid transit system in Chicago, Illinois

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 third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States after the New York City Subway and the Washington Metro. As of January 2024, the "L" had 1,480 rail cars operating across eight different routes on 224.1 miles of track. CTA trains make about 1,888 trips each day servicing 146 train stations. In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 400,000 per weekday in the second quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow Line (CTA)</span> Light rapid transit line run by the Chicago Transit Authority

The Yellow Line, alternatively known as the Skokie Swift, is a branch of the Chicago "L" train system in Chicago, Illinois. The 4.7-mile (7.6 km) route runs from the Howard Terminal on the north side of Chicago, through the southern part of Evanston and to the Dempster Terminal in Skokie, Illinois, making one intermediate stop at Oakton Street in downtown Skokie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Red Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the busiest line on the "L" system, with an average of 93,457 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022. The route is 26 miles (42 km) long with a total of 33 stations. It runs elevated from the Howard station in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side, through the State Street subway on the Near North Side, Downtown, and the South Loop, and then through the Dan Ryan Expressway median to 95th/Dan Ryan in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois

The Orange Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is approximately 13 miles (21 km) long and runs on elevated and at grade tracks and serves the Southwest Side, running from the Loop to Midway International Airport. As of 2022, an average of 15,098 riders board Orange Line trains on weekdays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Blue Line is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which runs from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and across the West Side to its southwest end in Forest Park, with a total of 33 stations. At about 27 miles, it is the longest line on the Chicago "L" system and second busiest, and one of the longest local subway/elevated lines in the world. It has an average of 64,978 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois

The Brown Line of the Chicago "L" system, is an 11.4-mile (18.3 km) route with 27 stations between Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and downtown Chicago. It runs completely above ground and is almost entirely grade-separated. It is the third-busiest 'L' route, with an average of 28,315 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purple Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line run by the Chicago Transit Authority

The Purple Line of the Chicago "L" is a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) route on the northernmost section of the system. The service normally begins from Linden in Wilmette and ends at Howard on Chicago's north border, passing through the city of Evanston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Howard is an 'L' station in Chicago, Illinois on the North Side Main Line. It is the northern terminus of the Red Line and the southeastern terminus of the Yellow Line; it also serves the Purple Line, for which it is the southern terminus at non-rush hour times on weekdays and all day on weekends. Trains on the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad also stopped at Howard from 1926 until that line was abandoned in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berwyn station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Berwyn is a temporarily closed 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1121 West Berwyn Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Bryn Mawr, located about 3⁄8 mile (0.60 km) to the north, and Argyle, about 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) to the south, both still in service and serving as alternate stations. Four tracks pass through the station, but there is only single island platform in the center of the tracks. The two western tracks are temporarily out of service for construction and trains on both the Red and Purple Lines pass Berwyn on the eastern tracks without stopping. When the station reopens, it will consist of an island platform with Red Line trains stopping on the inner tracks and Purple Line Express trains bypassing the station on the outer tracks. Berwyn is named for the Berwyn station in the community of the same name, which is west of Philadelphia. Many of the roads in the Edgewater neighborhood are named after stations on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyle station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Argyle is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line, located at 1118 West Argyle Street in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is an elevated station with an island platform. Purple Line weekday rush hour express service passes through this station but does not stop, normally on the outermost tracks, but due to the reconstruction going on until 2025, they currently use the same tracks as Red Line trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheridan station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Sheridan is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is an elevated station with two island platforms, located at 3940 North Sheridan Road, in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago's Lakeview community area. Sheridan is the closest 'L' stop to Graceland Cemetery, which is about one-half mile to the west on Irving Park Road. The Sheridan station is one of only two remaining 'L' stations that were built on S-curves; Indiana on the Green Line is the other. Purple Line weekday rush hour express service use the outside tracks but only a certain number of them stop at this station when the Chicago Cubs have weekday evening home games scheduled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvis station</span> Chicago "L" station

Jarvis is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line, located at 1523 W. Jarvis Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorndale station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Thorndale is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1118 West Thorndale Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Granville, located about one quarter mile to the north, and Bryn Mawr, about one half mile to the south. Four tracks pass through the station, but there is only a single island platform in the center of the tracks; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service use the outside tracks but do not stop at this station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryn Mawr station (CTA)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago

Bryn Mawr is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1119 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in the Bryn Mawr Historic District of the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Thorndale, located about one half mile to the north, and Berwyn, about three eighths of a mile to the south. Four tracks pass through the station, but the two western tracks are currently out of service for reconstruction. There is an island platform in the center of the tracks which currently only serves southbound trains; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service pass through the station on the same tracks used by the Red Line but do not stop. The name "Bryn Mawr" comes from the SEPTA Regional Rail station located northwest of Philadelphia in the community of the same name. The name came to the area in the 1880s by Edgewater developer John Lewis Cochran, and is Welsh for "Big Hill."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Lawrence is a temporarily closed 'L' station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line. It is an elevated station located at 1117 West Lawrence Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Argyle, located about 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) to the north, and Wilson, about 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) to the south, serving as alternate stations remaining open while Lawrence is closed for reconstruction. Four tracks pass through the station, though the two western tracks are out of service for reconstruction with all trains passing through without stopping on the two eastern tracks. Prior to demolition in 2021, there was a single island platform in the center of the tracks; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service used the outside tracks and did not stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Ryan branch</span>

The Dan Ryan branch is a 9.4 mi (15.1 km) long section of the Chicago "L" system located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, as part of its Red Line service and is normally through-routed downtown towards the North Side via the State Street subway. As of February 2013, the branch serves 45,355 passengers per weekday. As part of the CTA's busiest rapid transit line, it is operated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The branch serves the Chinatown, Armour Square, Fuller Park, Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, Chatham and Roseland neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake–Dan Ryan Line</span> Rail rapid transit route in Illinois, US

The Lake–Dan Ryan Line was a rail rapid transit route formerly operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). The Lake–Dan Ryan Line existed from the opening of the Dan Ryan branch on September 28, 1969, until February 21, 1993. When created, the route united two transit corridors that until 1969 never had through rail service. This routing, which became known as the West-South route, operated from the Harlem terminal in Forest Park on the Lake Street "L" through downtown Chicago along the Union Loop "L", and then via the old South Side "L" and the new Dan Ryan Line to the 95th Street Terminal. The Lake–Dan Ryan service was planned in conjunction with the former Franklin Street Connector and Chicago Central Area Transit Project, both of which were never constructed. The section of the route between the junction with the South Side "L" at 17th and State Streets and the Cermak–Chinatown Station was originally an "interim", or temporary facility. It was planned to be torn down when the Loop Subway system was completed, but survived after the project was canceled in 1979. That section was improved in the 1980s and early 1990s and is currently being used by the Orange Line. Train transfers are possible by using the two unused tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Side main line</span>

The North Side Main Line is a branch of the Chicago "L" system that is used by Red, Purple, and Brown Line trains. As of 2012, it is the network's busiest rail branch, serving an average of 123,229 passengers each weekday. The branch is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) long with a total of 21 stations, from Howard Street in Rogers Park down to Lake Street in Chicago's Loop. The branch serves the north side of the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

130th is a proposed rapid transit station for the Red Line as part of the Red Line Extension. The station is planned to open in 2030, if the CTA can get the funding for the $3.6 billion project. The station would be constructed in Chicago's Riverdale neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roosevelt station (CTA)</span> Chicago "L" station

Roosevelt is an "L" station on the CTA's Red, Green, and Orange Lines, located between the Chicago Loop and the Near South Side in Chicago, Illinois. It is situated at 1167 S State Street, just north of Roosevelt Road. The station is also the closest "L" station to the Museum Campus of Chicago and Soldier Field, which are about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) to the east. The Museum Campus/11th Street Metra station is also about 1⁄3 mile (500 m) to the east.

References

  1. ↑ "CTA Red Ahead Program". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Red Ahead: CTA Red North". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Red North – Section 2". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  4. ↑ "CTA Red & Purple Modernization project". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ Regional Transit Authority (2008-10-03). "RTA Funded Study Looks at the Impact of the Proposed Red Line Extension" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  6. ↑ "News & Projects - News/Projects".
  7. ↑ Weinberg, Harrison (16 August 2022). "CTA Red Line Extension project advances to federal funding phase". rtands.com. Railway Track and Structures. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  8. ↑ Evans, Maxwell (December 14, 2022). "Red Line Extension TIF Approved, Sending Nearly $1 Billion To Far South Side Project Over 35 Years". Block Club Chicago.
  9. ↑ Cherone, Heather (March 9, 2023). "Biden Proposes $350M Federal Grant to Fund Far South Side CTA Red Line Extension". WTTW.
  10. ↑ Struett • •, David (2024-03-14). "CTA Red Line extension gets $350 million in Biden's proposed budget". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
  11. ↑ "Red Line Extension Alternatives Analysis Study" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  12. 1 2 "About the Project: Alternatives". Red Line Extension Project. Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Project Schedule". Red Line Extension Project. Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Red Line Extension Project". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Red Line South Track Renewal Project". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Officials break ground on CTA Red, Purple Modernization Project". 2 October 2019.
  17. ↑ "Work Begins on CTA's $2 Billion Red & Purple Modernization Project". 2 October 2019.
  18. ↑ "StackPath". 3 October 2019.
  19. ↑ "Thanks Obama: Feds Award $1.1 Billion for Red and Purple Line Modernization". 10 January 2017.
  20. ↑ "CTA Red Ahead – Red North project". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
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