Oakton/Skokie Station - Magazine Article

[Tadman]

Modern Steel Construction of January 2013 featured the new Oakton station.

http://www.modernsteel.com/Uploads/Issu ... Ticket.pdf

"Until recently, the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Yellow Line (the Skokie Swift’s official name) only had two stations and served to connect suburban Skokie to the rest of the Windy City’s mass transit system (colloquially referred to as the “L”). But this past spring it gained a third station, the first new CTA station to be built in more than a decade. Located at the intersection of Oakton Street and Skokie Boulevard, it puts the town’s downtown business district on the map—or at least on the train map."

[MACTRAXX]

Tad; Good article with pictures of the new Oakton Skokie Swift Station...

It is hard to believe it took 48 years to open up an intermediate station on this line...

How is the status of extending this line to the Old Orchard Mall coming along?

MACTRAXX

[Tadman]

I think there's nothing doing for extensions until the red line gets extended south to 130th. If you've read the other threads, you know I think that's a giant waste given the extensive Metra service offered by the Rock Island and Electric lines in the Roseland and West Pullman areas.

For comparison, the nearest Metra to Old Orchard is 2 miles, while no part of the area between I-94, I-57, and the Cal River is more than a mile from Metra Electric or Rock Island. Metra Electric has the added benefit of rapid transit-like service frequency and station spacing.

[byte]

Priority of these things might have more to do with community support than closeness to other forms of rail transit. South side politicians are very much pushing for the Red Line extension, and I don't hear much of the same type of support for the Skokie extension to Old Orchard. I'm also going to assume that the Dan Ryan rehab was strategically scheduled so that it's got new infrastructure to "match up" with whatever will be constructed for the extension, so you don't get trains blasting out of 130th up until 95th, and then getting cab signal beeps and 25mph speed restrictions all the way to Roosevelt.

[Milwaukee_F40C]

Are more stations along the existing line planned? Probably only one or two more would make sense. Three is close to overdoing it.

[justalurker66]

Are more stations along the existing line planned? Probably only one or two more would make sense. Three is close to overdoing it.

Nothing new is planned in the soon to be closed section of the Red Line ... the new Red Line stations would be south of 95th St down to 130th St when that extension gets approved and built. Tens if not hundreds of new passengers will ride the Red Line with the extension.

[Milwaukee_F40C]

I meant on the existing Yellow Line. I doubt any new stops are needed on the existing Red Line.

[justalurker66]

I meant on the existing Yellow Line. I doubt any new stops are needed on the existing Red Line.

I don't believe any additional intermediate stations are planned on the Yellow Line ... it took long enough to get Oakton. If there are any further changes it will probably be the Old Orchard extension.

Here is CTA's page on the potential project:
http://www.transitchicago.com/yelloweis/default.aspx

[Tadman]

I believe they're thinking about a west Evanston station. I'm not sure what stage it's at. I've heard rumors of Dodge or Asbury streets.

[justalurker66]

I believe they're thinking about a west Evanston station. I'm not sure what stage it's at. I've heard rumors of Dodge or Asbury streets.

It looks like the City of Evanston is heading up that effort ... not affiliated with the CTA.
Here is the city's project site: http://www.evanstonyellowlinestation.org/

[tytrain]

The article finally answered the question of "why is the station so danged long?" Theoretical 8-car capacity. And why is the station so narrow in the middle? Somehow, despite the many times I've seen it, I've never noticed the tower in the middle of it!

[Tadman]

You can tell when you're walking under the tower because the spacing of the supports is different. There's also a big header beam between the supports.