Emanuel To Announce New CTA Stations Today (1/17)

[BusHunter]

Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to have a press conference at the Grand Red Line station to announce some new CTA stations, dedicate Grand/Red Line, and show progress at current stations under construction according to ABC News. They even have a link to the the drawings and pictures of the stations here. They show conceptial drawings of the future Cermak Green line station, and the Washington/Wabash station, and the mezzanine to the Clark/Division LaSalle entrance. BTW, they forgot to mention Skokie-Oakton station on the yellow line. (maybe not this is a CDOT presentation) The platform area is coming closer to completion, they recently installed the platform signage, and were starting to work on the platform lighting. The city of Skokie has a working traffic signal installed at Searle Pkwy/Skokie Blvd. Mostly what is still needing to be built is the bus terminal/drop off plaza and the station for the most part is complete. It's scheduled to open in the spring.

[Busjack]

,,,BTW, they forgot to mention Skokie-Oakton station on the yellow line. (maybe not this is a CDOT presentation)...

You figured that out. Also, the same reason as why the unveiling of Pink Line trains was at Midway.

The close eye will also note that some under Cermak-Green Line are pictures of Cermak-Red Line. The red stripe on the top of the station gives that away, as well as having a concrete structure.

Rahm must:

• figure that the parking tax increase is going to bring in a lot, to have a swirly roof planned for the Washington one.
• have a lot of free time, if he can get in a couple of press opportunities every day, and still somehow get his work done. Or does he?

[Guest]

To me its just another photo op for this guy!

[BusHunter]

You figured that out. Also, the same reason as why the unveiling of Pink Line trains was at Midway.

The close eye will also note that some under Cermak-Green Line are pictures of Cermak-Red Line. The red stripe on the top of the station gives that away, as well as having a concrete structure.

Rahm must:

• figure that the parking tax increase is going to bring in a lot, to have a swirly roof planned for the Washington one.
• have a lot of free time, if he can get in a couple of press opportunities every day, and still somehow get his work done. Or does he?

The Clark/Division station is a picture of the Lake st. stop in the subway. I guess there trying to show us this is what it's going to look like. Just like the Cermak Green is actually a picture of Fullerton or Belmont Red. The station is going to copy that design. The part I got a kick out of, was that there was a presentation by CDOT and ABC7 before there was a press conference. :lol:

[Busjack]

...The part I got a kick out of, was that there was a presentation by CDOT and ABC7 before there was a press conference.

The pdf might be unusual, but (having taken a PR course), getting the press release out in advance, and the media saying that "something is going to happen"is the norm, in that the press wouldn't come out unless they are given a reason to do so.

You might have a better eye than I on which stations are being depicted, but the ones with the 11/04/2011 time stamps are definitely somewhere else, as one has a parking lot next to it, and the other is in the middle of an expressway. You are right that the bottom one is definitely Fullterton or Belmont, since it is a two platform station, with the canopies indicating boarding on both sides of the platform, with green smeared over the other signs. There might be certain design elements in common, but Cermak-Green won't be that.

The one open question, posted by Scooter Libby on the CTA Tattler is whether the Cermak-Green will have two platforms hanging off the sides of the structure, as is the case in most Green Line L stations, or one central platform in the area of the former express track, like at 35th-Bronzeville.

[Zol87]

Will the new Clark/Division Station be ADA Accessible?

[Busjack]

Will the new Clark/Division Station be ADA Accessible?

Yes, according to this CTA Tattler piece and links in it, primarily to the Tribune. I don't think they have any choice, given that it would be a major rehab.

[RJL6000]

The one open question, posted by Scooter Libby on the CTA Tattler is whether the Cermak-Green will have two platforms hanging off the sides of the structure, as is the case in most Green Line L stations, or one central platform in the area of the former express track, like at 35th-Bronzeville.

According to the drawing/blueprint of the Cermak Green Line station, it will have a center island platform. There will be three entrances to the station - the main entrance will be on the north side of Cermak Road; the other two entrances (one on the south side of Cermak Road (roughly the site of the original Cermak station of the South Side Elevated), the other on the north side of 23rd Street) will be auxiliary farecard-only entrances.

[mkohut]

50 million to build a new station is excess.

[RJL6000]

Construction on the Cermak Green line station is scheduled to begin in February of next year while construction on the Washington/Wabash station is scheduled to begin that April. Madison/Wabash will be completely closed some time after construction on Washington/Wabash begins while Randolph/Wabash will remain open until Washington/Wabash is completed and opened (slated for the Fall of 2014).

[Amtrak41]

What criteria picked out Washington/Wabash to be the next Loop station to do ?

[Busjack]

What criteria picked out Washington/Wabash to be the next Loop station to do ?

Probably because it was promised about 15 years ago.

I mentioned elsewhere that someone should look at the Lake-State L station though, as it is a 110 year old eyesore.

[jajuan]

50 million to build a new station is excess.

How cheap do you think constructing a rail station is supposed to be? They have to pay for excavation, labor costs, not to mention materials among other things. Last I checked construction workers are not cheap and neither is metal and other materials needed to build a station. On the labor side, these kinds of projects do last months to a few years depending upon what type of work has to go into the the construction process, so it's easy to see how costs go up there alone.

[mkohut]

How cheap do you think constructing a rail station is supposed to be? They have to pay for excavation, labor costs, not to mention materials among other things. Last I checked construction workers are not cheap and neither is metal and other materials needed to build a station. On the labor side, these kinds of projects do last months to a few years depending upon what type of work has to go into the the construction process, so it's easy to see how costs go up there alone.

Oakton station cost 20 million,Morgan station 38 million both from scratch.If biding went out instead of a company connected to a Politican.It wouldn't cost 50 million.

[RJL6000]

Oakton station cost 20 million,Morgan station 38 million both from scratch.If biding went out instead of a company connected to a Politican.It wouldn't cost 50 million.

Here is why it will cost an estimated $50 million:

1) The station will have a much more elaborate main entrance than the other two stations that you mentioned. And unlike the other two stations, whose fare controls are at the same level as the platforms, the fare controls in the main Cermak station house will be at street level while the platform will be elevated.

2) The work will require the rebuilding of the portion of the elevated structure in the vicinity of the station to accommodate a wider central platform.

3) The station will have entrances at three locations (rather than two as in the other two stations).

The high price is due in part to the relatively high expected passenger load at the station. Had they built the station for only $20 million, the station would have been severely stripped down, with an entirely outdoor on-platform fare control facility, no elevator whatsoever (and thus not ADA compliant), and an extremely narrow platform - so narrow that it would have been unsafe for passenger use.

And despite the relatively elaborate station facilities, the Oakton station only cost that low because it is very short compared to the other stations on the 'L' and because the entire station (including the platform and tracks) is at ground level. The Yellow Line only runs two-car trains (one married-pair 2600-series unit per consist) even during rush periods, so a longer platform isn't needed. Plus, the station is confined to the block between Oakton Street and Searle Drive.

And the Morgan station also costs as low as it did because the station has fare controls at the elevated platform level (in this case, only the Loop-bound side has any fare controls at all while the entrance to the outbound platform is either via a transfer bridge or a farecard-only facility). Only one elevator and a couple of sets of stairs go down from the platform to the street.

[mkohut]

Here is why it will cost an estimated $50 million:

1) The station will have a much more elaborate main entrance than the other two stations that you mentioned. And unlike the other two stations, whose fare controls are at the same level as the platforms, the fare controls in the main Cermak station house will be at street level while the platform will be elevated.

2) The work will require the rebuilding of the portion of the elevated structure in the vicinity of the station to accommodate a wider central platform.

3) The station will have entrances at three locations (rather than two as in the other two stations).

The high price is due in part to the relatively high expected passenger load at the station. Had they built the station for only $20 million, the station would have been severely stripped down, with an entirely outdoor on-platform fare control facility, no elevator whatsoever (and thus not ADA compliant), and an extremely narrow platform - so narrow that it would have been unsafe for passenger use.

And despite the relatively elaborate station facilities, the Oakton station only cost that low because it is very short compared to the other stations on the 'L' and because the entire station (including the platform and tracks) is at ground level. The Yellow Line only runs two-car trains (one married-pair 2600-series unit per consist) even during rush periods, so a longer platform isn't needed. Plus, the station is confined to the block between Oakton Street and Searle Drive.

And the Morgan station also costs as low as it did because the station has fare controls at the elevated platform level (in this case, only the Loop-bound side has any fare controls at all while the entrance to the outbound platform is either via a transfer bridge or a farecard-only facility). Only one elevator and a couple of sets of stairs go down from the platform to the street.

Were there any studies to find out how many people were going to use this station

[RJL6000]

Were there any studies to find out how many people were going to use this station

Not that I know of. However, had they cut the cost by even $10 million, they would have ended up building a facility that's so stark and unattractive that absolutely nobody wants to even step foot into at all. In other words, for $40 million or less it would be better to build absolutely nothing at all than to build something that's totally unworthy of the improved image that the city's trying to achieve.