Skokie Swift To Old Orchard?

[jesi2282]

I Was Reading That The CTA Was Going To Extend The Skokie Swift (Yellow Line) To The Old Orchard Shopping Mall In The Skokie Area, This Would Explain Why The CTA Is Taking Out The Overhead Wires, Also To Run Other Types Of Cars On The Line. 2 New Stations Would Be Added To The Line. Is There Anyone Else With News To This?

[Guest Flammy]

There have been numerous studies done by the village of Skokie and the city of Evanston as well as by the CTA to enhance Yellow line service.

There are some site issues in Skokie, but putting a station at Oakton is a possibility and I do know that extending the line to Old Orchard is a longer-term goal--although I belive that the right-of-way is already publiclly owned. I have also heard of plans to theoretically extend the Yellow Line all the way to Northbrook Court! As there is a rail right-of-way that essentially runs parallel to the Edens, it seems feasible.

Evanston would want one at least one station on the enhanced Yellow Line--probably at Dodge (halfway between Oakton & Howard). There used to be a station there--there was also one at Asbury. Dodge might make more sense since there is better bus connections.

I believe that the Federal Transportation bill signed earlier this year had some funds to develop the yellow line--thanks to Jan Schakosky.

[trainman8119]

The CTA has long talked about extending the Yellow Line to Old Orchard...probably since the day the line opened. It will probably happen someday, if someone really comes up with the money to do it. The same thing with the Orange Line to Ford City. In fact, there are already destination signs with Ford City as part of the rolls. I am not sure it will ever get out to Northbrook though. Again, it has been discussed, but going there would take the CTA a long way out of the area it is set up to serve (ie Chicago and immediate suburbs).

The conversion to third rail operation was also something that had been a long time coming. Getting rid of the cantenarries on the trains allows equipment to interchanged easier when needed. I think part of the reason it took so long to get it done was in part the worry that it was at ground level (even though there are parts of the Brown and Blue lines at ground level).

[Busjack]

Skokie is the lead agency for the proposed extension to Old Orchard; there is a report at http://www.skokie.org/comm/2003%20Skokie%2...al%20Report.pdf.

The plan to run it to Northbrook was essentially killed by the opposition of the then Village President (who was a member of the CATS Council of Mayors). We unelected him, but that probably doesn't have any effect on the fate of this project. In any event, if there was demand, the offices in the Northbrook Court area could extend the Shuttle Bug system between them and the two Metra stations.

The origional draft of the North Shore restructuring initiative had a proposal to convert the ROW to BRT, and run the 626 bus route on it, but it was quickly stated that Pace was not planning to implement that.

The crossings have been paved over, and most of the tracks have been removed.

[Busjack]

Tribune: Skokie mayor floats ‘preliminary talks’ of CTA Yellow Line extension. It is being dusted off after sitting for 23 years, and the new mayor says not to repeat the error of siting the station in the Niles North parking lot. IMO, westfield would have to agree to a subway station at the Macy's bus terminal with a shuttle system cocering the are around Skokie Hospital and Woods Drive.  But given that this is "very preliminary," and CTA's lackof interest and other priorities, I don't see this in most of our lifetimes.

[Sam92]

On 5/13/2026 at 12:08 PM, Busjack said:

  But given that this is "very preliminary," and CTA's lackof interest and other priorities, I don't see this in most of our lifetimes.

Might be cheaper and easier to see if Pace can study ART vs a rail line. If Old Orchard later fails you can reroute a bus to other generators vs rail 

[Sam92]

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2026/05/25/city/evanston-transit-advocates-support-yellow-line-extension-into-south-evanston/

Who ever wrote this needs to go back to English class🫩. It says an "extension into south Evanston" for the Yellow line being considered but then when you read the article it sounds more like reopening intermediate stops. 

[strictures]

31 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2026/05/25/city/evanston-transit-advocates-support-yellow-line-extension-into-south-evanston/

Who ever wrote this needs to go back to English class. It says an "extension into south Evanston" for the Yellow line being considered but then when you read the article it sounds more like reopening intermediate stops. 

A station at Dodge makes the most sense due to the Levy Senior Center next door.  But I can't see any reasons for stations at Asbury or Ridge, it's fairly low density residential there.  No one is taking that L line to go to the stores at the Howard/Western shopping center.

[Busjack]

40 minutes ago, Sam92 said:

https://dailynorthwestern.com/2026/05/25/city/evanston-transit-advocates-support-yellow-line-extension-into-south-evanston/

Who ever wrote this needs to go back to English class🫩. It says an "extension into south Evanston" for the Yellow line being considered but then when you read the article it sounds more like reopening intermediate stops. 

They're Northwestern students, so what do you expect?

I agree with @strictures that Dodge would make sense, but given the number of times these ideas have been regurgitated, the last time it was said that because Dodge was under the North Shore Channel bridge, it would be too expensive to build up to it.

[strictures]

12 hours ago, Busjack said:

They're Northwestern students, so what do you expect?

I agree with @strictures that Dodge would make sense, but given the number of times these ideas have been regurgitated, the last time it was said that because Dodge was under the North Shore Channel bridge, it would be too expensive to build up to it.

Dodge isn't under the North Shore Channel bridge, it's a half mile east of that bridge, McCormick Road is under that bridge & where the tracks cross Dodge, they're at the same height almost every elevated CTA station is.  Plus there was once a Chicago Rapid Transit Company station there, before the CTA existed!

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, strictures said:

Dodge isn't under the North Shore Channel bridge, it's a half mile east of that bridge, McCormick Road is under that bridge & where the tracks cross Dodge, they're at the same height almost every elevated CTA station is.  Plus there was once a Chicago Rapid Transit Company station there, before the CTA existed!

Whatever about the height.  But the NS&M or CRT had stations every 1/4 mile and went bust, and a station at Dodge would be way more expensive than the one at Oakton and would not serve a downtown area Oakton does. And, seriously,  how many Evanston residents go to Evanston city facilities from Howard and Paulina?

[Elkmn]

On 5/27/2026 at 9:34 AM, Busjack said:

Whatever about the height.  But the NS&M or CRT had stations every 1/4 mile and went bust, and a station at Dodge would be way more expensive than the one at Oakton and would not serve a downtown area Oakton does. And, seriously,  how many Evanston residents go to Evanston city facilities from Howard and Paulina?

so if they ever did the dodge station, it'd probably stay in the bottom 15 for ridership. it has some nearby draws, with the jewels on howard, and "dense" housing stock. there's also the 93 connection, which would undeniably shepherd the most ridership towards the station from west ridge. It's also near the crown library on dodge & main! 

so probably not a huge priority and won't get built for a while, if ever.