Diagrammatic Suggestion for Green Line CTA Station Addition

Yesterday I discussed the CTA's underdeveloped Green Line:

I've previously blogged about the Chicago Transit Authority's plans to connect Chicago's disparate train lines with a "Circle Line" connector. This would be [exciting], but would also command mad bling. However, adding some new stops to the spotty Green Line would require much less, well, "green". Did you know that the Green Line skips *1-1/3* miles of dense urban residential/business ridership in the quickly growing post-industrial warehouse districts of the West Loop Gate and Fulton Market District? Or what about the *1-1/2* mile gap between Ashland and California that includes the United Center? This area is just on the edge of a development boom-- [many] open lots [ripe for development], new mixed-income housing developments, loft-conversions, and slowly dissappearing public housing projects. Adding Green Line El stops will not only increase ridership ($$$) but also help foster neighborhood development ($$$).

Here is a diagram of my proposed station additions:



Rationale for new station locations:

• Halsted - Halsted St is a major North-South thoroughfare that intersects 5 other train stations throughout the city, therefore an additional stop at Halsted/Lake would link the majority of the CTA trains via the #8 Halsted Bus. Additionally this location is central to the Randolph St 'restaurant row', a brand new high rise development that is proposed at Fulton Market and Halsted, and would provide a Green Line stop immediately West of I-90/94.



• Morgan - A Morgan St stop would anchor the explosive growth of the West Loop Gate neighborhood-- it would be central to the massive condo/loft influx of the Morgan corridor, countless modern art galleries, Oprah Winfrey's studio, the 'restaurant row' of Randolph St, countless businesses in converted lofts, and the food-packing industry that remains. At first glance, the Morgan street stop may appear a little far east, and one might believe Racine/Lake might be a better station location, however a large public park that is just East of Ashland actually shifts the density of ridership more to the East of the area, therefore making Morgan St more centrally located.



• Damen - This stop would anchor a shifting community that includes new mixed income developments and older housing projects. This would also provide a closer stop for the United Center, and would give residents of the Southern Sections of the East/Ukrainian Village and West Town around Grand Ave. additional options for access to trains.



• Western - Western Ave is a major North-South thoroughfare on Chicago's west-side, and would make sense at this intersection. Additionally this would give much more convenient options for Loop access to Southern residents of the Ukrainian Village or West Town. Much like Halsted St, Western Ave intersects 5 other train stations throughout the city, therefore an additional stop at Western/Lake would link the majority of the CTA trains via the #49 Western Bus.

  7/27/2004