CTA Red Line

From HistoryWiki

CTA Red Line was Howard-95/Dan Ryan Line Soundex Code C300

wikipedia:Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)

CTA Red Line

Quick Facts:

Established: 1908

Original Line: Northwestern Elevated Railroad

Stations In Rogers Park

Howard Street Station

Jarvis Avenue Station

Morse Avenue Station

Loyola Avenue Station

History

The CTA Red Line was created in 1993 when the CTA adopted color-coded nomenclature for all of its 'L' routes. The oldest section of the route opened on May 31, 1900 on the North Side between Wilson Avenue and Broadway and the Loop.

It was constructed by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. The route was extended to Central Street in Evanston on May 16, 1908 via leased and electrified trackage belonging to the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, and then to Linden Avenue in Wilmette on April 2, 1912. In November, 1913, the North Side 'L' was through routed with the South Side 'L' lines through the Union Loop. The ground-level section between Leland Avenue and Howard Street was elevated on a concrete embankment structure and expanded to four tracks in 1922.

The State Street Subway was completed in 1943 providing two new tracks bypassing the portion of the North and South Side 'L' lines not equipped with express tracks. By providing an express route free of the most restrictive curves on the Chicago 'L' and shorter than the old line it supplemented (thanks to use of a diagonal street, Clybourn Avenue, for one leg of the route), the subway reduced running time by as much as 11 minutes for a one-way trip. The route was placed in operation October 17, 1943, for a portion of the through north-south trains although other trains continued to use the 'L' both on through trips and on services circling the Loop and returning to the point of origin.

On August 1, 1949, the North-South route was revised to create a more efficient routing through the Central Business District and handle the heavy volumes of passenger traffic using it. Thus, the Howard line was combined with the Jackson Park-Englewood lines through the State Street Subway, and the other lines routed to the Loop 'L'.

The Dan Ryan Branch was opened September 28, 1969, and was originally combined with the Lake Street line to form the West-South route (wikipedia:Green Line (Chicago Transit Authority)Lake-Dan Ryan). It operated over the Lake Street and Wabash Avenue sides of the Union Loop. This "interim" service was created mainly for the purpose of providing through service between the West Side and the South Side in anticipation of the 1968 Loop Subway Project. When the controversial subway project was canceled in 1979, the Lake-Dan Ryan service remained, and lasted for nearly 24 years.

For much of the 20th Century, the Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park route was equally compatible in terms of passenger traffic until the late 1960s through the 1970s. However, passenger traffic volumes began to shift on the south side lines, with more riders using the newer Dan Ryan line (which runs four miles further south) and fewer riders on the older 'L' lines. This imbalance of service allowed the CTA to develop a more efficient system by combining the more heavily used rail lines together, and the weaker lines with each other, providing increased service capacity for the routes that need it. Thus, on February 21, 1993 the Howard branch was combined with the Dan Ryan branch creating the present Red Line, and the Lake Street branch was paired with the Englewood-Jackson Park routes to form the Green Line. A further operational benefit of this switch was that there was now additional available capacity on the Loop 'L', which was required for the soon-to-open Orange Line.

The Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line underwent a rehabilitation period to improve its aging infrastructure which ended in early 2007. This work included upgrading the power and signal systems, and rehabilitating the stations with improved lighting, a cleaner appearance, and new escalators and elevators. The CTA has plans to expand Red Line to 10-car trains from the current eight-car trains.

North Red Line Life-Extension Renovations

By the early 21st century, the stations, track, and elevated infrastructure on the north Red Line, between Wilson and Howard, were in severe need of rehabilitation, both to maintain a good state of repair as well as to modernize certain systems and amenities. The scale of the work and the funding necessary to undertake it were large enough that a broad study and planning effort were needed to properly scope the work and apply for sufficient funding. While this study was undertaken, and due to the presumed amount of time it would take to complete the study, secure funding, and complete design engineering, the CTA felt it was necessary to undertake modest-scale renovations in the meantime to extend the life of the existing infrastructure.

On February 8, 2012, the Chicago Transit Board approved the awarding of a design/build contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. to rehabilitate seven rail stations on the North Main Line section of the Red Line: Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence. The work would provide a life-extension for the seven stations until a long-term capital improvement plan is determined for this portion of the Red Line as part of the Red-Purple Modernization Project (see below). "These interim improvements are important because we cannot postpone repairs which need our immediate attention. The CTA wants to be good stewards of the infrastructure we have now, as we continue to plan for the future and pursue additional funding," said CTA President Forrest Claypool. "This contract will allow us to quickly address some much needed capital maintenance work, while also improving the quality and experience for our riders and neighbors."

Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was awarded the contract to through a competitive bid process. Design work began in Spring 2012. Per the terms of the contract, construction was to conclude in early 2013 (though most work was actually completed by the end of 2012) and was not to exceed $57.4 million for services, labor and materials.

Construction plans included temporary station closures for no more than six weeks. Adjacent stations were not closed simultaneously. To minimize impact to customers, service reroutes were scheduled for overnight and weekends only.

The interior of the Jarvis station house is seen during renovation construction, looking south on November 28, 2012. The interior has been stripped to its structural shell and work to build it back out is underway. The new glazed tile cladding is on the columns, wrapped in plastic to protect it while work continues. For a larger view, click here. (CTA photo)

Improvement work at each location included renovations to the station facilities, the viaduct, and the tracks. The station houses received new windows, doors and exterior lighting; exterior tuck pointing; improved station layouts; new turnstiles; new interior finishes, including new wall tiling, floors, walls and ceilings; new signage and interior lighting; and site improvements including sidewalk repairs and new bike racks. The platform deck structure and foundation was replaced, the platform fixtures, furnishings and canopy improved, and a new customer communication system installed. Concrete repairs to the viaducts and to the track-level walls were made at each station, and a new waterproofing and drainage system was installed. In addition, the viaducts received painting/coating and new, brighter lighting under the viaducts. New track, ties, and ballast was laid through the station area.7

The exterior masonry, including the brick walls and concrete trim, was cleaned and the brickwork re-tuckpointed. The wooden door and window frames were removed and a new dark brown aluminum storefront installed. New globed lights were installed on the piers.

Inside, the station house was gutted down to the structural shell. The retail space to the west of the station house was retained as rental space, but the retail space flanking the station to the east was demolished and the common wall removed so that the station interior could be expanded into the former concession space. The enlarged station interior allowed for a more open space and improved passenger circulation. The Transit Information Board, space for vending machines, and an employee restroom were installed in the former east retail space. The reconfiguration of the interior had the net effect of nearly doubling the floor space of the station's unpaid area. Although the west retail space was retained, the storefront windows inside the station, between the retail space and the station interior, were removed and replaced with a solid wall.

The interior walls were clad in new white modular glazed brick similar to the original material, though with some difference -- while the walls were originally clad only to a height just over 6 feet from the floor with plaster walls and ornamental trim above, nearly all of the renovated station interior's walls were clad in glazed brick up to the new suspended plaster ceiling. Only the free-standing columns, the rear angled wall under the north stairs to the platform, and certain piers along the side walls retained the original design of glazed brick extended up to a height of 6 feet, topped with a rounded bullnose trim, and cement plaster coating the walls above. In addition, the original ornamental plaster trim on the plaster walls was replicated on the free-standing columns and on the walls under and around the stairs -- while Thorndale and Berwyn both also had the trim replicated around the stairs, Jarvis was the only station of the seven renovated to have it replicated on the columns as well. In addition, the decorative tan art marble piers with ornamental Prairie School capitals that flank the front doors inside the station were retained and refurbished and the original cast iron newel posts at the bottom of the stair railings were kept. A new light gray terrazzo floor with dark gray edges along the walls was installed on top of a sand cushion, and a new plaster ceiling installed with recessed lighting. A new Customer Assistant kiosk was also installed, typical of those installed by the CTA at new Brown Line stations and other recent projects like the renovations at North/Clybourn and Cermak-Chinatown, with stainless steel lower walls and roof and glass panels on all side for maximum visibility. The new CA booth was roughly in the same location as the old one, moved about three feet east.

The wooden platform deck was completely removed and new foundations and supports installed to supplement the original structure. A new precast concrete deck was installed, edged with blue tactile panels. The original 1921 platform canopy was retained, stripped, rehabilitated, and repainted. The canopy roof installed in 2008 was retained. New fixtures including galvanized steel windbreaks and stairway enclosures, new benches, lighting, sandboxes, speakers, and signage were installed.

To improve the station's visibility, station "identifiers" were included in the project. Mounted to the bridge over the street, each identifier includes a large CTA logo centered on a horizontal pole to attract attention from afar and provide remote identification of the station's location -- akin to the famous roundel that marks the entrance to London Underground tube stations. The CTA logo is flanked by a train symbol, denoting the transit services available at the station.

Installing elevators to make all the stations wheelchair-accessible is not part of the short-term project.8 Work is also planned for the roofs of adjacent station buildings, so that inside concession spaces can be leased and begin to generate revenue for the Authority.9

Jarvis closed for renovation at 10pm, November 1, 2012, over a week earlier than the originally-planned November 9 closure date. The work was moved up to allow the contractors to complete the new platform installation before Thanksgiving, avoiding the need to reroute trains and impact service at Jarvis and Morse during the holiday weekend, and to reduce the risk of weather-related construction delays, whose likelihood increases the later work extends into the winter season. 10 The station reopened following renovation at 10pm, Thursday, December 13, 2012.

Funding for the station rehabilitation project is from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and is part of the $1 billion Red Line investment project. The $1 billion capital investment is a combination of state, local and federal funds, which will support other Red Line projects including track and station renewal along the Dan Ryan branch; the renovation of the Clark/Division and Wilson stations; and several other track, substation and station renewal projects along the North Side Main Line.

Red-Purple Lines Modernization (RPM) Project

Due to the deteriorating condition of the infrastructure on the Red Line north of Belmont and on the Purple Line, the CTA initiated the Red-Purple Modernization Project (RPM) to bring the existing transit stations, track systems, and structures into a state of good repair. The project, which stretches along the existing Red and Purple lines from north of Belmont station to Linden terminal, would help bring the existing transit line into a state of good repair, reduce travel times, improve access to job markets and destinations, and provide improved access to people with disabilities.

The project began in 2009 with a vision study to assess the scope of needs and develop a set of alternatives for study. In 2010, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), CTA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiated the environmental review process for the project and undertook work to develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The process included numerous public meetings and input opportunities, and study of various alternatives for achieving a good state of repair for the infrastructure in the project area.

A number of alternatives are under consideration for the RPM project, including the comprehensive reconstruction of track, stations, and structures along the line. The four options currently under consideration and study, not including an FTA-required "no action" baseline scenario, include:

Basic Rehabilitation: provides a strategic mix of repairs, rehabilitation, and replacement of the existing infrastructure for a useful life of 20 years, plus the addition of a transfer station at Loyola; all station locations remain the same. Modernization with Station Consolidation: provides a brand new elevated structure between Lawrence and Howard, modern amenities at stations, increases speed of service, includes new transfer station at Loyola, and major reconstruction and renovation to extend the useful life to 60-80 years; several stations would be consolidated by closing one station and adding a second entrance at an adjacent station. Modernization without Station Consolidation: provides a brand new elevated structure between Lawrence and Howard, modern amenities at stations, modest increase in speed of service, includes new transfer station at Loyola, and major reconstruction and renovation to extend the useful life to 60-80 years; all station locations remain the same. The Modernization with Station Consolidation option includes the consolidation of Jarvis and Howard stations by closing the existing Jarvis station and adding a new entrance to Howard at Rogers Avenue, approximately two blocks north of Jarvis station.

Other alternatives considered earlier in the study but subsequently eliminated due to public comment and further study included basic rehabilitation without adding a transfer station at Loyola, a modernization option with only three tracks between Lawrence and Howard, and a modernization option with a 2-track subway under Broadway.

The full-scale modernization envisioned on the Red-Purple Modernization Project could cost anywhere from $2.5 to $5 billion. On February 8, 2012, the CTA board retained Goldman Sachs & Co. to lead the search for public-private partnerships to help finance the reconstruction, which has no firm date. Goldman Sachs will work with Chicago-based Loop Capital Markets LLC and Estrada Hinojosa & Co., but will accept no fee for the first year as it determines the ability to raise private capital.

See CTA's Red & Purple Modernization page for more information about the scoping and planning process, and the various alternatives being considered.