Howard Street Station
Howard Street Station was Howard Avenue Station
Address:..
7519 N. Paulina Street (main entrance)
1649 W. Howard Street (Howard St. entrance)
305 W. Howard Street, Evanston, Illinois (former North Shore Line station)
Quick Facts:
Address:..
7519 N. Paulina Street (main entrance)
1649 W. Howard Street (Howard St. entrance)
305 W. Howard Street (former North Shore Line station)
Established: May 16, 1908
Original Line: Northwestern Elevated Railroad
Previous Names: Howard Avenue
Skip-Stop Type:
Station
Rebuilt: 1921, 1964 (station house remodeled), 2000-03 (parking garage and bus terminal renovation), 2006-09 (station renovation)
Status: In Use
History:
Today, Howard plays an integral part in the "L" system as an important transfer station. But, this wasn't always the case.
"L" service first entered north Chicago and Evanston by way of an agreement to use the tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway's tracks on May 16, 1908, replacing the steam service that the St. Paul had previously provided. The Chicago City Council authorized the electrification of the tracks of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad's tracks from Graceland Avenue (Irving Park Road) to the city limits on July 1, 1907.
Early Station Design and Operations
A St. Paul steam train is passing Howard station shortly after the opening of the "L" extension. A northbound Northwestern "L" train is in the station. For a larger view, click here. (Photo from the Leroy Blommaert Collection)
Unlike Evanston (as per the 1907 franchise agreement from the city), the Chicago City Council did not require that the grade-level tracks be elevated, but they did prohibit the use of a third rail for safety's sake, necessitating the use of overhead trolley wire. Thus, the original station at Howard Avenue (renamed Howard Street soon after) was at street level. There also was not a stop at Howard when the St. Paul operated the line, so a new facility had to be built. Because of construction delays, the first Howard "L" station didn't open until August 23, 1908, three months after the Northwestern "L" began service over the line. The facility was a simple grade-level station and modest platform. The station house was a small, wood frame building set between the two tracks at ground level with a wooden walkway leading up to it from the street. The exterior used clapboard siding and a hipped roof with eaves. The rear opened out onto an island platform. This station appears to have remained until elevation, when a new station was built.
In 1919, Howard began its life as an important transfer station when the Chicago Elevated Railways changed routings so that some Jackson Park trains ended their run at Howard instead of in Evanston, requiring passengers who wanted to continue north to switch trains. In 1925, after the Niles Center route opened, Howard became even busier, as Skokie trains rarely, if ever, went beyond this station into Chicago. When the CTA revised service in 1949, Skokie trains had ceased service a year before and all trains from the South Side ended their runs at Howard. At the same time, the Linden-Howard shuttle was instituted, requiring all northbound passengers to switch trains. Evanston trains continued south during weekday rush periods (and for a time, middays) as the Evanston Express or Shopper's Special. In 1964, the Skokie trains returned.
Howard has contained a yard and shop of some sort since 1919, although for a long time it was modest and small, as the main north side shop was at Wilson.
Track Elevation and a New Station
In the mid-1910s, the Northwestern Elevated began to elevate the tracks north from Wilson to Howard, but work was slow due to the city's refusal to close intersecting streets and the narrow right-of-way. In early 1916, trains were moved onto a temporary trestle, but construction of a permanent embankment had to wait until the end of World War I due to a materials shortage. By early 1922, the new four track mainline was completed, allowing full express service to the city limits.
Howard's dual island platforms, built in the early 1920s, are seen looking north on June 30, 2001. The Red Line train on the right is unloading passengers, while the one on the left is loading them for the trip to 95th/Dan Ryan. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
With the track elevation came a completely new station. The entrance to the "L" station was located on the south side of Howard Street, centered under the northbound platform. The station, built circa 1921, had a design typical of the facilities built as part of the Wilson-Howard elevation project. Designed by architect Charles P. Rawson and engineered by C.F Loweth, the architectural design was a Prairie School-influenced vernacular form, with the Prairie influence seen most acutely in the ornamental cement pilasters on the front facade and in the details of the wooden doors, windows, and ticket agents' booths. The exterior was brick and cast concrete with a bedford stone base, wooden doors and large plate glass windows and transoms. Ornamental globed light fixtures originally decorated the pilaster capitals. Unlike the other stations built as part of the Wilson-Howard elevation, Howard's station house was not encased within the solid-fill embankment. The station house's east and west elevations were exposed and carried the same design motif as the front (north) elevation. Doorways on the east and west sides provided additional ingress and egress to the unpaid area of the interior.
The interior was rendered in plaster, wood, glazed brick, and brick with terrazzo floors. There were arches stretching across the interior between the support columns. In the center of the interior, passengers found a decorative wooden ticket agent's booth with ornamental woodwork and a metal grille over the ticket agent's window. The station also had public restrooms and connections to adjacent retail spaces, also built into the embankment as part of the elevation project.
The track and platform layout was expanded to befit the station's status as a terminal and transfer point for many trains. The track layout was expanded to four tracks, as was the entire stretch elevated from Leland (a block north of Wilson) to Howard, but unlike the other stations on the extension Howard was given two island platforms. This arrangement allowed trains to berth on all four tracks and for cross-platform transfers. The platforms had wood decking and canopies with metal columns down the center line which split into gently-curving gull wing-shaped roof supports, supporting a wooden canopy roof. The stairs were sheltered by wooden enclosures with wooden bottoms and windows on top, divided into rows of square panes, with swinging doors at the front of each enclosure. A transfer bridge was also provided for at the north end of the platforms after Niles Center service began to allow transfers between the two platforms. An interlocking tower was located at the north end of the southbound platform, controlling the switches north of the station in and out of Howard Yard and to and from the Evanston and Niles Center branches. A long, narrow, low, detached brick building containing a trainmen's room was built north of the southbound platform between Tracks #1 and #2. A dispatcher's office was located at the south end of the southbound platform.
The North Shore Line station at Howard is nearing completion in this November 7, 1929 view looking northwest. The elaborate station, designed in the Beaux-Arts style used at many Insull electric railroad stations, provided dedicated facilities for interurban passengers on the north side of Howard Street, separating them from "L" traffic. For a larger view, click here. (Photo courtesy of J.J. Sedelmaier Productions)
After 1919, trains of the North Shore Line interurban railroad were extended into Chicago over the Chicago Elevated Railway's "L" lines, although did not initially call at Howard. North Shore Line trains began stopping at Howard circa 1924. Initially, interurban patrons used the "L" station entrance on the south side of Howard Street. In 1929, plans were drawn up for the North Shore Line to have its own separate station entrance. Located on the north side of Howard Street, across from the "L" station entrance, the North Shore Line station was designed by architect Arthur U. Gerber, by now the Chief Architect for the Chicago-area electric railroads controlled by Samuel Insull including the Chicago Rapid Transit Company, and built in 1930. Gerber employed his trademark Beaux-Arts style for the station's exterior and was executed in terra cotta. Trademark Gerber details include the laurel-framed cartouches, pair of Greek Revival Doric columns framing the entrance, gloved lights and lettering above the door in terra cotta, in this case, "North Shore Line".
The interior of the North Shore Line entrance featured terrazzo floors, plaster walls with pink art marble wainscoting, and columns faced in plaster with art marble wainscoting, caps and bases. The east half of the interior was a large, open waiting room. In the rear of the waiting room was one stair up to the southbound platform and two stairs up to the northbound platform (the north stair to this platform came up under the stairs up to the transfer bridge). The west half of the interior featured men's and women's restrooms in the rear, a kitchen in the middle, and a lunch counter in front. The station also featured ticket booths and a concession stand. A elaborate ventilation system was designed into the facility, as the architects found that due to its location under the tracks the interior would lie in an "air pocket", resulting in stagnant air.
CTA Differential Fare Zones
Howard had long been the limits between the city and suburban fare zones. A city fare had been valid south of Howard, a suburban fare (not necessarily the same as the city fare) valid north of Howard, and a through fare (an amount less than the sum of the two fares) for passengers traveling through. In addition, the North Shore Line had its own ticketing system.
The separated fare zones at Howard are demonstrated in this photo looking south at the southbound platform on October 26, 1955. During this period, the southbound platform was divided down the middle, with the north end of the Track #1 side for interurban passengers and the rest for CTA passengers. The CTA collector in the photo is pointing to the access between the zones. For a larger view, click here. (CTA Photo, Graham Garfield Collection)
After the CTA assumed operation of the "L" in 1947, the relationship between the Authority and its tenant railroads -- the interurbans that used their tracks to access Chicago -- became more complicated. Whereas the "L" and interurbans had been under common ownership before, the Authority now had to look out primarily for its bondholders and its own solvency. It also had to reconcile issues with differential "Outer Zone" (i.e. suburban) and "Middle/Inner Zone" (i.e. city) fares. On top of the "L" zone and North Shore ticketing issues, the Skokie Swift initially had its own premium fare when the service began in 1964 and the Evanston Express had its own surcharge collected aboard those trains. For all these reasons, Howard became a rather complex place in terms of fare collection from the 1950s through the 1970s.
Beginning in 1950, one or both platforms at Howard were divided into sections representing different paid areas depending on the type of ticket bought or fare paid for different services. The barriers were typically chest-high wooden railings with plexiglas panels and configurations changed several times over the next two decades. The first such fare separation became effective December 31, 1950, when the north portion of the southbound platform was cordoned off for North Shore Line passengers and the south portion made a paid area for CTA riders, thereby separating the two groups. (Separation of "L" and North Shore Line passengers was less critical on the northbound platform because the interurban had conductors and collectors to get fares from those boarding, and the interurban was not permitted to discharge passengers northbound at Howard.) This change in the Outer Zone fare collection procedure eliminated all collectors at Howard station.
This arrangement lasted until October 3, 1954, when the northbound platform became a "paid area" for CTA customers. CTA began collecting the fare differential outbound aboard Evanston trains and discontinued sale and use of pink tickets. This put the overhead transfer bridge in the North Shore zone on the southbound side but the CTA paid area on the northbound. According to First & Fastest magazine, if someone tried to sneak from the North Shore unpaid area over the bridge to the CTA paid area, the clerk in the elevated trainroom over the northbound platform would bang on the window to get the person's attention!
The dividing of the Howard platforms into different paid zones was further complicated in October 1957, the date of this photo, when the Track #3 side of the northbound platform had area designated just for Evanston loading and unloading. This required careful train berthing by motormen. For a larger view, click here. (Photo courtesy of J.J. Sedelmaier Productions)
On October 12, 1955, the Howard southbound platform changed from north half unpaid (North Shore zone) and south half paid (CTA zone) areas to being longitudinally divided down the middle of the platform, with all of Track #2 in the CTA paid area, the north end of Track #1 in unpaid North Shore area, and the south end of Track #1 in the CTA paid area. This was further modified on October 7, 1957, when three small sections of the Track #3 side of the northbound platform were cordoned off as Evanston loading and unloading zones, with a ticket agent booth controlling access to each area. This allowed the Outer Zone differential fare to be collected on the platform rather than on the Evanston trains. On June 6, 1960, this was simplified when the three, small separate Evanston paid areas were consolidated into one, large 6-car length Evanston paid area at the north end of the northbound platform. To allow a 6-car Evanston train and a 6-car North Shore Line train to both berth on Track #3, the platforms were extended both north and south along Track #3 to a total length of 641 feet. This configuration remained in place for nearly two decades, with only small changes. After the North Shore Line abandoned operations on January 20, 1963, the North Shore zone on the southbound platform was eliminated and the entire platform became a CTA paid area. After the Skokie Swift began operation on April 20, 1964, its trains began using the Evanston berth zone at the north end of Track #3. The Swift, like Evanston trains, had a differential fare, but it was higher than Evanston. An higher fare was paid at the platform booth and a special transfer was issued, which was collected aboard the Swift train. This configuration lasted until July 31, 1972, when collection of fare differentials at Howard and on northbound Evanston and Skokie Swift trains was discontinued, although a transfer was still required for the Swift and collected aboard the train. The barriers were removed from northbound Howard platform.
Early CTA Station Improvements
CTA consolidated its crew operations on both the Evanston and Howard routes to Howard station early in the Authority's history. The crew reporting location for Evanston personnel was moved from Linden to Howard on December 31, 1950, while the crew reporting point for North Section crews on the North-South Route was moved from Wilson to Howard on October 4, 1954.
This 1962 aerial view of Howard terminal shows several of the improvements that were made to the facility in the early 1960s, including the off-street bus terminal and surface parking lot adjacent to the rail station. For a larger view, click here. (CTA Photo)
Rawson's "L" station entrance on the south side of Howard Street remained virtually untouched as late as 1950. There were also few changes to the North Shore Line station entrance until January 20, 1963, when the interurban ceased operation and the north entrance was closed. The CTA moved its transportation office to the old North Shore station after it closed, and it remained there until 1990.
In the early 1960s, the CTA embarked on a station improvement program for Howard, aimed at rehabilitating the "L" station and improving the bus and auto parking facilities at the station. In 1960, four parcels of land were purchased at a cost of $266,000 with the intention to provide bus-rapid transit interchange facilities and a parking lot for 300 automobiles for transit patrons of the Howard terminal. It was desired to build a multistory park'n'ride garage if funds from sources other than CTA were made available for the project, but this did not occur. Instead, a simple surface parking lot was built. The bus-rail-automobile passenger transfer interchange facility opened on December 3, 1961. About 33,000 square feet of land was used for a bus terminal. The bus terminal was a horseshoe-shaped driveway with a multiple lanes on the north end for berthing several different buses simultaneously. In the middle of the U-shaped bus terminal was an auto park'n'ride lot. A portion of the area was also set aside for short-term kiss'n'ride parking. In 1963, a 92 foot by 80 foot canopy, which had a green shed-type plexiglas peaked roof, was erected over the bus loading area in the off-street bus terminal. Also, a second parking lot , south of the bus terminal, was paved.
The entrance to Howard station, looking west on Howard Street on October 22, 1964, is seen shortly after renovations were completed. The green tiling replaced the original Prairie School details on the exterior. For a larger view, click here. (CTA Photo, Graham Garfield Collection)
By 1964 work was underway on renovating the station house. Work included renovation of both the interior and exterior. Outside, the Howard Street elevation was stripped and refinished with glazed green brick and a new aluminum-framed doorway. Inside, the walls were stripped down to the structural shell and refinished with small off-white tiles. A ceramic tile floor was installed and a drop ceiling installed. New fare control equipment and ticket's agents' booths were installed, along with backlit signage over the fare controls. An escalator was added in place of the south stairway from the paid area to the southbound platform, placed in service on September 7, 1964.
In 1972, the platform signage was replaced with KDR Standard graphics.
Around 1990, the Howard yard and shops were rebuilt and reconfigured, significantly modernized and enlarged. This included a new inspection facility and a modern solid-state microprocessor-controlled interlocking plant. The reconfiguration was part of the 1993 route realignment, which linked the Howard line with the Dan Ryan to create the new Red Line, and the Lake with the Englewood-Jackson Park to create the new Green Line; the through-routes had previously been the other way around since 1969. On March 18, 1990, the Howard Transportation Office moved from the former North Shore Line station house to first floor of new Howard Tower. The interurban station was boarded up and would stand vacant for nearly two decades.
On June 6, 2005, the CTA launched a pilot program at eight rail stations, including Howard, as well as on 10 of its wide-door Nova buses to help speed boarding for customers by dedicating one turnstile as an express fare payment lane (called a "Go Lane") for those paying with either Chicago Card (regular or Plus) smartcard fare media. The dedicated lanes are identified by signs over the turnstile and on the floor in front of it. CTA chose these stations because they are geographically balanced and serve a high volume of customers who transfer between bus and rail. The pilot was conducted to determine if providing a dedicated turnstile at stations would help to speed boarding and, therefore, speed service. The pilot also provided an additional incentive for customers to switch to Chicago Card fare options.
A New Howard Terminal
Plans for a new or renovated Howard station and transportation office date back at least to the mid-1980s, when funding had been set aside and preliminary design work begun on new platform canopies and decking, a new transportation office adjacent to the station house, and other station improvements.
Soon after, plans were developed for a Howard retail/transit center, a project to renovate the Howard station and integrate it with a complex of new stores and restaurants, apartment units and a parking garage on 10 acres bounded by the "L", Howard, Clark and Rogers. The various parts of the project, which were to include a supermarket and movie theater, were planned to be connected by a series of elevated walkways and vertical connectors. The joint development project languished for years, however, hampered by the complexity of the multitude of funding mechanisms and sources and the number of political and community stakeholders that needed to be satisfied.
The new parking garage, realigned Paulina Avenue , and new bus terminal are all under construction in this January 21, 2002 view, looking south from the Howard station bridge. Meanwhile, CTA buses are still using old Hermitage Avenue and a temporary bus terminal during construction. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
The redevelopment project finally began following the creation of the Howard/Paulina TIF District on June 9, 1999. The Gateway Centre, as the project is called, was developed by Combined Development-Howard, LLC and was to include a Dominick's, a multi-screen theater, and retail space. In the end, no movie theater was included in the project. The project was anchored at the corner of Howard and Clark streets, a block west of the "L" station, but extended east and incorporated the transit station as well. A new 659-space enclosed parking garage located at the southeast corner of the development adjacent to the "L" providing shared parking for CTA customers and patrons of the new Gateway Centre development was included. As part of the project, Hermitage Avenue, between Howard Street and West Rogers Avenue, would be renamed Paulina and relocated farther east to accommodate a new busway and car lanes. Retail stores would be developed along the realigned Paulina Street, adjacent to the "L" embankment, all connected by elevated and at-grade walkways.
On October 18, 1999, the Chicago Transit Board approved a series of transactions that include the sale of the old park'n'ride lot at Howard, the purchase of land to build a new Howard rail station, bus terminal and CTA transportation offices, and the construction of the new parking garage. The 141,788 square foot surface park'n'ride facility was sold to the City of Chicago for just under $3 million comprised of $2.36 million in cash and at least $600,000 in transit improvements such as sidewalks and a busway. Once the CTA approved the property sale, the City of Chicago entered into a revised Redevelopment Agreement with Combined Development-Howard, LLC who then constructed the mixed-use development on the property.
Station Design
While some elements of the terminal redevelopment such as the parking garage and and busway were constructed by the private developer and the City of Chicago, the design and construction of the new Howard station itself was the responsibly of the CTA.
The TranSystems Corp. engineering firm led the design project, in association with Parsons and Architrave Ltd. On January 11, 2006, the Chicago Transit Board approved a $56.7 million construction, selecting Chicago-based James McHugh Construction Company as a result of a competitive bidding process. The new station features a new three story station facility, renewed platforms with new canopies and amenities, multiple entrances and exits from the platforms, and the aforementioned parking and bus terminal facilities.
The new Howard south station entrance and transportation office is seen looking southeast on June 15, 2008. The retail strip along Paulina north of the station is seen in the far left, while the parking garage and bus terminal are on the right. The building houses facilities for CTA personnel as well as passengers. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
The new main entrance is on the realigned, renamed Paulina Avenue on a large, wedge-shaped piece of land adjacent to the west side of the embankment between the commercial strip to the north and the parking garage to the south. This structure is a three-story building of a modern design, constructed of steel and glass to project a feeling of openness and security. The building uses color and fenestration to separate its identity from the surrounding retail uses: while the neighboring buildings and parking garage are brick red, the station entrance is white. The new building on Paulina provides an ADA-accessible entrance to the station, with the fare controls located on the third floor over the tracks. The facility also houses a Transportation Office, trainroom, clerk's office, classrooms, and other employee and training facilities. Stairs, escalators, and elevators provide circulation between the three floors of the building. Customers enter the station house from the bus terminal and Paulina Street at the southwest corner of the building, while the northwest corner provides covered bicycle parking. The first floor street elevation is largely open, with the glass and steel facade beginning at the second level. A series of columns along the sidewalk support the facade and third level, which is cantilevered over the entrance atrium. Stairs and escalators greet customers when the enter the building, while the elevators are located behind the escalators. The second level features a corridor leading toward the parking garage, while is designed to provide direct access at a future stage. The third, top level houses the fare controls, customer assistant, and farecard vending machines. The spacious paid area, located over the tracks, is covered by a vaulted ceiling and provides stairs, escalators, and elevators to bring passengers down to the two island platforms.
The old entrance to the station on Howard Street was retained in the new facility and completely refurbished. The front facade was given an unusual treatment: the circa 1921 Prairie School design executed by Charles Rawson when the station was originally built -- which was destroyed in a 1960s "modernization" -- was replicated. This includes the brick facing, Prairie-style pilasters, stone sills and ornamentation, and multi-paned doors. The interior was thoroughly remodeled and made more spacious. A new escalator was installed to the southbound platform.
On the north side of Howard Street, the Arthur Gerber-designed North Shore station entrance was also incorporated into the new facility. Abandoned and boarded up since the CTA moved the transportation office to a series of temporary trailers in the 1990s, the terra cotta facade was restored, including the "North Shore Line" lettering over the former entrance. The interior was gutted and made into commercial spaces. Auxiliary exits lead from each platform down to the front elevation, depositing customer directly onto Howard Street rather than into the space formerly occupied by the interurban's waiting room.
The two island platforms remain in the same general location but were completed rebuilt. Precast concrete decking was installed atop new reinforced concrete and steel supports. The platforms feature an extensive new canopy system, with a large, barrel-vaulted canopy at the south end covering the stairs and escalators up to the south station entrance, while individual peaked-roof canopies supported by a single row of thick, square columns extends north over each platform. The new platforms also feature new windbreaks, benches, and signage. A ready room for operators and a Red Line supervisor's office are housed in a narrow building at the extreme south end of the southbound platform, while the northbound platform features a stainless steel booth for the Purple/Yellow line supervisor.
Station work includes the rehabilitation of the existing Howard Street viaduct. The work also includes upgrades to the communications, electrical and lighting systems. As part of the partnership between CTA and the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs, artwork was installed as part of the station renovation. A suspended stainless steel sculpture titled "24/7" was designed by Carla Arocha and Stephane Schraenen for the main entrance on Paulina. Amy Cheng created a ceramic tile mural titled "Destination: Points Unknown" which was positioned on the rear wall of the entrance on Howard. Public art was a requirement of the Full Funding Grant Agreement and was part of the overall project budget.
The new, realigned roadway along the west side of the "L" embankment includes a southbound lane for auto traffic (Paulina Avenue) and northbound lanes for buses only. From the south station entrance to Rogers Avenue, adjacent to the parking garage, the northbound side expands into two separate bus lanes protected by metal railings and covered by an angled green steel canopy. The bus shed's design and construction match the new parking garage to the east and the new commercial buildings along Howard Street and Paulina Avenue to the north. An island sidewalk is located between the two bus lanes for passengers waiting for and loading and alighting from buses using the west bus lane. A green steel shed with glass slanted skylights covers both bus lanes as well as the waiting area for both.
Station Renovation Work
The new station complex was built in a somewhat reverse order, with the new park'n'ride garage and bus terminal built several years before the station entrances and platforms were renovated. This had the result of the bus terminal and parking garage being located some distance from the nearest station entrance for several years, although the locations made sense in the master plan and were very conveniently located once the accessible south station entrance opened.
The shed, sidewalks, and signage for the new Howard bus terminal is largely complete in this October 26, 2002 view looking south. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
The parking garage was constructed in 2000-01 by the Gateway Centre developer independent of the station project. The old street-level park'n'ride lot was closed in Summer 2001, with station parking provided in the new parking garage at that time. As part of the project, the terminal's "temporary" crew room and transportation office, which had been located in a large mobile trailer since being moved out the former North Shore Line station, was removed. Facilities for the transportation office and crew room were temporarily provided in the ground level of the parking garage.
In August 2001, the the off-street bus terminal was closed to allow the demolition of the terminal and canopy shed for the construction of the new street, busway, bus terminal, and commercial/retail buildings. Buses were rerouted to terminate northbound on the old Hermitage Avenue, which was closed to auto traffic at the same time. Following the removal of the former bus terminal, a new street, Paulina Avenue, was constructed that follows the "L" right-of-way southeast from Howard Street for about a half block, then turns due south to Rogers Avenue. The new street was nearly complete as of February 2002, as were new off-street bus lanes next to the new park'n'ride garage and commercial spaces along the elevated embankment. Old-fashion-style "Gateway 2000" street lights (popular elsewhere in streetscape reconstructions around Chicago) had already been installed and the concrete road surface and curbs had been laid. Some of the concrete bus canopy supports had also been erected. On Friday, March 22, 2002, effective at 5am, the new Paulina Avenue right-of-way and bus terminal came into use and Hermitage Avenue was closed. Buses were rerouted to use the new bus lanes and stop on the driveway north of the future bus terminal, outside the side entrance to the Howard station.
This August 3, 2003 view looking southeast on Paulina Avenue shows the open space -- between the commercial strip on the left and the parking garage on the right -- where the new Howard station's primary entrance would be built. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
The new bus terminal was largely complete by Fall 2002, although only some buses were relocated at that time to stop in it. For several more years many other buses continued to stop on the busway closer to the side entrance to the old Howard station or out on Howard Street itself to be more convenient to the station entrance. During this period, the new commercial strip was constructed adjacent to the "L" embankment along the new Paulina Avenue/busway. Its design and construction match the new parking garage to the south and the new commercial buildings along Howard Street to the west. Some of the concrete supports were erected for the elevated walkway that would connect the shopping center to the west with the new rapid transit station and parking garage to the east of the busway . During Summer 2003, the pedestrian overpass to the parking garage was constructed in connection to additional retail build-out being completed on the west side of Paulina.
With the parking garage and bus terminal completed by 2003, the remainder of the Howard project -- namely the renovation of the station itself -- would take another three years to begin construction. During that time, design work was completed, including public meetings and interaction with a number of stakeholders. With design complete, on January 11, 2006 the CTA awarded the construction contract for renovation of the station and construction of the new accessible entrance and offices.
A first phase of the project, rehabilitating the trackbed and laying new rail through the station area, began the weekend of May 6-7, 2006. Over the following months, various tracks through the station were taken out of service to allow for the rehabilitation of the tracks. Over the weekend of June 9-12, a linecut was performed on the Purple Line, with trains running from Linden to South Blvd. and a single-track shuttle train connecting Howard and South Blvd., to accommodate this track work. During this weekend, construction crews installed a new crossover near South Blvd. station for later use in the rehabilitation project. By early August 2006, contractor McHugh Construction had completed reconstruction of Tracks 1 through 4 in the station. Other work during Summer 2006 period included removal of the 1920s-vintage gull-wing canopies at the south ends of both platforms.
The former North Shore Line station entrance is seen under renovation on March 7, 2007. The interior was gutted to be reconfigured as retail space with stairways from each platform. The terra cotta facade was restored, but sections were temporarily removed during the renovation to allow for structural renewal to be performed. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
McHugh continued work at Howard station during autumn, with repair on the abutment walls, the beginning of station work, and the completion of the interlocking work at South Boulevard for staging later in the project. As of mid-October 2006, track and signal work continued at Howard. During October, the contractor removed the plywood from the North Shore Line station entrance on the north side of Howard Street.
By mid-November 2006, work began on concrete retaining wall and cap repairs on both the east and west side of the concrete abutment walls at the station site. Demolition activities also continued inside the former North Shore Line station. During October and November, various station pocket racks were removed from service during owl hours to allow McHugh to perform platform demolition and foundation work.
During Winter 2006-07, demolition activities began on the south side of Howard in the former concession spaces of the "L" station and in the old North Shore Line station on the north side of the street. McHugh achieved Substantial Completion of Milestone 1, Phase 1A for track work and retaining wall repairs and received a permit for new station house foundation on February 20, 2007, according to a March 2007 presentation to the Chicago Transit Board.
Beginning in Spring 2007 and continuing into Summer 2008, tracks and platforms were removed from service on most weekends to accommodate the reconstruction of the two island platforms and the erection of the new canopies and mezzanine over the tracks. Typically, both southbound tracks (Tracks #1 and #2) or both southbound tracks (#3 and #4) would be removed from service along with the associated platform, requiring all trains to department from the remaining platform and two tracks. On occasion only one track or one track in each direction would be removed from service, allowing both platforms to remain in use.
Contractors working from scissor lifts are detailing the new northbound canopy structure in this view looking south on June 24, 2007. For several months, one platform would be removed from service each weekend to allow heavy construction work to take place. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
By mid-May, renovation of the platforms had begun at the south ends of both platforms. Sections of platform were demolished and replaced with precast concrete decking. The old gull-wing canopies were removed beginning and at the south end of both platforms, then continued northward. Work also began to install caissons for the new south station entrance and transportation office building. Repairs to the concrete embankment, parapet and viaducts also continued.
As construction of the new platforms moved northward, steel columns and the framework for the peaked canopy roofs began to the erected. By early June, most of the steel framework for the peak canopies was in, although work to detail them would continue for several months. Sections of old wood decking and 1920s canopies remained at the extreme north ends of both platforms for a few more months. During this period foundation work for the new station building continued.
During summer, work on both the new south station/office and the platforms progressed. In July and August, steel for the building was being erected. Platform work also continued, with foundation work, decking installation, and canopy construction all proceeding. Contractors continued installing and welding the canopy support steel and aligning, welding and grouting the precast platform panels into final position. In September, the steel for the facade and projecting canopy on the front of the new station building was installed. Crews also began erecting the steel for the mezzanine and barrel-vaulted canopy over the south end of the platforms.
Installation of structural steel for the new station entrance and transportation office building, as well as the fare control mezzanine over the tracks, is well under way in this September 6, 2007 looking south. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
Work on the south station entrance and transportation office building made a lot of progress during Autumn 2007. The steel framework for the building was completed, allowing the contractors to begin building out the structure. Floor slabs and other interior systems were installed, while the escalators between the first, second, and third floors and from the mezzanine down to both platforms were installed. By the end of fall, the exterior cladding began to be applied to the building and windows and other fixtures were beginning to be installed.
During early 2008, work to build out the new station entrance and offices continued. The mezzanine over the tracks was completed, with windows and exterior cladding installed and the building fully enclosed. The passenger spaces were built out, with wall and ceiling panels, lighting, and other systems installed. The crew spaces for the transportation offices, trainroom, classrooms, and clerk's office were also built out. Construction of the barrel-vaulted canopy over the south end of the platforms continued, as large pre-assembled sections, which were stored in a lot east of the tracks, were lifted into place and secured. The structural steel for the vaulted canopy was completed by early March. Work also continued on the peaked canopies on both platforms. The last of the old 1920s canopies were removed from the north ends of the platforms in late winter, while by March the south ends of the new canopies on both platforms had roofing installed. During spring, work continued on detailing and roofing both the peaked and vaulted canopies. Enclosures were also constructed around the escalators from both platforms up to the new mezzanine. Work was also completed on installing the new elevator cabs and equipment.
Contractor crews spent the rest of spring and early summer finishing the details of the new station entrance. Items installed during this period included the new sidewalk in front of the south station entrance, a compass rose on the floor of the south station entrance flyer, lights, benches, bus shelters, signs, and other items in the bus terminal, turnstiles and farecard machines in the station mezzanine, and signage throughout the rail facility.
The new, accessible south station entrance opened on Monday, June 9, 2008. Upon the renovated main entrance reopening, the elevators came into use and Howard became the 83rd of the CTA's 144 station to become accessible, with other ADA-compliant features including an accessible turnstile, tactile platform edging, gap fillers, TTY telephones and Braille signs. CTA President Ron Huberman and 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore toured and dedicated the new station entrance on June 14, 2008.
Following the opening of the new south entrance, working continued during Summer 2008 on the platforms, north station entrance, and some additional work at the south entrance and busway.
On Friday, March 20, 2009, the newly renovated north station entrance on the south side of Howard Street, under the elevated embankment, reopened, marking the completion of CTA's Howard Rehabilitation Project. Mayor Richard M. Daley joined Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown, Chicago Transit Authority President Richard L. Rodriguez and 49th Ward Alderman Joe Moore at a ceremony a week later, on March 28, 2009, to commemorate the completion of the Howard Rehabilitation Project.
The Regional Transportation Authority and proceeds from CTA Bonds provided the funding.
Photos
RPWRHS photo C036-003 shows the Chicago Rapid Transit Company Evanston Express approaching the Howard Street Station from the south. 1940.
RPWRHS photo C036-019 shows two buses on Howard Street, An Evanston Bus Company bus is eastbound to the Howard Street Station while a CTA 155 Devon bus is westbound crossing Clark Street. Notice the Howard Bowl, 1777 W. Howard Street, the 2,999-seat Norshore Theater, 1749 W. Howard Street, and the Howard Street Station, 1649 W. Howard Street in the far background.
RPWRHS photo C036-0108 shows the Loyola Avenue Station, 1200 W. Loyola Avenue in the 1979 Snow. A 6000 Series CTA train is approaching from the south on its way to the Howard Street Station, 1749 W. Howard Street.
RPWRHS photo C043-25608 shows Santa Claus arriving at the Howard Street Station, 1749 W. Howard Street. No date given.
RPWRHS photo L009-0260 shows an underside view of the Purple Line connector to the Howard Street Station from the South Boulevard Station. Photo: June 25, 1986.
RPWRHS photo R044-0116 (overexposed) shows the Howard Street Station in 1950. Photo taken from South Side of Howard Street West of the "L" looking East.
RPWRHS photo R044-0241 shows a street scene of Howard Street looking East from Howard Street Station "L" platform in the 1940s.
RPWRHS photo S013-0264 shows the Evanston side of Howard Street west of the Howard Street Station. July 1989.
RPWRHS photo S013-0289 shows the Howard Street Station, July 1989.
RPWRHS photo S013-0290 shows the Howard Street Station, July 1989.
RPWRHS photo S013-0816 shows the Howard Street Station March 1978.
RPWRHS photo S088-011 shows Howard Street looking east from the CTA Howard Street Station elevated platform in 1957. Route 97 Skokie bus at left on Northeast corner of Howard Street and Paulina Street.
RPWRHS photo S088-017 shows Howard Street looking west from the CTA Howard Street Station's Western elevated platform.
RPWRHS photo S013-2222, Looking Southwest from east platform of CTA Howard Street Station, 1649 W. Howard Street, Tuesday, January 11, 1994.
RPWRHS photo S013-2223, Looking West from west platform of CTA Howard Street Station, 1649 W. Howard Street Monday, March 27, 2000.
RPWRHS photo S013-2224, Looking North from East Platform of CTA Howard Street Station at local Purple Line train arriving, 1649 W. Howard Street, Tuesday, January 11, 1994.
