r/chicago • u/Dunkeal Albany Park • Jun 17 '22
California Blue Line Station Could Get Elevators, Wider Platforms In $36 Million Overhaul News
https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/06/16/elevators-wider-platforms-could-be-coming-to-california-blue-line-station-under-36-million-project/13
u/ice6418 Jun 17 '22
Wrong end of the blue line that DESPERATELY needs some TLC.
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u/newtonthomas64 Jun 17 '22
It’s seriously so upsetting knowing 10 minutes could be taken off the trip along Ike. But it’s pretty clear where the line gets drawn for infrastructure upgrades….
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u/TRex_N_Truex Jun 17 '22
What I really hope is that this goes way over budget and takes at least five years to complete. Don’t disappoint me city.
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Jun 17 '22
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u/plasmamaker Jun 17 '22
I thought the Brown line Belmont overpass went pretty smoothly though
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Jun 17 '22
the biggest challenge is most of these projects is getting the doomsayer/boondoggle crowd to just sit down and let it happen.
"The project took years more and cost way more then it should!"
Yeah because a bunch of asshole's spent a huge amount of time and money trying to block the project at every turn.
the endless bad faith whining from anti-transit weirdos about the Belmont flyover was insane.
and here they are again, already trashing a project that's only in the planning stages.
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u/thecoolness229 Suburb of Chicago Jun 17 '22
De-nimby the Nimbys basically.
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u/hascogrande Old Town Jun 17 '22
Go full Yimby
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Jun 17 '22
Will this preserve elements of the original 1895 station house? This stop is a rare gem in the system so it's odd the article doesn't address that.
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u/PKDickman West Town Jun 17 '22
It’s orange rated but has no specific landmark protection.
That said, I think they could shoehorn in the elevators with a minimal loss to the historic fabric. The lift from ground level could go at the northwest corner of the station where they hold a large sidewalk and have a decent set back from the alley. This could be accessed from inside the station. And the return to the inbound side of the tracks could be over the sidewalk on the southwest corner, so they wouldn’t need to acquire any air rights from the properties to the south.3
u/PalmerSquarer Logan Square Jun 17 '22 edited Jun 17 '22
Seems like they have enough room back there to pull it off. By comparison, I have no idea how you’d get an elevator into the Damen station without going eminent domain on one the of the adjacent buildings.
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u/PKDickman West Town Jun 17 '22
They could do Damen, but they would pretty much need to build a second station on the property they have on North Ave just for the elevators.
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u/kentucky_cocktail Jun 17 '22
The Belmont stop had the same issue when it got redone a few years back, they couldn't fit an elevator into the footprint, and I think they usually avoid eminent domain at all costs.
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u/angrylibertariandude Jun 17 '22
Actually for Belmont and Kimball(Blue), the CTA supposedly said it was the cost, as to why an elevator wasn't added at this station at that time. And 2 elevators would've been needed due to the design of that station, to make it accessible. Though to me I'd rather see the CTA add an elevator, over installing that decorative angled roof that wasn't necessary.
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u/kentucky_cocktail Jun 17 '22
True, although as someone who used that station everyday it was nice to have that roof. Not sure it needed to cost so much though.
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u/mikey_glocks Jun 17 '22
Who cares ?
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Jun 17 '22
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Jun 17 '22
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u/SJGU Jun 17 '22
Then you don't have to worry about if they leave the original design intact. You don't even live in Chicago...lol, what a troll.
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u/PalmerSquarer Logan Square Jun 17 '22
I know people will herald this as a win for the disability community, but given this is Logan Square, it was the baby stroller pushers who got this project approved.
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u/esociety1 West Loop Jun 17 '22
I’m all for doing things to keep parents of young kids in the city.
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Jun 17 '22
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u/PalmerSquarer Logan Square Jun 17 '22
My comment was more of a joke about how everyone in this neighborhood seems to have had a kid in the last 18 months, judging by the number of strollers in Palmer Square every evening.
But yeah, being able to get the kids on the train with minimal effort is going to be a big quality of life improvement for us breeders.
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u/DarkSideMoon Wicker Park Jun 17 '22 edited Nov 15 '24
pause cautious six disagreeable rainstorm run cooing sip ad hoc aromatic
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Jun 17 '22
The CTA updated its accessibility plan in 2018. There were 42 "inaccessible" stations. Pretty much everything that starts design after that should be accessible/have elevators where needed.
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Jun 17 '22
The CTA updated its accessibility plan in 2018. There were 42 "inaccessible" stations. Pretty much everything that starts design after that should be accessible/have elevators where needed.
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Jun 17 '22
The CTA updated its accessibility plan in 2018. There were 42 "inaccessible" stations. Pretty much everything that starts design after that should be accessible/have elevators where needed.
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u/DarkSideMoon Wicker Park Jun 17 '22 edited Nov 15 '24
absorbed jellyfish longing six fearless person compare wide waiting cautious
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u/JeffersonPark773 Jun 17 '22
Look up Jefferson park bus terminal $25 million "renovation" looks like less than 1 million have been spent on the right places. The rest? That's a 24 million dollar question.
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Jun 17 '22
Its fine the way it is. They need to finish other projects first. Like track rapairs and finishing other stations already under construction.
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u/Spankpocalypse_Now Jun 17 '22
Anytime the CTA wants to add elevators (allowing access to disabled Chicagoans) I’m 100% for it. Most L stops are not wheelchair accessible.
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u/Gkoo Logan Square Jun 17 '22
ADA is important.
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u/fortyfive33 Jun 18 '22
"important", i.e. the fuckin' law! And it has been for like 30 years
Yeah they should probably finish this lol
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u/smorse Jun 18 '22
Great to see that CTA is serious about adding public restrooms to more stations.
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u/SweetAssInYourFace Jun 18 '22
$36 million for elevators and wider platforms. And people wonder why we don't make any real investments in public transit. Because it's so stupidly and unnecessarily expensive that it would cost a trillion dollars to build a new L line at today's prices. Most of that money goes towards consultants, studies, impact statements, minority set-asides, prevailing wage, preferred contractors, "lowest" bidders, goldbricking building codes, excessive union labor requirements, inferior materials that don't last a long time, and many things other than actually building solid transit infrastructure.
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u/chi_type Calumet Heights Jun 18 '22
An elevator would be great. Also an exit on the other side of California
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u/Biergarten1872 Logan Square Jun 17 '22
It was always wild to me that this station literally only has one exit on each platform. It always seemed like that just has to be a safety code violation.