IL: Mayor Emanuel Offers First Look at New 95th Street Terminal

Mayor Rahm Emanuel today unveiled the design renderings for the new 95th Street Red Line station, a project to modernize transit and promote economic opportunity on Chicago’s South Side.

The $240 million reconstruction project, slated to begin in spring 2014, will create not only a brand-new, reconfigured station to serve the CTA’s busiest rail line, but also a facility that will serve as a community focal point and an anchor for economic opportunity on Chicago’s South Side. The terminal project, expected to generate about 700 construction jobs, follows the on-time, on-budget reconstruction of the Red Line South between downtown and 95th Street. The Red Line South reopened in October and has resulted in smoother, faster and more reliable rides for customers.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a significant investment in both the South Side and the Red Line and its riders," said Emanuel. "The Red Line is the backbone of our transportation network and this new station will drive economic activity throughout the city for years to come."

“Each day, 20,000 passengers stream into and out of the 95th Street station,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. “Riders deserve a clean, modern station that will provide efficient service to CTA customers at one of the busiest stations in the entire system. The significant federal resources invested in this project through the TIGER grant program will help connect workers with jobs and spur economic development.”

The new station design features contemporary architecture including glass and steel canopies and light-filled, glass-enclosed structures with expanded space for customers.  The station will have buildings both north and south of 95th Street, connected by an enclosed walkway over 95th Street, and will include three times the amount of retail concession space as the current station.

“I am pleased to see that the CTA is making progress toward the construction and completion of the 95th Street Terminal. Working with community leaders and residents to incorporate their ideas in the design phase has been integral to the continued success of the project,” said U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL). “After the tremendous effort to renovate the CTA Red Line South Branch this year, I look forward to the CTA beginning construction next year on this station. This renovation will better serve the existing high volume ridership and provide the South Side with a modern, safe and pedestrian-friendly transit center for the 21st century.”

“The Obama Administration is committed to creating ladders of opportunity for all Americans and the redevelopment of the 95th Street Terminal is in many ways the first rung to accessing the region’s jobs, schools, and healthcare,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We are proud to be partners with the city of Chicago and the community’s residents on this transformational project.”

The project will also incorporate artworks from internationally recognized, Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates, and involve a program incorporating job creation, skills training and significant community engagement by the artist.  Gates is holding a series of community meetings through December to engage and promote dialogue among community residents, architects and designers about what kinds of artwork and community involvement might be possible for the project.

“This is an historic opportunity to promote community engagement in a once-in-a-generation project on Chicago’s South Side,” said Emanuel.  “This project combines the talents of a world-renowned artist with an effort to create jobs and provide on-the-job training and skills development for both workers and students.”

Built in 1969, the 95th Street station serves as both a train terminal and an integrated bus terminal, serving about 20,000 customers on an average weekday. The station is one of CTA’s busiest, with 24-hour Red Line service and more than 1,000 CTA and Pace bus trips on a typical weekday. These buses connect Far South Side communities to the CTA rail network; there are roughly 300,000 people who live within walking distance of the CTA bus routes serving the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal.

The new station will create a better, safer and more accessible pedestrian environment, with wider sidewalks and larger waiting areas for increased passenger comfort.  Wider bus lanes and increased spacing between bus bays will reduce congestion and improve traffic flow.

“This investment will provide for a much safer station for South Side residents” said Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff. “No longer will transit riders, including children, be forced to run a dangerous gauntlet of parked and moving buses to get where they need to go.”

The 95th Street project is part of more than $4 billion in transit investment being made by Mayor Emanuel. 

Though the construction schedule has not been finalized, the 95th Station is expected to remain open throughout the construction project.

Funding is provided through a variety of federal, state and local sources, including a Federal TIGER grant, TIFIA loan, Federal Bus Livability grant, Federal Formula funds, State of Illinois Jobs Now funds, and CTA funds.