Metra has cut the ribbon on its new Peterson/Ridge Station in Chicago, Ill.,’s Edgewater neighborhood. The station opened to rail service on May 20.
“We are pleased that this station is already serving as a gateway to the Metra system and to the beautiful Edgewater community,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski. “It was a long time coming but we hope you agree that it was worth the wait.”
The station construction, which cost $27.8 million, included two six-car platforms, heated concrete stairs and ADA-compliant ramps, a glass and masonry warming house with side canopies and metal roof, two shelters with on-demand heating, an access drive with a cul-de-sac turnaround and ADA pick-up/drop-off, five ADA parking spaces and 44 parking spaces along Ravenswood Avenue, bicycle parking and a plaza with associated landscaping and irrigation system.
The work was funded in part by a $15 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), a component of Rebuild Illinois, the state’s historic capital plan. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding covered the remaining construction costs.
“I am incredibly pleased that the much-anticipated Peterson Station is operational and open to the public,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL-5). “This station is a critical step in Metra’s goal of expanding and improving service throughout our region and helping make safe, affordable and climate-friendly transportation available to all.”
“As more people continue to take Metra, the new Peterson/Ridge Station will make commutes easier and more efficient,” said FTA Regional Administrator Kelley Brookins. “FTA was happy to support this new station so Metra can increase the number of trains and improve train connections for Chicagoland commuters.”
Metra notes significant state dollars allocated to the agency under the Rebuild Illinois program, combined with federal aid, are helping to fund an unprecedented investment in the Metra system, including the purchase of new, modern rail cars and newly repowered locomotives and the rehabilitation of existing cars and locomotives. The funding includes the construction of another new station – Auburn Park on the Rock Island Line – and the rehabilitation and upgrade of existing stations and the replacement or rehabilitation of existing bridges. The projects will improve rider comfort, increase accessibility, strengthen service reliability and improve air quality.
