The Chicago Department of Transportation and Metra officials propose to build a new Metra station near Ashland and Ogden Avenues in the growing Fulton Market area. A new Metra station would ease rail congestion and expand access to jobs west of the Loop.
An article in the Chicago Sun Times states that plans call for a platform east of Ashland Avenue with walkways on the east and west sides of the street spanning most of the distance to Ogden Avenue. The platform would be over tracks where four Metra lines already pass through.
Jeffrey Sriver, with CDOT, said that the expansion would improve connectivity to the Illinois Medical District, Kinzie Industrial Corridor, Fulton Market, the United Center and educational institutions.
This would also help many Chicagoans from disadvantaged communities and those who work in the University of Illinois at Chicago and the Illinois Medical District, while also helping connect suburbanites to a growing economic engine.
The Chicago Tribune reports that this project is a preliminary concept that was detailed at a recent community meeting.
The project would also include:
- Restructuring of a nearby track crossing
- Multiple entrances along its length
- Pedestrian concourse
- Pick up and drop-off space for vehicles, pedestrians and bikes
According to Chicago Eater, due to the rapid growth of the area, including new or future corporate neighbors such as McDonald's, Google, Mondelez, and Tock and workers who use the Metra commuter train rather than CTA, this could be an opportunity for restaurants. The neighborhood is full of places to eat, but very few of them offer quick grab and go lunch options. Unfortunately, if the new station does get built, it won't be ready for another decade.
The new station would serve 80,000 people per day and will be part of a larger $1 billion Metra project that also includes a flyover at Western Avenue to relieve the bottleneck of trains headed for downtown.
