Evanston residents riding the El downtown will soon have a revamped transfer point at Howard Street.
A $50 million project by the Chicago Transit Authority will upgrade the entire station and include improvements such as a new southern entrance to alleviate traffic concerns, a remodeled north entrance and completely renovated platforms. The CTA granted final approval Feb. 22 and held a public meeting Wednesday night at Gale School, to begin a process of citizen involvement in the design.
The station, located just south of the Evanston-Chicago border of Howard Street, serves as a major transportation hub for south Evanston and Rogers Park residents. It also marks the transfer points between the purple line, which goes north into Evanston, and the red line, which goes south into downtown.
Representatives from the CTA and the consulting firm planning the project met with residents and local officials to discuss resident concerns for the project. Chicago Ald. Joe Moore (49th), whose ward includes the Rogers Park neighborhood, assured those in attendance that the project, which he said was 30 years overdue, will be completed.
“This is not just a pipe dream,” Moore said. “This is a meeting about a real thing that will happen.”
The expected completion date for the building’s design is July 2003, with construction beginning that fall and finishing in fall 2006, said Alaaeldien Waziry, a consultant working for the CTA on the $2 billion 5-year project to improve stations around the Chicago area.
Residents expressed a host of concerns and suggestions for the new building, such as providing public restrooms and improving the signs showing the status of buses and trains. Many residents simply said they wanted an assurance the station would not be second-class, and instead would be a value to the community.
“I look forward to having this as a showcase station,” Chicago resident Lorene Hopkins said. She said it was an important stop for the neighborhood, which tends to come last.
Other residents expressed specific concerns. Chicago resident Georgia Evans, a 20-year rider of the red line, said the CTA should consider safety features such as better colored strips on stair for night travel and brighter lighting.
“We’re not ritzy,” Evans said. “But we still need to get to work and we still need safety.”
Chuck Belser, an engineer with Parsons Transportation, said safety concerns would be addressed and the project would be a major improvement.
Alicia Obando, a government and community relations officer for the CTA, assured residents throughout the area that they would have a continued opportunity to become involved in the project.
“We want all the communities that are affected by this to be involved,” Obando said. This includes Rogers Park, Evanston and Skokie.
The CTA will meet again with residents on June 5 to discuss the preliminary design and again in early 2003 to discuss a more in-depth plan. Officials also plan to create an advisory board to meet on a regular basis with those involved in the project to ensure that resident interests are taken into account.
Moore touted the project as an opportunity for Evanston and Chicago to work together. He praised Evanston Ald. Ann Rainey (8th), whose ward is just north of Howard and who also was present at the meeting, for working with him on the Howard Streetscape project and other efforts to revitalize the area.
“We will show what kind of good fruit government cooperation can bear,” Moore said.
