For the two residents on the Yellow Line station engineering committee, the task of pinpointing a new stop in south Evanston strikes especially close to home.
The eight-member panel, which whittled down feasible options to Dodge and Asbury avenues last week, also includes two aldermen and various city officials confronted with the same mission.
But Ben Schapiro and Tom Kepler, both of whom live within walking distance of the proposed stations, face a more conflicted challenge: seeking the most viable choice, even if it means a lengthier hike for themselves.
Schapiro emphasized two overarching goals in the committee’s deliberations, regardless of backyard preferences.
“What can we actually build?” he asked. “And how can we bring in new ridership?”
At a committee meeting Thursday night, members presented a feasibility study that essentially ruled out Ridge Avenue as a worthwhile intermediate stop along the Yellow Line, which currently runs from the Red Line’s Howard hub to Dempster Street in Skokie.
Both Schapiro and Kepler agreed the Ridge location – near its intersection with Case Street – contains several drawbacks, such as high traffic volume and narrow lanes, which altogether inhibit bike and bus-related infrastructure.
Consequently, the feasibility study suggested Dodge and Asbury avenues as more optimal sites for station development. An Asbury stop would cost $22.4 million and serve 263,000 annual riders, and a Dodge stop would cost at least $27.2 million and serve 203,000 annual riders, according to the presentation’s estimates.
Kepler, an Evanston-based graphic designer whose residence would be accommodated by a Dodge station, said he has noticed “a lot more support for Asbury all of a sudden.” He was not present at Thursday’s meeting but added in a snap decision between Asbury and Dodge, he “wouldn’t say any one has many issues against it.”
“Each one has its advantages and disadvantages over the other one, but at this point both are great options, in my opinion,” Kepler said. “I don’t even want to lean one way or another because a lot of people haven’t weighed in yet.”
Schapiro admitted he lives almost exactly between the potential facilities, and the 11-minute stroll between each is “really not that much of an additional burden.”
He similarly described himself as still “very much on the listening end of things” and more interested in a practical outcome than personal benefit.
However, Schapiro did note a seeming downside of a Dodge station, which would require a multimillion-dollar replacement of an 85-year-old bridge per CTA policy.
“These are not destination stops,” he said. “These are commuter stops. No one’s going to take the train from Chicago to Levy Senior Center.”
Despite the two options’ pitfalls, both resident-committee members deferred to a second public survey as the ultimate influence in their final say.
That online questionnaire, which has officially removed the Ridge location from further consideration, launched Friday and can be accessed at www.evanstonyellowlinestation.org through Nov. 4.
“The survey is very significant,” Kepler said. “You’re not going to build a stop where no one wants to go.”
