Renovations Planned for CTA’s Washington-Wabash Elevated Station

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) elevated structure at Wabash - Washington will soon be transformed into what’s being called “a gateway for Millennium Park and the Loop.”
Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) elevated structure at Wabash - Washington will soon be transformed into what’s being called “a gateway for Millennium Park and the Loop.”

Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) elevated structure at Wabash - Washington will soon be transformed into what’s being called “a gateway for Millennium Park and the Loop.”

“This station features a modern design with undulating waves that serve as a welcome contrast to the city grid and will replace two century-old stations that were not designed for the needs of modern public transit,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “You cannot have a 21st century economy sitting on 20th century economic infrastructure and we continue to make investments throughout the entire CTA system to improve our infrastructure and brighten our economic future.”

Mayor Emanuel, along with CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation officials released final renderings for the planned Washington-Wabash Elevated CTA Station, which will be constructed between Madison and Washington and serve the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple lines.

Materials for the design were chosen to allow visibility, reinforce the feeling of openness and to allow a visual connection to the historical corridor. The vibrant new facility is expected to enhance passenger convenience, improve train speeds, decrease operating costs and provide accessibility for all riders.

“The new Washington-Wabash station will serve as a convenient option for the tens of thousands of transit riders who travel to the Loop for work or visit the many destinations downtown, including Millennium Park,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “This is a crucial investment that will pay dividends for many years, as the new station will offer improved amenities and larger platforms for all riders.”

Construction of the $75 million station is expected to begin in the fall of 2014; the station is scheduled to open in 2016.

According to recent estimates from CTA, the Washington-Wabash station is expected to have 13,375 daily entries (annual weekday average), making it the 5th busiest CTA station on weekdays. The annual total for the station will be 4.02 million rides.

Renovations will be funded entirely by Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds.

The Chicago Department of Transportation is managing the design and construction of the station, which is the first to be built in the loop was the Library/State-Van Buren station in June, 1997.

Renovations will include the fare controls, stairs, escalators, elevators, electrical; security and communications rooms will be on the mezzanine level. The station will be entirely new and will meet ADA standards with new elevators from the street to mezzanine and platform levels. The platform capacity will be enlarged from the existing 7’-6” width to 10’ to 13’ widths.

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