Over the past few years, Chicago, Illinois has invested in three new “infill” stations located along existing ‘L’ tracks, filling service gaps between stops and expanding access to the transit system.
The Chicago Transit Authority ‘L’ has seen dramatic ridership increases over the past 10 years, increasing 29 percent from 474,478 average weekday boardings in 2004 to 614,220 last year—and some of that change can be attributed to these new stations, which are attracting more riders and creating opportunities for mixed-use, transit-oriented development.
The CTA opened two stations in 2012, one at Morgan Street on the Green and Pink Lines and one at Oakton Street on the Yellow Line.
The Morgan Station has been particularly effective in bringing new development to the West Loop and now attracts more than 2,300 daily riders as of March 2015.
In February 2015, CTA added another station at Cermak Road on the Green Line near the McCormick Place convention center in the South Loop neighborhood.
The stop cost $50 million to build and was completed by the Chicago Dept. of Transportation using tax increment financing funds.
Though the station is virtually brand new, initial ridership figures for March 2015 released by the CTA already point to the benefits of the new station in growing ridership and producing neighborhood growth.