Oakton (CTA)
Encyclopedia
Oakton-Skokie is an infill rapid transit station
under construction on the Chicago Transit Authority
's Yellow Line
, which will serve Skokie's downtown. Previously, a station existed at this location which was in operation as part of the CTA's Niles Center Route from 1925 until 1948, and later demolished in 1962. The new station is scheduled for completion and return to operation in January 2012.
and the North Shore Line
(an interurban
railroad linking Chicago and Milwaukee) existed under the private ownership of Samuel Insull
. The North Shore Line's original route to Milwaukee ran through numerous North Shore
communities that had become densely settled.
In order to provide faster service between Chicago and Milwaukee, the North Shore Line decided to build a high-speed bypass several miles west of its original line. The new route would traverse the Skokie Valley and converge with the 'L'
at Howard. In an attempt to encourage development in the village of Niles Center
on the southern portion of the line, the Chicago Rapid Transit Company would operate rapid transit service as far as Dempster Street.
The new "Niles Center Route" included several intermediate stations served only by the Chicago Rapid Transit Company, including one at Oakton Street, just a few blocks from the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street where the business district of Niles Center was forming. Arthur U. Gerber
, staff architect for Samuel Insull, designed the station in the Prairie School
style, similar to the Dempster station at the end of the line. The station at Oakton was smaller and set between the tracks, with a single high-level island platform projecting from the rear of the station house.
The line entered operation on March 28, 1925, but did not encourage much development before the Great Depression
and World War II
put a halt to building activity for nearly 20 years. The Niles Center service remained unprofitable in 1947 when the privately-owned Chicago Rapid Transit Company was subsumed into the public Chicago Transit Authority, and on March 27, 1948, rapid transit service was terminated and replaced
with the #97 Skokie bus. All rapid transit stations along the line were closed, except for Dempster where North Shore Line service continued until the company went out of business in 1963.
On Monday, April 20, 1964, the Chicago Transit Authority reinstated service on the Niles Center Branch as an nonstop shuttle between Howard and Dempster, dubbed the Skokie Swift. No station was located at Oakton, even though it is only one block from Skokie's central business district.
Village officials discussed and planned for a downtown Skokie Swift station for more than five years. More recently, a developer purchased the 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) Pfizer
Pharmaceuticals property adjacent to the station site to build a life sciences research park, now Illinois Science + Technology Park. The employees at the research park would drive ridership at the station. The CTA has supported plans for the Oakton station, as indicated in a 2003 letter from then CTA President Frank Kruesi: "By... providing infill stations [along the Yellow Line], the CTA will make better use of existing service capacity and provide expanded reverse commute opportunities."
In early 2005, the village received $417,000 in a federal grant earmarked for the station's design, which covers about 80 percent of design costs for the station. The village would pick up the remainder, about $104,000, according to Village Director of Engineering Fred Schattner. Then, in mid-2005, village staff submitted a grant proposal to the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant program, which provides funds for projects that contribute to traffic congestion relief and cleaner air quality.
In late November 2005, the Skokie secured a $1 million federal grant for the village's downtown Skokie Swift project with the help of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
, D-9th. Then, in early December 2005, Skokie learned they would receive an additional $9.2 million in federal grant funds to construct the station. The entire project is estimated to cost about $15 million including any land acquisition needed, which means the village had by this time secured more than two-thirds of the funding. Skokie Mayor Van Dusen has said he is exploring options to help pay for some or all of the remaining cost.
The station will be located on the site of the original station, just west of Skokie Boulevard, north of Oakton Street and adjacent to the new Illinois Science + Technology Park.
The village sought proposals from firms for design work for the new station, eventually awarding the contract to McDonough Associates. Construction of the new downtown station was expected to begin in 2007 and officials estimated the station would be completed in 2007 or 2008. Issues of financing delayed the project as various funding sources were secured, and later issues of land acquisition delayed the project further. Finally in 2007 after extensive deliberation, the Village of Skokie initiated eminent domain proceedings against two landowners (an auto repair shop and a truck rental business) to make room adjacent to the station for a "kiss and ride" area, a bus turnaround and a taxi drop-off area.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place at the adjacent Illinois Science + Technology Park on June 21, 2010. On June 8, 2011, the Chicago Transit Board revealed that the name of the station would be Oakton-Skokie. Naming of the station was done concurrently with the renaming of the Dempster-Skokie Yellow Line station and terminus.
at grade level located between the Yellow Line's two tracks; the eastern track serves trains to Dempster-Skokie, while the western track serves trains to Howard. Oakton-Skokie will have two entrances: one will located off of Oakton Street, the other will front onto Skokie Boulevard near Searle Parkway.
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
under construction on the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's Yellow Line
Yellow Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Yellow Line, formerly known as the Skokie Swift, is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's Chicago 'L' heavy rail rapid transit system in Chicago, Illinois...
, which will serve Skokie's downtown. Previously, a station existed at this location which was in operation as part of the CTA's Niles Center Route from 1925 until 1948, and later demolished in 1962. The new station is scheduled for completion and return to operation in January 2012.
History
In the 1920s, both the Chicago Rapid Transit CompanyChicago Rapid Transit Company
The Chicago Rapid Transit Company was a privately owned firm providing rapid transit rail service in Chicago, Illinois and several adjacent communities between the years 1924 and 1947...
and the North Shore Line
Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad line that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until its abandonment in 1963.- Early history :...
(an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railroad linking Chicago and Milwaukee) existed under the private ownership of Samuel Insull
Samuel Insull
Samuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
. The North Shore Line's original route to Milwaukee ran through numerous North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
communities that had become densely settled.
In order to provide faster service between Chicago and Milwaukee, the North Shore Line decided to build a high-speed bypass several miles west of its original line. The new route would traverse the Skokie Valley and converge with the 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
at Howard. In an attempt to encourage development in the village of Niles Center
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
on the southern portion of the line, the Chicago Rapid Transit Company would operate rapid transit service as far as Dempster Street.
The new "Niles Center Route" included several intermediate stations served only by the Chicago Rapid Transit Company, including one at Oakton Street, just a few blocks from the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street where the business district of Niles Center was forming. Arthur U. Gerber
Arthur U. Gerber
Arthur Uranus Gerber was a commercial architect who resided in Evanston, Illinois and whose designs included a number of transit stations in the greater Chicago, Illinois area, at least five of which have since been placed onto the National Register of Historic Places.-Styles:Gerber was known for...
, staff architect for Samuel Insull, designed the station in the Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style, similar to the Dempster station at the end of the line. The station at Oakton was smaller and set between the tracks, with a single high-level island platform projecting from the rear of the station house.
The line entered operation on March 28, 1925, but did not encourage much development before the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
put a halt to building activity for nearly 20 years. The Niles Center service remained unprofitable in 1947 when the privately-owned Chicago Rapid Transit Company was subsumed into the public Chicago Transit Authority, and on March 27, 1948, rapid transit service was terminated and replaced
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
with the #97 Skokie bus. All rapid transit stations along the line were closed, except for Dempster where North Shore Line service continued until the company went out of business in 1963.
On Monday, April 20, 1964, the Chicago Transit Authority reinstated service on the Niles Center Branch as an nonstop shuttle between Howard and Dempster, dubbed the Skokie Swift. No station was located at Oakton, even though it is only one block from Skokie's central business district.
Reconstruction
Since the Swift began operating in 1964, there has been interest on the part of the Village of Skokie and its citizens to reestablish at least one of the local stations. The most likely candidate to return was Oakton, due to its location near Skokie's downtown and its potential to generate the most traffic. A study commissioned by the Village of Skokie and completed in Fall 2003 recommended establishing a stop at Oakton.Village officials discussed and planned for a downtown Skokie Swift station for more than five years. More recently, a developer purchased the 28 acres (113,312.1 m²) Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
Pharmaceuticals property adjacent to the station site to build a life sciences research park, now Illinois Science + Technology Park. The employees at the research park would drive ridership at the station. The CTA has supported plans for the Oakton station, as indicated in a 2003 letter from then CTA President Frank Kruesi: "By... providing infill stations [along the Yellow Line], the CTA will make better use of existing service capacity and provide expanded reverse commute opportunities."
In early 2005, the village received $417,000 in a federal grant earmarked for the station's design, which covers about 80 percent of design costs for the station. The village would pick up the remainder, about $104,000, according to Village Director of Engineering Fred Schattner. Then, in mid-2005, village staff submitted a grant proposal to the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant program, which provides funds for projects that contribute to traffic congestion relief and cleaner air quality.
In late November 2005, the Skokie secured a $1 million federal grant for the village's downtown Skokie Swift project with the help of U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Jan Schakowsky
Janice D. "Jan" Schakowsky is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes many of Chicago's northern suburbs, including Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Park Ridge, Des Plaines and Rosemont...
, D-9th. Then, in early December 2005, Skokie learned they would receive an additional $9.2 million in federal grant funds to construct the station. The entire project is estimated to cost about $15 million including any land acquisition needed, which means the village had by this time secured more than two-thirds of the funding. Skokie Mayor Van Dusen has said he is exploring options to help pay for some or all of the remaining cost.
The station will be located on the site of the original station, just west of Skokie Boulevard, north of Oakton Street and adjacent to the new Illinois Science + Technology Park.
The village sought proposals from firms for design work for the new station, eventually awarding the contract to McDonough Associates. Construction of the new downtown station was expected to begin in 2007 and officials estimated the station would be completed in 2007 or 2008. Issues of financing delayed the project as various funding sources were secured, and later issues of land acquisition delayed the project further. Finally in 2007 after extensive deliberation, the Village of Skokie initiated eminent domain proceedings against two landowners (an auto repair shop and a truck rental business) to make room adjacent to the station for a "kiss and ride" area, a bus turnaround and a taxi drop-off area.
Facilities
The station will consist of an island platformIsland platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
at grade level located between the Yellow Line's two tracks; the eastern track serves trains to Dempster-Skokie, while the western track serves trains to Howard. Oakton-Skokie will have two entrances: one will located off of Oakton Street, the other will front onto Skokie Boulevard near Searle Parkway.