The first batch of more defined renderings have been revealed for the upcoming stations and plazas of the CTA Red Line Extension (RLE). The images are the first of more to come as the city hosts a group of community input meetings to allow local residents to guide the design of the new public spaces. The RLE officially broke ground this past April.
Map of Red Line Extension via CTA
The RLE has been in the works for over a decade and is finally moving forward after many setbacks, including ballooning costs, land rights, federal funding cuts, and more. Once completed, the 5.6-mile extension will utilize a mix of existing and newly built tracks to reach all the way down to 130th Street near Altgeld Gardens.
Rendering of Red Line Extension by Walsh-VINCI
Rendering of Red Line Extension by Walsh-VINCI
Along the run will be stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and the aforementioned new terminus at 130th Street. The station design will be a mix of those newly opened on the north side as part of Red-Purple Modernization, along with a platform design similar to those built for the Your New Blue program along the Blue Line in 2014.
Rendering of Red Line Extension by Walsh-VINCI
The large public plazas under each will contain built-in seating, added landscaping, Divvy stations, event space for things like farmers markets, bike parking, and more. The project will cost roughly $1 billion per mile to build, similar to other major ongoing transit extensions nationally. Design updates will continue to be made ahead of its 2030 completion.
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Thanks for showcasing these renderings for the scheduled stations along the Redline Extension. It’s our hope to gather thoughts on these designs to further accessibility and visualization concepts. Because of the stations height we would need to project beauty and introduce various coverings for pedestrian protection from extreme weather conditions and public safety. At ground level, Greening the station area and innovation in lighting will be key within a two block radius. This afternoon, the 130th Street Station Pop Up will include an invite from local leaders for residents to form a Station Area Committee. The intent is to leverage Redevelopment around the station and the surrounding communities.
Those light poles look wrong under the structure; attach the lighting to the bottom of the structure. These areas should be very well lit from structure for less pole maintenance and repair. Where is the public art? It shouldn’t be a tacky add on when the project is finished. The bike station looks like it’s in the way of the market circulation. At first the renderings look good, but if you look closely there’s a lot missing and shows no cohesive coordination of project elements.
It’s good that the extension is getting built. At this point in the design, I wouldn’t look at renderings for detail information on each station, as it appears that details are still in “community feedback” mode. This is one step closer to connecting more parts of the city together as has been promised for decades. If they follow the model of the station rebuilds on the north branch of the red line, community oriented art, lighting, and other amenities will be included. With the quantum campus and other projects like at Pullman, along with hopefully better connectivity with the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority, this area can become its own economic engine.