The deluxe rehabs of the Red Line’s 95th Street and Wilson stops
If you’ve ever visited London, Tokyo or even Washington D.C., you know that rapid transit can be a dignified, democratic experience, rather than a degrading one. However, it sure doesn’t seem that way when you’re waiting in a CTA tunnel with filthy walls and a dripping ceiling. Thankfully, the Emanuel administration has made upgrading the system a priority, and two of the gnarliest Red Line stations are now undergoing massive rehabs. The Wilson stop, a three-time winner of RedEye’s “Crust Station” contest, is getting a $203 million makeover that will turn it into a Purple Line transfer—expect an influx of Northwestern folks moving to Uptown. Meanwhile, the hulking, rust-stained 95th Street station is getting a $240 million overhaul that will transform it into an airy, light-filled transit temple. When you factor in the $492 million “Your New Blue” overhaul of thirteen O’Hare branch stations, Chicago strap-hanging is bound to become a lot more pleasant.
95th Street Station, 95th and the Dan Ryan; Wilson Station, Wilson and Broadway
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El of a Night: Twelve Hours on the Red and Blue Lines While I ride CTA trains a few times a week, I was interested in getting a better sense of what conditions are like on the El at other times of the day. So I hung out on the Red and Blue routes from 5pm to 5am.
