$280M CTA 95th Street Station Is Officially Open

Friday, January 4, 2019 marked the official completion of a major Milhouse/Paschen partnership project, the CTA’s 95th Street/Dan Ryan terminal, which the mayor’s office describes as “substantially complete.” The design of the figure-eight-shaped project comes from architectural firm EXP.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CTA Board Chairman Terry Peterson and CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. joined other dignitaries to celebrate the opening of the new North Terminal, marking the near completion of a project that is providing Chicago’s South Side with a state-of-the-art transit facility while boosting the local economy through the creation of more than 4,600 jobs.

Straddling the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway, the newly completed structure complements the stop’s south terminal, which opened in April.

On an average day the number of people who use the station is equal to the entire population of north suburban Libertyville. To handle all of those people there are now two station houses linked by a pedestrian bridge spanning 95th Street. The walkway, combined with new canopies above the loading zones, provides all-weather functionality and improved accessibility while improving public safety.

Features of the North Terminal include:

• A bright and airy mezzanine with a skylight and clerestory, replacing a cramped, aging facility built in 1969
• New service and directional signage throughout
• Safer pedestrian walkways to bus pickup areas and the rail terminal
• More turnstiles and Ventra vending machines for customer convenience
• Longer train platform to reduce overcrowding and increase passenger safety
• Additional bike racks, CTA Transit Tracker displays and high-definition cameras throughout

In addition to operational improvements, the new terminal will also feature public art and a live radio DJ booth, expected to debut later this year. The DJ booth will provide commuters with real-time audio programming and live music hosted by a regular weekday DJ, featuring DJs in-residence, musicians, poets, and community members.

At $280 million, it is the most expensive station project in CTA history.

While the new 95th Street station currently represents the end of the line, city officials hope to eventually extend the Red Line south to 130th Street. The CTA has revealed a preliminary route for the proposed 5.3-mile extension early last year and identified possible locations for four additional stations. Work on that project could begin in 2022, provided the city can secure an estimated $2.3 billion in funding.