Lake Street Elevated (CTA)

Lake Street Elevated
Looking east over the Ashland/Lake station and a perspective view of the Lake Street Elevated
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago "L"
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago, Illinois, United States Oak Park, Illinois Forest Park, Illinois
Termini	Harlem/Lake Clinton
Stations	14
Services	Green Line      Pink Line
Daily ridership	27,217 (average weekday Feb. 2013)
Operation
Opened	November 6, 1893 (Current operation)
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority (1947–present) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924–1947) Chicago and Oak Park Elevated Railroad (1904–1924) Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company (1893–1904)
Character	Elevated
Rolling stock	5000-series
Technical
Line length	8.75 mi (14.08 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Legend Legend Loop Market Street stub Chicago River MD-N MD-W NCS Canal Ogilvie Trans- portation Center UP-N UP-NW UP-W Clinton Halsted Morgan Racine Loomis Ashland Lake Street Transfer Northwest branch Wood Damen Oakley Campbell California Sacramento Kedzie Homan Conservatory–Central Park Drive Hamlin Hamlin yard Pulaski Kostner Belt Railway of Chicago Cicero Laramie Long Avenue Pine Avenue Central Avenue Central Parkside Avenue Menard Menard Avenue Mason Avenue Austin Austin Avenue Chicago Oak Park Lombard Lombard Avenue Cuyler Street Branch Randolph Street Branch Ridgeland Ridgeland Avenue Euclid Avenue Oak Park Oak Park Avenue Home Avenue Marion Avenue Marion Oak Park | Harlem/Lake Harlem Avenue Oak Park Forest Park Harlem Yard Forest Park UP-Wto Elburn

The Lake Street Elevated, also known as the Lake Branch, is a 8.75 mi (14.08 km) long branch of the Chicago "L" which is located west of the Chicago Loop and serves the Green and Pink Line trains. As of February 2013, the branch serves an average of 27,217 passengers each weekday.^[1] It serves the Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, and Austin neighborhoods of Chicago, as well as the suburbs Oak Park and Forest Park. It owes its name to Lake Street, the street that the branch overlooks for 6.25 mi (10.06 km) before continuing its route straight west, adjacent to South Boulevard, towards the terminus at Harlem/Lake. The branch runs from 3:50 am to 1:25 am on weekdays, 4:50 am to 1:25 am on Saturdays and Sundays/Holidays.

History

The Lake Street Elevated began regular passenger service on November 6, 1893, from its eastern terminal at Madison Street and Market Street to California Avenue. On November 24, 1893 service on the line was extended to Homan Avenue. In March 1894, service on the line was extended to 48th Avenue (now known as Cicero Avenue) and on April 29, 1894, service was extended to 52nd Avenue (now known as Laramie Avenue), which at the time was the city limits of Chicago. When the completed Loop opened October 3, 1897, the Lake Street Elevated became the first line to utilize the entire quadrangle.^[2] In 1898, an agreement was reached with Cicero Township to extend the Lake Street Elevated beyond the Chicago city limits into what at the time was Cicero Township. This agreement allowed for the extension of the Lake Street Elevated along South Boulevard, as well as the creation of the Randolph Street and Cuyler Avenue branches. On January 25, 1901, service was extended to Wisconsin Avenue (later called Marion), and on May 20, 1910, service was extended to its terminal approximately two blocks west of Harlem Avenue in Forest Park.

In April 1948, the Lake Street Elevated was the first line of the 'L' system to use the Skip-Stop A/B service. Upon the implementation of Skip-Stop A/B service ten stations on the Lake Street Elevated were closed, as was the Market Street Stub, and all trains were routed through the Loop. This new system decreased the travel time of 24–35 minutes, which was considered by the CTA and its users to be a great success.

In 1962, 2.5 mi (4.0 km) of surface level track in Chicago's Austin neighborhood and Oak Park, Illinois were replaced by elevated tracks which run on Chicago & North Western Railroad's track embankment. New stations were built at Central, Austin, Ridgeland and Oak Park. and a new terminus opened at Harlem, replacing the station at Marion and the Forest Park terminus.

Market Street stub

Prior to the opening of the Loop elevated in 1897, the Lake Street Elevated's eastern terminus was the Market Terminal at Madison Street and Market Street.^[3] After the opening of the Loop in 1897, service continued to the Market Street stub, which had a stop at Randolph & Market in addition to the terminal at Madison & Market. Service to the Market Street stub ended on April 4, 1948, as the CTA implemented its new A/B skip-stop service. The Market Street stub was demolished soon after to make way for construction of Wacker Drive.^[4]

New Morgan station

Construction of the new Morgan station began in Summer 2010.^[5] TranSystems led the design team, in conjunction with Ross Barney Architects.^[6] Like most currently active Green Line and Pink Line stations, Morgan is ADA-accessible, with an elevator on either side of the tracks. The station will also have bike storage.

The new Morgan station officially opened on May 18, 2012, and grand opening ceremonies were held on May 24.^[7][8][9]

Service

Until 1969, the Lake Branch was an independent radial branch line providing service in one direction only, like the Ravenswood and Evanston Express Lines: from the Loop to the West Side, Oak Park, and Forest Park. On September 28, 1969 it was combined with the newly opened Dan Ryan branch to form the West-South Route, providing for the first time through rail service between Harlem and 95th/Dan Ryan via the north and east legs of the Loop, the old South Side Main Line and the 18th Street-Wentworth Avenue Connection between 17th Street and Archer Avenue before entering the Dan Ryan Expressway median. This operation lasted for 24 years. On February 21, 1993, when the CTA began to differentiate the L lines by colors, the present day Green Line was assigned to the Lake Branch and service was "switched" south of Roosevelt Road and now continue on the South Side Main Line towards Cottage Grove and Ashland/63rd, the route was formerly paired to the Howard branch of the North-South route. On January 9, 1994, the Lake Branch and the entire Green Line closed for two years to undergo a rehabilitation project. When the line reopened on May 12, 1996, most stations were rebuilt and equipped with elevators in order to make them ADA compliant, and six stations were permanently closed.^[10][11]

On April 26, 1998, the Green, Purple, Brown and the Cermak Branch of the Blue Line (now the Pink Line) lost their 24-hour service. In 2006, the Chicago Transit Authority created the Pink Line, which serves the Clinton, Morgan, and Ashland stations on the Lake Street Branch, before connecting to the Douglas Branch via the rebuilt Paulina Connector.

Station listing

Lake Street Elevated
Station	Location	Points of interest and notes
Forest Park	Marengo Avenue and Circle Avenue, Forest Park	Closed 1962
Harlem/Lake	1 S. Harlem Avenue, Forest Park	Downtown Oak Park, transfer to Oak Park (Metra), Forest Preserve District of Cook County Headquarters
Marion	Marion Avenue and South Boulevard, Oak Park	Closed October 28, 1962
Oak Park	100 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park	Oak Park, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, Unity Temple, Ernest Hemingway Museum & Brithplace
Ridgeland	100 N. Ridgeland Avenue, Oak Park	Oak Park and River Forest High School, Oak Park,
Lombard	Lombard Avenue and South Boulevard, Oak Park	Closed 1948
Austin	351 N. Austin Boulevard
Menard	Menard Avenue and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Central	350 N. Central Avenue	Columbus Park, Walser House, Austin Town Hall
Laramie	5148 W. Lake Street
Cicero	4800 W. Lake Street	Former Brach's Candy Factory
Kostner	Kostner Avenue and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Pulaski	4000 W. Lake Street	Chicago Public Library Legler Branch
Hamlin	3800 W. Lake St.	Closed March 18, 1956
Conservatory-Central Park Drive	3630 W. Lake Street	Garfield Park Conservatory, Garfield Park Field house
Homan	3400 W. Lake Street	Closed January 9, 1994; replaced by Conservatory-Central Park Drive
Kedzie	3200 W. Lake Street	Transfer to Kedzie (Metra)
Sacramento	Sacramento Boulevard and Lake Street	Closed 1948
California	2800 W. Lake Street	Chicago Center for Green Technology
Campbell	Campbell Avenue and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Oakley	Oakley Boulevard and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Damen	Damen Avenue and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Wood	Wood Street and Lake Street	Closed 1913
Lake Street Transfer	Lake Street and Paulina Street	Closed February 25, 1951
Ashland	1601 W. Lake Street	Transfer to Pink Line trains. United Center- Home of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks
Loomis	Loomis Street and Lake Street	Closed April 4, 1954
Racine	Racine Street and Lake Street	Closed 1948
Morgan	958 W. Lake Street	UIC, Harpo Studios, Greektown, Coyne College, Fulton Market District
Halsted	800 W. Lake Street	Closed January 9, 1994
Clinton	540 W. Lake Street	Ogilvie Transportation Center and Chicago Transit Authority Headquarters
Canal	500 W. Lake Street	Closed 1909

Image gallery

• 
  The Laramie station is one of the most structured along the Lake Branch
• 
  A Green Line train sits in the Harlem Yard
• 
  A Green Line train sits at the Harlem/Lake terminal

See also

• Lake Street Elevated Railroad

External links

• Green Line: Lake Street Elevated at Chicago-L.org

References