95th Street Terminal Improvements
In 2014, construction will begin on the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project, a $240 million project (projected cost) that will expand and greatly improve the 95th/Dan Ryan station (the south terminal of the CTA Red Line). The project will bring significant improvements to a station that serves thousands of customers each day and is a vital part of the South Side.
CTA will conduct a public hearing regarding the Project, including a presentation on the Project and the federally-required Environmental Assessment, and an opportunity for public comment. The hearing will be held on:
Thursday, March 14, 2013
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Harlan High School
9652 S. Michigan Avenue
This location is served by: Red Line (95th/Dan Ryan) and CTA Bus #34, #95E, #103, #106, #111, #115 and #119.
Public Hearing Display Boards
Environmental Assessment
For more information regarding this hearing, please see this public notice.
The CTA also collected input regarding the project from our customers and residents from the surrounding community is soliciting feedback from customers who use the terminal. Three open houses were held in fall 2012. to collect input regarding the project from our customers and residents from the surrounding community. The open houses were held on:
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Harlan High School
9652 S. Michigan Avenue
Thursday, September 13, 2012
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Palmer Park
201 E. 111th Street
Monday, October 15, 2012
5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
West Pullman Library
830 W. 119th Street
Open House Display Boards
Open House Executive Summary
Built in 1969 and designed by architects at the famed Chicago architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the station serves as both a train terminal and an integrated bus terminal. The station is one of CTA’s busiest, with 24-hour Red Line service and over 1,000 CTA and Pace bus trips on a typical weekday. These buses connect Far South Side communities to the CTA rail network. There are roughly 300,000 people who live within walking distance of the CTA bus routes serving the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal.
The station has seen a number of changes and improvements since it opened, including the addition of an elevator and other accessibility improvements, but nothing at the scale of what is proposed for this project. A brand new terminal would include a different design providing a better layout for customers accessing the terminal from 95th Street as well as boarding buses and trains once inside. New amenities will also improve comfort and the overall transit experience.
Moving Forward
Future activities related to the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project include:
- Design Begins – January 2013
- Public Hearing on the environmental impacts of the project – Early 2013
- Complete Design – Late 2013
- Begin Construction – Mid 2014
Additional details will be provided on this page as they become available.
What is the purpose of this project?
The 95th/Dan Ryan station is a critical piece of the CTA’s Red Line. It connects Far South Side communities, to job centers throughout the region and serves as a transit gateway for the South Side and suburbs.
The rail terminal is located in the median of the I-94 Dan Ryan Expressway and the bus terminal flanks the expressway. The station site is highly constrained, bound by 95th Street on the South, State Street to the east, and Lafayette Avenue to the west, causing bus delays and traffic conflicts, due to limited space. In the current terminal there are only 20 bus bays which must accommodate dozens of CTA, Pace, Greyhound and Indian Trails intercity buses. The station does not currently have direct access to and from 95th Street, a problem that requires pedestrians to use terminal areas for street access, posing safety risks.
Improvements are also needed to better serve existing high volume of riders, provide safer passenger access to buses and the train station, and expand passenger facilities that will lead to a modern, safe and pedestrian-friendly transit center with fewer delays and shorter travel times.
What work will be done?
While specific details on the expansion are still being discussed, major renovations and expansions to the station house are aimed at providing more space and improve the walking flow of passengers, with new or expanded bus terminal facilities—as well as Red Line platform improvements. Here are some basic features:
- New station building with bright, airy spaces and clear sightlines
- Expanded platforms to provide more room and easier flow of passengers
- Station will be largely enclosed in glass for maximum light and protection from the elements
- Wider bus lanes and increased spacing between bus bays to reduce congestion
- Wider sidewalks and waiting areas in bus terminal for increased passenger comfort and safety
- Sound panels at platform level to provide a more comfortable, less noisy space
- Additional escalators and elevators
- Additional space in front of ticket vending machines and fare gates
More information
Details about the final design and plan will be presented to the community and posted here as the planning for this project progresses. Construction is expected to begin in 2014, after the Red Line South Track Rehabilitation Project is completed. Please email your comments and questions about this project to 95thTerminal@transitchicago.com.
Above: Conceptual artist's rendering of what an expanded station house might look like, with new retail