11/15/01
Red Line Stop is Convenient to Saturday's Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Mayor Richard M. Daley today unveiled a new, state-of-the-art subway station at the Chicago-State stop on the CTA Red Line.
The $28 million station features a wide range of improvements and passenger amenities, including three new elevators, four new escalators, new granite floors, glazed tile walls, improved lighting and a new set of stairs from the platform level to the mezzanine level. The size of the mezzanine area has increased by 10,000 square feet.
"The Chicago-State station is the gateway to one of the world's premier shopping, hotel and restaurant districts - along with thousands of offices, apartments and condos," Daley said at a dedication ceremony. "It's now the fourth busiest station in the entire CTA system. This station's 13,000 daily customers deserve a modern, attractive station - and that's what they're getting, thanks to the Federal Transit Administration and Governor George Ryan's Illinois FIRST program."
Daley encouraged Chicago area residents to take the Red Line to the new station on Saturday for the 10th Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, which features holiday entertainment along North Michigan Avenue throughout the day. A Disney-theme parade will begin at Oak Street at 6:00 p.m. and move down Michigan Avenue to Wacker Drive, illuminating one million lights along the avenue.
The Mayor said he hoped people would take advantage of the CTA to get to downtown attractions throughout the holiday season."The last two months have been difficult for everyone," he said. "But it's time to get our lives back to normal and enjoy the season. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, thanks to the 'Make it Chicago' campaign, which offers discounts at more than 100 Chicago attractions."
The construction of the Chicago-State station was managed by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The project began in 1999 and required a major reconfiguration of the old subway station, built during World War II. ?Construction was phased to allow the station to remain open to passengers throughout the project," said CDOT Commissioner Miguel d'Escoto.
CTA President Frank Kruesi said, "I would like to thank Mayor Daley for his strong support of the CTA and for making public transit an important part of his commitment to reinvest in this city's infrastructure. Over the past decade, the City of Chicago has provided the CTA with more than $700 million in capital improvements. The city's renovation of the Red Line Chicago/State Station allows us to better serve our customers with a modern, accessible facility."
The new station features a distinctive cityscape pattern on the tiled walls, with red tile band accents.
The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association adopted the station under the CTA's Adopt-A-Station program, designed to create rail stations that reflect the history and diversity of Chicago and its communities.
Eight paintings by Chicago artist Laura Mosquera are displayed at the platform level.
The Federal Transportation Administration provided 70 percent of the cost of the project and the Illinois Department of Transportation 30 percent, under Gov. George Ryan's Illinois FIRST program.
Also attending the news conference were Joel Ettinger, Regional Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration; Frank Kruesi, President of the CTA; Jim Reilly, CEO of the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau; Russ Salzman, President and CEO of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association; and Robert Fitzpatrick, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
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