Chicago Transit Authority
Wilson Transfer Station Project (Project)
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is proposing to rebuild the Wilson Station, located at 4620 North Broadway in the City of Chicago, Cook County, Illinois 60640. The Wilson Station is situated on the CTA’s Howard Branch of the Red Line, in the Uptown Square Historic District. Approximately 6,500 patrons use the single-platform station each weekday, with over 2.1 million customers annually in 2012. Ridership has grown an average of 2.5 percent annually over the past 10 years. The CTA has bus routes on all major streets in the study area. The existing station was built in 1923 and is beyond repair. The CTA Purple Line runs outside the Red Line on separate tracks and does not stop at Wilson Station, as the existing station and track configuration at this location does not allow transfers between the two lines. The existing Wilson Station is not accessible to riders with disabilities. At street level on Broadway, the existing track columns limit the sight distances necessary for the safety of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. These columns also obscure visibility of existing businesses. These conditions limit the area’s economic development potential.
To address these deficiencies, the proposed Project would replace the existing facility to include these improvements:
- Longer and wider platforms to serve current and future ridership demand and to allow easy and convenient transfers between the Red and Purple Lines;
- Three new station entrances/exits to capture more riders;
- Modern station amenities including wider stairwells, new escalators and elevators, new energy-efficient lighting, over 100 security cameras, new signage, additional bike parking, and modern steel framed translucent, polycarbonate canopies;
- Features that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards - two of the three new station entrances/exits would be ADA accessible with elevator access, Braille signage, wheelchair-accessible fare gates and ramps;
- Street level enhancements including removal of some “L” columns from Broadway to improve the vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle environment; construction of a new station house; and restoration of the terra cotta exterior of the 1923 Gerber Building;
- Track structure redesign and reconstruction to improve efficiency and safety of transit operations and maintenance.
Availability of Environmental Assessment (EA) and the Section 4(f) Evaluation
CTA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in accordance with the Federal requirements of Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations 771.119, hereby notify the public of the availability of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and Section 4(f) document for the Project. Copies of the document are available for review between 8:00 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Monday, January 27, 2014 through Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at the CTA reception desk, second floor, Chicago Transit Authority, 567 W. Lake Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60661. Copies of the EA and Section 4(f) document are also available for viewing on CTA’s website www.transitchicago.com/wilson/ in both pdf and plain text formats.
Copies of the EA and Section 4(f) document are also available for review in standard size print and large print, during this period, at the following locations:
- The office of Alderman James Cappleman located at 4544 N. Broadway, Chicago, Illinois 60640
- Uptown Public Library, 929 W. Buena Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60613
- Bezazian Public Library, 1226 W. Ainslie Street, Chicago, Illinois 60640
Comments on the EA and Section 4(f) document for the Project must be received by 4:30 P.M. on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 and can be communicated in the following methods:
Public Hearing – February 18, 2014
In accordance with the provisions of Title 23, U.S. Code Section 128 and Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 1500 to 1508, a public hearing will be held at the time and location below to present the EA and Section 4(f) document for the Project and to receive public comments:
Wilson Transfer Station Project Public Hearing
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
6:00 to 8:30 P.M.
Uplift Community High School
900 W. Wilson
Chicago, Illinois 60640
This facility is accessible to people with disabilities. American Sign Language Interpreters will be available on site. Individuals with requests for interpreters in other languages, or individuals with disabilities who require other accommodations, should contact Jeff Wilson, Government & Community Relations Officer, at jwilson@transitchicago.com or 312-681-2712, TTY: 1-888-CTATTY1 (1-888-282-8891) or Relay, at least five business days prior to the public hearing or by Tuesday, February 11, 2014.