CHICAGO (WBBM) -- It's not as big or splashy a program as Metra officials would like but the commuter rail agency will use $136 million from the state infrastructure program signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this year to build or rehabilitate 27 stations over the next five years.
Three of the stations will be new stops -- Romeoville on the Heritage Corridor, Auburn Park on the Rock Island District, and Peterson/Ridge on the Union Pacific North Line. The others are rehabilitations or reconstructions, largely concentrated to the west and south of the city.
“Ideally we'd like to do 10 or 20 a year,” said Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano, who said the funding does not exist to keep rehabilitation work at every station on a 20-year timetable.
Some, such as Cicero on the BNSF line, which was featured in a tour of deteriorating mass transit facilities last spring, appear to be the victims or a scorched earth policy. Others, such as eight stations on the Electric District, were rehabilitated previously with materials that did not stand the test of time, and will be rehabilitated with different materials designed to resist crumbling and last at least 25 years.
The list does not include the new 35th Street station on the Rock Island District, adjacent to U.S. Cellular Field and Illinois Institute of Technology, which will be financed with federal funds.
The list includes (with expected completion date)
Milwaukee District North Line:
- Healy (2011)
- Mayfair (2012)
- Grayland (2012)
- Union Pacific North Line:
- Peterson/Ridge (2011)
- Hubbard Woods (2012)
Union Pacific Northwest Line:
- Fox River Grove (2010)
- Cumberland (2012)
- Union Pacific West Line:
- Elmhurst (platform only; 2010)
- Geneva (platform only; 2010)
- River Forest (2011)
BNSF Line:
- Naperville (2010)
- Cicero (2010)
- Downers Grove Main Street (2012)
- Heritage Corridor:
- Romeoville (2011)
- Electric District:
- Flossmoor (2011)
- Hazel Crest (2011)
- Burr Oak (2011)
- 59th Street (2011)
- 63rd Street (2012)
- Calumet (2012)
- Ashland Avenue (2012)
- Racine Avenue (2012)
- Rock Island District:
- Auburn Park (2011)
- 91st Street (2012)
- 115th Street (2012)
- Hickory Creek (2012)
- Blue Island/Vermont Avenue (2012)
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