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Austin station (CTA Green Line)

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Austin is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. It is located between the Ridgeland and Central stations on the Green Line, which runs from Harlem/Lake and to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. The station is located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Corcoran Place in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side and borders the village of Oak Park.

Austin
 
6000W
400N
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
General information
Location351 North Austin Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60644
Coordinates41°53′14″N 87°46′27″W / 41.887293°N 87.774135°W / 41.887293; -87.774135
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)Lake Branch
Platforms1 Island Platform
Tracks2 tracks
ConnectionsCTA and Pace buses
Construction
Structure typeElevated
History
OpenedApril 15, 1899[1]
Rebuilt1962
Passengers
2022272,262[2] Increase 21.9%
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Ridgeland
toward Harlem/Lake
 Green Line Central
toward Ashland/63rd or Cottage Grove
Former services
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station
Ridgeland
toward Geneva
 Galena Division Austin
toward Chicago
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Lombard
Closed 1948
toward Forest Park
 Lake Street Elevated Menard
Closed 1948
toward Loop
(Randolph/Wells) or Market Terminal
Location
Map

Austin opened on April 15, 1899, as part of a surface level extension of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, along with Central. It was rebuilt in the early 1960s as part of a project which moved the western end of the Lake Street line off of its street level alignment and onto an abandoned strip of the parallel Chicago and Northwestern Railway's embankment. The station at Austin consists of a single island platform; a stairway and escalator connect the platform to a station building. Trains serve Austin from 3:50 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on weekdays, from 4:55 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Saturdays, from 4:55 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Sundays. In addition to trains, Austin also serves CTA and Pace buses.

History

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The original Austin station in 1909

The first Austin station opened in 1899, as part of a grade-level extension of the Lake Street Elevated Railroad west from terminal at 52nd Avenue through Austin and Oak Park. It temporarily served as the terminal for the Lake Street Elevated[1] until the line was extended further west later that year.

It was rebuilt in 1962, as part of a project which moved the western two and a half miles of the Lake Street line off of its street level alignment and onto an abandoned strip of the parallel Chicago and Northwestern Railway's embankment. As part of the reconstruction, an auxiliary entrance was constructed at Mason Avenue, a block east of the main entrance. On February 18, 1973, the Mason entrance was reduced to functioning only as an auxiliary exit due to budget cuts.[3] It was later closed entirely in 1994.

Facilities

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The station consists of a single island platform on a grade-separated embankment. The platform is located on the south side of the right of way of Metra's Union Pacific West Line to the east of Austin Boulevard. It serves the Green Line's two tracks; the northern track serves trains to Harlem/Lake, while the southern track serves trains to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. Fare controls and a customer assistant booth are in the station house, alongside the railroad embankment at street level. Access to the platform is provided by a stairwell and an escalator. The station's lack of an elevator or a ramp means that it is not currently handicapped accessible, however there are plans to make the station accessible by 2027.[4]

Service

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Austin is part of the Chicago Transit Authority's Green Line, which runs from Harlem/Lake to downtown Chicago and south to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove on Chicago's South Side. It is the fourth inbound station from Harlem/Lake on the Green Line and is located between the Ridgeland and Central stations. Green Line trains serve Austin from 3:50 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on weekdays, from 4:55 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Saturdays, from 4:55 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Sundays.[5] The station is approximately 4 minutes from Harlem/Lake,[6][7] 17 minutes from Clark/Lake in the Loop,[6][8] 51 minutes from Ashland/63rd,[6][9] and 45 minutes from Cottage Grove.[6][10] 629,581 passengers boarded at Austin in 2011.[11]

Bus connections

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CTA

  • 91 Austin

Pace

  • 309 Lake Street
  • 313 St. Charles Road
  • 315 Austin Boulevard

In addition to 'L' trains, the station provides service to several bus routes. One CTA bus route stop at Austin, 91 Austin.[12] This route provides service to Austin Avenue, the Austin Blue Line station, Lawrence Avenue, and the Jefferson Park Transit Center. Service to Taft High School is also provided on school days.[13][14] Additionally, Pace operates three bus routes to the station: the 309 Lake Street, 313 St. Charles Road, and 315 Austin Boulevard.[12] These routes provide service to West Suburban Hospital, Westlake Community Hospital, the Elmhurst Metra station, the Melrose Park Metra station, Yorktown Center, East Gate Shopping Center, and the municipalities of Oak Park, River Forest, Maywood, Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park, Elmhurst, Bellwood, Berkeley, Villa Park, and Lombard.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Austin Hails Five-Cent Fares". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 15, 1899. p. 5.
  2. ^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Buck, Tom; Edward Schreiber (January 16, 1973). "CTA Cuts 18 Bus Routes, 23 'L' Stations". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 1.
  4. ^ "All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP)". CTA. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  5. ^ "CTA Green Line Route Guide". Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c d "Austin Station Timetable" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  7. ^ "Harlem Station Timetable" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  8. ^ "Clark/Lake Station Timetable" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  9. ^ "Ashland/63rd Station Timetable" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  10. ^ "Cottage Grove Station Timetable" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  11. ^ "Annual Ridership Report: Calendar Year 2011" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Austin CTA 'L' Train Station Information". Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on 1 July 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  13. ^ "#20 Madison - Route Information". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  14. ^ "#91 Austin - Route Information". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  15. ^ "Pace Bus - Route 309 - Lake Street". Pace. Archived from the original on April 23, 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
  16. ^ "Pace Bus - Route 313 - St. Charles Road". Pace. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved July 27, 2010.
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