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Metra Releases Revised UP-N Schedule, Reviews Plans for Ravenswood Station

By Laura Pearson | Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A rendering of the new Ravenswood Metra Station. The originally planned location is currently under review. Photo by Laura Pearson.

On July 16 Metra released changes to the train schedule for the Union Pacific North line. A total of 22 bridges along the line are being rebuilt in a massive construction project that begins next month and is expected to be completed at the end of 2018.

The revised schedule, which goes into effect on August 21 and includes adjusted departure and arrival times, is available for download on Metra’s website.

As previously reported, a new Ravenswood Station will be built as part of the UP-N construction project. At an open house last month residents expressed concerns about the new station being located north of Lawrence Avenue on Ravenswood. Attendees discussed the impact this would have on traffic, parking, and community gardens. Last Friday, the Tribune reported that community concerns prompted a review by Metra in regard to the station location.

“We are reviewing [the location] right now, and no final decision has been made,” said Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis. Meanwhile, Metra will move forward with construction on the west side of the tracks, with the first phase of the project focusing on viaducts and retaining walls.

In regard to when another community forum about the Ravenswood Station will take place, Gillis said, “We haven’t gotten that far yet. There’s nothing scheduled at this point.”

Metra has scheduled three open house meetings to talk about the overall bridge and retaining wall construction project. The next open house is on Thursday, July 29, in the Board Room at Waukegan City Hall (100 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Waukegan), from 5?7 p.m.

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  • Katy

    Are there concrete plans to use land that community gardens are currently on? I love community gardens, but also love public transit, and that Metra stop is a major boon to this area. It’s one of the main reasons I moved to this neighborhood when I moved to Chicago, and one of the main reasons why I didn’t have to move or get a car when my job relocated from the burbs to downtown.

    Also, I’m not sure how a new station would increase traffic. Maybe more folks would consider taking Metra, but there are many that already do, and I don’t see anyone complaining about that.

  • John John

    thanks for keeping track of this Laura. if they used the garden area and moved it, we could have a 3 track railroad and not have such major construction delays.

  • http://laura-pearson.net/ Laura Pearson

    Ald. Schulter just send out this announcement:

    “I would like to invite all 47th Ward residents to attend an Open House to view the Metra Infrastructure Project which will include all bridges along Ravenswood, from Balmoral to Grace. This will be part of the $80 million stimulus and federally funded project.

    The meeting will be held next Tuesday, August 3rd at 7pm at the Auditorium of the Bethany Retirement Community located at 4950 N Ashland Ave. As always, I highly encourage and welcome all ward residents to come to this Open House.”

  • Pingback: Metra Scraps Plan to Move Ravenswood Metra Station | The Center Square Journal

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