Oak Park
 
800W
900S
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
General information
Location950 South Oak Park Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois 60304
Coordinates41°52′20″N 87°47′30″W / 41.872108°N 87.791602°W / 41.872108; -87.791602
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)Forest Park Branch
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeExpressway median
History
OpenedMarch 20, 1960 (1960-03-20)[1][2]
Previous namesKirwin[lower-alpha 1]
Passengers
2022164,142[5] Increase 32.7%
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Harlem
toward Forest Park
 Blue Line
 Austin
toward O'Hare
Former services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Home
toward Des Plaines
 Garfield Park branch Gunderson
toward Marshfield
Preceding station Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad Following station
Forest Park
toward Wheaton
 Main Line Laramie Avenue
One-way operation
Preceding station Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad Following station
South Oak Park
toward Thatcher's Park
 Chicago & Northern Pacific – Main Line South Ridgeland
toward Chicago
Location

Oak Park is a station on the Chicago 'L' system, serving the Blue Line's Forest Park branch and Oak Park, Illinois. The station is alongside the Eisenhower Expressway between Oak Park Avenue and East Avenue, near the Oak Park Conservatory. The auxiliary entrance on East Avenue is half a block from the Oak Park Conservatory.

History

Chicago Terminal Transfer (1893–1902)

The Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad had a "Kirwin" station at this site as early as 1893.[3]

AE&C (1902–1905)

The interurban Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway (AE&C) began service on August 5, 1902, and included a station on Oak Park Avenue.[1]

Garfield Park "L" (1905–1958)

The Garfield Park branch, operated by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad since 1895, abutted the AE&C at 52nd Avenue; on March 11, 1905, the branch assumed local service west to Des Plaines Avenue in exchange for the AE&C going downtown. The AE&C and its successor, the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), continued to maintain westbound-only express service at Oak Park.

Blue Line (1960–present)

The current station opened as part of the Congress Line on March 20, 1960.

Structure

The station consists of a single island platform to the south of the Eisenhower Expressway with an entrance at each end. The main entrance is located at the west end of the platform off of Oak Park Avenue and is connected to the platform by a long ramp. The auxiliary farecard-only entrance is located at the east end of the platform off of East Avenue and is connected to the platform via a staircase and horizontal walkway. The CSX tracks are south of the station.

Bus connections

Pace

  • 311 Oak Park Avenue

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ A passenger station along the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad previously existed at this location[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 "CTA to Open New Congress Right of Way". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 20, 1960. p. W3.
  2. ↑ "Congress CTA on Permanent Right of Way". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 20, 1960. p. 25.
  3. 1 2 Allen, W.F. (January 1893). "Travelers' Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines in the United States and Canada". Google Books. The National Railway Publication Company, Publishers and Prorietors. p. 412. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Map of the Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad Company and connections". Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center. Chicago Terminal Transfer Railroad Company. 1898. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.

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