Service Notes:

Hours of Operation: Service at all times
Length of Route: 7.5 miles
Number of Stations: 15 stations
Car Types Assigned: 5000-series (see Car Assignment sheet for latest car assignments)

Brief Description:

The Howard section of the Red Line -- the portion between Howard terminal and the State Street Subway on the North Side of the city -- is a series of sections built by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. Often referred to as the North Side Main Line, the Howard line represents the trunk line of the old Northwestern Elevated, although only the portion north of Armitage (where the subway begins) is still part of the Red Line.

Between Armitage and Clark Junction, the old Northwestern main line is shared by the Red and Brown Lines. Here, Brown Line (and Purple Line) trains run as the locals did for the Northwestern on the outside tracks (Tracks 1 and 4) and make all stops. The Red Line operates on the inner tracks (Tracks 2 and 3), as Northwestern expresses did, and make limited stops. At Clark Junction, the Brown Line leaves the old North Side Main Line for the Ravenswood branch; the Red Line continues north on the inside tracks as the "local" and the Purple Line Express continues on the outside tracks as the "express".

Early on, there were no through-routed services -- all trains terminated in the Loop -- and for the first seven years no Ravenswood branch at all. From 1900 to 1907, all trains that traversed the North Side Main Line went from the Loop to Wilson, with some running local and others running express. There was much tweaking of these operations well. Originally, expresses stopped at Sheridan, Belmont, Fullerton, Halsted, Sedgwick, and Kinzie, but express stopping at Halsted and Sedgwick (on the portion no longer used by North-South trains) was short-lived, suspended in September 1900. Another concept that was used quite a bit back then (especually after the North Side Main extension north of Wilson opened in 1908) but is virtually unknown in Chicago now is the idea of "zone expresses". Zone express service offers express service, with few stops, in one portion of a route and then operates local service at the other end of the route. This provides a much more flexible service for riders by allowing those who live at local stops at the outer portion of the route to still enjoy the benefits of fast express service without changing trains, not to mention that it uses infrastrucutre more efficiently. Starting in 1902, some northbound afternoon expresses made local stops north of Fullerton to give passengers heading to these stations and faster trip. (This concept was more fully developed after 1908, when the extension opened. For more on this, see below.)

In March 1907, the Evanston City Council approved the electrification of the St. Paul's tracks through their city. By the end of Summer 1907, a joint operating agreement between the Northwestern and the St. Paul was signed. The right-of-way's ownership technically stayed with the CM&StP, so a special fund was established to cover maintenance and capital improvements. Work quickly began to realign the tracks and string up overhead for the Northwestern, who had to retrofit all of their trains with trolley poles for the new service. New high-level platforms and small wooden station houses were built to replace the St. Paul's stations at Argyle, Edgewater, North Edgewater, Hayes, Rogers Park, and Birchwood, as well as in suburban Evanston.

Service was extended north of Wilson to Central Avenue in north Evanston on May 16, 1908 over the electrified St. Paul tracks. Additional stations were added over time, including Howard on the city limits shortly after on August 23, 1908, Thorndale Avenue was added in 1915 and Edgewater Beach (Berwyn) circa 1918.

Important Dates (1893-1995):

• October 25, 1893 - The Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company is incorporated. Though not one of its incorporators, its principal backer is traction magnate Charles Tyson Yerkes.
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• January 23, 1896 - The first steel of the "L" structure is erected at Fullerton and Sheffield Avenues. Later in the year, despite optimistic forecasts, it's determined that the Northwestern can not be ready for operations by the end of the year, so, at the Northwestern's request, the city counsel pushes the deadline for beginning service to December 31, 1897.
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• Late-November, 1897 - The structure stretches from Dayton Avenue (near the intersection of Halsted Street and North Avenue) to Buena Avenue. Work is suspended due to financial problems. Another extension is granted, pushing to deadline to January 1, 1899.
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• December, 1898 - With new money raised, construction crews resume work on the line, but with the January 1, 1899 deadline now impossible, the aldermen agree to give the company until December 31, 1899 to begin service.
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• Mid-May, 1899 - Most of the steel between Montrose Avenue and Halsted Street (about half the total distance) is in place. The aldermen reject the Northwestern's request for a time extension.
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• December 25, 1899, 3:55pm - The last span is put into place. Only one track is completed between Wilson Avenue and Kinzie Street and work on all but a few stations has not even been started. All efforts are directed towards having at least one track and a few stations completed so that token service could be operated to keep the franchise valid.
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• December 30, 1899, 2:13pm - The first train operated on the Northwestern, leaving the partially completed Wrightwood station bound for the Loop.
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• January 1, 1900 - Despite the service (albeit token service) in place, the Chicago Public Works commissioner declares the Northwestern's structure incomplete and unsafe, thereby nullifying the franchise. He orders the Northwestern to cease operations immediately.
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• January 3, 1900 - The aldermen agree to give the Northwestern one more extension; this time until May 31, 1900. They make it clear that there will be no more extensions.
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• May 31, 1900 - The Northwestern reopens for service. The stations, north from the Loop, include Kinzie, Chicago, Division, Schiller, Sedgwick, Larrabee, Halsted, Center (later Armitage), Webster, Fullerton, Wrightwood, Diversey, Wellington, Belmont, Clark, Addison, Grace, Sheridan, Buena Park and Wilson. Stations at Willow and Oak would be added later. The four track structure includes express and local trains, with expresses stopping only at Wilson, Sheridan, Belmont, Fullerton, Halsted, Sedgwick, Kinzie and the Loop. The Northwestern begins operation with wooden trailers and motors using electric traction.
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• March 5, 1907 - To relieve congestion, a new "lower Wilson Avenue" station and a loop track are built and put into service, with express trains routed to it.
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• July 1, 1907 - Chicago authorizesg electrification of the St. Paul's tracks from Graceland Avenue (later Irving Park Road) to Howard, but does not require the tracks to be elevated. A city ordinance did, however, prohibit the use of a third rail on surface-level tracks (even though it was used in just such a situation elsewhere in the city). As part of the agreement, the Northwestern had to provide 24-hour service to the Loop from all St. Paul stops, plus Hayes (later Loyola) and Howard. In exchange, the city would waive payment of a penalty owed by the Northwestern for not reaching the city limit by 1903, as per their original franchise.
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• May 16, 1908 - Service is extended north to Central Street in Evanston, using trackage owned by Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway. CM&StP had previously operated steam powered commuter trains over this line, and continued to operate freight service. The line remained at ground level, and was electrified with overhead trolley wire.
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• August 23, 1908 -Howard Avenue (later Howard Street) station opens, late due to construction delays.
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• November 3, 1913 - Crosstown "L" service is first initiated, with trains running from Linden Avenue in Wilmette to the Stony Island Avenue terminal in Chicago's Jackson Park. The South Side and Northwestern trains operate on the outer track in a counterclockwise direction (actually only running over two sides of the Loop on each crosstown trip). Crosstown pairings include Evanston-Jackson Park, Wilson-Englewood, and Wilson-South Park runs (the last being believed to be very short-lived).
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• April 22, 1914 - Work on the elevation of the tracks between Lawrence Avenue and Howard Street begins. The elevation of the 4.5 mile segment, which was mandated by the 1907 ordinance, is expected to be a three year, $3 million effort.
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• August, 1914 - Work on the Lawrence-Howard elevation ceases due to financial problems.
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• 1915 - Work on the Lawrence-Howard elevation resumes. The Thorndale Avenue station is added.
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• January, 1916 - Trains on the Lawrence-Howard stretch are moved onto a temporary wooden trestle, allowing the demolition of the original tracks and stations. Construction of the permanent embankment is slowed due to manpower and material shortages caused by World War I
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• 1918 - Edgewater Beach station (later changed to Berwyn Avenue) is opened.
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• 1922 - The new elevated four track main line between Lawrence and Howard is complete.
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• February 27, 1923 - The new station at Lawrence Avenue opens. Later in the year, a new, larger station is constructed at Wilson and the old terminal and yard are removed.
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• July 31, 1949 - The CTA institutes its massive North-South service revision. Service is streamlined into the following routes: Howard-Englewood, Howard-Jackson Park, Ravenswood (Kimball-Loop), and Evanston (Linden-Howard during non-rush hours, Linden-Loop during rush). A/B skip stop service is instituted on the Howard, Englewood, Jackson Park and Ravenswood routes, and 23 low-use stations are closed, including Buena, Clark, and Grace.
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• February 21, 1993 - A new connection opens between the Dan Ryan line and the State Street Subway. Dan Ryan trains are routed through to Howard Street forming the Red Line. Englewood and Jackson Park elevated lines, previously linked with Howard Street, become linked with Lake Street line via the Loop elevated, forming the Green Line. New destination roller signs on trains and route maps conform to the new color coding system.
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• April 28, 1995 - Skip stop service, running rush hours only on the Red (Howard) and Blue (O'Hare) Lines, is suspended.

North Red Line Life-Extension Renovations

By the early 21st century, the stations, track, and elevated infrastructure on the north Red Line, between Wilson and Howard, were in severe need of rehabilitation, both to maintain a good state of repair as well as to modernize certain systems and amenities. The scale of the work and the funding necessary to undertake it were large enough that a broad study and planning effort were needed to properly scope the work and apply for sufficient funding. While this study was undertaken, and due to the presumed amount of time it would take to complete the study, secure funding, and complete design engineering, the CTA felt it was necessary to undertake modest-scale renovations in the meantime to extend the life of the existing infrastructure.

New ties are laid for renewed track at North Shore Avenue, looking southeast on November 17, 2012. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

On February 8, 2012, the Chicago Transit Board approved the awarding of a design-build contract to Kiewit Infrastructure Co. to rehabilitate seven rail stations on the North Main Line section of the Red Line: Jarvis, Morse, Granville, Thorndale, Berwyn, Argyle and Lawrence. Because the project largely involved improvements to seven stations on the north end of the Red Line, CTA sometimes informally referred to the project as the "Red North Seven" project. The work would provide a life-extension for the seven stations until a long-term capital improvement plan was determined for this portion of the Red Line as part of the Red-Purple Modernization Project (see below). "These interim improvements are important because we cannot postpone repairs which need our immediate attention. The CTA wants to be good stewards of the infrastructure we have now, as we continue to plan for the future and pursue additional funding," said CTA President Forrest Claypool. "This contract will allow us to quickly address some much needed capital maintenance work, while also improving the quality and experience for our riders and neighbors."

Kiewit Infrastructure Co. was awarded the contract to through a competitive bid process. Design work began in Spring 2012. Per the terms of the contract, construction was to conclude in early -2013 and was not to exceed $57.4 million for services, labor and materials.

Track renewal is underway at Columbia Avenue on November 17, 2012. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

Construction plans included temporary station closures anticipated to be no more than six weeks. Adjacent stations would not be closed simultaneously. To minimize impact to customers, service reroutes would be scheduled for overnight and weekends only.

Improvement work at each location included renovations to the station facilities, viaducts, and tracks. The station houses received new windows, doors and exterior lighting; exterior tuck pointing; improved station layouts; new turnstiles; new interior finishes, including new wall tiling, floors, walls and ceilings; new signage and interior lighting; and site improvements including sidewalk repairs and new bike racks. The platform deck structure and foundations were replaced, the platform fixtures, furnishings and canopy improved, and a new customer communication system installed. Concrete repairs to the viaducts and to the track-level walls were made at each station, and a new waterproofing and drainage system installed. In addition, the viaducts received painting/coating and new, brighter lighting under the viaducts. New track, ties, and ballast were laid through the station area.¹

Installing elevators to make all the stations wheelchair-accessible was not part of the short-term project.² Work was also planned for the roofs of adjacent station buildings, so that inside concession spaces can be leased and begin to generate revenue for the Authority.³

In an effort to reduce future expenses and avoid additional impacts to rail service, on August 8, 2012 the Chicago Transit Board approved an amendment to the existing design-build contract for the "Red North Seven" improvement project. The amendment, which had a maximum value of $15 million, extended the scope of work to address additional slow zones, viaduct repairs and other station structure repairs. The original contract anticipated potential additions based on the evolving design work and allowed additional work and funds to be added up to the 40 percent completion point. Per the terms of the amendment, the scope of work was extended to include repairs and replacement of approximately 7,000 feet of deteriorated track and rail at the Lawrence, Granville and Jarvis stations, as well as portions of track between the Berwyn and Thorndale and the Granville and Loyola stations; waterproofing and track renewal work between the Loyola and Morse stations; structural and cosmetic repairs of viaducts at Pratt and Lawrence; and additional station structural, communication and finishing work.⁴

The seven stations saw six-week temporary closures between June and December 2012, which allowed crews to perform the necessary interior, exterior and track and viaduct work. The station closures occurred during the following periods, in the order in which they were closed:

• Granville: June 1 - July 13, 2012
• Morse: June 29 - August 10, 2012
• Thorndale: August 17 - September 28, 2012
• Argyle: August 24 - October 5, 2012
• Berwyn: October 5 - November 16, 2012
• Lawrence: October 19 - November 30, 2012
• Jarvis: November 1 - December 13, 2012

Funding for the station rehabilitation project is from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and is part of the $1 billion Red Line investment project. The $1 billion capital investment is a combination of state, local and federal funds, which will support other Red Line projects including track and station renewal along the Dan Ryan branch; the renovation of the Clark/Division and Wilson stations; and several other track, substation and station renewal projects along the North Side Main Line.

Express Track Renewal, 2015

On July 9, 2015, Chicago Mayor Emanuel and CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. announced a new $30 million track improvement project on Purple Line Express tracks (tracks 1 and 4, on the North Side Main Line) between Lawrence and Jarvis, to improve service for Purple Line Express customers.

The goal of the project was to eliminate a major slow zone that had belied the "express" part of the Purple Line Express for some time. The project replaced about 16,500 ties, plates and fasteners, ballast, ties and fasteners at the Berwyn Crossover, and 5,500 linear feet of rail on Track 4 from Lawrence to just north of Bryn Mawr with new 115-pound jointed rail, joint bars, rail-to-rail joint bonds and fasteners. The program was the first major work done along the express tracks since the early to mid-1970s.

Construction on the tracks took place on on weeknights and weekends to minimize impacts to neighboring homes and businesses. Some work had minimal to no impact to Red Line service during construction periods, but during other times it was necessary to close the Red Line track immediately adjacent to the Purple Line Express track being worked on due to the proximity of the two tracks -- this resulted in a temporary reroute that required one direction of the Red Line to use the other express track and bypass several local Red Line stations during the work period (typically overnight or a weekend). The work had no impact on regularly scheduled Purple Line Express service throughout the rehabilitation.

Construction on the project begin July 20, 2015. As of December 2015, about 92 percent of ties had been replaced, along with 5,400 feet of rail; all third (contact) rail chairs had been replaced along Track 4, while rail bonding work was ongoing. The project was substantially complete by January 2016, as punchlist work was completed during January and early February 2016.

Red-Purple Lines Modernization (RPM) Project

Due to the deteriorating condition of the infrastructure and approaching ridership capacity on the Red Line north of Belmont and on the Purple Line by the 2000s, the CTA initiated the Red-Purple Modernization Project (RPM) to bring the existing transit stations, track systems, and structures into a state of good repair. The project, which stretches along the existing Red and Purple lines from north of Belmont station to Linden terminal, would help bring the existing transit line into a state of good repair, reduce travel times, improve access to job markets and destinations, and provide improved access to people with disabilities.

The RPM program began with a "vision study", conducted between fall 2009 and fall 2010 to assess the scope of needs, conduct an existing conditions analysis, understand the public's priorities and concerns, and frame project alternatives. The analysis helped define the purpose and need for the project and included a high-level evaluation of potential improvements to the corridor. This produced several alternatives to how to approach improvements in the total RPM corridor (Belmont to Linden).

In January 2011, the CTA and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiated the scoping process and environmental review process in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which included further study, refining, and eventually narrowing of these alternatives as part of an environment impact study (EIS). The process included numerous public meetings and input opportunities, and study of various alternatives for achieving a good state of repair for the infrastructure in the project area.

A number of alternatives were considered for the RPM project, including the comprehensive reconstruction of track, stations, and structures along the line. By early 2012, there were four alternatives under consideration and study, not including an FTA-required "no action" baseline scenario, included:

• Basic Rehabilitation: provides a strategic mix of repairs, rehabilitation, and replacement of the existing infrastructure for a useful life of 20 years, plus the addition of a transfer station at Loyola; all station locations remain the same.
• Modernization with Station Consolidation: provides a brand new elevated structure between Lawrence and Howard, modern amenities at stations, increases speed of service, includes new transfer station at Loyola, and major reconstruction and renovation to extend the useful life to 60-80 years; several stations would be consolidated by closing one station and adding a second entrance at an adjacent station.
• Modernization without Station Consolidation: provides a brand new elevated structure between Lawrence and Howard, modern amenities at stations, modest increase in speed of service, includes new transfer station at Loyola, and major reconstruction and renovation to extend the useful life to 60-80 years; all station locations remain the same.

Other alternatives considered earlier in the study but subsequently eliminated due to public comment and further study included basic rehabilitation without adding a transfer station at Loyola, a modernization option with only three tracks between Lawrence and Howard, and a modernization option with a 2-track subway under Broadway.

Once the program study and environmental analysis had reached this point, CTA had gathered enough information on the corridor, its needs, and community preferences to shift gears and focus on developing a more defined initial slate of projects, which would bring maximum benefit to the most people, to pursue for final EIS and funding. This initial slate of projects in the overall RPM corridor is what became RPM Phase One.

As part of this shift in emphasis, CTA and FTA agreed to pursue a more tailored approach of environmental review for each project of independent utility within the RPM corridor, which would allow the Phase One improvements to move forward. The original Tier 1 EIS was cancelled in 2014 and a standard project-level EIS was pursued instead. (A Tier 1 EIS covers the same subject matter as a project-level EIS, only on a much more general scale. Typically, a Tier 1 EIS is used when funding has not yet been identified for a project or for managing the NEPA process across a large geographic area.) Proceeding under a project-level EIS, only the alternatives within the project limits of Phase One were finalized into a preferred/final alternative; the alternatives for sections of the RPM corridor outside of Phase One (i.e. Addison-Wilson and Bryn Mawr-Linden), including a final decision whether to add a transfer station at Loyola, were deferred to further study at a later date. This provided freedom for future planners to determine the best alternatives for these sections when work to rebuild a given area could be years or decades after the initial EIS in 2012, allowing the most recent analysis and updated community input when these sections are ready for final planning.

The project need for the RPM Phase One improvements was based on both state of good repair and ridership capacity constraints. The Red and Purple lines had reached the end of their useful lifespans -- the elevated track structure and bridges were at least 100 years old, and continuing to operate two rail lines on this outdated infrastructure resulted in the need for frequent repairs that disrupted service and slowed travel, unusually high maintenance costs, and outdated stations that can’t accommodate modern amenities or accessibility. The segment of the Red and Purple lines covered by Phase One carried more than 20 percent of all CTA rail rides and served customers in some of the densest neighborhoods in Chicago. The Red Line needed to expand to serve more riders, given ridership trends and population projections for neighborhoods along the north Red Line, but the Red Line had reached capacity given the constraint of its infrastructure.

Based on the existing infrastructure having reached ridership capacity but demand projected to continue climbing, the RPM Phase One project qualified for the FTA's Core Capacity program, a discretionary Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program that was new at the time. The Core Capacity was aimed at "legacy" transit systems (older, existing systems) whereas most of FTA's capital construction grant programs were geared toward new systems or new extensions or lines on existing systems. The primary criteria a Core Capacity project had to meet was that design and construction of a corridor-based investment in an existing fixed guideway system would improve capacity not less than 10 percent in a corridor that is at capacity today or will be within 10 years. CTA and RPM Phase One was the first project accepted into the FTA's Core Capacity Program.

A grant from the FTA Core Capacity Program would fulfill the majority of the federal funding for RPM Phase One, but a local funding match was still needed to provide the bulk of the difference. However, with state and local budgets already tight and no existing funding mechanism able to raise the sizable local funding source needed, the Illinois General Assembly approved a new financial tool known as Transit Tax Increment Financing or "Transit TIF" in 2016 to generate the needed funding. The Illinois TIF Act was amended to allow for a new type of TIF district to fund certain local transit projects. Similar to traditional TIF, Transit TIF funds are created by growth in property value. A traditional TIF district is typically established to invest in projects that will stimulate economic development in a defined area. TIF funds are created by the growth in property value that occurs because of investment. For taxing purposes, a base equalized assessed value, or base EAV, for all properties located in the district is first established -- the tax generated based on this baseline value continues to go to the existing taxing bodies after the creation of the TIF district. The additional tax above the baseline amount generated based on the growth in property value, known as the "increment," goes to the TIF district to fund projects.

Transit TIFs are different from traditional TIFs in a few ways: Transit TIFs can be designated for 35 years, in comparison to the 23-year designation for traditional TIFs. This timing aligns more closely with financing mechanisms most commonly used for transit projects. Transit TIFs also share increment with other taxing districts, rather than using the entire incremental revenue stream to support projects within the Transit TIF district. Importantly, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) receives its entire proportional share of incremental revenues from a Transit TIF. Of the remaining non-CPS revenues, 20% are allocated to the other taxing districts, while the remaining 80% are used to fund the specific transit improvement. This change to the TIF model helped generate support for the Transit TIF concept, allaying concerns that the Transit TIF would siphon badly-needed funds from other cash-strapped public needs such as local schools. In November 2016, the Chicago City Council approved the creation of a dedicated Transit TIF to support the first phase of RPM. Securing this local funding was a critical step that paved the way to securing a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) from FTA.

On January 9, 2017, CTA and the City of Chicago announced that a Full-Funding Grant Agreement had been secured with the FTA, the final step in securing the funding needed for the first phase of the RPM project. Ultimately, the $2.1 billion RPM Phase One was funded through a combination of federal and local funds: $957 in federal Core Capacity funds (FTA); a federal $125 million Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) grant from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP); $622 million in Transit TIF (tax-increment financing) funds from the City of Chicago; and CTA financing.

The first phase of the RPM improvements includes three main components and are necessary to meet future ridership demand:

Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization (LBMM) Project: Replacing 1.3 miles of the most difficult structures to maintain -- the nearly century-old embankment walls -- and completely rebuilding four aging stations: Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr, including expanding and modernizing the stations with the addition of elevators and other amenities to make each accessible to customers with disabilities and limited mobility.

Red-Purple Bypass (RPB) Project: Construction of a grade-separated Clark Junction north of the Belmont station to allow the CTA to address the capacity constraint it faced because of an outdated rail intersection traveled by three rail lines. The bypass allows the CTA to add train service as ridership grows and to eliminate delays where the Red, Purple and Brown lines all intersect and trains must stand and wait for other trains to pass. In addition, the project rebuilds the 4-track North Main Line (Red and Purple line) tracks from north of the Belmont station to the segment of track between Newport and Cornelia avenues (just south of Addison station), increasing train speeds and improving passenger comfort with added capacity.

Corridor Signal Improvement (CSI) Project: Replacing a 50-year track signal system between Howard and Belmont to improve train operations and service reliability.

CTA elected to pursue the RPM Phase One project under the "design-build" project delivery method. In design-build construction, an owner (in this case, CTA) enters into a single contract to cover both the architectural design services and the physical construction of the build. The design-build method may be understood by comparing it with the more traditional "design-bid-build" method, which involves an owner entering into two main and completely separate contracts: first, the owner contracts the architecture and design process to one firm, which finishes and delivers a completed design; then, a second contract is awarded to a general contractor to complete construction on the project already designed. In this model, the construction contractor generally has little or no say in the design; they simply build what was already developed. Under design-build, the goal is to streamline the collaboration, communication, and coordination process by having design and construction serves under one contract. Throughout the entire process, the owner has a single point of contact for collaborative input. The design-build method offers a similar overall structure to the more traditional design-bid-build delivery model while allowing for significant owner participation and minimizing owner responsibility and risk. By having the architects and engineers work directly with the construction contractor that will actually execute the designs, the groups can collaborate, coordinate and often find efficiencies. This approach also allows construction to begin on one portion of a project while design continues on other parts.

To find and select a contractor to design and build the project, CTA underwent a two-step procurement process to select the most qualified contractor and best value for CTA. The first step was issuing a Request for Qualifications in 2017 to find contracting teams that had the experience and ability to build a large, complex rail project like RPM Phase One. In December 2017, CTA qualified three contracting teams, including Walsh-Fluor, Chicago Rail Constructors and Kiewit Infrastructure Co., and issued a Draft Request for Proposals, followed by a Final Request for Proposals in April 2018.

Following the rigorous 18-month bid process, the Chicago Transit Board approved the award of a $1.2 billion contract to The Walsh-Fluor Design Build Team (WFDBT) on December 12, 2018 to engineer, design and build RPM Phase One. Led by Walsh Construction with joint venture partner Fluor, the WFDBT also included lead designer Stantec Consulting Services and major sub-consultant designers EXP, International Bridge Technologies and TranSmart/EJM Engineering, among many other subcontractors. In considering the bids, CTA gave equal consideration to the technical proposals on how the project would be built and proposed cost. The Walsh-Fluor team brought to CTA its local, national and global transit construction experience, including Walsh's construction of the CTA Wilson station, completed in 2017. Fluor, a global contracting firm, has constructed other major U.S. rail projects, including the $2.1 billion Denver Eagle, and the $2 billion Purple Line (Maryland/D.C. suburbs).

CTA broke ground on the RPM Phase One project on October 2, 2019, at a ceremony next to Belmont station and Clark Junction in the RPB zone of the project.

The RPM Phase One Project opened a new RPM Community Office at 5137 N. Broadway in the Uptown neighborhood, a central location for residents in the RPM project area that includes Edgewater, Uptown, Andersonville and Lakeview East, on July 26, 2021. The RPM team had staff to speak directly with residents who are affected by RPM construction, and to provide local residents and customers opportunities to learn and ask questions about the RPM Phase One Project. The new office was intended to serve as a physical one-stop shop where residents, businesses, stakeholders and the general public can learn about the RPM project, ask staff members questions and let CTA know about their concerns.

Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization (LBMM)

The Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization (LBMM) Project consists of a complete rebuild of tracks and stations along a 1.3-mile section of the North Main Line between Ardmore Avenue (5800N), just south of Thorndale station, and Leland Avenue (4700N), between Wilson and Lawrence stations. The scope includes the complete reconstruction of the elevated track structure (originally a solid-fill embankment, replaced with two 2-track column-supported aerial structures), tracks, and power and signal systems. Four stations -- Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations -- are reconstructed with larger facilities with modern amenities, including ADA accessibility, escalators, elevators and wider platforms.

The new structure was built in halves, which CTA called Stage A and B, to have as few service disruptions as possible, while minimizing community impacts. Stage A construction focused on the east half of the tracks (rebuilding tracks 3 and 4, while Red and Purple line trains continued using tracks 1 and 2) and Stage B on the west half (rebuilding tracks 1 and 2, while service is maintained on the new tracks 3 and 4 built in Stage A). "Pre-Stage" work was undertaken first, to make systems and track improvements such as the installation of new interlockings at Thorndale and Montrose, to shift from the 4-track system to a 2-track arrangement in advance of Stage A work.

During Stage A and Stage B construction, the old Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations closed for reconstruction. Bryn Mawr and Argyle were replaced with temporary stations during Stage A and B, while Berwyn and Lawrence remained closed for the duration of construction.

On January 28, 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the CTA released renderings of the designs for four Red Line stations, Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr, that will be fully reconstructed as part of the RPM Phase One project.

Stage A construction began May 16, 2021. At that time, all four stations closed for demolition and reconstruction, with Lawrence and Berwyn stations remaining closed for the four-year duration of construction. Temporary stations at Argyle and Bryn Mawr opened to maintain access to Red Line service at those locations. Two bus routes that served the closed Berwyn and Lawrence stations, the #81 Lawrence and the #92 Foster, were rerouted to maintain bus-rail transfers -- the #81 Lawrence was rerouted to the Wilson Red and Purple line transfer station, while the #92 Foster was rerouted to the Bryn Mawr temporary Red Line station. Tracks 3 and 4 on the east half of the embankment, normally used by northbound Red and Purple line trains, closed for demolition and reconstruction. Red and Purple line service was maintained on the remaining two tracks on the west side of the embankment, tracks 1 and 2, by Red and Purple line trains sharing the same track in each direction. Stage A construction was completed and the new tracks 3 and 4 were placed in service on July 28, 2023.

Stage B construction was able to begin on July 28, 2023 with the completion of Stage A -- at that time, Red and Purple line trains were shifted onto the new tracks, allowing the closure of tracks 1 and 2 and the west half of the embankment for demolition and reconstruction. In Stage B, new temporary stations for Argyle and Bryn Mawr opened on the new tracks 3 and 4; the new Argyle temporary station was located a block-and-a-half north of Argyle with entrances on Foster and Winona, while the new Bryn Mawr temporary station only had a platform on track 3 for 95tth-bound Red Line trains because there is no space to build a temporary platform on track 4 that could serve northbound trains without demolishing more buildings. In Stage B, the #92 Foster bus resumed its normal route (connecting to Red Line service at the Foster entrance of the Argyle temporary station), while the #84 Peterson bus was rerouted so that it connected with both the Bryn Mawr Stage B temporary station (southbound-only service) and Thorndale station (for a one-seat ride to connect to Red Line service in both directions); the #81 maintained its reroute to Wilson station. Stage B construction, including the four new, permanent Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations, will be completed in 2025.

Red-Purple Bypass (RPB)

The Red-Purple Bypass (RPB) Project consists of construction of a new grade-separated flyover, or "Bypass", track at Clark Junction just north of Belmont station for Kimball-bound Brown Line trains so these trains could get from the North Main Line onto the Ravenswood branch without crossing in front of and conflicting with Red and Purple line trains as they did before. Completion of the the Bypass track was followed by complete reconstruction of the 4-track North Main Line between Belmont Avenue (3200N) and Cornelia Avenue (3500N), removing several small curves which limited track speeds. The expected benefits of this collective work include smoother more reliable service, fewer delays, increased track capacity allowing additional trains to be operated during peak hours and resulting relief of chronic overcrowding on the trains and rail platforms, reduced noise at street level, and a brighter, cleaner, safer and more pleasant pedestrian environment.

As in LBMM father north, the 4-track main line was also rebuilt half at a time, in phases CTA called Stage 2 and Stage 3 (Stage 1 was building the Bypass), although the order the tracks were rebuilt was flipped -- first, in Stage 2, the west two tracks and structure were reconstructed (rebuilding tracks 1 and 2, while Red and Purple line trains continued using tracks 3 and 4), then Stage 3 focused on the east half (rebuilding tracks 3 and 4, while service is maintained on the new tracks 1 and 2 built in Stage 2).

The Red-Purple Bypass, formally North Main track 5, was placed into service on Friday, November 19, 2021, at which time northbound Brown Line trains began using it to move from the North Main Line to the Ravenswood branch.

Following completion of the Bypass, CTA began demolition, reconstruction and realignment of the 100-year-old 4-track main line between Belmont station and Cornelia Avenue. This involved making a series of temporary track connections at each end of the reconstruction zone to connect tracks 2 and 3 outside the zone to tracks 3 and 4 (where service would be maintained) in the RPB zone. These connections were completed and 2-track operation under Stage 2 began on January 31, 2022, allowing demolition and reconstruction of track 1 and 2 to commence.

On December 4, 2023, the CTA placed the new tracks 1 and 2 between Cornelia and Belmont in service, shifting Red and Purple line trains into the new alignment. This allowed Stage 3 construction to begin, closing tracks 3 and 4 between Belmont and Cornelia for reconstruction. The new tracks 3 and 4 will be completed in 2025.

Corridor Signal Improvement (CSI)

The Corridor Signal Improvement (CSI) Project consists of the installation of a new signal system on 23 track miles (5.6 route miles on four tracks) between Howard and Belmont, plus the Bypass track and Ravenswood branch to Seminary Interlocking, that will improve train flow and service reliability. The new signal system is provided both on sections of track being reconstructed, as well as on existing track sections that are not being reconstructed under RPM Phase One -- Cornelia to Leland, and Thorndale to Jarvis -- to provide new, modern bi-directional signaling on all tracks between Belmont and Howard. Replacing existing cab signal infrastructure largely dating from the 1970s, the new signal system will provide increased capacity, better diagnostics, and future capabilities, helping the RPM Phase One project achieve the capacity improvements necessary to meet the full-funding grant agreement for FTA Core Capacity funding.

One of the challenges facing CTA when designing and implementing a newer, more modern signal system was implementing technology upgrades on a portion of the rail system (i.e. the RPM Phase One project area limits) while maintaining compatibility with existing signal systems on other parts of the "L" system. In addition, compatibility had to be maintained with entire existing railcar fleet, consisting of three vehicle generations at the time (2600-/3200-series cars, 5000-series cars, and the then-forthcoming 7000-series cars). CTA worked with signal subcontractors to design and develop a a new signal system called DGTrack for the project, which was first tested in Desplaines Yard then on a short section of the Ravenswood branch before being implemented on a permanent basis project-wide.

As discussed in a presentation to the Sandhouse Rail Group at Northwestern University in November 2020, the new DGTrack system represents not just an upgrade of the cab signal system but a also step towards a more modern system with future capabilities built-in while also being compatible with existing, older cab signal systems in use on the "L". The system provides train detection via secure messaging between transmitter and receiver, while also providing synthesized analog signals for cab carrier and cab speed codes to be backward-compatible. The DGTrack signal system includes features that will allow for precision berthing and automatic train operation in the future, but these functions would require additional infrastructure and systems upgrades both on fixed infrastructure as well as on railcars to be utilized; their inclusion in the new DGTrack signal system implemented in RPM Phase One represents a foundation on which future upgrades can be built upon.

RPM Next Phases

While RPM Phase One construction was underway, CTA planners began initial public engagement in early 2023 for determining the locations and projects that would be part of the next phase of RPM. While the immediate outcome of this effort undertaken in 2023-24 would be to finalize a scope for RPM Phase Two, the study and public engagement looked at the future of RPM more broadly and was referred to by CTA as the RPM Next Phases Planning Study.

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study is the first step of the planning process that will set goals and objectives, engage the public, identify potential projects, and evaluate alternatives and phasing on three segments of the north Red Line and the Purple Line Evanston branch: Addison to Sheridan, Thorndale to Howard, and the Evanston branch (Howard to Linden).^R1 The goals established in the 2010 RPM Vision Study remained the goals for the next phases of RPM, specifically to expand capacity to be able to operate more trains with less crowding; increase service speeds by reducing the number of curves and providing better infrastructure; improved reliability for better on-time performance; improving accessibility by making all stations accessible to people with disabilities; building modern station facilities with new, wider platforms, upgraded amenities, and more reliable infrastructure for the future; supporting economic and community development; and improving the customer experience by providing a modern, quiet, and smooth ride.^R2

The CTA intends to pursue FTA Core Capacity funding for the next phase of RPM projects, just as they did for RPM Phase One. This means that the projects selected and scoped for the next set of projects would need to result in increasing capacity of the lines by at least 10%, as required by FTA to qualify for the program;^R3 this influences what projects will ultimately be chosen and how they will be approached, since they need to provide improved capacity in addition to state-of-good-repair outcomes.

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study is necessary to support a successful pursuit of FTA Core Capacity funds. To this end, the project elements being studied and evaluated include junctions and interlockings, including their geometry and proximity of stations; yard capacity and their availability for train storage; terminals (i.e. Howard and Linden) and how the number of terminal tracks, switch and track geometry there affect capacity, through-put and delays; the signal system; track speeds, including how curve geometry and infrastructure conditions affect maximum allowable speeds; traction power upgrades; and modernizing stations to provide improved accessibility and extended platforms to run longer trains (10-car platforms at Red Line stations, 8-car platforms on the Purple Line Evanston branch).^R4 Asked why the project wouldn't be designed to permit 10-car trains on the Evanston branch as well, the CTA officials said the elevated tracks in the Loop elevated, and all the lines that feed into it, only have 8-car capacity; the Red Line subway, which doesn't use the elevated Loop tracks, doesn't face that constraint.^R5

As of 2024, the locations being analyzed in more detail in the RPM Next Phases Planning Study are Linden, Central, Davis, Howard, Loyola, Sheridan and Addison.^R6

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study is expected to be finalized in 2024. Completing this planning phase will allow the CTA to launch the next steps in the process, which includes engineering work, conducting a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review, and identifying funding for implementation.^R7.

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Notes:

1. Red North Station Interim Improvements webpage. Chicago Transit Authority, retrieved 25 March 2012.
2. Hilkevitch, Jon. "$57.4 million facelift program OK'd for 7 North Side stops on CTA's Red Line." Chicago Tribune. 8 February 2012.
3. Roberts, Bob. "Major Renovations Coming To Multiple Red Line Stations." CBS Chicago. 9 February 2012.
4. "CTA Adds More Track and Viaduct Work to the North Red Station Project." CTA press release, August 8, 2012.

R1. "Red and Purple Modernization Next Phases Study." CTA website, accessed February 14, 2024.
R2. "RPM Next Phases Study - Public Meeting, February 2024" presentation. Public meeting held via Zoom February 1, 2024, 6-7pm. Presentation accessed online February 14, 2024.
R3. Ibid.
R4. Ibid.
R5. Smith, Bill. "Longer Purple Line trains -- maybe someday." Evanston Now, February 2, 2024.
R6. "RPM Next Phases Study - Public Meeting, February 2024," ibid.
R7. "Red and Purple Modernization Next Phases Study," ibid.