Oak Park station (CTA Green Line)

Oak Park is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system situated between the Ridgeland and Harlem stations on the Green Line. It is located at Oak Park Avenue and South Boulevard in the village of Oak Park, Illinois and is the closest station to the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio.

Oak Park   800W 100S
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location	100 South Oak Park Avenue Oak Park, Illinois 60302
Coordinates	41.886784°N 87.794323°W
Line(s)	Lake Branch
Platforms	1 Island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
History
Opened	January 25, 1901
Rebuilt	October 28, 1962
Passengers
2019	463,379[1]  2.4%
Rank	109 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Harlem/Lake Terminus Green Line Ridgeland toward Ashland/63rd or Cottage Grove
Former services Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station Marion Street toward Geneva Galena Division Ridgeland toward Chicago Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Marion Closed 1962 toward Forest Park Lake Street Elevated Ridgeland toward Loop (Randolph/Wells) or Market Terminal
Track layout South Blvd. Green Line west to Harlem/Lake Oak Park Ave. North Blvd. Union Pacific / West Line Euclid Ave. Green Line east to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove

History

Oak Park station was opened on January 25, 1901, by the Lake Street Elevated Railroad as a surface-level station on the line that ran parallel to the former Chicago and Northwestern Railway line (today's Union Pacific / West Line). Both lines created an unsafe grade crossing, especially as the community moved from horse-powered vehicles to the automobile. When the C&NW elevated its line between 1908 and 1909, it created a blind spot for traffic trying to cross the Lake Street Line.

On October 28, 1962, the station was elevated on an embankment and the main entrance was rebuilt by taking advantage of the small space along the road to include a ticket window and enclosed waiting rooms. When the Green Line closed for a renovation project in 1994, the CTA had planned to permanently close the Oak Park station along with four other stations (Austin, Laramie, Homan and Halsted). However, due to the political pressure and complaints of residents, the station was retained without being rebuilt and reopened with the Green Line on May 12, 1996. When it reopened, the committee of disabled residents of Oak Park strongly protested it as one of the few stations of the Green Line that is not accessible to people with disabilities.[2]

Bus connections

Pace

• 309 Lake Street
• 311 Oak Park Avenue
• 313 St. Charles Road

Notes and references

Notes

References

1. "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2019" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 13, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
2. Oak Park (Lake Street Line) Station Page

External links

• Oak Park (Lake Street Line) Station Page
• Oak Park Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View