Chicago Planning Flyover Fix for North Side El Lines

Fairly sizable funding contingencies still have to be resolved, but the so-called Red-Purple Bypass Project could increase rush hour capacity at a critical North Side junction by 30 percent.

1 minute read

April 18, 2014, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


The Chicago Transit Authority recently announced plans “to build a bridge or bypass for the Brown Line where it crosses the Red and Purple line over Clark Street a couple of blocks south of Wrigley Field,” according to a report by Greg Hinz.

The CTA Red-Purple Bypass Project would “unsnarl a mid-North Side rail junction that ties up hundreds of Red, Brown and Purple line trains a day.” Hinz reports that CTA Vice President Michael McLaughlin told a recent conference call that the “CTA will be able to run an additional 69 trains through the junction each rush hour, 30 percent more than now…”

The work still requires a full engineering and a source for the hefty estimated price tag of $320 million. Chicago did recently get a big windfall with a federal “core capacity” grant, but as part of much larger capital investment plans, the project will require serious political will to achieve the needed funding.

Thursday, April 17, 2014 in Crain's Chicago Business

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

7 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive