Another New Commuter Rail Station for Chicago's South Side Transit Deserts

A South Side Chicago neighborhood with a history of neglect and disinvestment will soon be adding a new train station on the regional commuter system.

1 minute read

October 2, 2019, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Rock Island Line

Russell Sekeet / Wikimedia Commons

"After years of planning, Metra and government officials on Monday announced a timetable to design and start construction of a new station in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood on the city’s South Side," reports Mary Wisniewski.

The new station will cost $20 million, with construction expected to both begin next year. Design, by San Francisco-based T.Y. Lin International, is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

The station will be the only station on the Rock Island Line between 87th Street and 35th Street.

"Residents and community leaders have called the Far South Side a 'transit desert,' meaning that the area has less access to transit than other areas," according to Wisniewski.

A proposal to subsidize service on the Metra system from the South Side to help the commuter rail system compete with the CTA transit system stirred controversy over the summer and through September. Metra also has plans to add a new station on the Electric Line at 95th Street.

Monday, September 30, 2019 in Chicago Tribune

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

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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 10, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bronze statue of homeless man (Jesus) with head down and arm outstretched in front of St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington D.C.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.

45 minutes ago - The New York Times

Historic stone structure surrounding natural spring in India with plaques.

Restoring Northern India’s Himalayan ‘Water Temples’

Thousands of centuries-old buildings protect the region’s natural springs and serve as community wells and gathering places.

1 hour ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Blue Bublr bikes parked at station on sidewalk in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee to Double Bike Share Stations

Bublr Bikes, one of the nation’s most successful, will add 500 new e-bikes to its system.

2 hours ago - OnMilwaukee