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

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.

April 20 - 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.

April 20 - 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