Foster station

Foster is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, on the Purple Line in Evanston, Illinois. It is located at 900 Foster Street (directional coordinates 2000 north, 900 west), just a few blocks west of Northwestern University's Evanston campus.

Foster
 
2000N
900W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location900 Foster Street
Evanston, Illinois 60201
Coordinates42.054136°N 87.683604°W / 42.054136; -87.683604
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)Evanston Branch
Platforms1 Island platform
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeElevated
History
OpenedJanuary 6, 1909
Rebuilt1931
Passengers
2019252,742[1] 2.4% (CTA)
Rank137 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Noyes
toward Linden
Purple Line Davis
toward Howard
Purple Line
Express
Davis
Former services
Preceding station Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad Following station
Noyes
toward North Chicago Junction
North Shore Line
Shore Line Route
Church
Track layout
Purple Line
north to Linden
Hamlin St.
North Shore Line
platform
removed 1970
Foster St.
Purple Line
south to Howard or Loop

History

Structure

Like the rest of the 'L' tracks north of the Wilson station, Foster is elevated on a solid fill embankment, unlike the steel structure commonly associated with the 'L'. It lacks a formal station house; two staircases on the south side of Foster Street lead up to a small area containing a customer assistant's booth, a farecard vending machine, and two turnstiles. The island platform is composed of concrete and stretches north from the station entrance, covered by a canopy its entire length. Southbound trains stop on the west side of the platform, while northbound trains stop at the east part. The platform can only accommodate six-car trains because the north tip of the platform has been removed, although its framing and canopy are still in place.

Former service

Foster was served by trains of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad on the Shore Line Route. Like Noyes and Central, Foster had an additional side platform to the west of the southbound track for exclusive use of the North Shore Line, to prevent disembarking customers from transferring to 'L' trains for free. The platform was removed sometime after the North Shore Line ceased operations over this section of the rapid transit system in 1955, but its concrete footings can still be seen opposite the current platform north of Foster Street.

Modernization

Closure of the Foster station (along with South Boulevard) was proposed in three of the CTA's six potential options for the renovation of the Purple Line and northern section of the Red Line.[2][3]

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. Bullington, Jonathan (January 25, 2011). "CTA considers chopping two Evanston stations". TribLocal Evanston. Archived from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
    3. "Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Information" (PDF). North Red and Purple Modernization Project. Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
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