RFMA fights for elevated train station; CTA balks

By Sarah Severson

The Randolph Fulton Market Association (RFMA) feels it has made its case for a new el stop on the Chicago Transit Authority’s
Green Line at Morgan and Lake
Streets, but while CTA officials say
they have focused a lot of attention
on the West Side, there are no current plans to add an el station in this location.

The closest el stops to Morgan Street along the Green Line are at Clinton Street to the east and Ashland Avenue to the west. These stops are 1.5 miles apart, a distance father apart than many el stations, although the CTA decides station location by land use, population, and geography rather than strictly distance. The RFMA has lobbied for the proposed Morgan Street el stop for several years now, meeting with the CTA, City and State officials, and holding press conferences and community meetings. Currently, many of the area’s employees have to drive because of their lack of public transportation options.

Roger Romanelli, RFMA executive director, emphasized the need to keep companies in the city, and one of the ways is by providing adequate public transportation. In July, the CTA added an express bus service to Randolph Street, but many of the market’s employees begin working as early as 3 or 4 a.m., before the bus starts its service.

“In today’s current climate of astronomical gas prices and in our effort to help businesses be good environmental citizens of the city, we urgently need this el station,” Romanelli said.

The CTA recently finished a study of the West Side and West Suburban corridor, which analyzed existing service in the corridor,  residential and employment patterns, and development in the area. As a result of this study, the new Pink Line rail service was established, along with enhancements and creation of new bus routes along the corridor.

The station at Morgan Street closed in 1948, and the CTA says, historically, the area around Morgan has been industrial. However, in recent years, the neighborhood has developed into more than just industrial space—there now are art galleries, retailers, restaurants, and residential buildings. At Haymarket Center, a social service center at 932 W. Washington Blvd., there are 500 employees coming and going throughout the day and night. An el stop at Morgan St. would be very beneficial for its employees, along with the 18,000 clients it serves annually.

The majority of these use public transportation to get to the center, according to Anthony Cole, vice president at the center and RFMA board member. “An el stop would be a boost for the whole community,” Cole said. “Communities tend to thrive when there is transportation nearby, and people want to live close to transportation.”

Barbara Gazdik, owner of Mars Gallery at 1139 W. Fulton Market, said her art gallery would benefit from having a closer el stop nearby. “It would be particularly helpful for people who fly in and don’t have a car—then it’s hard for them to get here. But how long would it take for them to do that? Ten years? I probably wouldn’t be here by the time the project is budgeted and completed, though it certainly would be very nice.”

Even with the high cost and potential time it would take to come together, the RFMA still stands  behind its urge to the CTA to build the stop.

“The case for the Morgan Street el station is overwhelming,” Romanelli said. “We’re frustrated and we want to know where the CTA stands. We’re ready to partner with them to find City, State, or Federal dollars. The demand is there and we’re ready to open the station.”

Building a new el station is a costly endeavor. The CTA spends an average of $10 million per station, and spokesperson Sheila Gregory said it has to measure needs against funding. The Green Line was rehabilitated in 1996, when the CTA spent $409 million to improve the West Side’s rail system.

It was carried out with community involvement, which included input in deciding where the stations along the line would be located. “The CTA is seeking funding for projects elsewhere on the system that have not had the same extensive investment made on the Green Line and throughout the West Side,” Gregory said. “However, Green Line customers will benefit from projects that are currently proposed, such as the Circle Line, which has direct benefits for the West Side, adding service and connectivity for West Side residents to the rest of the region.”