Last year, writing in the wake of Donald Trump’s election and the Republican platform calling for the elimination of federal funding for Amtrak, mass transit, and other sustainable forms of transportation, I predicted that, on that front, 2016 would likely be the best year Chicago saw for a while.
Also annoying was the further delay of the $60 million-plus Navy Pier Flyover bike overpass project, which has already taken longer to complete than the Golden Gate Bridge. In October, CDOT acknowledged that it won’t be finished until mid-2019, half a year behind schedule.
The past year was a good one for new CTA stations. After a $75 million rehab, the brand-new Washington-Wabash stop opened in August, its graceful, undulating form inspired by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The $203 million Wilson station reconstruction in Uptown is also coming along nicely and should be finished this month. In addition to making the stop a transfer point between the Red and Purple Lines, the rehab added elevators and a dazzling installation by Sri Lankan-British artist Cecil Balmond, and is restoring the 1923 Gerber Building, on the north side of Wilson, to its former glory. The $280 million renovation of the 95th Street Red Line station, including artwork by Chicago favorite son Theaster Gates, is likewise rolling along and should wrap up by the end of this year.
