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Midway (CTA)
Encyclopedia
Midway is a station
of the Chicago Transit Authority
's 'L' system
, serving the Orange Line
. It is the southwestern terminus of the Orange Line, and serves Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, the city's second-largest airport. Most of this station's passengers are airport customers, and the turnstile
s at the station's entrance are somewhat wider than most to accommodate their luggage. The station, along with the rest of the Orange Line, opened on October 31, 1993, after a long wait by Chicago's southwest side for 'L' access. It is also the closest station to Toyota Park
home of the Chicago Fire
Major League Soccer Team
, which is approximately four miles away.
of the 'L'
. As the city expanded, this service became insufficient. During the 1940s, when subways were being constructed under State and Dearborn Streets, the city planned to expand the “L” to Midway Airport. However, this plan did not pan out.
On January 22, 1990, there was a groundbreaking ceremony held at the future site of Midway Station. Many people attended, including Mayor Daley, Bernard Ford, the CTA Acting Executive Director, and David Williams, the Chicago public works commissioner). In 1993, the CTA finished building the new orange line. It cost about 500 million dollars, despite the use of abandoned railroad right-of-ways. Midway Station now includes: a three-track terminal, a yard, a car maintenance facility, an island platform, elevators leading to the sidewalk, and escalators and stairs connecting to the moving walkway heading to the airport.
When the garage was built on the east side of Cicero, it bisected the walkway from the station to the airport. In 2002, the Department of Aviation built a walkway through the garage. Although people still have to cross traffic lanes in two to three places, conditions are now safer then they were when people had to cross the traffic filled garage. Now, metal bumpers protect the walkers in the garage.
Pace
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....
of the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's 'L' system
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
, serving the Orange Line
Orange Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Orange Line, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the 'L' system. It is approximately long, and runs below grade and elevated on existing railroad embankments and new concrete and steel structures from Chicago Midway International...
. It is the southwestern terminus of the Orange Line, and serves Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, the city's second-largest airport. Most of this station's passengers are airport customers, and the turnstile
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
s at the station's entrance are somewhat wider than most to accommodate their luggage. The station, along with the rest of the Orange Line, opened on October 31, 1993, after a long wait by Chicago's southwest side for 'L' access. It is also the closest station to Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
home of the Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire (soccer)
Chicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
Major League Soccer Team
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, which is approximately four miles away.
History
Prior to 1993, the southwest side was only served by the Douglas Park BranchPink Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago...
of the 'L'
Chicago 'L'
The L is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority...
. As the city expanded, this service became insufficient. During the 1940s, when subways were being constructed under State and Dearborn Streets, the city planned to expand the “L” to Midway Airport. However, this plan did not pan out.
On January 22, 1990, there was a groundbreaking ceremony held at the future site of Midway Station. Many people attended, including Mayor Daley, Bernard Ford, the CTA Acting Executive Director, and David Williams, the Chicago public works commissioner). In 1993, the CTA finished building the new orange line. It cost about 500 million dollars, despite the use of abandoned railroad right-of-ways. Midway Station now includes: a three-track terminal, a yard, a car maintenance facility, an island platform, elevators leading to the sidewalk, and escalators and stairs connecting to the moving walkway heading to the airport.
When the garage was built on the east side of Cicero, it bisected the walkway from the station to the airport. In 2002, the Department of Aviation built a walkway through the garage. Although people still have to cross traffic lanes in two to three places, conditions are now safer then they were when people had to cross the traffic filled garage. Now, metal bumpers protect the walkers in the garage.
Bus connections
CTA-
#47 47th -
#54B South Cicero -
#55 Garfield -
#55A 55th/Austin -
#55N 55th/Narragansett -
#59 59th/61st -
#62H Archer/Harlem -
#N62 Archer (Owl Service) -
#63 63rd (Owl Service) -
#63W West 63rd -
#165 West 65th
Pace
Pace (transit)
Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...
-
#379 Midway-Orland Square -
#382 Central/Clearing -
#383 South Cicero -
#384 Narragansett-Ridgeland -
#385 87th/111th/127th -
#386 South Harlem -
#387 Toyota Park Express -
#390 Midway CTA Station-United Parcel Service