Sox-35th (CTA)
Encyclopedia
Sox–35th is a station
on the Chicago Transit Authority
's 'L' system
, located in Chicago, Illinois, and serving the Red Line
. It is situated at 142 W 35th Street. It opened on September 28, 1969 along with the other stations on the Dan Ryan branch. Currently, the station serves U.S. Cellular Field
, the stadium of the Chicago White Sox
, and takes its name from this location, originally serving the now-demolished Comiskey Park
, which had been located across the street from the current park. It is also close to the Illinois Institute of Technology
, though 35th–Bronzeville–IIT is closer. On April 3, 2011, a new station opened on the adjacent Metra Rock Island Line
at 35th/Lou Jones/Bronzeville
.
Sox–35th station is located in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway
. The main entrance to the station is on the 35th Street overpass; that entrance is handicapped accessible by means of an elevator. An auxiliary entrance is located on the 33rd Street overpass, and this entrance connects to the station via a pedestrian bridge. At both entrances, a fare turnstile is located at street level and passengers must take stairs, an escalator, or the elevator to the platform. The platform is an island platform
; northbound trains stop on the east side, and southbound trains stop on the west side.
Expressways, qualifying the routes for federal aid funds. The Chicago Plan commission approved plans for the new routes in January 1967, estimating the cost of the Dan Ryan line to be $28 million; Sox–35th, called White Sox–Illinois Tech at the time, was included in the plans. Federal funding for the lines was approved in March 1967. Mayor Richard J. Daley
subsequently stated that construction would begin immediately and projected the lines would open by the beginning of 1969, though engineers expected an opening date in late 1969 or early 1970. Sox–35th and the other Dan Ryan stations opened on September 28, 1969. The final cost of the line was $51.7 million; the Chicago Tribune
noted that it was constructed "in virtually record time". Two days before the line opened, the CTA ran free trains on the route between Sox–35th and 95th/Dan Ryan. The new route led to the Loop in the north and continued west along the Lake Street Elevated; trains did not follow the current alignment of the Red Line north of Sox-35th until 1993.
On January 29, 1979, the CTA closed 14 stations during rush-hour service, including Sox-35th, due to equipment shortages caused by the Chicago Blizzard of 1979
. After an outcry from riders and several African-American politicians, Sox-35th and three other stations reopened the following day. The remaining stations reopened later in the week after the Urban Mass Transportation Administration warned the CTA that the closings may have been a civil rights violation. The Chicago Tribune considered the closings to be a factor in Mayor Michael Bilandic's loss to Jane Byrne
in the 1979 Democratic mayoral primary, noting Byrne's large margin of victory in predominantly black wards affected by the closings.
In 2002, the CTA announced that it would rehabilitate Sox-35th and seven other stations on the Dan Ryan branch. During the renovations, the escalators at Sox-35th were replaced, its lighting and flooring were upgraded, and a granite tile White Sox logo was added to the floor. In addition, workers improved the 35th Street bridge adjacent to the station, replacing its sidewalks and canopies. The renovations to Sox-35th cost over $13 million and concluded in time for the 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
at U.S. Cellular Field.
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....
on 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...
, located in Chicago, Illinois, and serving the Red Line
Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood...
. It is situated at 142 W 35th Street. It opened on September 28, 1969 along with the other stations on the Dan Ryan branch. Currently, the station serves U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field
U.S. Cellular Field is a baseball ballpark in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, it is the home of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball's American League. The park opened for the 1991 season, after the White Sox had spent 81 years at old Comiskey Park...
, the stadium of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, and takes its name from this location, originally serving the now-demolished Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
, which had been located across the street from the current park. It is also close to the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
, though 35th–Bronzeville–IIT is closer. On April 3, 2011, a new station opened on the adjacent Metra Rock Island Line
Rock Island District
The Rock Island District is a commuter rail line operated by Metra from Chicago, Illinois, United States, southwest to Joliet. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the Rock Island District line are printed in "Rocket Red"...
at 35th/Lou Jones/Bronzeville
Jones/Bronzeville (Metra)
Lovana S. "Lou" Jones/Bronzeville, also known as 35th Street Metra Station is a station on Metra's Rock Island District line and a proposed station for Metra's planned SouthEast Service. It is located in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois...
.
Sox–35th station is located in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway
Dan Ryan Expressway
The Dan Ryan is an expressway in the city of Chicago that runs from the Circle Interchange with I-290 near downtown Chicago through the South Side of the city. It is designated as both Interstate 94 and Interstate 90 south to 66th Street, a distance of...
. The main entrance to the station is on the 35th Street overpass; that entrance is handicapped accessible by means of an elevator. An auxiliary entrance is located on the 33rd Street overpass, and this entrance connects to the station via a pedestrian bridge. At both entrances, a fare turnstile is located at street level and passengers must take stairs, an escalator, or the elevator to the platform. The platform is an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
; northbound trains stop on the east side, and southbound trains stop on the west side.
History
A rapid transit line in the Dan Ryan Expressway was initially proposed in 1958, before the expressway had been built. In 1966, Chicago voters passed a bond issue to provide $28 million in funding for new rail lines in the Dan Ryan and KennedyKennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
Expressways, qualifying the routes for federal aid funds. The Chicago Plan commission approved plans for the new routes in January 1967, estimating the cost of the Dan Ryan line to be $28 million; Sox–35th, called White Sox–Illinois Tech at the time, was included in the plans. Federal funding for the lines was approved in March 1967. Mayor Richard J. Daley
Richard J. Daley
Richard Joseph Daley served for 21 years as the mayor and undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago and is considered by historians to be the "last of the big city bosses." He played a major role in the history of the Democratic Party, especially with his support of John F...
subsequently stated that construction would begin immediately and projected the lines would open by the beginning of 1969, though engineers expected an opening date in late 1969 or early 1970. Sox–35th and the other Dan Ryan stations opened on September 28, 1969. The final cost of the line was $51.7 million; the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
noted that it was constructed "in virtually record time". Two days before the line opened, the CTA ran free trains on the route between Sox–35th and 95th/Dan Ryan. The new route led to the Loop in the north and continued west along the Lake Street Elevated; trains did not follow the current alignment of the Red Line north of Sox-35th until 1993.
On January 29, 1979, the CTA closed 14 stations during rush-hour service, including Sox-35th, due to equipment shortages caused by the Chicago Blizzard of 1979
Chicago Blizzard of 1979
The Chicago Blizzard of 1979 was a major blizzard that affected northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, U.S. on January 13-January 14, 1979. of snow fell on January 13 alone, setting a new record for snow in one calendar day...
. After an outcry from riders and several African-American politicians, Sox-35th and three other stations reopened the following day. The remaining stations reopened later in the week after the Urban Mass Transportation Administration warned the CTA that the closings may have been a civil rights violation. The Chicago Tribune considered the closings to be a factor in Mayor Michael Bilandic's loss to Jane Byrne
Jane Byrne
Jane Margaret Byrne was the first and to date only female Mayor of Chicago. She served from April 16, 1979 to April 29, 1983. Chicago is the largest city in the United States to have had a female mayor as of 2011.-Early political career:...
in the 1979 Democratic mayoral primary, noting Byrne's large margin of victory in predominantly black wards affected by the closings.
In 2002, the CTA announced that it would rehabilitate Sox-35th and seven other stations on the Dan Ryan branch. During the renovations, the escalators at Sox-35th were replaced, its lighting and flooring were upgraded, and a granite tile White Sox logo was added to the floor. In addition, workers improved the 35th Street bridge adjacent to the station, replacing its sidewalks and canopies. The renovations to Sox-35th cost over $13 million and concluded in time for the 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2003 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 74th midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 15, 2003 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois, the home of the Chicago...
at U.S. Cellular Field.
Bus connections
CTA- #24 Wentworth
- #35 35th
- #39 Pershing
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...
- #773 Markham/Tinley Park-US Cellular Field Express
- #774 Palos Heights/Oak Lawn-US Cellular Field Express
- #775 Bolingbrook/Burr Ridge-US Cellular Field Express