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Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
tomz
()
Date: October 19, 2012 09:56AM
As someone who lives off the Spaulding St. entrance of the Logan Square subway stop on the Blue Line, I routinely curse the designers of its lengthy platform as I hustle to catch the train. The curses are followed by the same question every time:
Why the f*** did they make it so long?
The Belmont platform--one stop away--isn't nearly as lengthy. Then again, it only has one entrance. I suspect there was some issue with a property owner around Sawyer St., which would have made a more practical way in and out.
Any thoughts?
Why the f*** did they make it so long?
The Belmont platform--one stop away--isn't nearly as lengthy. Then again, it only has one entrance. I suspect there was some issue with a property owner around Sawyer St., which would have made a more practical way in and out.
Any thoughts?
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
rjmachon
()
Date: October 20, 2012 01:10PM
Tom,
Please bear with me while I try to explain this! This why the CTA changed A-B trains.
If I remember correctly, when they built the Logan Square subway station, they had two train stops there. The CTA use to use the system of A or B trains. Some stops were A stops, some were B stops, Then they had A-B stops were both trains would stop at these stations. Logan Square subway was a A-B stop, but the A-train would stop at a different location than the B-train. One further down the platform. When the CTA did away with these A-B trains and stops around 1995 and the trains would stop at every station instead of skipping a station, they still use to stop twice in the Logan Subway Station. Then they changed it only to one stop at Logan Square around 1997. I heard that it took to long to stop there because of the two stops in the station.
For the life of me, I know the walk that you are talking about. I use to get off at Logan Square some times to visit my friend and make that walk.
For info on CTA AB trains you can read more at:
http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/route_ops/A-B.html
When I lived in Logan Square in the 1960's, the train would end at Logan Square and then you would have walk downstairs from the platform and get on a bus to go further up Milwaukee Avenue or catch another bus line. That was a major CTA hub back then with the buses and the terminal there.
I hope that this help a little.
Please bear with me while I try to explain this! This why the CTA changed A-B trains.
If I remember correctly, when they built the Logan Square subway station, they had two train stops there. The CTA use to use the system of A or B trains. Some stops were A stops, some were B stops, Then they had A-B stops were both trains would stop at these stations. Logan Square subway was a A-B stop, but the A-train would stop at a different location than the B-train. One further down the platform. When the CTA did away with these A-B trains and stops around 1995 and the trains would stop at every station instead of skipping a station, they still use to stop twice in the Logan Subway Station. Then they changed it only to one stop at Logan Square around 1997. I heard that it took to long to stop there because of the two stops in the station.
For the life of me, I know the walk that you are talking about. I use to get off at Logan Square some times to visit my friend and make that walk.
For info on CTA AB trains you can read more at:
http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/route_ops/A-B.html
When I lived in Logan Square in the 1960's, the train would end at Logan Square and then you would have walk downstairs from the platform and get on a bus to go further up Milwaukee Avenue or catch another bus line. That was a major CTA hub back then with the buses and the terminal there.
I hope that this help a little.
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
tomz
()
Date: October 21, 2012 01:43AM
That's a very interesting explanation. I remember the A and B trains back when all the train lines went by their names instead of colors. The train on the way to the Airport was the O'Hare line, and then the other ends were the Congress and Douglas lines. Congress was A and Douglas (now the Pink Line) was the B.
So are you saying the A train stopped at one end of the platform and the B stopped at the other end?
Thanks a lot!
So are you saying the A train stopped at one end of the platform and the B stopped at the other end?
Thanks a lot!
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
rjmachon
()
Date: October 22, 2012 02:57PM
From what I can remember Tom yes! In the mid 1990's The CTA was going changes tring to pick up more passengers. I use to ride the train back then and the A-B trains were sure a pain. Where I went downtown, my stops were all A-B stops so that didn't bother all to much.
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
Dunning1
()
Date: October 22, 2012 03:13PM
I think the length of the station might have more to do with the various bus lines that intersect at Logan Square. Logan Square used to be the end of the Milwaukee Avenue El, and there was a big elevated station just south of Logan Square itself, where the newer townhouses now stand. When the train was extended to Jefferson Park, in about 1969, I think, the new station was built underground. Logan Square used to be quite a big transit hub, as people got off the El, and transferred to the Milwaukee or Kimball/Homan buses. The configuration of the station allows covered access to the Milwaukee, Kimball, and Diversey buses. I think that the station was made that long to avoid rerouting those buses over crowded Milwaukee Avenue. I also have to add that back in those days Logan Square was a bustling shopping area.
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
John T
()
Date: October 29, 2012 10:46AM
There was also a North Kedzie bus that ran from Logan Sqaure to Foster and at times to a turnaround near Peterson, behind the Peterson McDonald's - now their back parking lot. I took it as a child to both the elevated Logan Square station and the current bus turnaround at the South end of the current station.
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
CE Carter
()
Date: November 03, 2012 05:15AM
rjmachon,
No comment on the Logan Square subway situation, but I was a marching member of the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle corps in the early 1970s -right before the terminal was closed and the L line extended further north. One of my favorite memories of Logan Square during that time was Eddie's Bar-B-Q restaurant -located right below Cavalier Hall where we rehearsed every Wednesday evening. Did you know anyone from the Cavaliers??
No comment on the Logan Square subway situation, but I was a marching member of the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle corps in the early 1970s -right before the terminal was closed and the L line extended further north. One of my favorite memories of Logan Square during that time was Eddie's Bar-B-Q restaurant -located right below Cavalier Hall where we rehearsed every Wednesday evening. Did you know anyone from the Cavaliers??
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
the_mogra
()
Date: April 22, 2015 03:45PM
i remember the building of this LS station and the new subway, but I don't recall its' extreme length having anything to do with the old A-B train stop system. entrances were built @ 2 extremes--kedzie & spaulding, and the station merely spanned it. the location of train stop always favored kedzie end, they never tried to centralize it. those entering & exiting at the spaulding ave turnstyle just have to hoof it more to reach the train, but at least you're underground and protected
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
Mr Downtown
()
Date: April 23, 2015 11:36AM
^Right; it's not much different than the stops on the Congress line that have long ramps coming down from streets a quarter-mile apart, equally inconvenient to both streets.
Re: Logan Square subway stop - Why so long?
Posted by:
the_mogra
()
Date: April 23, 2015 11:56AM
those stops on the congress blueline with the distant turnstyle entrances (the lombard entrance for austin stop and the east ave entrance for oak park stop, for examples) were recently under review now that IDOT is going to widen the Ike to 4 lines from 3 in that stretch. IDOT first announced they thought it best to eliminate the distant entrances altogether and the CTA agreed, but lately they both have withdrawn that from consideration, when the CTA stations are rebuilt as part of Ike widening, because too many people objected even though using them involves a good walk (which the CTA must keep shoveled and de-iced during wintertime). the Ike widening hasn't started yet, but when pressed IDOT gives tentative construction dates starting 2016 to finish 2019
