Grand station (CTA Blue Line)

Grand (or Grand/Milwaukee in station announcements) is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line, at Grand Avenue, Halsted Street and Milwaukee Avenue in the southeast corner of the West Town neighborhood. It is also located within the Fulton River District.

Grand   500N 800W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location	502 North Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60622
Coordinates	41°53′28″N 87°38′51″W
Owned by	City of Chicago
Line(s)	Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Subway
Depth	35 ft
Bicycle facilities	Yes
History
Opened	February 25, 1951
Closed	February 9, 1992 – June 25, 1999
Rebuilt	1999, 2007, 2019
Passengers
2019	865,718[1]  2.1% (CTA)
Rank	80 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Chicago toward O'Hare Blue Line Clark/Lake toward Forest Park
Track layout Blue Line northwest to O'Hare Blue Line southeast to Forest Park

History

Grand opened in 1951 as part of the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. The Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway was the second subway line in Chicago's Loop since the State Street Subway opened 8 years earlier in 1943.

Closure and Reopening

Starting in 1982, Grand was closed during night and weekend hours as a cost savings measure due to low ridership. By 1992, the station was only serving 850 passengers a day, and, as a result, the CTA closed the station on February 9, 1992, due to its low ridership and a budget crisis.[2][3] While the station was closed, the five stairways to the subway platform became garbage-strewn, and the station fell into disrepair. On April 21, 1999, the CTA decided to reopen Grand due to population growth in the area around the station.[4] After some refurbishment, Grand reopened on June 25, 1999 at 6:00 a.m.[5]

Bus connections

CTA

• 8 Halsted
• 56 Milwaukee
• 65 Grand

References

1. "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2019" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 13, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
2. Gillis, Michael (February 2, 1992). "Big bus, L cuts by CTA start next weekend". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 55.
3. "CTA's Cuts Take Effect". Chicago Tribune. February 9, 1992. Section 2, page 2 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Chicago Transit Authority (April 21, 1999). "CTA Announces Plans to Re-open Grand/Milwaukee Blue Line Station" (Press release).
5. Chicago Transit Authority (June 24, 1999). "CTA Re-opens Grand/Milwaukee Blue Line Station" (Press release).

External links

• Grand/Milwaukee Station Page
• Grand Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View

Street level staircase entrance to the station