Local, state and Metra officials gathered Nov. 1 for the groundbreaking of the new Peterson Ridge Station on the Union Pacific North Line.
Officials included Metra Director Ric Estrada, Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski, Metra Board Vice Chairman Norm Carlson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Sylvia I. Garcia, Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman, among others.
“It is exciting to be breaking ground on this highly anticipated new station for the Edgewater community,” Derwinski said. “We look forward to serving new and existing My Metra riders with a welcoming and comfortable new station.”
“Building infill stations like Peterson-Ridge is a great opportunity to give more residents of our county convenient access to transit, helping them get to work, school and recreation, which strengthens our neighborhoods and supports the region’s economy,” added President Preckwinkle.
The $19-million project, which is expected to take about 18 months to complete, includes two six-car platforms; heated concrete stairs and ADA-compliant ramps; a glass and masonry warming house with side canopies and metal roof; two shelters with on-demand heating; an access drive with a cul-de-sac turnaround and ADA pick-up/drop-off; five ADA parking spaces and 44 pay parking spaces along Ravenswood Avenue; bicycle parking; a plaza with associated landscaping and irrigation system; and reworked traffic signals for the station entrance. There will be an additional $3 million in renovation work on the bridges over Peterson and Ridge avenues.
The work is being funded in part by a $15-million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), a component of Rebuild Illinois. Federal Transit Administration funding will cover the remaining $7 million in work. An estimated 150 jobs will be created during the project.
“Through the state’s historic Rebuild Illinois capital plan, DCEO is committed to bringing forward economic development projects that will modernize infrastructure, enhance quality of life and increase access to opportunity in communities across our state,” Garcia said. “We are happy to support the new Peterson Ridge Metra Station, which will increase transportation options in Edgewater and is part of [Illinois] Gov. [J.B.] Pritzker’s efforts to increase safe, reliable and equitable access to transportation options for residents and businesses across Illinois.”
“Providing safe and reliable transportation options, improving connections to jobs and enhancing quality of life – that’s how the Illinois Department of Transportation and our partners are working together to rebuild Illinois,” added Secretary Osman. “This station is another great example of the teamwork happening under Gov. Pritzker to revitalize infrastructure and communities across Illinois.”
The state funding was secured with support of then-State Representative and now Ald. Harry Osterman (48th) with strong support from former Ald. Pat O’Connor (40th). Current 40th Ward Ald. Andre Vasquez also supports the new station
Significant state dollars allocated to Metra under the Rebuild Illinois program, combined with federal aid, are helping to fund an unprecedented investment in the Metra system. This includes the purchase of new, modern rail cars and newly repowered locomotives and the rehabilitation of existing cars and locomotives. It also includes the construction of another new station – Auburn Park on the Rock Island Line – and the rehabilitation and upgrade of existing stations along with the replacement or rehabilitation of existing bridges. These projects will improve rider comfort, increase accessibility, strengthen service reliability and improve air quality.
The contract for the Peterson Ridge construction work was awarded to John Burns Construction Company of Orland Park, Ill. John Burns committed to awarding 30 percent of the subcontracting work to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms.
