Village of Glen Ellyn, Ill., President Diane McGinley and the Village of Glen Ellyn Board of Trustees, along with U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL- 6), U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) and other officials joined Nov. 25 to celebrate a $14.4 million federal grant for the downtown Glen Ellyn Train Station project. The $20 million project includes building a new station and constructing a pedestrian tunnel that will improve access, enhance safety and create a greater connection with the Village’s downtown area.
“As the second busiest stop on the Union Pacific West line, we realize that the Glen Ellyn train station is a vital connection for our residents, businesses and visitors,” said Village President Diane McGinley. “The new train station and pedestrian underpass will significantly improve capacity, safety and accessibility, which will only further sustain the vitality of our downtown and the overall community.”
In October, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) notified the Village of an award of $14.4 million in funding for the Glen Ellyn Metra Station. CMAP allocates these federal funds, which are made available through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement program.
“Nearly 2,000 residents of Illinois’ Sixth District utilize and depend on the Glen Ellyn Metra station during the week to get them where they need to go,” said Rep. Casten. “The station is critical to our area’s transportation sector and I’m glad that we were able to obtain this funding to modernize the station and add a pedestrian underpass to make the station safer and more accessible. In Congress, I will continue to work to attract funding to invest in the Sixth District’s infrastructure.”
“It’s heartening to see that the Glen Ellyn Metra station revitalization is receiving the funding it needs to meet the accessibility and safety needs of the community while also taking a critical step forward in reducing congestion,” said Rep. Krishnamoorthi. “The progress of this project is a tribute the dedication of the Village of Glen Ellyn and I look forward to working with the community in the future on more bipartisan solution to our infrastructure needs.”
The underpass will improve safety for commuters who currently use the at-grade crossings to access the station from the parking lots and residences on the south side of the tracks. The project will address significant ADA issues at the current facility by adding designated ADA drop-off and pick-up areas, ADA accessible washrooms and accessible ramps and sidewalks. It also improves overall multimodal access by increasing accessibility for Pace bus service and expands bicycle parking from 92 spaces to 200 spaces. The station improvements would also serve as a catalyst for future transit-oriented development in the downtown area.
