Quote:
Originally Posted by Toasty Joe
Ardecila had some good insights back at the end of 2022 when this was initially proposed:
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Thanks for pulling all that up!
Yes, this is a disappointment. It's a shame because I really like the design otherwise, the grand stair from Green St up to Halsted is a really strong urban move. The vista west down the existing Metra tracks is shaping up into a really cool urban canyon, the grand stair (and the retail/restaurant spaces) will be an awesome place to look out over the city.
That said, I now understand a bit more about the long-term plans for Union Station and it should be possible to get a couple of through-running platforms in the existing station. That would still be a very challenging project (moving columns etc) but a fraction of the cost of a new tunnel. A 4th lead track into the north side of Union and elevating the line through West Loop are also cheaper alternatives. If Chicago is gonna spend the big bucks on a tunnel, they should probably extend the Metra Electric line through Streeterville and River North to meet up with the UP lines near Clybourn. Over there, a tunnel is really the only option.
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