Lawrence station (CTA)

Lawrence is a temporarily closed 'L' station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line. It is an elevated station located at 1117 West Lawrence Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Argyle, located about 13 mile (0.54 km) to the north, and Wilson, about 14 mile (0.40 km) to the south, serving as alternate stations remaining open while Lawrence is closed for reconstruction. Four tracks pass through the station, though the two western tracks are out of service for reconstruction with all trains passing through without stopping on the two eastern tracks. Prior to demolition in 2021, there was a single island platform in the center of the tracks; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service used the outside tracks and did not stop.

Lawrence
 
4800N
1200W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
The original Lawrence station before demolition
General information
Location1117 West Lawrence Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60640
Coordinates41°58′09″N 87°39′31″W / 41.969139°N 87.658493°W / 41.969139; -87.658493
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)North Side Main Line
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks4
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleStarting in early 2025
Other information
StatusTemporarily closed
History
OpenedFebruary 27, 1923; 101 years ago (1923-02-27)
Rebuilt1995, 2012, 2021–25
Passengers
2020340,496[1]Decrease 65.1%
Rank72 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Argyle
toward Howard
Red Line Wilson
     Purple Line does not stop here
Location
Map

Lawrence station is located in the historic Uptown entertainment district. Nearby attractions include the Aragon Ballroom, the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, the Riviera Theater, and the Uptown Theatre.

History

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Lawrence station opened in 1923, shortly after the Northwestern Elevated Railroad was elevated between Wilson and Howard. The original station house was demolished and replaced with a temporary structure in 1995.[2]

Red & Purple Modernization Project

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Lawrence station during construction (November 2024)

Closure of the Lawrence station (along with Thorndale, and Jarvis on the Red Line and South Boulevard and Foster on the Purple Line) was proposed in three of the CTA's six potential options for the renovation of the Purple Line and northern section of the Red Line.[3] In two plans, the station would be replaced by a new auxiliary entrance at Ainslie from Argyle, while in the third replacement would be by an auxiliary entrance at Winona from a new subterranean station at Foster.[4]

As part of Phase I of the Red & Purple Modernization Project, the station closed for demolition beginning on May 16, 2021, and a newly constructed station will reopen in early 2025. The new station will feature wider platforms, better lighting, and be accessible to passengers with disabilities.[5][6][7][8]

Bus connections

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CTA

  • 36 Broadway (approximately one half block away on Broadway)
  • 81 Lawrence (Owl Service) (Currently re-routed to Wilson during station closure) [9]

Notes and references

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Notes

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The station is closed for reconstruction and is scheduled to reopen in early 2025.

References

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  1. ^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2020" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 19, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. ^ Lawrence. Chicago-"L".org (URL accessed September 24, 2006).
  3. ^ Roberts, Bob (January 27, 2011). "CTA Riders Voice Their Opinions". CBS Chicago.com. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  4. ^ "Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Information" (PDF). North Red and Purple Modernization Project. Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
  5. ^ Ward, Joe (April 20, 2021). "Major Red Line Reconstruction Begins Soon, Starting With Demolition Of 100-Year-Old Stations, Tracks". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ^ Hernandez, Cindy (January 28, 2021). "CTA unveils new Red Line station designs". Chicago Sun-Times.
  7. ^ Long, Zach. "Four CTA Red Line stations are getting a makeover". Time Out Chicago.
  8. ^ "CTA Red & Purple Modernization: Lawrence to Bryn Mawr Modernization Project". CTA.
  9. ^ "CTA Customer Alert Details".
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