59th Street/University of Chicago station

{{Infobox station

| style=Metra|name={{Metra header

| name=59th Street
{{small|University of Chicago}}

| icon={{ric|Metra|me}}}}

| type=

| image=59 Street-UoC station.jpg

| image_caption=The platforms of the Metra electric station at 59th Street and University of Chicago.

| address=59th and Harper Streets
Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois

| coordinates={{coord|41.7877|-87.5888|type:railwaystation_region:US-IL|display=inline,title}}

| line=University Park Sub District

| other=CTA Bus

| structure=

| platform=2 island platforms

| levels=

| tracks=4

| parking=

| bicycle=

| passengers=812 (average weekday)

| pass_year=2018

| pass_percent=20.5

| pass_rank=63 out of 236

| pass_system=

| opened=

| closed=

| rebuilt=

| electrified={{1,500 V DC|conductor=overhead}}

| accessible=No

| code=

| owned=

| zone=2

| former=South Park
59th Street–Stony Island

| services= {{Adjacent stations|system=Metra|line=Metra Electric|left=63rd Street|right=55th–56th–57th Street}}

| other_services_header = Former services

| other_services_collapsible = yes

| other_services =

{{Adjacent stations|system=Illinois Central Railroad

|line2=Electric Suburban|left2=63rd Street|right2=55th–56th–57th Streets}}

| map_state = collapsed

| route_map = {{Routemap|legend=track|inline=y|map=

vSTR!~MFADEg\vSTR!~MFADEg ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|Chicago|ME}} north to {{stl|Metra|Millennium}}

vRP2q!~MFADEgq!~lhSTR+L\vPSTR(M)\vPSTR(M)\vRP2q!~MFADEfq!~lhSTR+R ~~ ~~ ~~ {{BSsplit|59th St.|Midway Plaisance (WB)}}

vPSTR(M)\vPSTR(M)

vSTR!~exPLTm\vSTR!~exPLTm

vRP2q!~MFADEgq!~lhSTR+L\vSTR!~exPLTm\vSTR!~exPLTm\vRP2q!~MFADEfq!~lhSTR+R ~~ ~~ ~~ {{BSsplit|Midway Plaisance (EB)|60th St.}}

vSTR!~MFADEf\vSTR!~MFADEf ~~ ~~ ~~ {{rint|Chicago|ME}} south to {{BSsplit|{{stl|Metra|University Park}}, {{stl|Metra|Blue Island}},|and {{stl|Metra|South Chicago}}}}

}}

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-custom = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail |marker-color=#ff4e00 |zoom=15 }}

| mpassengers=

}}

59th Street/University of Chicago is a railway station that serves the Metra Electric Line in Chicago, Illinois. The station is on 59th street, originally the University of Chicago's southern border, and the Midway Plaisance. Trains run between Millennium Station downtown and University Park, Blue Island, and the Chicago neighborhood of South Chicago. As of 2018, the station is the 63rd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 812 weekday boardings.{{Cite web|url=https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf|title=Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018|date=April 2019|website=Metra|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034459/https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf|archive-date=26 May 2019|url-status=}} Before the 55th–56th–57th Street station to the immediate north was rebuilt into a major station in 2002, all express trains served 59th Street and the station had a staffed ticket window.

The majority of University of Chicago and Hyde Park traffic is now served by the 55th–56th–57th Street station; only some express trains stop at 59th Street.

Future

Metra plans to rebuild the station, which will incorporate ADA accessibility and reopen the 60th Street entrance south of the Midway Plaisance. In 2011, the University of Chicago committed $2.5 million on the planned rebuild.{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Maxwell |title=Overhaul Of 59th Street Metra Station Will Bring Back Long-Closed Entrance, Add Accessibility |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/08/30/overhaul-of-59th-street-metra-station-will-reopen-long-closed-entrance-add-accessibility/ |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Block Club Chicago |date=30 August 2019}}{{cite news |title=University, City create Memorandum of Understanding to promote economic development on South Side of Chicago |url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/university-city-create-memorandum-understanding-promote-economic-development-south-side |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=University of Chicago News |date=26 August 2011 |language=en |quote=In addition, [the University] commits to spending $2.5 million to work with Metra on improving the 59th Street Metra Station and opening a 60th Street Station; }}{{cite news |last1=Studenkov |first1=Igor |title=Metra to Reopen A Closed Station Entrance in Hyde Park, Make Chicago State University a Scheduled Stop |url=https://chi.streetsblog.org/2019/08/27/metra-to-reopen-a-closed-station-entrance-in-hyde-park-make-chicago-state-university-a-scheduled-stop |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Streetsblog Chicago |date=27 August 2019 |language=en}} Due to the station being in proximity to historic places, in 2021, Metra and the Federal Transit Administration began a federal review process in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.{{cite news |last1=Monaghan |first1=Marc |title=Metra and FTA begin federal review process for 59th Street station project |url=https://www.hpherald.com/evening_digest/metra-and-fta-begin-federal-review-process-for-59th-street-station-project/article_b14ebb9c-7bad-11eb-bb7e-4b80dc27ae44.html |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Hyde Park Herald |date=2 March 2021 |language=en}} In December 2022, the project received $37.6 million in federal grant.{{cite news |last1=Yin |first1=Alice |title=CTA, Metra to get $185 million in federal funding to make stations more accessible |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/12/19/cta-metra-to-get-185-million-in-federal-funding-to-make-stations-more-accessible/ |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=19 December 2022 |quote=Then another $37.6 million will improve accessibility at the 59th/60th Street Station on the Metra Electric line, including reconstructing the street entrances and platform enhancements.}}{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Maxwell |title=Metra Gets Nearly $40 Million To Boost Accessibility At 59th Street Station |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2022/12/20/metra-gets-nearly-40-million-to-boost-accessibility-at-59th-street-station/ |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Block Club Chicago |date=20 December 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Pharo |first1=Zoe |last2=Monaghan |first2=Marc |title=Metra receives federal funds for 59th Street station accessibility renovations and modernization |url=https://www.hpherald.com/evening_digest/metra-receives-federal-funds-for-59th-street-station-accessibility-renovations-and-modernization/article_fc344a28-8187-11ed-987e-b3e7bc91efda.html |access-date=16 February 2025 |work=Hyde Park Herald |date=21 December 2022 |language=en}}

Bus connections

CTA

2 Hyde Park Express
6 Jackson Park Express
15 Jeffery Local
28 Stony Island

References

External links

{{Commonscat-inline}}

{{Metra web|Metra Electric|59TH-UP|59th Street/University of Chicago}}

Category:Former Illinois Central Railroad stations

Category:Metra stations in Chicago

Category:University of Chicago

Category:Railway stations in Illinois at university and college campuses