Dempster–Skokie station

Dempster–Skokie, formerly known as Dempster, or Skokie, is an 'L' station on the CTA's Yellow Line at 5005 Dempster Street in Skokie, Illinois (directional coordinates 8800 north, 5000 west). It is one of three stops on the Yellow Line, and currently the terminus of line, although an extension of the line to Old Orchard Mall has been considered. It is one of two CTA rail stations in Skokie, and is at grade level. It is also one of two terminals (the other being O'Hare on the Blue Line) that doesn't have a rail yard assigned to it. All 6 cars assigned to the Yellow Line are stored at the Howard Yard. The Skokie Shops are accessible only via the Yellow Line's tracks, but the shops do not function as a yard, only as a shop for rail cars. This station is one of two CTA rail terminals that does not have an island platform, the other being Cottage Grove on the Green Line. Passengers who want to return to Howard from this station after leaving a train arriving at this station have to always pay an additional fare.

Not to be confused with the Dempster Purple Line station.
"Skokie station" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Oakton–Skokie.
Dempster–Skokie
 
8800N
5000W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location5005 Dempster Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Coordinates(8800 N/5000 W)
Owned byVillage of Skokie
Line(s)Skokie Swift
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking 441 Spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
History
OpenedMarch 28, 1925[1]
ClosedMarch 27, 1948 – April 20, 1964
Rebuilt1993–94
Previous namesSkokie Terminal, Dempster, Skokie
Traffic
Passengers (2019)557,333[2]  6.7%
Rank98 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Terminus Yellow Line Oakton–Skokie
toward Howard
Former services
Preceding station Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad Following station
Harmswoods
toward Milwaukee
 North Shore Line
Skokie Valley Route
 Howard Street
toward Roosevelt Road
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Terminus Niles Center Branch Main
Closed 1948
toward Howard
Dempster Street Station
Location5001 Dempster Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077
Coordinates42°2′25″N 87°45′8″W
NRHP reference No.95001005[3]
Added to NRHPFebruary 28, 1996
Track layout
 Dempster St.
Yellow
to Howard

History
Skokie destination sign

The station was originally constructed in 1925 as part of a new high-speed bypass route for the North Shore Line known as the Skokie Valley Route. Trains of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company's Niles Center Route also used this station as a terminal until that service was ended by the CTA in 1948. The North Shore Line ceased operating in early 1963, but the CTA instated a new service the following year which served a 'temporary' station on the same location. This service was, and to some extent still is, known as the Skokie Swift and is currently called the Yellow Line.

The current stationhouse has been in place since 1994. The original stationhouse, known as Dempster Street Station, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and stands 130 feet east of its original location, moved at a cost of $1 million in order to make space for the new station and its parking lot. The original station house is currently occupied by a Starbucks coffee shop and a law office; the Starbucks also has a drive-thru lane. The former station's address is 5001 Dempster Street.

Service

The station houses bus stops for CTA and Pace buses and was once the Greyhound bus Skokie terminal.[4] However, Greyhound discontinued service to Skokie in 2012.

On June 8, 2011, the Chicago Transit Board approved the renaming of the Skokie station to Dempster–Skokie. This was done with the announcement of the Oakton–Skokie name for the infill station at Oakton.[5]

Skokie Shop

In addition to the Skokie station, a maintenance depot also exists in Skokie. It opened in 1926 and was rebuilt in 1994 at the same time as the station. It is located between Oakton–Skokie and Howard. Even if it is fairly eccentric towards the rest of the network, all maintenance activities are present in the Skokie Shop including two specialties: the electrical wiring and electronic train sets as well as a bodywork and painting workshop. The trains are not stored here since the nearby Howard Yard has them stored there.

Location

Dempster–Skokie is located at 5005 Dempster Street at Dempster Street and Bronx Avenue. It is located in the village of Skokie, Illinois, which borders Chicago at its southwest corner and Evanston to its east. Dempster–Skokie is one of the two 'L' stations to serve the village of Skokie; the other one is Oakton–Skokie.

Bus connections

CTA

  • 54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd
  • 97 Skokie

Pace

  • 250 Dempster Street
  • 620 Yellow Line Dempster/Allstate
  • 626 Skokie Valley Limited

Notes and references

Notes

    References
    1. "15,000 Witness Official Opening of Niles Center "L"". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 29, 1925. p. 5.
    2. "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2019" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 13, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
    3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
    4. "Greyhound.com: Locations: Skokie, Illinois". Greyhound. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
    5. "CTA Changes Existing Yellow Line Station Name, Announces Names of New Yellow, Green/Pink Stations" (Press release). Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
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