Skokie Swift Station Location Feasibility Study
The Skokie Swift (CTA Yellow Line) operates between Dempster Street in the Village of Skokie and the CTA Howard Street station at the Chicago/Evanston border. To provide access to major activity centers such as Old Orchard Center, the Cook County 2nd District Courthouse, Oakton Community College and the Skokie central business district, the Village of Skokie directed an RTAP study to assess the feasibility of new intermediate stations and an extension.
The study was completed in September 2003. A new station on the CTA Yellow Line opened in April 2012 at Oakton Street, using a combination of CMAQ and local funds. The station experienced increasing ridership, with average weekday boardings between 800-900. Additionally, Skokie received Innovation, Coordination and Enhancement (ICE) funding through the RTA in 2009 to complement the new Oakton Street Station. Improvements included bus stops, taxi access lanes, pedestrian walkways, shared vehicle lanes, kiss and ride, and bicycle parking. In August 2014 a 20-unit single family home development called Floral Avenue broke ground less than 1/2 mile from the Oakton Street station.
The Village pursued redevelopment opportunities in the station area and near the Illinois Science + Technology Park and was selected by the RTA as part of the 2015 Community Planning Program to convene a panel of development experts to offer guidance and advice to the Village as they work to attract TOD investment and understand innovative financing techniques for potential development in the Oakton Street station area. The Village entered into a public-private partnership in 2018 for the construction of a 12-story, 153 unit residential development at 8000 N. Lincoln, five blocks west of the Oakton CTA station. The development, known as the Highpoint at 8000 North, began leasing in 2022.
In 2016, the Village was warded CMAQ funding for an RTA sponsored Access to Transit project for CTA rail bicycle parking at the Oakton station. This project has not yet been completed.
Source | Amount |
---|---|
RTA | $39,912 |
Local | $39,971 |
Federal | $80,000 |