Project Introduction and Background
The Village of Glen Ellyn is proposing to replace the existing Union Pacific West (UP-W) Metra commuter station, located in downtown Glen Ellyn. The existing station depot, built in the 1960s, is nearing the end of its lifespan and does not meet the fundamental needs of the community in terms of ADA Accessibility, Pedestrian Safety, and Ridership Capacity.
The Glen Ellyn Metra Station is the 2nd busiest stop on the Union Pacific West line and the 14th busiest within Metra’s network of 236 stations. The Glen Ellyn Station has over 1,730 weekday boardings and is undersized for its current ridership. The proposed project would increase capacity by 116%, thereby accommodating current ridership with room for anticipated growth.
Proposed Project Improvements
The proposed $20MM project includes a number of building and site improvements to address concerns of the Village of Glen Ellyn, the public, and various project stakeholders. These concerns include station condition and capacity, ADA accessibility, safety, pedestrian access, drop-off and pick-up facilities, and bicycle accommodations. The list below details the improvements and benefits of the project:
- Achieves air emissions reductions by modernizing the transit station to accommodate the ridership constraints of the current station while planning for anticipated increased future ridership;
- Increases bicycle and pedestrian access to the station by providing a new ADA compliant pedestrian underpass, additional bicycle parking, and an improved sidewalk network with more direct access to the station platforms;
- Expands bicycle parking from the existing 92 spaces to the proposed 200 spaces based on survey data from community while also increasing access to the 61-mile long multi-use Illinois Prairie Path located immediately adjacent to the station;
- Provides several ADA Accessibility Improvements including:
- Designated ADA Drop-Off and Pick-Up Areas on either side of the tracks
- ADA Accessible Washrooms
- ADA Compliant Walking Surfaces Including Accessible Ramps, Sidewalks and Pedestrian Underpass
- ADA Compliant Doorways Improves safety and access to transit by adding crosswalks and curb cuts to the parking areas west of the stations and provides a connection to access the Illinois Prairie Path. • Relieves congestion and reduces vehicle-pedestrian conflicts;
- Improves PACE bus service by increasing accessibility to the drop-off and pick-up area;
- Supports transit supportive land uses in the surrounding neighborhood;
Federal Grant Funding
In October 2019, the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) notified the Village of an award of $14.4 million in funding for the Glen Ellyn Metra Station. CMAP allocates these federal funds, which are made available through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement program.
