Francisco - CTA Brown Line

Francisco is an at grade Brown Line Station that was closed for renovations from September 15, 2006 to March 9, 2007. It's 1907 station house was restored as part of the renovations and is located at the eastern end of the island platform. This tiny building has a grey exterior and cream and grey interior. Inside are just the ticket vending machines and a restored cashiers window for the security guard that now mans the station. To enter the el system a new frame was built in the same style as the historic station and covers three turnstiles (one for wheelchairs) that lead to the end of the platform. These are under the original tiny wooden canopy. To leave the station house, a gradual ADA complaint concrete ramp with a mosaic floor of hand cut marble, Carpet by Ellen Harvey leads out to the street and the middle of Manor Avenue's oddly diagonal grade crossing. Francisco Avenue intersects it and ends forming a triangle just south of station.

The platform itself is extremely simple with brown lampposts, a few benches and stools for seating, and a single canopied bench that resembles a bus shelter that is virtually the only protection for waiting passengers except for the tiny wooden canopy that extends from the historic entrance or waiting on the steps at the opposite western end of the platform. Here there is a small modern brown with glass walls station house and six steps lead down to a single High Entrance/Exit turnstile and the middle of Sacramento Avenue's grade crossing.
All photos taken on 1 August, 2011