Library
Halsted
Roosevelt
1200S
50E
50E
The elevated Roosevelt Station first opened on June 6, 1892 before 'L' service was suspended bypassing the station on June 31, 1949 because of the new Roosevelt station on the State Street Subway half a block away. The station survived as the southern terminus of the interurban electric North Shore Line (that left Chicago via 'L' trackage) all the way to Milwaukee. When this service was discontinued in 1963 the station was abandoned and removed from the active el tracks.
Rebuilding the station was part of the project that built the Orange Line and it reopened the day after the Orange Line began operations on November 1, 1993. A free transfer to the Red Line and State Street Subway wasn't part of the original reopening plans but a new free connecting tunnel was built between the station and Red Line under State Street a half block away opened on December 7, 2002 during a redevelopment project for that building.
The station feels modern and similar to the other Orange Line stations down to Midway. It consists of a single island platform in the middle of the Southside Elevated that runs mid-block here between State Street and Wabash Avenue. The station's island platform is fully canopied with a modern canopy except for about half a car for only the southbound end of the Loop-bound track. The canopy is held up by teal painted columns. This is because the platform stopping positions are slightly offset with a tiny half side platform serving the rear door of each car of 8 car trains stopping at the station in both directions.
The platform has two exits, across from each other one to each side of Roosevelt Road. Towards the northern end of the platform is an elevator and staircase/up escalator down two a large station house at street level along the north side of Roosevelt Road. Within fare control is a staircase and escalator down to the transfer tunnel with one elevator connecting all three levels. This station house is made of brick and blue and green glass. The bank of turnstiles is parallel to the platform above, and after passengers pass a concession (Butterfiled Kitchen as of Summer 2013) they reach doors out to the street just east of the elevated. Across from here on the south side of Roosevelt Road was originally just an auxiliary exit with a staircase down to a high exit turnstile at street level. This exit was rebuilt into an entrance as well with two high entrance turnstiles opening on October 31, 2012. This project also included new signage at both entrances. It was primarily designed to provide better connections to buses along Roosevelt Road. This increased pedestrian safety from bus riders that previously would jaywalk from bus stops along this exit and side of the street to enter the 'L' instead of walking half a block east or west to the nearest traffic lights.
Photos 1-3: 3 August, 2011, 4-6: 3 July, 2013, 7-26: 4 July, 2013
