Peterson/Ridge is Metra’s newest station (as of Summer 2024) and opened on May 20, 2024. The station had a ground-breaking on November 1, 2021 and took just under 3 years to build. Unlike the Ravenswood Station one stop south that was fully rebuilt a decade earlier, Peterson/Ridge feels like it was built much more on the cheap with no real canopies along the two side platforms. The platforms are otherwise just bare concrete with simple grey fencing along Metra’s viaduct. The various staircases and ramps down to the streets below are fully open to the elements. The sides of the railway embankment beneath the platforms that are elevated above the street have bare concrete modular panels, very basic.
The station’s two platforms begin with a staircase up at their southern ends from the south side of Peterson Avenue. This is followed by a mesh wall along the platforms as they cross over Peterson Avenue.
Next the platforms diverge in access and amenities slightly.Heading north, the Kenosha-bound platform first contains a staircase, that leads down to an intermediate landing with an ADA ramp, before another staircase leads down to the NE corner of Peterson Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue. This is followed on the platform by the start of this ramp down the street that leads to this intermediate landing with this staircase, before switching back to reach street level.
The Loop-bound platform has a two staircases that lead up to an intermediate landing before arriving up at the platform in the middle decorative brickwork shelter structure. On the side of this shelter structure facing the street Metra Peterson/Ridge is engraved in concrete. There is also the ribbon cutting plaque for the station’s 2024 opening visible from street level between the platforms. On the platform is a small fully enclosed waiting shelter and some outdoor benches. There are also a couple of Metra TVMs. Beyond this shelter is the start of an ADA ramp up to this platform, that loops up to this platform via one intermediate landing, arriving at a bench just before the little “station house” area but the ramp is otherwise fully enclosed to the elements.
Continuing north both platforms have a small shelter, this is only passenger amenity on the Kenosha-bound platform. These shelters are very small, white with a gabled roof shelter. Inside is a single TVM on the Kenosha-bound platform. Next along both platforms beyond the shelter is the start of a second ramp off each platform, this leads up down to an intermediate landing, where another staircase meets up with the ramp leading up to the northern end of this platform. These lead down, the ramp is just slightly south of the second staircase along the Kenosha bound platform, arriving at the same lading from the Loop-bound platform down to the sidewalk of Ravenswood Avenue just south of the underpass of Ridge Avenue.
The area at street level beyond the station building along the Loop-bound platform is a proper station drop-off and pick-up loop that runs from Peterson Avenue and ends in a cul-de-sac just south of Ridge Road. This feels completely overbuilt for a modern commuter rail station within an urban neighborhood, but Metra built one anyway. Various parking spaces are marked as either for ADA parking or kiss & ride parking.
All Photos taken on August 8, 2024
Rogers Park 