Chicago City Wire

The new Chicago Transit Authority bus boarding facility, Union Station Transit Center (USTC), opened for service in time for Labor Day, representing a milestone in the transportation hub’s revitalization and sheltering 120,000 commuters daily.

 

Constructed by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), the new high-tech station eases the transition from bus to train or vice versa, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. Serving Metra, Amtrak and CTA lines, the upgraded terminal offers enhanced schedule tracking as well as ticketing machines.

 

“CDOT is very excited to have built the USTC and to be wrapping up the work on Canal Street as part of the Loop Link,” CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said. “Both of these projects deliver real improvements in terms of safety and mobility for all modes of transportation, especially for pedestrians and transit riders.”

 

New amenities include an elevator, lounges, air conditioning and ventilation improvements, and expanded features in compliance with ADA regulations. Additionally, traffic flow outside the station is improved, particularly on Canal Street, making it safer for bicyclists, drivers and pedestrians alike to reach their destinations.

“The opening of this new transit center moves us one step closer to a 21st Century Union Station – one with increased capacity, less congestion inside and outside the station, and improved passenger experience,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. “I commend Mayor Emanuel’s long-term vision for Union Station and will continue to provide federal support for improvements that will impact commuters and visitors for decades to come.”

Further upgrades are in the planning stage.