Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Wilson Red Line "No. 1 Stop We Could Do Without"

Wow, the AV Club blog socks it to the Wilson Station in making it the top CTA Station The City Could Do Without. We urge everyone to come to the CTA Open House tomorrow night and make your feelings known about this embarrassment. We've had enough of the promises that it will be "considered" in 2014 -- how 'bout some money and action, CTA?

Wilson (Red Line)
With all due respect to everyone headed to Truman College, does any El stop suck life out of the city more than the squalid hellhole at Wilson? The dueling stenches emanating from the Popeyes beneath the platform and the makeshift urinal in the southern stairwell certainly don't help matters, nor do the droves of escaped mental patients selling hot socks just outside the station. The all-hours boozing at nearby
Nick's on Wilson (773-271-1155, 1140 W. Wilson Ave.) makes a nominal argument against Wilson's date with the wrecking ball, but the piss and grease smell even worse at 3 a.m. than they do at 3 p.m.

40 comments:

  1. The Wilson stop needs to stay right where it is. It needs to be cleaned up is all.

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  2. Another shining example of the efficacy of our local leadership.

    Shiller isn't the only hook upon which to hang the blame for this - just the most immediate.

    Schakowsky, Harris, Steans, Daley, City Council, CTA, Ron Huberman, Rich Rodriquez ... to name just a few.

    Between this, the RedEye and WTTW's "Hidden Chicago 2", Uptown is taking it on the chin of late, and the Wilson stop is quickly becoming the icon of how some are allowing parts of Uptown to inexcusably slide into the sludge.

    And right across the street from a shiny new, tax payer funded, parking garage.

    Again: shameful.

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  3. Who needs a safe environment for public transportation when you have fish farms?

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  4. so there is this meeting and the debate tomorrow night at Loyola. I guess Steans will only be there for a minute. probably afraid of what people will say to her.

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  5. I don't know about dueling stentches Popeyes smells pretty darn good, without it this stop would smell like an over filled port-a-potty in the middle of July.

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  6. Sarah - why the doubt? Steans has frequented many events, including positive loitering. I bet she'll show and will be willing to talk to anyone.

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  7. Wait, has Nick's on Wilson go the way of the former Wooden Nickel it used to be? I only went into Nick's once on a Sat afternoon, and it wasn't bad. I was hoping that it wouldn't sink into the same rut as the WN.

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  8. You're so right, YO!
    Truman College, with access to a major Red Line station and many bus routes, is having an enormous multi-level parking structure built because the public transportation is unsafe and filthy to a point of being unhealthy! An elected officials' job is to maintain a standard of living in the area they represent. Uptown is one disgrace after another. Thanks to Helen & Co.!

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  9. Speaking of the brown line renovations ..., since the majority of north side brown line riders are rather "yuppie-ish", one would think that there would be more grumblings about the Wilson stop being left out.

    The fact that there hasn't been is curious.

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  10. Could it be because the brown line runs through neighborhoods, but most of the red line stations that need renovation are in depressed commercial areas?

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  11. Well .., dunno.

    I just find it odd, on retrospect, that people are willing to march for affordable housing - which is silly, cuz every few words out of the mouths of the chair moisteners in Council, or the mayor for that matter, is related to affordable housing; but, there's seemingly little concern from those who need/want affordable housing towards safe and clean transportation.

    Maybe everyone just walks to work around here.

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  12. At the last Aldermanic debate, I believe I recall Helen claiming the CTA had made 3 "promises" to rehab the Wilson stop dating back over the last 20 years or so, and every time, funding for the promised rehabs was eliminated.

    The "promises" of rehab seem to start popping up in the year prior to elections, and the elimination of the non-existent funds comes right after those elections.

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  13. the brown line is disconnected from the Wilson stop, it branches off before Addison. Most of the 'yuppies' referred to likely don't use the Wilson stop anyway.

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  14. Yeah, the Montrose Brown Line stop and the Wilson Red Line stop are about as different as night and day and yet it only takes about 4 minutes on the 78 bus to get from one to another.

    You could high-five every person that walks by the Montrose stop and not worry about a thing, and if you do the same thing in front of the Wilson stop you end up with a few less personal belongings and probably some sort of contact disease.

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  15. I was referring to how brown line stations recv'd massive renovations while the red line gets little more than ... well, lies.

    I mean, if people are going to rage against something silly like a Starbucks and gentrification, you'd think there'd be at least equal angst aimed toward the "haves" getting new L stops, while the perpetually tortured and ignored "have nots" are forced to suffer the ills of what the Wilson stop has been allowed to become.

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  16. Yo,

    I can't believe it but I think I agree with you. (Well, I won't go that far...but... I digress....)

    My thoughts:

    Though personally, I don't have as huge an issue with the Wilson stop (I kinda like the grungy City feel to it, as opposed to the total yuppified stuff), there is no doubt that is should be fixed up for the benefit of all the people who live in the hood, especially the poor.

    As far as the parking garage goes, I am all for Truman students having parking, just so that they don't park on the street and take all the spots.

    Now I will try to bring these two ideas together in writing without to much effort....

    Here is what does not make sense to me: I believe that the Alderman wanted to give poor students free parking at Truman. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

    My first question is: If you are 'poor' how can you afford a car?

    I anticipate that many people who call themselves liberals will bash me for that statement. But owning a car is expensive!!! When I was a 'poor' student, I had to take public transportation to school. (And no, I didn't have to walk three miles to school as a child in a blizzard, uphill both ways... ;-) )

    (Liberals chime in here): "Oh, well you are white, and had a family to support you, and you can't possibly know what these people are going through...) Blah Blah Blah. So what, that gives them a right to drive a car to school when they can't afford it? That still makes no sense. That is what I call a whiny liberal argument, not a true liberal argument. True liberals are open to all ideas to solve problems, and don't make ideal based decisions.

    So anyway, if we could supply a nice, clean safe el station right next to Truman, this is better for the poor kids. They get a fare discount on the train. Also, you can STUDY on the train! (Or at least read.) So by promoting the public transportation you really are also promoting self-sufficiency for these students.

    The one thing I hate on blogs is that issues like this are too complex to express in a few paragraphs, so my post is clearly a little disjointed. The bottom line is: Promoting public transportation is good for all. Fixing that station would be a huge lift to Uptown. Make it a priority.

    Gotta go, I have a great President to listen to tonight. (And he is a REAL liberal.)

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  17. Good point Yo. I think the answer is that people follow their ideals blindly. They don't stop and actually think. That's why I can't refer to them as 'liberals' because they are not. They do the same thing conservative "Republicans" do. Grab onto an ideal and fight for it no matter what even though IT MAKES NO SENSE.

    I am going to use Obama as an example. He is about to expand the war in Afganistan (sp?), even though he knows he is going against his 'liberal' base. We need more leaders like him.

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  18. Sorry to over post, but I will point out that most of the redline stops on the south side have gotten makeovers....

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  19. Oh, well you are white, and had a family to support you

    Not every white kid got emotional or financial support from their parents.

    The sooner everyone realizes that as a possibility, the sooner we can push aside silly-assed stereoptypes and discuss real issues.

    ;)

    Beyond that, Jason -- I think you see what I'm getting at.

    Thanks, brother.

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  20. I find the intense complaining about the Wilson stop incredibly hilarious. it is not that bad.

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  21. Some Girl - I hear what you are saying. In regards to the actual stop, I think it boils down to UU's not getting what others are. Also, the surrounding area of the stop gets lumped together with it. Painting a bad picture overall. The stop itself is very functional. The heaters are nice now in the cold.

    Dont get me wrong, I welcome a reno'd stop. It would most likely help decrease the count of ne'er do wells around it.

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  22. Some girl, all these articles about how bad the Wilson stop is aren't written by Uptowners. Doesn't that tell you something when people outside of Uptown repeatedly find the stop so bad it's voted Number One in all the "worst stop" polls?

    Glad you find it tolerable. You'll probably have many many years to enjoy it in its present condition.

    I always suspect that people who find Uptown's {L stations/cleanliness/crime} "not so bad" are either contrarians or just don't get out of Uptown often to see what other communities have.

    In any case, glad you have found (1) an L stop that contents you and (2) a good source of amusement in others' complaints. You'll never be disappointed in life, and that's something to be treasured.

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  23. Somegirl,

    I agree that it is not that bad, but it is still the worst in the City and could be alot better.

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  24. honestly, I find Argyle far worse than Wilson. But Wilson needs some love. I personally only ever go in or out of the south entrance because it's a totally different experience.

    The Wilson station, architecturally, is beautiful and I'd love nothing more than to see it restored. Have you seen Fullerton or Belmont lately? Personally, I'm not much for the "station of the future as seen from 1960" look, but they make good use of a large lobby, like Wilson has.

    The station is designed for business with wide sidewalks perfect for al fresco cafe's. It breaks my heart to see it all go unused (well, for legitamate purposes) and fall in to disrepair.

    It would be great if, like in the brown line expansions, they would seal off the surrounding alleys (and that could include Clifton as far as I'm concerned)

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  25. And I go to Nick's all the time and think its fine. Slanderous to say that public drinking on the street near it is a reflection on the establishment itself.

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  26. Correct me if I'm wrong, but maybe the Wilson station's problems are rooted in its "ancient history." I believe that once upon a time the Wilson station served not only the local CTA but also a commuter train (similar to Metra) that ran all the way to Milwaukee, and was managed by a different company.

    The upkeep, etc. I imagine were the shared responsibility of the two entities.

    Could it be that when the commuter train stopped operations several decades ago, there were legal/financial disputes that dragged on in the courts and hobbled any efforts at renovation? Could the current state of the Wilson L be the result of this?

    I would imagine that by now it's set-in-stone that upkeep of the station is entirely the reponsibility of CTA. But if decades of "delayed maintenance" are a contributing factor to its current condition I can see how the rehab may be a lot more complicated and expensive than it may appear now on the surface.

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  27. The station is designed for business with wide sidewalks perfect for al fresco cafe's.

    Really? Even if it was rennovated to perfection, I don't think sitting outside underneat a rumbling el train with the occasional fluttering of the pigeons (among other bird-related activities) would be a great dining experience.

    But that being said, I think the Jarvis stop is pretty funky, moreso than Wilson. It's like the CTA's official rest stop.

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  28. The AV Club post wasn't slandering Nick's. In fact, it said that Nick's was the only reason not to close down the stop.

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  29. I would imagine that by now it's set-in-stone that upkeep of the station is entirely the reponsibility of CTA. But if decades of "delayed maintenance" are a contributing factor to its current condition I can see how the rehab may be a lot more complicated and expensive than it may appear now on the surface.

    Great points.

    I'm sure the cost of rehabbing the station is rather steep.

    If only we had some sort of funding that was based on property tax dollars which could be used to fix up infrastructure items.

    As for d's comment on Nick's, I had to re-read the statement in the article a couple of times before I worked out the intent:

    The all-hours boozing at nearby Nick's on Wilson (773-271-1155, 1140 W. Wilson Ave.) makes a nominal argument against Wilson's date with the wrecking ball

    The writer is not slamming Nick's, but stating, rather clumsily, that Nick's (and it's late-night license) is one reason not to demolish the stop.

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  30. I live at Bryn Mawr. The Berwyn and Argyle stations are much worse, in my opinion than Wilson.

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  31. @TrumanSquareNabr -
    Some girl, all these articles about how bad the Wilson stop is aren't written by Uptowners. Doesn't that tell you something when people outside of Uptown repeatedly find the stop so bad it's voted Number One in all the "worst stop" polls?

    I can't speak for some of the other publications in this city, but I know for a fact the author of the Onion article lives in Uptown and primarily uses the Wilson stop.

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  32. In Edgewater we had our CTA Red Line "Vision Planning" meeting last night. Don't get too excited for major improvments coming anytime soon...

    http://edgewatercb.blogspot.com/2009/12/cta-vision-planning.html

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  33. I live in Uptown and I do think the Wilson stop is the worst. It always smells like urine. If they can't rehab the station can't the city go in and power wash it every once in a while to help with the smell. There's no way they will remodel so it compares to Addison or Belmont stops but don't we at least deserve a clean station.

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  34. Ahhh.... I misunderstood the comment about Nick's as well... thanks for clearing that up.

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  35. Thanks for clarifying that statement about Nick's. No use throwing the baby out with the bathwater, right?

    And as for MOS comments about rumbling El. Have you seen what they've done in Lincoln Square? Like Uptown, the El crosses over the street. In Uptown, it kills commerce and creates a dark and shady underpass. Although it took a really long time for it to get that way, under the tracks in Lincoln Square is a coffee shop and a sandwich shop - both of which have al Fresco seating that is used.

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  36. The Brown Line Montrose stop also has several businesses under the tracks.

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  37. Will said...
    The Brown Line Montrose stop also has several businesses under the tracks.

    I agree with Will, good businesses too (I love Emerald City Coffee).

    I used to live in Europe. In the city that I lived in, a large percentage of the commuter train stations have retail, restaurants (with outdoor cafes) and many even have grocery stores.

    Its a shame that we can't do this in Chicago. I hope they have some kind of a plan for this Wilson stop.

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  38. Thanks to Hollywood for the link. From said:

    The biggest takeaway from the CTA Vision Planning meeting was that any major overhaul of the Red Line in Edgewater is still just that, a VISION. While we are pleased that the CTA sought neighborhood feedback for improvements, it was explained that it still remains a big "if" if any funding will ever be allocated to major Red Line improvements from Wilson to Howard, and even if that were to happen, any construction would be a good 2-10 years away from inception.

    So, what we're seeing is little more than a band-aid PR stunt to shut up angry residents and make it appear as though someone is doing something about this problem (which, of course, is not only the Wilson stop).

    If there's one thing this city and it's management is good at, it's dog and pony shows.

    Again - shameful.

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  39. The north end of the red line is the last to receive the renovation that the rest of the system has already gotten, or is in the processes of getting. I won't comment on the politics involved in deciding the order in which stations are renovated. The entire green line was rebuilt 10 yrs ago and is nice. "Renew the Blue" is done. The brown line is done. The south end of the red line was renovated with the Dan Ryan rebuild. I don't think anyone is arguing if so much as when Wilson will be treated.

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  40. I have an issue with the word, 'yuppie' what exactly does that mean? It's wrong to want a train station to be clean enough so you don't feel like you're going to contract a flesh-eating virus just by standing on the platform? It's wrong to want a safe place to wait for transportation? That makes someone 'yuppie?' Geez, some people's standards for what's acceptable are questionable at best.

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