I wonder if any thought has been given to altering the side-by-side, with only street sidewalk connection, of the two stations to permit cross-platform CTA-METRA connection, much a Amtrak/NJTranist and PATH have at Newark?
Both stations are on an embankment so the existing street-level connection involves going down and up separate staircases. The CTA Purple Line runs to the Loop during weekday rush hours only, it terminates at Howard Street at other times where it connects with the Red Line. Consequently, Davis Street is not a logical transfer point and a transfer bridge would not be that different from a passenger point of view than the existing arrangement.
I picked Davis Street, because my memory says that there is where the stations are closets together. I was thinking of something more radical than a passenger pedestrian bridge, swinging the northbound CTA track to across-the-platform from the northbound (left-handed operation) C&NW/METRA track, with the southbound CTA track flying over the works to across-the-platform east of the southbound track. Rush hour is when the largest numbers of commuters would use the service, and there is through service at that time. As usage increases, possibly through service would be extened to other times, even possibly making David Street the terminal and tranasfer point to and from the off-peak Evanston Shuttle instead of Howard Street. This would restore a measure of the convenience that the North Shore's Shore Line provided before its abandonement and might bring some commuters out of their cars who find present arrangement too cumbersome. But you are there and probably are better judge of the idea's practicality and usefulness.
Why do I have to go outside Chicago Union Station to go the the Subway EL?
There's another CTA - Metra connection at Jefferson Park. The Metra UP Northwest Line is on an embankment while the CTA Blue Line is in the expressway median. One needs to go up or down 2 flights of steps to go between lines.
There's a nontrivial number of transfers at Jefferson Park; people changing to the Blue Line to go to either O'Hare Field or downtown.
At Davis Street, both lines are on embankments and bridges.
Chicago Rapid Transit operated to Linden Avenue (same as the Purple Line) prior to CTA so this would have precluded transfers from C&NW to North Shore Line going southbound or from North Shore to C&NW going northbound.
FWIW, the connection at Main two CTA stops/one Metra stop south is closer and easier.
Can you remind me about the actual conditions at that station? For one reason or another, Davis Street remained in my memory.
Thanks
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