Grand station (CTA Blue Line)

Track layout
	Legend
	Blue Line
	northwest to O'Hare
	Blue Line
	southeast to Forest Park

Grand

500N
800W
Grand 500N; 800W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
Location	502 North Milwaukee Avenue; Chicago, Illinois 60622
Coordinates	41°53′28″N 87°38′51″W / 41.891189°N 87.647578°WCoordinates: 41°53′28″N 87°38′51″W / 41.891189°N 87.647578°W
Owned by	City of Chicago
Line(s)	Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Subway
Depth	35 ft
Bicycle facilities	Yes
History
Opened	February 25, 1951
Closed	February 9, 1992 – June 25, 1999
Rebuilt	1999, 2007, 2019
Passengers
2020	272,357 68.5% (CTA)
Rank	87 out of 143
Services
Track layout
Track layout
	Legend
	Blue Line
	northwest to O'Hare
	Blue Line
	southeast to Forest Park

Grand (or Grand/Milwaukee in station announcements) is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line, at Grand Avenue, Halsted Street and Milwaukee Avenue in the southeast corner of the West Town neighborhood. It is also located within the Fulton River District.

History[]

Grand opened in 1951 as part of the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. The Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway was the second subway line in Chicago's Loop since the State Street Subway opened 8 years earlier in 1943.

Closure and Reopening[]

Starting in 1982, Grand was closed during night and weekend hours as a cost savings measure due to low ridership. By 1992, the station was only serving 850 passengers a day, and, as a result, the CTA closed the station on February 9, 1992, due to its low ridership and a budget crisis.^[2]^[3] While the station was closed, the five stairways to the subway platform became garbage-strewn, and the station fell into disrepair. On April 21, 1999, the CTA decided to reopen Grand due to population growth in the area around the station.^[4] After some refurbishment, Grand reopened on June 25, 1999, at 6:00 a.m.^[5]

Bus connections[]

CTA

8 Halsted
56 Milwaukee
65 Grand

References[]

^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2020" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 19, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
^ Gillis, Michael (February 2, 1992). "Big bus, L cuts by CTA start next weekend". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 55.
^ "CTA's Cuts Take Effect". Chicago Tribune. February 9, 1992. Section 2, page 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Chicago Transit Authority (April 21, 1999). "CTA Announces Plans to Re-open Grand/Milwaukee Blue Line Station" (Press release).
^ Chicago Transit Authority (June 24, 1999). "CTA Re-opens Grand/Milwaukee Blue Line Station" (Press release).