North of Union Station, the Metro station at NoMa is Washington’s only “infill” station. Another is planned at Potomac Yard. In Chicago, where the CTA has been working on infill stations for several years, there’s proof that the stations can be added cheaply.

Cermak/McCormick Place. Photo by the author.

Infill stations are new stations constructed between stations on an existing transit line. NoMa, for example, opened in 2004. It was built between the existing stations at Union Station and Rhode Island Avenue along tracks that had opened in 1976.

The Chicago L dates back over a century. In many places its iconic, rickety structures pass through the dense, vibrant neighborhoods they helped to create. But after World War II, when the CTA took over service, many stations were closed to make trips from the outlying branches faster and to bring down expenses.

In recent years, CTA has reopened several of these stations, which is a more intensive process than it sounds like because the old stations weren’t just abandoned; they were demolished.

A few months ago, the agency opened a new station on the Green Line at Cermak/McCormick Place. The station has a gorgeous vaulted canopy. In this location, there’s a former stretch of third track, which became platform space.

McCormick Place. Photo by the author.

But because the platform is so narrow, CTA didn’t want to have any columns obstructing it. The solution was the vault, supported from outside the trackway. The station cost relatively cheap $50 million. (Yes, fifty million).

Across town, the Morgan station recently opened on the Green and Pink Lines. It was even cheaper to construct, coming in at just $38 million.

This station was also located where a former station had been removed in 1948. It has proven very popular, and was also fairly cheap and quick to construct.

Morgan. Photo by the author.

The Yellow Line is also home to an infill station at Oakton. That station was a recent additon to the line, which formerly had no intermediate stops between Skokie/Dempster and Howard.

In Washington, our infill stations tend to be a little more expensive because they’re designed with wider platforms and sturdier materials. Also, in both the case of NoMa and Potomac Yard, the new stations required relocating the tracks. That was not the case in Chicago.

Where would you like to see an infill station on Metro?

Matt Johnson has lived in the Washington area since 2007. He has a Master’s in Planning from the University of Maryland and a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech. He lives in Dupont Circle. He’s a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and is an employee of the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. His views are his own and do not represent those of his employer.