Lake–Dan Ryan route
| Company type | Rapid transit service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Predecessor | Separate Lake Street "L" and Dan Ryan branches |
| Founded | September 28, 1969 |
| Defunct | February 21, 1993 |
| Fate | Service discontinued and replaced by color-coded lines |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Chicago, Illinois |
| Owner | Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) |
The Lake–Dan Ryan represented a rapid transit service managed by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) from the inauguration of the Dan Ryan branch on September 28, 1969, until its discontinuation on February 21, 1993. This line merged two previously separate corridors—the Lake Street "L" originating at the Harlem terminal in Forest Park, passing through downtown Chicago via the Union Loop "L", and continuing southward along the South Side "L" and Dan Ryan Line to the 95th Street Terminal. Often referred to as the West-South route, it provided direct transit connections between neighborhoods on Chicago’s west and south sides with the downtown area.
The establishment of the Lake–Dan Ryan service coincided with proposed infrastructure initiatives such as the Franklin Street Connector and the Chicago Central Area Transit Project (including Loop and Distributor Subways), though these projects were never realized. The stretch between the South Side "L" junction at 17th and State Streets and Cermak–Chinatown Station was originally constructed as a temporary segment, intended for removal once the Loop Subway system was completed. After that plan was abandoned in 1979, this portion underwent enhancements during the 1980s and early 1990s and currently operates as part of the CTA's Orange Line. The route's configuration featured two unused tracks that allowed for train transfers, thereby increasing operational adaptability.
History
The Lake Street branch, recognized as Chicago’s second oldest elevated railway line, commenced service on November 6, 1893, running from Madison and Market Streets (now Wacker Drive) to California Avenue along Lake Street. Developed by the Lake Street Elevated Railroad Company, initial operations utilized small 0-4-4T Forney steam engines pulling wooden passenger cars. Electrification was completed between 1894 and 1896. The service extended westward to Oak Park in 1899 and further to Forest Park in 1910. Notably, the Lake Street branch was the first "L" line to navigate around the Union Loop "L" on September 3, 1897—five weeks prior to its official opening. After control of Chicago’s transit systems passed to the CTA, several stations along with the Market Street stub were closed in 1948. On October 28, 1962, a 2.6-mile segment between Laramie Avenue and Forest Park terminal that had previously operated at street level was elevated onto the Union Pacific Railroad embankment. This upgrade was part of CTA’s 1958 New Horizons initiative and eliminated 22 grade crossings that had impeded both transit operations and vehicular traffic.
Following the successful introduction of the Congress Line within the Eisenhower Expressway median in 1958, Chicago initiated construction of two expressway rapid transit extensions in 1967: one extending the Milwaukee branch from Logan Square to Jefferson Park via the Kennedy Expressway, and another—the Dan Ryan Expressway Line—stretching from 17th Street to 95th Street. The nine stations along this route—including Cermak–Chinatown, Sox–35th, and 95th Street Terminal—were designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill under Myron Goldsmith’s direction, embodying a modernist architectural style influenced by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Initially, no station was planned at Roosevelt/Wabash because of its proximity to the State Street subway and intentions to reroute Dan Ryan service through the Franklin Street Connector into the Loop. Due to funding limitations preventing a connection with the State Street subway, planners instead merged Lake Street "L" operations with those of the new Dan Ryan Line, thereby linking Chicago’s West and South Sides directly. On September 28, 1969, Lake–Dan Ryan service commenced from 95th Street Terminal, traveling north through downtown via the Union Loop "L" to reach Harlem.
Ridership levels on this combined Lake–Dan Ryan line remained relatively steady until the mid-1970s when demand shifted toward increased usage on Howard and Dan Ryan branches compared to Lake Street and other South Side branches. In February 1993, CTA introduced a color-coded routing system: west of the Loop, the Lake Street branch became part of the Green Line, while south of the Loop, the Dan Ryan branch was incorporated into the Red Line.
On February 4, 1977, this route experienced CTA’s most severe accident—the Chicago Loop Derailment—when an operator disregarded a cab signal and collided with a stationary Ravenswood train at State/Lake station, resulting in eleven fatalities and nearly two hundred injuries.
Operating fleet
Between 1969 and 1983, the 2000-series and 2200-series vehicles were in service on the Lake–Dan Ryan line. Subsequently, the 2400-series trains operated from 1983 until 1993, with the 2600-series also running during the period from 1984 to 1993.