Chicago ''L''.org: Stations

The Pulaski station house and island platform canopy, looking east on January 30, 2004. The station features a large, spacious station house, wider accessible island platform, and off-street bus terminal, all executed in a postmodern design. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

Pulaski (4000W/2100S)
Pulaski Road and 21st Street, North Lawndale

Service Notes:

Pink Line: Cermak (Douglas)

Accessible Station

Quick Facts:

Address:

2021 S. Pulaski Road (Pulaski entrance)

2020 S. Harding Avenue (Harding auxiliary exit)

Established: June 16, 1902
Original Line: Metropolitan West Side Elevated, Douglas Park branch
Previous Names: 40th Avenue Terminal, Crawford Avenue

Skip-Stop Type:

Station (1951-1958)

Station (1958-1995)

Rebuilt: 2002-04
Status: In Use

History:

The Douglas branch of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was originally planned to extend to 46th (Kenton) Avenue in its original stretch. However, the branch was only open as far as 18th Street by April 28, 1896 (long after the other Met branches were in service) and Western was activated August 7. In June 1900, the Chicago City Council authorized extensions in the Garfield Park and Douglas Park branches of the Metropolitan Elevated Railroad to 52nd and 40th Avenues, respectively. Douglas Park service was extended to 40th Avenue on June 16, 1902, following an earlier, intermediate extension of service to Lawndale (3700W) on March 10.

Track diagram and site layout of 40th Avenue Yard, as it appeared when it opened in 1902. For a larger view, click here. (Image from Engineering News)

The 40th Avenue terminal included an elevated storage yard and railcar maintenance shop at track level, with a loop track for turning trains. The terminal was described in a 1902 Engineering News article:

The advantages of loop terminals over dead-terminals for elevated railways, with their traffic, have several times been pointed out, but the first road to adopt this system is the Metropolitan West Side Elevated R.R. of Chicago, which has recently completed a loop terminal at the of its Douglas Park line and is now building similar terminal at the end of its Garfield line... With the loop system there need be no holding of trains outside the during the busy hours, caused by a slight delay of a train at the unloading platform, which delay in the case of a dead end terminal necessitates holding all incoming trains until the offending train has backed out in the face of these trains... The great advantage of the loop lies in the fact that it eliminates all switching and reverse movements, the trains moving ahead all the time and following each other closely...

The loop at the [40th] Ave. terminal station of the Douglas Park line... is on the elevated structure, as is the car yard at this point. There are three tracks approaching the terminal... which diverge and are connected by a curve of 90 ft. radius, forming a kite-shaped loop...

The station building on 40th Ave. and the car inspection house are both of red pressed brick... From the waiting room of the station there is a short stairway to elevated walks leading under the structure to the platforms, which are reached by other stairways...¹

The 40th Avenue terminal's headhouse design was typical of the architecture for most of the Metropolitan Elevated's 1902 Douglas extension. The building, executed in brown brick and tan rusticated stone with wooden doors and window frames, had an eclectic mix of influences and styles, many of which were purely vernacular. The use of dark brick masonry, heavy, rough-cut stone in the sills and quoins, and the decorative brickwork and terra cotta along the cornice all suggest some influence of the Romanesque Revival style. The station was generally square except for a bay in front and was one story tall.

The loop track that encircled the yard had two side platforms. Trains terminating at 40th Avenue operated around the loop in a counterclockwise direction, dropping off alighting passengers at a platform in the north half of the yard, circling behind the shop, and then picking up inbound passengers at the platform on the south half of the loop.

The island platform was installed when 40th Avenue became a through station, as seen in this pre-World War II view. The old alighting platform on the former loop track can be seen on the right. For a larger view, click here. (Photo from the Bruce G. Moffat Collection)

This arrangement worked fairly well for the station as a terminal, with the quick turnaround times and separate platforms for boarding and alighting. It would not work as well as a through-station, however, and it wasn't long before the Met had to address this situation, not surprising given their original plans to terminate the branch at least as far west as the city limits about six blocks west. In 1907, the line was extended to 46th Avenue at the city limits. (Later extensions brought the Douglas Park branch to 48th [Cicero Ave., 1907], 52nd [1910], 56th [Central Ave., 1912], Lombard [1915] and finally Oak Park Ave. [1924].) When 40th Avenue became through station in 1907, the loop track was broken in half as two of the yard tracks were extended west through the yard and beyond the station. Between them a new island platform was added for trains continuing west. While a new stairway was built from the island platform down to the street-level station house, an elevated walkway was also built to connect the new island platform with the two side platforms on the old loop. It is unclear how much use these original platforms got after 1907, though some trains still terminated here and may have used them, though with the loop no longer going all the way around they would have functioned only as stub tracks.

By the summer of 1912, the loop track and its side platforms were removed, though the shop building and the rest of the yard remained. The yard continued in service for many years, even after the CTA shortened the line to 54th Avenue in 1952 and built a small yard and shop there. The yard was closed circa 1962. Remnants of the yard in the form of sections of structural steel remained as late as the 1970s and to this day there is an unusually large area of cleared land around the station, demarcating the size of the former yard.

40th Avenue was renamed Crawford Avenue in 1913, and finally changed to Pulaski Road in 1933. The station changed names each time with the street.

The Pulaski station house and island platform canopy, looking east in August 2001. Several generations of construction are evident here: the structure and canopy date from circa 1907, while the station house is from circa 1990. Boxy and utilitarian, the station house is typical of its period of construction. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

In mid-1973, fire struck the Pulaski station and gutted the station house. (This was not a good year for the CTA : in addition to budget issues causing numerous station and entrance closings, the Kildare station house one stop west on the Douglas branch was also destroyed in an accident.) The platform was largely undamaged, so a new stairway was built from the platform to the ground, behind where the station house was, and temporary fare controls were built there at the top of the stairs on the platform. The portion of the platform west of the stairs was abandoned and an extension was built to the east so that 8-car trains could still berth. The canopy on the island platform was also refurbished at this time. Finally, lights were strung on wooden poles and some signage was replaced, completing the temporary facility that would serve until a new, permanent replacement station could be built. While the burned out station house was demolished, this "temporary" station ended up lasting for well over a decade.

Finally, construction of a new station got underway circa 1989. An entire new station facility was designed, but only the station house was actually built. Coming into use in 1990, the headhouse had a utilitarian design tan brick walls on both the interior and exterior and a glass and steel front facade. It featured an open and spacious interior and glass front facade that allowed riders waiting for the northbound #53 Pulaski bus to wait inside while still keeping a good view of the street. The agent's booth and fare controls were stainless steel. The north end of the front facade had a rotogate on the front and a door that allowed for the station to be closed and through access to be provided when no agent was on duty and "pay on train" was in effect, but was otherwise locked. Interestingly, the station's fare controls included a wheelchair access gate, required by the Americans with Disabilities Act even though the station lacked an elevator or other ADA-compliant means to access the elevated platform.

A very short canopy stood at the west end of the Pulaski platform, looking west in August 2001. The section of canopy is many decades old and shows its age too well. It is also where the only station name signs in the entire station -- two in all, one in each direction -- were posted. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

The rest of the station faired less well. The other components of the plan were not executed and despite the presence of a relatively new station house, the rest of the station continued to be in poor condition. The old island platform from the 1907 extension (which had last received significant work back in 1973) remained, with its short canopy, covering only the extreme west end from the stairs to about one car length down the platform, and modest amenities. From the back of the station house -- where a new stairway and possibly an elevator would have been built to a new platform -- customers were deposited into a fenced in passageway that led to a narrow set of stairs to the platform (the same ones "temporarily" installed after the 1973 fire). The north exterior wall in the paid area had three door-shaped outlines in the brick wall. This, combined with the large amount of empty space around the station, would seem to suggest that the CTA's plans for this station may have included a bus turnaround, never built.

Douglas Renovation Project

By the time of new millennium, the platform was in poor condition. There was only one set of station name signs, one for each direction, and they were found under the tiny canopy; otherwise, the platform was devoid of any signage identifying the station to passengers. There was a single windbreak, under the canopy; all other shelter on the platform is was provided by makeshift windbreaks using bus shelters installed on the platform. The platform lights were of a decidedly jury-rigged and temporary appearance (a lot less temporary than they were probably intended to be), using utilitarian, industrial fixtures (not found anywhere else on the system) attached to wooden poles. Some had detached wires hanging down. The incongruous progression, from a clean, solid station house to a ragged platform via a makeshift passageway only accentuated the aborted plan for the station.

Over the years, the condition of the Douglas branch deteriorated to a point that permanent "slow zones" were present throughout more than 47% of track and many of the stations were in poor condition. After a long battle to secure funding from both the state and federal governments, the CTA decided it was time to embark upon a complete rehabilitation of the entire branch. The Douglas Rehabilitation Project was the largest single capital improvement project the authority had embarked upon up to that time. The project was to restore the branch so that it would be 100 percent ADA compliant with eight of the branch's 11 stations (six elevated and two at-grade) completely rebuilt and to allow for faster travel times from one end of the line to the other.

As part of the renovation project, Pulaski was replaced with an entirely new station facility. The new headhouse is a modern glass and steel facility centered below the elevated tracks. The building exterior features quarry tile at the base, a metal-frame storefront on the front and side facades with large picture windows, glass walls and a band of art glass along the top, and capped by a large metal cornice divided into boxes. The interior is simple and functional, featuring white ceramic glazed tile walls, a spacious waiting area and seats for waiting bus riders, fare controls, fare vending machines, a customer assistant booth and bus supervisor's booth, more room in the paid area for waiting train and bus passengers, and various auxiliary equipment rooms.

Construction of new caissons, caisson caps, and concrete piers are complete at Pulaski and steel cross spans have begun to be installed in this May 9, 2002 view. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

The old island platform was replaced with a new, wide island platform. The new canopies were designed as "showpiece" structures, with clear glazed roof sections that allow natural light on the platform alternating with triangular solid, three-dimensional metal wedges and clear triangular panels that led the canopies to be dubbed by some as the "flying triangles". "Honeycomb" paneling adorns the platform canopy fascia, as well as being around the various columns and poles at platform level. A new elevator provides ADA access, with the tall elevator tower cladded in white tiles with a blue band around the top and a steel "cta" on the north and south sides dominating the street elevation the facility. The platform amenities carry through the angled motif of the canopy, with benches, lights, windbreaks, and some signage angled off-axis from being parallel or perpendicular to the tracks. For customer comfort, the platform features benches, overhead heaters and enhanced lighting. In addition to the elevator, a wheelchair-accessible gate in the fare controls, TTY telephones, tactile edging and Braille signs offer accessibility for customers with disabilities. Audiovisual station signs and a public address system help customers navigate the station and receive travel information. There is an auxiliary exit at the east end of the platform at Harding Avenue, one block east of Pulaski Road, allowing residents of the nearby community direct egress from the station.

A new bus turnaround encircles the station, providing convenient drop-off and pickup points under a canopy that protects customers from the elements. There are side entrances to the unpaid area of the station house as well as rotogate exits from the paid area directly to the bus stops, allowing passengers transferring to #53 Pulaski buses a more convenient transferring option. Other work at the station included landscaping around the facility -- the land around the station is unusually extensive because of the large elevated yard that was once around the station -- and renovation and upgrading of the adjacent Harding Substation.

The official groundbreaking for the Douglas Rehabilitation Project -- also known as "Renew the Blue" -- took place at Pulaski station on September 10, 2001, with actual construction work beginning shortly thereafter at both 54/Cermak and Pulaski. For several months, work was underway around Pulaski while the station remained open, as equipment drilled massive holes for the cement caissons that would surround the new metal support columns. The placement of caissons, caisson caps and piers continued though Spring 2002, followed by the replacement of the steel cross-spans along the elevated structure with new steel and concrete ones. After that, the CTA could then create the new, wider elevated structure to accommodate the new, wider island platform.

Pulaski-Kildare Temporary station

The new Pulaski-Kildare station on opening day, looking east on June 17, 2002 as an outbound Cermak branch train pulls in. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

To allow for the removal of the old platform and the construction of the new, a temporary station was built on the west side of Pulaski Road. The station featured temporary wooden dual side platforms, stretching from Pulaski Road to west of Karlov Avenue. These platforms were feed from dual fare control areas, which were under the new elevated structure on the west side of Pulaski Road (4000W) and a half block east of Keeler Avenue (4200W). The fare control areas consisted of concrete and asphalt floors, chainlink walls, and wooden agent's booths. The platforms had wooden decking and railings, wooden canopies, and temporary signage. Station name signage called the stop "Pulaski", with the west entrance/exit nearest Kildare (actually at Keeler) acknowledged on a blue tab.

Kiewit/Delgado began construction of the Pulaski-Kildare temporary platforms over the weekend of May 4-5, 2002. The platforms were between Keeler and Pulaski, though they were actually over Karlov rather than their namesake streets. The side platforms were supported strictly on the structure itself, with one set of beams extending horizontally underneath the tracks, clamped between the ties and steel structure decking. The other set of supports consisted of diagonal bracing between the underside of the outer edge of the platform and the lower lip of the horizontal decking spans.

Only some floor tile and a few pieces of steel remained on June 21, 2002 where the Pulaski station house had been. Two days later, the platform above would follow suit. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

At 0200 hours on Saturday, June 15, 2002, the stations at Pulaski and Kildare closed for demolition and replacement with new facilities. Some demolition work on the stations began immediately, primarily in the form of equipment removal for the new, temporary facilities. After Pulaski station was closed and locked, CTA forces removed the fare controls and AVMs in that station and relocated them to the Pulaski entrance to the temporary Pulaski-Kildare station (including the wheelchair gate!). Complete demolition of the station house occurred on Wednesday, June 19th. By the afternoon of the 20th, there was little trace of the station house at all, save for the wooden stairs up to the platform, the flooring that was still embedded in the ground, and two bent steel beams that had once been part of the front elevation. Construction of the new station house commenced thereafter.

On Tuesday, January 13, 2004, Mayor Richard M. Daley joined Chicago Transit Authority President Frank Kruesi and other officials for the opening of the newly renovated Pulaski station. Pulaski was the third of eight stations to reopen after renovation and the first of six the new Cermak (Douglas) branch elevated stations.

Following the press event, the new Pulaski station opened for customer use. The new station officially opened for customer use at 1215 hours. Coincident with the new opening was the closure of the temporary Pulaski station across the street. After one train in each direction stopped at both the new Pulaski and temporary Pulaski stations to assure that any remaining passengers who'd entered the temporary station weren't stranded, the temporary Pulaski station was closed and secured, berth markers hooded and signs were placed on both platforms alerting operators not to stop. The temporary station was removed at a later date.

At its monthly meeting on February 11, 2004, the Chicago Transit Board approved the modification to the south terminal of the #37 Sedgwick/Ogden route, so that it will better serve customers. The #37 moved its south terminal from Cermak/Karlov to the newly reopened Pulaski Cermak (Douglas) branch station.

The Pulaski station also had new original artwork installed as part of the Douglas branch renovation. Included through a unique partnership between the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs' Public Art Program and the CTA , the Public Art Program administered the selection, design, creation and installation of public art for the project. The Pulaski station includes a series of Byzantine glass mosaics with quotes by famous African-Americans on interior walls titled "Pulaski Station" by artist Adam Brooks. The CTA allocated $1 million for the Cermak Branch Art Project and retains ownership rights to all of the artwork created.

Completing punchlist work, Kiewit lifted a new Supervisor's Booth from street level to the Pulaski station platform by crane, under flagman protection, on the morning of Tuesday, July 12, 2005.

After conducting a West Side Corridor Study and holding public meetings during 2004 and 2005, the CTA began operation of a new service over the Cermak branch. Beginning Sunday, June 25, 2006, the new Pink Line began providing the primary rail service to the branch. Operating seven days a week during the same service hours as the Blue Line had operated, Pink Line trains operated on the Cermak branch from 54th/Cermak to Polk, then terminated around the Loop via the Paulina Connector and Lake branch of the Green Line. Service levels increased with the introduction of the Pink Line, with trains running more frequently including a 7.5-minute interval during weekday rush periods. To address community concerns, Blue Line service to the O'Hare branch from 54th/Cermak via the Dearborn Subway was maintained during morning and afternoon rush hours. The Pink Line and revised Blue Line services were instituted as an 180-day experiment, extended for additional 180-day experimental periods subsequently, while ridership and other effects were studied. As the experimental period continued, the CTA revised service on the Cermak branch to eliminate the rush period Blue Line trains, leaving the Pink Line to provide all service to 54th/Cermak. Although ridership had risen overall since the introduction of the Pink Line, Blue Line trains had consistently low ridership on a person-per-railcar-basis. The last day of Blue Line Cermak service was Friday, April 25, 2008.

Looking west on the Pulaski station platform on January 30, 2004, about two weeks after opening, the source of the canopies' nickname of resembling "flying triangles" is clearly demonstrated. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

Old Pulaski (1902-2002) | Temporary Pulaski-Kildare (2002-2003) | New Pulaski (2002-present)

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The 40th Avenue Terminal was still under construction in 1902 when this photo was taken. Arriving trains unloaded passengers at the platform at right, circled around the station and picked up passengers at the platform at the left. The center tracks were used for storage. (Photo from The High Line)

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The Pulaski station as seen on March 28, 1998. Note the utilitarian station in the foreground and the old wooden platform canopy in the background. (Photos by Graham Garfield)

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Close up of the Pulaski island platform looking southeast on March 28, 1998 shows the unusual makeshift lights and the bus shelters used as windbreaks. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Historic Car 4272 poses at Pulaski station on the Douglas branch on an August 28, 1982 fan trip. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

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The interior of the Pulaski station house, looking north in August 2001. The station house is in very good condition compared to other parts of the station. A wheelchair gates has been installed, although the station is clearly not ADA accessible. (Photos by Graham Garfield)

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The construction staging area and new concrete caissons at Pulaski, looking east on January 18, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Some of the construction materials are leaned up against the 1990 station house at Pulaski in this view looking south on March 11, 2002. The vertical cuts in the brick wall of the station house may have been intended to eventually been punched out to create doorways to a bus turnaround, planned but never constructed around the station. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Construction has progressed since the January 2002 image above, with additional caissons added, some crossbeams installed, and most of the construction materials and debris cleared away in this view looking east on March 11, 2002. The new structure is being completed so that a temporary station can be built at Harding and the old facility can be torn down for replacement. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The larger width of the future right-of-way is clear in this view on the current Pulaski platform on May 9, 2002. Note the use of plastic ties. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Pulaski station on the last full day of service, June 14, 2002, looking northeast. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Pulaski station two days after closure, looking northeast on Monday, June 17, 2002. The signs on the front windows direct passengers across the street to the Pulaski entrance of the Pulaski-Kildare temporary station. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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By June 21, 2002, only five days after Pulaski station closed, the station house was demolished, although the platform still remained. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

Temporary Pulaski-Kildare station

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This May 9, 2002 view of the temporary Pulaski platform under construction shows its horizontal and diagonal support structure, looking east in the alley north of the structure near Karlov. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Looking west on May 10, 2002 at the temporary side platforms for the Pulaski-Kildare station from the future location of the stairs to the Pulaski entrance. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The temporary side platforms will have simple wooden decking and railings, some of which has already been installed in this May 10, 2002 view. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The Pulaski-Kildare platforms under construction, looking west on May 10, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Looking east on the platforms at Pulaski-Kildare, with its short canopies over Karlov about a third of the way down from the east end of the station, on June 14, 2002. The inbound platform (at right) has a supervisor's booth under the short canopy. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The Pulaski-Kildare station has two entrances to serve the former Pulaski and Kildare stations, which were about three blocks apart. Each entrance is at the end of the platforms, such as the Keeler entrance seen here on June 14, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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In the days leading up to the switch from the old Kildare and Pulaski stations to the temporary Pulaski-Kildare station, CTA personnel handed out these flyers to passengers. They were also posted at many stations, with larger versions inserted into Customer Alert frames and train ad racks. (Flyer from the Graham Garfield Collection)

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The Pulaski-Kildare station has three short canopies on each platform: one at each end at the top of the stairs, and a third over Karlov Avenue, seen here on June 17, 2002. The station name signs are of the Current Graphic Standard type, with "Pulaski" listed as the station's name. "Kildare" is added on the blue tab, although there isn't a matching blue tab on the other side, as there would be on normal Current Graphic Standard signs. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Kiewit crews work hard on June 14, 2002 to erect the walkway from Pulaski Road to the Pulaski entrance of the temporary station so it would be ready three days later. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Looking west down the walkway from Pulaski Road to the Pulaski entrance to Pulaski-Kildare on June 17, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The Keeler entrance to Pulaski-Kildare, looking east on June 17, 2002. The turnstiles, AVM, and display advertising the new station were relocated from Kildare station after it closed two days earlier. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

New Pulaski station

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An artist's rendering of the new Pulaski station, looking northeast. The new Pulaski station includes a new, enlarged station house, modernized and accessible island platform, and an off-street bus terminal. (Drawing provided courtesy of the Chicago Transit Authority)

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Kiewit crews are installing the new southbound Track 1, looking east on June 14, 2002, so that it will be ready for service on Monday, June 17th. The space between the new track and the existing northbound track on the right will be the width of the new Pulaski island platform when it's finished. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The steel decking supports for the new, wide island platform is largely in place in this view looking west on August 8, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Prefabricated concrete platform decking is in the process of being installed at Pulaski, looking west on August 31, 2002. The holes in the decking are for the canopy support posts. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The prefabricated concrete platform at Pulaski decking is complete, looking west on October 1, 2002. The nearest rectangular opening is for the stairs to the Harding auxiliary exit. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The foundation for the new station house, looking southeast on October 1, 2002, shows the outline for the new building. The square in the center under the tracks shows the location of the future elevator. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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As an inbound train passes through the station on June 24, 2003, crews work on the canopy, with workmen seen standing on the roof, and applying the storefront finishes. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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By the time of this October 11, 2003 view, Pulaski station is largely complete, with the canopy roofing and glazing, station house facade, bus turnaround finishes, and even the stainless steel cta installed on the elevator tower. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Both sides of the station house, like the north elevation seen here on October 11, 2003, have access to bus bays that serve intermodal transfers between the "L" and bus system. Ultimately, signage and benches will be provided under the canopy for waiting surface division customers. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The platforms had progressed to a higher degree of completion by this October 11, 2003 view looking east, with finishes like the mesh metal column covers installed. Note the flat panel on the round column cover for a sign to be mounted. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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By the end of the year, Kiewit had largely completed Pulaski station such that even most of the station signage had been applied, seen looking southeast on December 8, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The Pulaski station has a wide street facade, seen looking east under the elevated structure on December 8, 2003. Benches for passengers waiting for buses and pickups ring the exterior under the picture windows. The pink band around the tops of the windows is a protective covering over decorative art glass, keeping the panels pristine for opening day. Note the small metal kiosks in front of each doorway. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The fare controls of Pulaski station are located in the north end of the headhouse, seen looking east from the unpaid area on January 19, 2004. The customer assistant's booth is located next to the turnstiles, while a bus supervisor's booth is located behind in the back wall. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The interior of Pulaski station, seen bathed in the afternoon sunlight on January 19, 2004, has a large, open, spacious interior, probably far more space than is required for the station's current usage level, Looking south in the unpaid area, the fare controls (on the left) are in the north half of the station, which is bisected by the elevator shaft seen in the center. On the other side are metal barriers and rotogates for additional egress capacity. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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The triangular showpiece canopies of the Douglas stations, seen at Pulaski looking east on January 30, 2004, are three-dimensional and made up of many components. Parts are solid, three-dimensional metal wedges with "honeycomb" paneling on the canopy fascia interspersed with clear triangular glazed panels. Following the angled motif of the canopy, some signage like the station name sign seen here are also off-axis. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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Looking west from the far east end of the Pulaski platform on January 30, 2004, one of the station's the triangular canopies is seen in the distance. Between it and the end of the platform are freestanding light posts covered in the same "honeycomb" paneling that adorns the fascia of the canopy wedges. To supplement the off-axis station name signs on the platform (which are difficult to see from some seats on a train), signs are also posted on the outside of the tracks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

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One panel of Adam Brooks' artwork, depicting a quote from Haki Madhubuti, renowned African-American author, educator, and poet, is mounted over the stairs from the platform to the station house. (Photo courtesy of CTA Arts in Transit Program)

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The other two panels of Adam Brooks' artwork, with quotes from former boxer Muhammad Ali on the left and African-American Christian theologian James Cone on the right, are in the station house framing the vertical access to the platform. (Photo courtesy of CTA Arts in Transit Program)

Notes:

1. "Loop Terminals and Transfer Station Metropolitan Elevated RR Chicago." Engineering News, Vol. XLVIII No. 7 (Aug 14, 1902), p. 115-116.

Address:	2021 S. Pulaski Road (Pulaski entrance)
	2020 S. Harding Avenue (Harding auxiliary exit)

Skip-Stop Type:		Station (1951-1958)
Skip-Stop Type:		Station (1958-1995)

	40thTerminal02.jpg (111k) The 40th Avenue Terminal was still under construction in 1902 when this photo was taken. Arriving trains unloaded passengers at the platform at right, circled around the station and picked up passengers at the platform at the left. The center tracks were used for storage. (Photo from The High Line)
	pulaski01.jpg (103k) The Pulaski station as seen on March 28, 1998. Note the utilitarian station in the foreground and the old wooden platform canopy in the background. (Photos by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski02.jpg (95k) Close up of the Pulaski island platform looking southeast on March 28, 1998 shows the unusual makeshift lights and the bus shelters used as windbreaks. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	cta4272c.jpg (117k) Historic Car 4272 poses at Pulaski station on the Douglas branch on an August 28, 1982 fan trip. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	pulaski04.jpg (106k) The interior of the Pulaski station house, looking north in August 2001. The station house is in very good condition compared to other parts of the station. A wheelchair gates has been installed, although the station is clearly not ADA accessible. (Photos by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski07.jpg (127k) The construction staging area and new concrete caissons at Pulaski, looking east on January 18, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski08.jpg (162k) Some of the construction materials are leaned up against the 1990 station house at Pulaski in this view looking south on March 11, 2002. The vertical cuts in the brick wall of the station house may have been intended to eventually been punched out to create doorways to a bus turnaround, planned but never constructed around the station. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski09.jpg (121k) Construction has progressed since the January 2002 image above, with additional caissons added, some crossbeams installed, and most of the construction materials and debris cleared away in this view looking east on March 11, 2002. The new structure is being completed so that a temporary station can be built at Harding and the old facility can be torn down for replacement. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski11.jpg (149k) The larger width of the future right-of-way is clear in this view on the current Pulaski platform on May 9, 2002. Note the use of plastic ties. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski13.jpg (130k) Pulaski station on the last full day of service, June 14, 2002, looking northeast. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski14.jpg (103k) Pulaski station two days after closure, looking northeast on Monday, June 17, 2002. The signs on the front windows direct passengers across the street to the Pulaski entrance of the Pulaski-Kildare temporary station. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski15.jpg (139k) By June 21, 2002, only five days after Pulaski station closed, the station house was demolished, although the platform still remained. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

	pulaski-temp01.jpg (116k) This May 9, 2002 view of the temporary Pulaski platform under construction shows its horizontal and diagonal support structure, looking east in the alley north of the structure near Karlov. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp02jpg (196k) Looking west on May 10, 2002 at the temporary side platforms for the Pulaski-Kildare station from the future location of the stairs to the Pulaski entrance. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp03.jpg (186k) The temporary side platforms will have simple wooden decking and railings, some of which has already been installed in this May 10, 2002 view. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp04jpg (182k) The Pulaski-Kildare platforms under construction, looking west on May 10, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp05jpg (148k) Looking east on the platforms at Pulaski-Kildare, with its short canopies over Karlov about a third of the way down from the east end of the station, on June 14, 2002. The inbound platform (at right) has a supervisor's booth under the short canopy. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp06jpg (124k) The Pulaski-Kildare station has two entrances to serve the former Pulaski and Kildare stations, which were about three blocks apart. Each entrance is at the end of the platforms, such as the Keeler entrance seen here on June 14, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp.CustAlrt.jpg (60k) In the days leading up to the switch from the old Kildare and Pulaski stations to the temporary Pulaski-Kildare station, CTA personnel handed out these flyers to passengers. They were also posted at many stations, with larger versions inserted into Customer Alert frames and train ad racks. (Flyer from the Graham Garfield Collection)
	pulaski-temp08jpg (165k) The Pulaski-Kildare station has three short canopies on each platform: one at each end at the top of the stairs, and a third over Karlov Avenue, seen here on June 17, 2002. The station name signs are of the Current Graphic Standard type, with "Pulaski" listed as the station's name. "Kildare" is added on the blue tab, although there isn't a matching blue tab on the other side, as there would be on normal Current Graphic Standard signs. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp.Pulaski01.jpg (190k) Kiewit crews work hard on June 14, 2002 to erect the walkway from Pulaski Road to the Pulaski entrance of the temporary station so it would be ready three days later. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp.Pulaski02.jpg (184k) Looking west down the walkway from Pulaski Road to the Pulaski entrance to Pulaski-Kildare on June 17, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-temp.Keeler01.jpg (192k) The Keeler entrance to Pulaski-Kildare, looking east on June 17, 2002. The turnstiles, AVM, and display advertising the new station were relocated from Kildare station after it closed two days earlier. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

	pulaski06.jpg (148k) An artist's rendering of the new Pulaski station, looking northeast. The new Pulaski station includes a new, enlarged station house, modernized and accessible island platform, and an off-street bus terminal. (Drawing provided courtesy of the Chicago Transit Authority)
	pulaski12.jpg (147k) Kiewit crews are installing the new southbound Track 1, looking east on June 14, 2002, so that it will be ready for service on Monday, June 17th. The space between the new track and the existing northbound track on the right will be the width of the new Pulaski island platform when it's finished. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski17.jpg (135k) The steel decking supports for the new, wide island platform is largely in place in this view looking west on August 8, 2002. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski18.jpg (115k) Prefabricated concrete platform decking is in the process of being installed at Pulaski, looking west on August 31, 2002. The holes in the decking are for the canopy support posts. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski19.jpg (105k) The prefabricated concrete platform at Pulaski decking is complete, looking west on October 1, 2002. The nearest rectangular opening is for the stairs to the Harding auxiliary exit. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski20.jpg (205k) The foundation for the new station house, looking southeast on October 1, 2002, shows the outline for the new building. The square in the center under the tracks shows the location of the future elevator. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski22.jpg (150k) As an inbound train passes through the station on June 24, 2003, crews work on the canopy, with workmen seen standing on the roof, and applying the storefront finishes. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski24.jpg (136k) By the time of this October 11, 2003 view, Pulaski station is largely complete, with the canopy roofing and glazing, station house facade, bus turnaround finishes, and even the stainless steel cta installed on the elevator tower. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski25.jpg (139k) Both sides of the station house, like the north elevation seen here on October 11, 2003, have access to bus bays that serve intermodal transfers between the "L" and bus system. Ultimately, signage and benches will be provided under the canopy for waiting surface division customers. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski26.jpg (179k) The platforms had progressed to a higher degree of completion by this October 11, 2003 view looking east, with finishes like the mesh metal column covers installed. Note the flat panel on the round column cover for a sign to be mounted. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski27.jpg (131k) By the end of the year, Kiewit had largely completed Pulaski station such that even most of the station signage had been applied, seen looking southeast on December 8, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski28.jpg (171k) The Pulaski station has a wide street facade, seen looking east under the elevated structure on December 8, 2003. Benches for passengers waiting for buses and pickups ring the exterior under the picture windows. The pink band around the tops of the windows is a protective covering over decorative art glass, keeping the panels pristine for opening day. Note the small metal kiosks in front of each doorway. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski30.jpg (138k) The fare controls of Pulaski station are located in the north end of the headhouse, seen looking east from the unpaid area on January 19, 2004. The customer assistant's booth is located next to the turnstiles, while a bus supervisor's booth is located behind in the back wall. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski31.jpg (135k) The interior of Pulaski station, seen bathed in the afternoon sunlight on January 19, 2004, has a large, open, spacious interior, probably far more space than is required for the station's current usage level, Looking south in the unpaid area, the fare controls (on the left) are in the north half of the station, which is bisected by the elevator shaft seen in the center. On the other side are metal barriers and rotogates for additional egress capacity. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski32.jpg (191k) The triangular showpiece canopies of the Douglas stations, seen at Pulaski looking east on January 30, 2004, are three-dimensional and made up of many components. Parts are solid, three-dimensional metal wedges with "honeycomb" paneling on the canopy fascia interspersed with clear triangular glazed panels. Following the angled motif of the canopy, some signage like the station name sign seen here are also off-axis. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski34.jpg (176k) Looking west from the far east end of the Pulaski platform on January 30, 2004, one of the station's the triangular canopies is seen in the distance. Between it and the end of the platform are freestanding light posts covered in the same "honeycomb" paneling that adorns the fascia of the canopy wedges. To supplement the off-axis station name signs on the platform (which are difficult to see from some seats on a train), signs are also posted on the outside of the tracks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	pulaski-douglas_art01.jpg (621k) One panel of Adam Brooks' artwork, depicting a quote from Haki Madhubuti, renowned African-American author, educator, and poet, is mounted over the stairs from the platform to the station house. (Photo courtesy of CTA Arts in Transit Program)
	pulaski-douglas_art02.jpg (109k) The other two panels of Adam Brooks' artwork, with quotes from former boxer Muhammad Ali on the left and African-American Christian theologian James Cone on the right, are in the station house framing the vertical access to the platform. (Photo courtesy of CTA Arts in Transit Program)