Project Overview

The Village of Niles partnered with AECOM and The Lakota Group to prepare a feasibility study of a potential new Metra Milwaukee District North Line (MD-N) station near Touhy Avenue in Niles. The idea of a station in this area originated from the Lakota-led Touhy Triangle master planning process- an executive summary of the Touhy Triangle Plan can be viewed here. The Village believes that a new commuter rail station in the community would:

• Serve as a catalyst for transit-oriented development and accelerate the revitalization of the Touhy Triangle area.
• Mitigate access limitations of nearby Metra stations (e.g., Morton Grove and Edgebrook).
• Serve regional commuters from neighboring towns by providing much-needed parking and improved public transit connections.
• Provide access to transit to an area that is currently underserved.

The team evaluated station spacing to identify a preferred station location, analyzed the existing condition of the area, performed a market assessment, and summarized community feedback received throughout the planning process. Travel demands, operational impacts, and site impacts were also assessed. All of the findings from the study are outlined in the Final Report and summarized in the Executive Summary (both available for download in the documents section below).

The Village of Niles Board accepted the completed Feasibility Study on March 28, 2019. The findings of the study will now be submitted to Metra staff and board for consideration. If a Niles Station is approved by Metra, the Village may then move forward with more formal design and engineering efforts. Any updates on the project will be provided on the project website.

Thank You For Your Input!

A Community Open House was held on Wednesday, November 28th from 6-8pm at the Niles Senior Center. Thank you to everyone who came out, and to all those who have completed the survey or written us comments online! All exhibits on display at the open house are posted in the documents section below. If you have any questions about the exhibits, please feel free to send them our way via the contact form below, and we will respond promptly.

All of the feedback we have received will be summarized in the final report, which is available for download in the documents section.