FORMER BUS GARAGES IN CHICAGO

CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY

CONVERTED CARHOUSES

69TH STREET
1601 W. 69th St. (at Ashland Ave.)
Opened in 1908
First used for buses in 1953
Used for propane buses 1953-1973
Last used for streetcars 1954
First diesel buses 1973
Closed June 18, 1995
Replaced by 74th Street Garage
Building demolished in 1998

77TH STREET
210 W. 79th St. (at Vincennes Ave.)
Opened in 1907
First used for buses in 1930
Used for propane buses 1950-1973
Last used for streetcars 1958
Modernized 1975 by CTA, in use

SOUTH SHOPS
Opened in 1902
Located in same complex as 77th Street Garage
Still in use by CTA as main bus maintenance facility

CHICAGO RAILWAYS

CONVERTED CARHOUSES

ELSTON
Elston Ave. and Addison St.
Opened in 1894
Used for trolleybuses 1930-1951
Closed January 21, 1951
Building demolished

KEDZIE
358 S. Kedzie Ave. (at Van Buren St.)
Opened in 1910
First used for buses in 1954
Last used for streetcars 1954
Used for trolleybuses 1953-1973
Used for propane buses 1954-1973
First diesel buses 1955
Closed September 2, 1979, new replacement bus garage opened June 29, 1984

LAWNDALE
3925 W. Cermak Ave. (at Pulaski Ave./Ogden Ave.)
Opened in 1910
First used for buses in 1941
Last used for streetcars 1952
Used for propane buses 1950-1952
Originally closed December 16, 1973
Reopened September 2, 1979 to June 29, 1984 when Kedzie Garage was replaced
Reopened September 7, 1986 to July 3, 1994 when North Ave. Garage was replaced
Closed July 3, 1994
Building demolished in 1999

LIMITS
2684 N. Clark St. (at Schubert Ave.)
Opened in 1909
First used for buses in 1938
Last used for streetcars 1954
Closed July 3, 1994
Operations mostly consolidated into Kedzie Garage
Building demolished in 1998

NORTH AVENUE
4801 W. North Ave. (at Cicero Ave.)
Opened in 1910
First used for buses in 1927
Used for trolleybuses 1930-1973
Used for propane buses 1950-1972
Last used for streetcars 1951
Closed September 7, 1986
Building demolished in late 1980's/early 1990's
Replaced by Chicago Ave. Garage

CHICAGO RAILWAYS

TEMPORARY BUS GARAGES

Garage administered from Devon carhouse.

LAWRENCE GARAGE
5301 W. Lawrence Ave. (near Milwaukee Ave.)
Opened January 27, 1943
Closed May 30, 1954
Replaced by Forest Glen Garage
Building demolished in 2002, occupied by a bank until 1999

Established temporarily as bus garage during World War II, in order to reduce deadhead distance and conserve fuel.

CTA BUS GARAGE (CLOSED)

CHICAGO MOTOR COACH COMPANY

BUS GARAGES

KOSTNER
Kostner Ave. at Grand Ave.
Opened in 1928
Closed in 1933
Replaced by Keeler Garage

RAVENSWOOD
4711 N. Ravenswood Ave. (near Lawrence Ave.)
Opened in 1925
Closed June 19, 1955
Operations consolidated into Limits Garage
Building now used by small industry

ROSEMONT
1124 W. Rosemont Ave. (near Broadway)
Opened in 1917
Closed September 7, 1957
Operations consolidated into North Park Garage
Building now used as a mosque

WILCOX
4532 W. Adams St.
Opened in 1924
Closed June 19, 1955
Operations consolidated into Kedzie Garage
Building demolished

52ND STREET
5201 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
Opened in 1923
Closed April 24, 1983
Operations consolidated into 77th St. Garage, later 103rd Street Garage
Building demolished

In addition, the Chicago Motor Coach Co. established a few storage lots for buses in the downtown area, in order to reduce the need for buses to deadhead to and from the outlying garages during the middle of the day. North of downtown, one lot was located at Grand and Orleans, and was closed prior to the CTA takeover in 1952. West of downtown, another lot was located at Desplaines and Polk, and was closed by CTA in 1960 because of expressway construction in the area. And south of downtown, the Chicago Motor Coach Co. had a lot at Indiana and 18th St., which was replaced with a new lot at State and 15th St. in 1952. CTA continued to use this lot until 1986.

BUS GARAGE PHOTOS