A new train station opens in time for the DNC, part of a long tradition

By Mike Lee | 08/20/2024 06:28 AM EDT

Chicago isn’t the first city to accelerate the completion of a transit project ahead of a major event.

A worker walks through a concourse at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday amid preparations for the Democratic National Convention.

A worker walks through a concourse at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday amid preparations for the Democratic National Convention. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

It’s a safe bet that a lot of visitors to the Democratic National Convention will arrive on Chicago’s elevated train system.

The Chicago Transit Authority opened a new station this month a few blocks from the United Center, where the event is being held, complete with a mural and a glass-walled bridge with views of the downtown skyline.

It’s part of a long tradition of cities opening transit projects just in time for big events.

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Parts of Chicago’s elevated system, known as the L, were built for the 1893 World’s Fair, which attracted 27 million people.

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