Come One, Come All!  June 24, 2012 Community Celebration – CTA Yellow Line Station in Downtown Skokie

On Sunday, June 24, 2012, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Village will host a Community Celebration in and around the new station.  All Skokie residents are invited to attend.  Following is a schedule of event activities:

2 p.m. – Dedication of the new sculpture at the northwest corner of Skokie Boulevard and Searle Parkway. 

2:15 to 2:45 p.m. – Kiddie bike parade on the new multi-use path west of the new station between Searle Parkway and Oakton Street.  All kids ages 14 and under are invited to decorate their bikes, try out the new path and receive a participation ribbon.  Prizes will be awarded to the three best decorated bikes!  

2:45 to 3:30 p.m. - Entertainment and free Oberweis ice cream on the east side of the new station by the Kiss and Ride lot.  Ice cream will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, one per person, while supplies last.  Come enjoy music, a juggler and other special entertainment and receive coupons/special offers from Downtown Skokie businesses.  Active Transportation Alliance will have information about commuting options, and there will be a historic CTA Yellow Line photo display.  Care to ride the train to Dempster Street and back?  Kids under age 7 ride for free, and adults cost $2.25 each way from Oakton to Dempster and back for a total $4.50 round-trip fare per adult.

3:30 to 4 p.m.- station dedication with speeches by invited dignitaries, including United States Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen.

Free parking is available in the Illinois Science + Technology Park parking garage, the entrance to which is on Searle Parkway just west of the Skokie Swift tracks.  Please note that Searle Parkway will be closed from Skokie Boulevard to the parking garage entrance during the event, so it will be necessary to access Searle Parkway from Niles Avenue, Elm Street or Niles Center Road.

Oakton-Skokie CTA Station - the CTA Yellow Line Oakton Station in Downtown Skokie began service on April 30.  There is no commuter parking in or around the station, as $14 million of the $20 million construction cost came from federal Clean Air Act funds that were conditional on establishing a ‘Kiss and Ride’ station.  The remaining $6 million in funds came from the Village’s Downtown TIF.  Commuters who need to park are encouraged to utilize the 600-plus parking spaces at the Dempster Street station.