Jefferson Park Transit Center

I grew up in the city, so I took this for the CTA blue line and the 81 bus home. The depot has a plethora of CTA, and upstairs, Metra.
Now that I’m all grown-​up, I take the Metra, hence this specific review is for the Metra stop. Parking for this as of Feb 12, 2016 is $ 1.50, and at least on a Friday, there were plenty of spots left in the Metra parking lot. There are two vending machines which takes some special vending card (NOT your credit card. I stood there like a doofus swiping my credit card 90x until I realize the slot was not for credit cards, but for whatever proprietary card they use). They also have have a mobile app where Parkmobile users can pay by calling 877−727−5004 (location id 225).
There is a limited amount of free street parking alongside Northwest Highway, but it looks like that gets filled quick. Other than that, the neighboring streets all require Chicago Permit 101 in order to park, or you can try Long Ave, but the parking there is in 2-​hr increments, which is silly.
Overall, Jefferson Park Transit Center hosts the Metra, Pace, and CTA, and is your one-​stop shop to get yourself to and fro.

I thought about starting a miniseries of reviews on CTA trains, train stations, and buses once I have 1,000 reviews in. However, my Unilocal page kept on pestering me to write one since I have more than 540 check-​ins. Sure, why not commence my special series now?
It wasn’t too difficult to decide on which one to choose as the very first review. Jefferson Park Transit Center is my home station. I live in Portage Park, and CTA #85 (Central) or #91 (Austin) northbound bus takes me to JPTC, five (5) days a week, as the transfer to get me to the blue line O’Hare bound!
Obviously, many Chicagoans know that famous/​infamous blue line that takes you all the way to O’Hare International Airport Terminal 3, or Forest Park (an immediate west suburb) on the opposite direction. Do you know what buses also service at JPTC? I know them way too well at this point.
— that insomniac #81 (Lawrence), eastbound all the way to Wilson/​Marine near the Lakeshore Drive
— that diagonally-​run #56 (Milwaukee), southeast bound to Michigan/​Washington, the downtown Loop
–that horizontally-​developed #92 (Foster), eastbound to CTA Berwyn Red Line station in Edgewater
— that infrequent #68 (Northwest Hwy.), servicing to Norwood Park and Edison Park neighborhoods, ending at Park Ridge Metra
— that not-​so-​centered #85 (Central), running through Portage Park, Belmont Central/​Cragin, and Austin neighborhoods for the southbound route. The northbound ends at Bryn Mawr/​Elston.
— that mysterious #85A (N. Central), servicing to the affluent Edgebrook neighborhood. Yes, City of Chicago incorporated it sometime ago for taxation purposes.
— that so-​not-​in-​Texas #91 (Austin), passing through Jefferson Park, Portage Park/​Dunning, Belmont Cragin, Galewood, Austin neighborhoods, with a southbound terminal stop at Roosevelt (in Oak Park)
Other buses that service to JPTC are #88 (Higgins), Pace #270 (to Golf Mills), and Pace #226 (to Des Plaines Metra). I personally never witnessed #226 running, but for the record it should be actively in-​service.
There are two (2) heated waiting areas to keep you warm and toasty during the winter season.
In terms of amenities, four (4) Ventura card adding machines, one (1) PNC ATM, «The Bagelers» coffee shop, and a convenience store are onsite.
You can’t easily catch Leo DiCaprio here at JPTC, but catch me if you can for I’m a regular.

The female Hispanic worker there is the worst person in the history of cta workers. My girlfriend got her bike stolen at the BIKE RACKS THEY HAVE and she didn’t give a damn that it got stolen. Almost pleased this happened to her she just handed this situation to her partner very lightly. HOW DOES JP NOT HAVE CAMERAS AT THE BIKE STATIONS? Where does our tax money go??? We need cameras up there ASAP BECAUSE 400 dollars does not grow on trees.

Beats Chicago rush hour. Nice polite women to help. Argg such a pampered suburbanite

Ultimate liberal pansy shit. Sorry you are on the wring platform you can’t get your money back. Asshole system and didn’t make my train. This idiots that sick the public dime should be fired and how people that care about Americans. Put a uniform on a loser still a looser

Be very careful when you buy items from the little convenience store in the Jefferson Park Terminal. I purchased the newspaper from this store yesterday and handed the man at the register a $ 20. He gave me change back as if I gave him a $ 10. I asked to speak to his manager. Mr. Patel was not willing to help solve this until I threatened to call the police on them. Mr. Patel told me to leave my name and phone number with them and he would call me back later that day. I refused to leave without my money.
I then asked for the owner to come to the store. He said he was an hour and a half away by car. I then asked if the store had a camera and to review the camera to confirm the $ 20. It was then that Mr. Patel told his worker to give me my money back.
They were going to make me wait until the end of the day when they could have just reviewed the camera. Beware of their scam.

Want to take a hike around? Park your car on Avondale Ave between Lawrence and Ainslie and go right ahead. The current ratio of taken/​free car spots is ²⁴⁄₄.
Jefferson Park Transit Center ties up CTA blue line trains connecting the O’Hare airport and Chicago downtown, with CTA buses, travelling within the city limits, and Metra trains of Union North Western Pacific line between Chicago and Harvard/​Island Lake.
Ever smell piss at CTA stations? That’s because the whole fucking system has bathrooms available only for employees.
The Metra station ticket room was not operating so I couldn’t get a ticket in advance.
Really appreciate they still have working pay phones that may come in handy when your smartphone battery dies.
As usual the plaza is dirty but who really cares? Functionality wise it could be better but all in all it worth 3 stars of 5.

Ventra is such a garbage system, the cards don’t work and again I almost missed my train because I had to tap the damn card 8 times while some untrained cta employee just stood there with this blank look on her face. Luckily someone was holding the train door for me.

Not to say much about this place. It’s a transit center and fairly clean.

Ok, so it is what it is — A Transit Center and let’s not try to frill it up by saying it’s something extraordinary in terms of styling, design, being hip or anything like that, simply it’s a transit center.
On the positive: If you live in or are in the NW-​side of Chicago it links you to O’Hare, & the rest of the City very convenient. You have a lot of choices the CTA has the «L» Blue-​Line and it’s a massive buss terminal. There is also Metra for the serious rider and for the most part the CTA and Metra are on time too! If you drive garaged parking available for the rainy and snowy days and several shops mere yards away (like Dunkin, 7/​11, subway, etc) for a quick breakfast or dinner.
On the negative: It can get pretty crowded during rush hour, the place is old and looks it, and there is NO Free street parking! Metra has a lot, but only for Monthly Metra riders. Walking in the bus area can be really risky as they just whip around and my personal favorite — the God Awful Pee Smell, especially pleasant on those hot summer days.
Again — it’s simply a transit center!

Like Alex said… The good is there is a myriad of ways to get here., and a few choices; CTA, PACE, Metra, and cabs. This is a CTA terminal thats been here for awhile, so it isnt spot fresh clean. and many… odors have roamed this place, but for what it is, it DOES get the job done.
I have been using the CTA/​Pace route a few times, and the employees on the bus are usually friendly and talkative, buses are generally clean as it is public transportation, and the area itself isnt too bad at all for litter, and I been meaning to take a pic of the Thomas Jefferson Statue for a bit now.
If you get here early this is a McDonalds across the street, a small dive which I reviewed earlier on (see Freddys Fast Food) and there is a small shop inside also (different owner from the last time.) Be advised, he takes no plastic so you need green. No chase machines (again annoying) but this had nothing to do with the terminal.
Trains were timely and themselves clean and serviceable. I heard they were tlaking about upgrading them also… but I am not sure when this is to be implemented.
And like Alex also described it… yes there are bums and evangelists (which makes me wonder why the evangelists help the homeless in their pursuit of good cause) but unless they are breaking the law or being unruly, it doesn’t bother me too much except depress me alittle.

It’s no Ogilvie, but for what it is, it’s pretty darn good.
I’m a Metra rider, and I recently moved from Irving Park to Jeff Park, and the Metra stations are like night and day. The Irving Park stop is basically a slab of asphalt with two or three overhangs, while the Jefferson Park Metra Station is – how should I describe it? — like an actual station! There’s an escalator, an inside terminal so you don’t have to wait outside, benches to sit on – it’s like a real station!
I also like that there are newspaper guys underneath the terminal passing out copies of RedEye and selling the Sun-​Times and Trib. It’s quite the happening place. In the afternoons, there’s also usually a very talented guy playing a wooden flute or a talented guy playing an electric violin or something. I like that they’re supplying some tunes while I exit the terminal.
I haven’t used the bathrooms there (I’m not sure where they are or even if they have any), but they’re probably gross, as would be expected.
But overall, Jefferson Park Transit Center is pretty good.

This is a nice little terminal, providing commuters with access to all three public transit systems-​CTA, Metra, and Pace. I love the statue at the outside of the terminal, so much that I snapped a couple pictures of it back in December. I like pigeons and I was pretty amused to see over three dozen of them huddled together inside a heating station. I think I may have took a picture of that too, don’t remember. Good to see a McDonalds, 7 – 11, and what have you so close to this terminal. In that case, hundreds of commuters of CTA, Pace, and Metra can get something to eat or drink while waiting for their bus or train. They just better pray that they don’t experience a fart attack on the bus or train after eating at the McDonalds.

JP!
Also known as Jefferson Park to none locals.
I love this station because it houses I believe the most buses in Chicago. Oh and can’t forget the blue line! Hello O’hare or maybe you prefer downtown?
Whatever your traveling needs JP is the station to be. Heated waiting stations, Mc donalds, Snack shop, 7 – 11 and Dunkin Donuts all within a hop, jump or skip away.

This is a very convenient transit center where Metra, El, and several bus lines all converge together. As such, it is incredibly busy so make sure you know where you’re going and when you need to be there.
There is a McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, and 7 – 11 across the street and down a block. There is a convenience store kiosk inside the station.
There is an elevator. It, like the rest of the station, smells like urine, but it works.
There are plenty of superfluous CTA workers sucking off the transit teat and doing absolutely no work that I can tell.
There is currently construction to improve this stretch of Milwaukee Ave.
I wish the exterior was more attractive — more vegetation would improve the impression of a concrete wasteland — and I wish the interior at least smelled less offensive, but really, this is an easily traversed hub in a nicer neighborhood.

Where Metra, the El, CTA and Pace buses connect on the Northwest side. There is a convenience store, a café counter and friendly newspaper men in the morning. You can also meet a lot of politicians here during campaigns.
My only beefs: the bus supervisor smoking cigars (seriously???) and everyone else smoking next to the no smoking signs (seriously!!!).

Really? People are giving this place 4 stars? Granted, it’s not the worst train /​bus station I’ve ever seen, but in what way is this place any better than 2 stars? How low are your standards?
For as large as the place is — with a major bus terminal, a metra line, and a Blue L line all converging at the same place, you’d think they’d have some better retail. The only thing they have is a cruddy newstand selling suspicious looking doughnuts and coffee I am not brave enough to try.
If you want to drop someone off, there’s no place to do that unless you drive illegally into bus lanes.
If you have to get to O’Hare, this is a cheap way to get there, but the Blue L is so slow you better leave 3 hours before your flight.
If you’re going downtown, the Metra is the way to really fly (don’t take the blue line as it’s slower than driving during rush hour).
I give this place 2 stars only because it’s conveniently located.

I wish they would stop with the broadcasting of the bird calls. It sounds like this: SCREEEEECH!!! SCREEEECH! Or take your fingernails and scrape them on a chalkboard and amplify that over a loudspeaker and you’ll see what I mean. I can’t see that it’s really changed the amount of pigeons hanging out here. Every time I used the Jefferson Park CTA in the warmer seasons, the pigeons didn’t seem deterred.
In terms of a transit center, I can’t really find much else to say about it. It is nice that you can hop on the Metra here and that it has a lot of shelter unlike some other CTA stops.

Feh. The long-​promised sheltered entryways reek of piss and fear. They added two new benches to the Metra platform — hurrah.
Pros: easy coffee and grub to go within minutes (even in the station); smokes &c for sale in-​station; ATM; functional payphones; great bars within walking distance.
Cons: odors; indolent CTA-​folk

Boy was I surprised to see a statue of founding father Thomas Jefferson installed this year at the Jefferson Park station. It’s a touch of class at what is basically a utilitarian transportation terminal (CTA Blue Line, CTA and Pace buses, Metra rail). Another newfangled feature is some sort of sound system which broadcasts the bird calls of the natural predators of pigeons. I don’t know how effective this can be in the long run, but so far there does seem to be fewer pigeons.