The Metra station that feeds Winnetka's Hubbard Woods Design District has no elevators, no ramps, and only stairs to its platforms. More than a year after village trustees approved a renovation plan, whether construction has begun is unclear.

Hubbard Woods station, at 1065 Gage St. on the Union Pacific North line, is one of 35 Metra stations classified as inaccessible, according to a Chicago Tribune report published July 23. The station sits steps from the Green Bay Road retail corridor between Tower Road and Scott Avenue.

Winnetka trustees unanimously approved Metra's renovation plans at their July 15, 2025 board meeting, green-lighting a project that includes a new pedestrian bridge, ADA ramps on both sides of the tracks, two elevators, platform replacements, and track-level warming stations. Metra told trustees it expected a 12-month construction timeline, but work could not begin until the State Historic Preservation Office and Union Pacific Railroad signed off. Neither approval has been publicly confirmed.

"This is one of those projects with an extremely long horizon," Winnetka Village Manager Rob Bahan said at that July 2025 meeting. "Literally, my first month on the job, this was a project that we had a special meeting on to try and move forward."

Bahan noted the project had been discussed for more than a decade, stalled first by funding and then by negotiations with Union Pacific, which owns the land Metra leases.

Federal program adds urgency

The station's inaccessible status drew renewed attention this week after U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., introduced the ASAP Reauthorization Act on July 22. Duckworth, who uses a wheelchair after losing both legs in Iraq, co-sponsored the bipartisan bill with Republican Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania.

The All Stations Accessibility Program, created under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with $1.75 billion in grants for elevator, ramp, and platform upgrades at older rail stations, expires September 30. A companion House bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jesús "Chuy" García of Chicago and U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania would authorize $350 million a year for the program starting in 2027.

Illinois transit agencies have received about $185 million in ASAP grants to date, though confirmed awards have gone to CTA and Metra Electric projects. No source confirms that Hubbard Woods has received or applied for ASAP funding.

"Making a station fully accessible helps the able-bodied as well," Duckworth told the Daily Herald. "It's not just about persons with disabilities."

What it means for Green Bay Road

For the shops and restaurants along the Hubbard Woods corridor, a stairs-only station limits who can walk through the door. Parents with strollers, seniors, and anyone with a mobility device cannot independently reach the platform. Upgrades can be expensive and complicated because the age and layout of older stations can require multiple elevators, and some platforms are too narrow for mobility devices, according to the CTA.

The Winnetka-Northfield-Glencoe Chamber of Commerce, the primary business association serving the corridor, has not issued a public position on the ASAP legislation or the renovation's business impact. The chamber can be reached at (847) 446-4451.

The Hubbard Woods Design District's next First Friday event is Friday, August 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Green Bay Road. Visitors arriving by Metra will need to use the stairs.