Family and friends of the late Walker R. Allen gather Monday to take the first ride at the Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station. Allen grew up in Skokie and planned to be there on this historic day. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Rebecca Rubin hands Skokie Police Chief Tony Scarpelli a pastry from Sweety Pies Bakery Monday morning on the platform of the new downtown Skokie Yellow Line station. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times

A new map on a CTA Yellow Line train shows the new Oakton-Skokie station and Dempster-Skokie, formerly named Skokie Swift. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Rebecca Rubin passes out pastries early Monday before the first train pulls in at the new Oakton-Skokie downtown station. She is seen on the platform with Village Trustee Randy Roberts. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Niles Township Trustee Mark Collins (left) and former CTA employee Cary Morgen await the first train to pull into the Oakton-Skokie station Monday in downtown Skokie. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Village Engineer Fred Schattner was among those who took the first ride Monday at Oakton-Skokie. He poses in front of a plaque at Dempster-Skokie, formerly the Skokie Swift, which he worked to open as well. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Cary Morgen, former CTA employee, waits for the doors to open Monday at downtown Skokie's new Yellow Line Oakton-Skokie station. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Downtown Skokie advocate Scott Holtz and Skokie Librarian Frances Roehm are among the first riders at the new Oakton-Skokie Yellow Line station. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Sharon Bartley of the CTA works the historic first ride from Oakton-Skokie to Dempster-Skokie Monday. She is seen talking to Niles Township Trustee Mark Collins (left) and Rich Cahan. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

The first riders at the new Yellow Line CTA station in downtown Skokie buy fare cards early Monday morning. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Rebecca Rubin, who organized a gathering for the first train ride Monday morning at the new Oakton-Skokie station, purchases a fare card. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

A group of Skokie officials and residents were the first to ride the downtown Skokie Yellow Line train that began service Monday morning. They took the historic trip to Dempster-Skokie and back. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Rebecca Rubin is seen here in front of the new downtown Skokie train station that began service Monday. Rubin was among the first riders. | Photo courtesy of Rebecca Rubin

The doors to the new Oakton-Skokie station open for the first time early Monday morning before the sun comes out. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

The new CTA Yellow Line station in downtown Skokie began service before 5 a.m. Monday morning. Village leaders have waited for this day for more than 10 years. | Mike Isaacs~Sun-Times Media

Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen (left), U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-9th) and CTA President Forrest Claypool attend Monday's opening of the new Oakton-Skokie station in downtown Skokie. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

The long-awaited $20 milion downtown Skokie CTA station, Oakton-Skokie, opened for business Monday. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

An inbound train arrives Monday at Skokie's new downtown CTA train station on the first day it was open. The station was a long-awaited dream for many. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

A crossing at the north end of downtown Skokie's new Yellow Line CTA station, Oakton-Skokie, allows riders easy access into and out of the station. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

It's uncertain whether these commuters know they are part of local history as they board a train Monday on the first day of service at downtown Skokie's Oakton-Skokie station. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

The new downtown Skokie Yellow Line station, simply called Oakton-Skokie, opened for the first time Monday. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

A train map on the platform of the new Yellow Line CTA station in downtown Skokie provides riders with arrival time information. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

Seen here is the entrance to the new downtown Skokie Yellow Line CTA station off of Oakton Street at the far south end of the terminal. The station opened for the first time Monday. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

Robert Wittmann, CTA general manager of construction, provides a tour of the new downtown Skokie CTA station Monday for U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, CTA President Forrest Claypool (left) and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Media

CTA President Forrest Claypool (from left), U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen meet on the platofrm of the new Oakton-Skokie downtown station Monday, the first day the station was open. | Buzz Orr~Sun-Times Me