The Chicago Transit Authority plans to polish 100 El stops over the next 12 months, but Evanston riders may have to wait for a Purple Line revamp.
On Tuesday morning, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA officials announced a new maintenance initiative that would dispatch “renew crews” to clean and repair needy stations.
The upkeep program’s first sites include the California stop along the Blue Line and the Halsted stop along the Orange Line, according to the CTA website.
Although the Red Line’s Jarvis station and the Yellow Line’s Skokie endpoint are also on the clean-up agenda, CTA spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski declined to detail any target areas beyond those slated spots.
“Presently, that’s the only schedule available,” she said in an email.
While waiting for a southbound train at the Purple Line’s Noyes stop Tuesday evening, Evanston resident Karolina Charaziak said the Red Line’s well-being should be prioritized over her home city’s creaky terminals.
The Red Line handles about 40 percent of all El ridership, according to the CTA’s website.
Charaziak added increased cleanliness often leads to increased safety, a paramount concern for her while on board any form of public transit.
“We spend lots of time waiting for trains, and it’s a part of my day to hang out here,” she said. “I want to feel safe and surrounded by a nice environment.”
In a CTA news release issued Tuesday, Emanuel touted other long-term benefits of an up-to-speed transportation network.
“Chicago is an international, world-class city, and my administration is committed to investing in what’s right, to make sure every piece of it shines,” he said. “With this new Station Renewal program we’ll have cleaner, brighter, more functional stations for CTA riders.”
CTA President Forrest Claypool distinguished this maintenance program from previous efforts that utilized more of a “piecemeal approach,” according to the press release.
He added clean-up teams will use both private special contractors and city employees.
Specific improvements have already been revealed for the upkeep initiative’s first locations along the Blue and Orange lines, both of which follow a comprehensive overhaul of the Blue Line’s Logan Square stop.
During that recent project, additional light fixtures were installed, new trees were planted near the bus terminal and 19 security cameras were upgraded to high-definition equipment, among a dozen other facility upgrades.
Kimberly Railey contributed reporting.
