Chicago Transit Authority “Renew Crews” will work on the Purple Line’s Noyes El stop throughout the next six weeks.

Improvements including paint removal and reapplication, power washing, gutter and drain cleaning, graffiti removal and lighting additions are part of the CTA Renewal Program, which is “designed to provide a facelift to 100 CTA rail stations,” according to an Evanston news release. They will be carried out by various trade workers in groups dubbed Renew Crews.

This rehabilitation strategy of employing workers with a variety of skills, such as carpentry, electrical engineering, plumbing and metalworking to work holistically on stations is a change from the way CTA has traditionally carried out repairs. Previously, CTA has addressed issues on a case-by-case basis when the need arises.

The Noyes station is the only Purple Line station currently undergoing treatment. Specific upgrades include bolstering the platform canopy structure, replacing rotted wood at the base of the customer assistant booth, replacing wooden windbreaks with steel ones, adding a bench, patching loose concrete on the platform and clearing abandoned bikes and bike frames from racks at the street level.

Purple Line stations that have already been upgraded are Merchandise Mart, South Boulevard, Central, Davis and Howard, which is shared with the Red and Yellow lines.

The next Purple Line station scheduled for a makeover is Foster.

The CTA Renewal Program will accomplish work on target stations over the next year. It is currently working on 20 stations in addition to Noyes.

— Susan Du