Renovations will improve safety and customer experience
The CTA Board today approved a $30 million project to renovate and modernize the Grand, Chicago and Division Blue Line stations. Work will begin within the next few months. This project is part of the Your New Blue (YNB) initiative to invest in neighborhood transit services and improve the customer experience along the O’Hare Branch of the Blue Line.
The project will be the largest renovation of the three subway stations since they opened in 1951. All three stations will get a wide range of upgrades, including new surfaces, new railings, new lighting, new security cameras and other improvements.
“The modernization of these three stations, which link Chicagoans to downtown and Near North side jobs, schools and health care facilities, will allow us to provide improved and safer transit service to the four million passengers who use these transit hubs each year,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This investment will continue our efforts to enhance a world-class transit system that better serves the neighborhoods of Chicago for generations to come.”
The project will not only include the refurbishment of escalators, but also stair repairs and the installation of new entry canopies and enclosures at each stair opening. Customers also will notice better lighting, new tile and repairs to walls and floors on the mezzanine and platform levels. As part of CTA’s enhanced Safe & Secure security upgrades throughout its system, new HD cameras will be installed on both the mezzanine and platform levels, along with new audio speakers on the platform.
The $492 million Your New Blue (YNB) initiative, one of the largest projects in CTA history, includes track and infrastructure improvements, stationhouse upgrades, subway improvements, signal upgrades and power upgrades along the O’Hare Branch of the Blue Line. The results will include faster, more reliable and more frequent service between O’Hare and downtown, including reducing commute times to and from the airport by up to 10 minutes one-way. YNB also will be a significant investment in stations and transit-oriented development near key rail stations in areas experiencing high ridership growth, improving the rider experience and the CTA’s connection to local neighborhoods.
The CTA board today awarded the Grand-Chicago-Division Blue Line renovation contract to F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, LLC. Paschen is an industry leader in infrastructure construction and rehab projects, and has extensive experience in heavy rail transportation, including mass transit.
# # #