You shopped. Ate. Played. Explored. Thank you!

Grid of images of cool businesses and happy business owners

As construction has wrapped on the CTA Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project, so has the RPM Open for Business Program. Thank you to everyone who helped make this program a success by shopping, eating, playing and exploring in Andersonville, Edgewater, Lakeview East and Uptown!

As CTA embarked on the largest transit investment project at the time, the agency recognized that while the project would significantly benefit the local community, construction would pose challenges to businesses in the project's footprint. In response, CTA launched its first-ever program dedicated to directly supporting local businesses during a major construction effort.

Thanks to its strong results, the RPM Open for Business Program now serves as a model for future CTA projects. Keep scrolling to explore the program’s accomplishments.

Key achievements

266 businesses were supported

…in the Andersonville, Edgewater, Lakeview East and Uptown communities through marketing campaigns, free photo shoots, features across RPM social channels and more.

Sign saying businesses are open

64 free photo shoots

…were conducted for qualifying businesses. Photos were used in Open for Business marketing efforts and were shared with the businesses for self-promotion, as well as with the local chambers of commerce for additional marketing support.

Grid of four snapshots from local businesses

16 marketing campaigns

…were developed and executed, generating 26.38M+ impressions and 340.9K+ clicks to this website.

A bus with a sign promoting area businesses

71.1K+ clicks to businesses’ websites

…were generated from people visiting this website through campaign and organic efforts. Organic efforts included email marketing and social media features. 49.9K+ social media engagements were generated from organic Open for Business posts on CTA RPM’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Laptop showing a promotion for a local business

Testimonials

  • “I actually saw new people in my business.”
    Long Nguyen, Nha Hang Viet Nam Restaurant, Uptown
  • “The program is helping bring people into the community.”
    Daryl Sneed, SOUNDOFF, Edgewater
  • “The Program is a Godsend.”
    Deidre Austin, DMApothecary – Bath House & Beauty Emporium, Edgewater
  • “The CTA RPM Open for Business Program has helped us to overcome all the challenges that we had faced throughout the project.”
    Alejandro Balza, Bolivar & Lincoln Venezuelan Cafe, Lakeview East
  • “The CTA RPM Open for Business Program was really good for us, because during the period where the public transportation was disrupted, it provided knowledge that we were open.”
    Michael Roper, Hopleaf Bar, Andersonville
End of slider carousel
We got there together

Thank you!

CTA thanks all of the participating businesses, our community partners and everyone who visited and supported the businesses over the last five years. Thanks to you, the RPM Open for Business Program was a success. We couldn’t have done it without you – we got there together!

In collaboration with:

Close