CTA rail stations to receive improvements through ‘Refresh & Renew’ program
Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) rail stations will receive repairs and improvements in fall 2024 as part of the agency’s ongoing, cyclical station improvement program, Refresh & Renew.
“Thanks to our hardworking crews, we were proud to welcome new riders onto our system this summer as our city played host to large events, including the Democratic National Convention and Lollapalooza,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “Our crews worked at an aggressive pace to make improvements across the system and that work will continue—as it does every year—to bring improvements to additional stations.”
In 2024, crews will be performing an estimated $6.5 million in repairs and maintenance at 29 stations and 14 turnarounds in 2024.
Through November, crews will focus on 12 rail stations across seven lines, as well as improvements at five bus turnarounds.
The following CTA stations are slated to be refreshed and renewed this fall:
- Red Line: Grand, Granville
- Blue Line: Oak Park, Western (Congress Branch)
- Green Line: Ridgeland, Conservatory
- Brown Line: Sedgwick, Paulina
- Pink Line: Kedzie, Cicero
- Purple Line: Davis
- Yellow Line: Oakton
- Bus turnarounds: 47th/Lake Park, Grand/Latrobe, Grand/Nordica, Division/Austin, Jackson/Austin
Created in 2019, the Refresh & Renew program helps keep CTA’s stations in a state of good repair by performing routine maintenance that enhances the safety, security and overall look and feel of facilities.
Prior to starting work at a location, crews perform an initial thorough inspection of the location to identify any items that need repair and/or replacement – either immediately or in the near term.
Some of the more comprehensive improvements made as part of this program include concrete repairs, removal of outdated fixtures and equipment, repairs to utility and plumbing lines and more. Work also includes smaller cosmetic upgrades such as painting and replacing sheet metal or damaged signage, lighting upgrades, cleaning and repair of surfaces (e.g., columns, walls, railings, fencing/gates, platform fixtures, etc.) and power washing are also performed.
CTA will also be launching seasonal power washing teams to complement Refresh & Renew and attack grime that collected during the winter. CTA notes the separate group of personnel will be dispatched during the overnight hours and tasked with scrubbing and power washing the surfaces of CTA’s stations. During the warmer months of spring and fall, each of CTA’s 145 rail stations is power washed at least once a month as part of routine station cleaning.
