Red Line Renovations

As part of the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line Renovation project, they are performing work at the Garfield train station. This is the station to which I take the train every weekday morning to get to work at the University of Chicago.

Since late spring or early summer (I honestly just can't remember which) the train station has been under renovation. From the CTA website, here's everything that is supposed to be done in this renovation:

- replace one escalator and platform canopy
- install new floors, lighting and CA Kiosk
- improve bus connection
- repair pedestrian bridge
- add canopy

So far, this is what has been accomplished:

-new floors have been installed on the platform only
-the panels have been removed from the platform canopy
-the escalator has been systematically dismantled
-the old staircase has been boarded up
-a new, wooden staircase has been unveiled suspiciously close to the area where the escalator used to be

For at least four months of work, I'm not really all that impressed. Of course, seeing workers (1) on the work site and (2) actually working is a pretty rare occurrence. At this rate, I expect that, all winter long, there will be no cover over the platform. That should be really interesting once the snowstorms start. It's ridiculous to expect people to wait on a platform for a train when it's -20 degrees and snowing without providing any refuge from the snow that's falling. It's also ridiculous to expect people to drudge through a foot of snow on a train platform. Ridiculous at best, limb-severing terror at worst.

And the CTA wonders why it's losing ridership?

I don't know what the reasons are that so little work has been done in this period of time. Notwithstanding those reasons, which I'm sure would just break your heart, the current state of affairs at the Garfield station is abysmal. Sadly, the 47th Street station is no better, and in fact may be worse. I can only assume that other stations along the southern branch of the Red Line undergoing renovations (63rd, 69th, 75th and 87th Streets) are similarly ill-equipped to handle the onslaught of winter, which apparently is breezing through town on a house-hunting tour tomorrow before taking up
permanent residence in about a month.

CTA riders deserve better. I plan on making my voice heard by contacting CTA. I hope you will too.