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Read the press release here.

Massive North Side 'L' Modernization Plan May Take 3.5 Years, Officials Say

 The CTA hopes to begin construction in 2017.
Red Line Modernization Renderings
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CHICAGO — The massive Red Line and Purple Line modernization project will eventually pay off for North Side neighborhoods, the CTA said at a meeting last week.

But it won't come without hassles, as residents noted at the meeting, during which plans were presented and Chicagoans voiced their concerns.

More than 100 residents gathered at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway, to hear how the CTA planned to rehab 1.3 miles of track and modernize Red Line and Purple Line stations from Lawrence to Bryn Mawr in the upcoming years.

According to Tammy Chase, a spokeswoman from the CTA, the plan to rebuild the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stops — and all the tracks and the structure underneath — could take about 3½ years.

"It’s from the ground up, and it’s to create modern stations, wider platforms, elevators in every station, better lighting ... If you know those stations now, the platforms are very narrow, they’re crowded and you can’t put an elevator in there. They’re not accessible to all of our customers. And they’re approaching almost 100 years old now, and it’s time to upgrade that," Chase said.

The extensive track work would create a faster, smoother and quieter ride along the slow-zone plagued tracks, she said. The new support structures, bridges and viaducts would eliminate deteriorated structures that have become eyesores, according to the CTA.

"Assuming everything comes together" the project will cost about $1.3 billion, funds the CTA hopes to receive through a mix of federal, state and local grants. If all the money is there, construction can begin as early as 2017, Chase said.

The CTA will need to acquire some commercial and private properties to make the improvements and to create the proposed Red-Purple Bypass. During construction, there will be temporary closings of the stations, during which more frequent bus service will be made available, the CTA said.

Residents should also expect some noise from construction, but the new structures will include noise barriers and other features to decrease the noise, the CTA said.

At the meeting, Chase emphasized that the plans had not yet been finalized, but that the project was sorely needed.

"We’ve got a nearly century-old structure that we can’t add more people to, and we can’t add more trains to during rush period. We’re getting to the point where we’re at capacity."

While most residents were OK with the plan, many still had a wrinkle or two they wanted to throw into the mix — that included Ald. Harry Osterman (48th), who is lobbying keep the Berwyn station open as long as possible, he said.

"In the initial construction project plan, Berwyn is earmarked to be closed throughout the whole project's two phases, which could be two or three years. I requested the CTA to keep it open for Phase 1 on that project and close it for the second phase of it," Osterman said.

"It keeps the businesses open and it’ll help the commuters that go there. There’s about 900,000 people at times of the year that take the train there. There’s also a business community around there, too, and we don’t want to totally shut it down," he said.

When completed, the project will get people out of their cars and using public transportation more frequently, which will benefit the businesses surrounding the stations, he said. But for now, businesses are "still trying to absorb it," he added.

"I think they see the positive benefits in the future, but they know it's going to be a lot of construction, a lot of dust, a lot of work. But I think if you look at streets like Argyle, Berwyn, Thorndale and Granville that have had station work done, it’s been a huge enhancement to the streets," Osterman said.

Other residents expressed concerns about their properties along the embankment near the tracks, while still others were unsure how the project would affect their commute.

Andrew Suszek, 30, has lived near the Berwyn stop for the last two years, uses the train line for most of his travel. The closing of the station would add about 20 minutes to his daily commute, he said, but that wasn't his main concern. He wanted to know why the CTA plans to expand the platforms to the east instead of the west.

"They're not planning on expanding to the west, where you have commercial businesses. They're moving them to the back door of people's homes when we're already 80 feet away. It's about noise, looks, vibrations. There's just a lot of negative impact," he said.

"They should at least make every effort to move the platforms west," Suszek suggested as he turned in his comment card Thursday.

Jeremy Baker, 37, of Edgewater, said the CTA would definitely need more buses and should consider changing or extending routes such as the Lake Shore Express bus to go further north.

"I agree [the construction] needs to be done. The plans look pretty good and well planned out, but [the timeframe] seems like a long time for all these businesses. It's almost inconceivable to think about being there for almost four years," Baker said.

"In the long term, it's a good plan," he said, but he added he understands that people don't like being inconvenienced in the meantime.

The CTA hopes to begin construction by 2017.

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