CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined transportation leaders Monday morning to tout the completion of cosmetic and safety improvements at five stations along the north branch of the CTA Blue Line, officials announced.
During the course of the year-long, $43 million project, workers refurbished concrete platforms and added new lighting and security cameras at the Addison, Irving Park, Montrose, Harlem and Cumberland stations.
The Addison station, where Monday's event was hosted, saw the installment of a passenger elevator, joining Cumberland and Harlem stations to become fully accessible for people with disabilities.
The Irving Park and Montrose stations don't have elevators, but they're slated to receive them under the CTA's "ASAP Plan," announced earlier this year.
New security cameras were installed as part of improvements to platform canopies, according to CTA spokesman Jeff Tolman. The quantity and locations of the cameras were not publicized for "security reasons," he added.
The station renovations won't necessarily improve train service or capacity, officials said.
Nonetheless, the combined projects will "provide a more pleasant customer environment and complement other Blue Line improvements that have enhanced service reliability and customer comfort,” said CTA president Dorval Carter, according to the announcement.
The unveiling checked off one more stage of the Your New Blue initiative, a sweeping half-billion-dollar effort to improve service and access along the Blue Line between Grand and O'Hare.
The California, Western and Damen stations underwent similar renovations in 2014.
Next on the agenda are the Belmont station, whose $15 million overhaul will feature a flashy glass swoosh design, and the Jefferson Park Transit Center, which will see much of its infrastructure refinished or replaced.
With weekday ridership up 25 percent along the Blue Line since 2011, transportation officials are straining to add enough capacity and efficiency to catch up.
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