10/17/01
Chicago Transit Board Chairman Valerie B. Jarrett, Chicago Transit Authority President Frank Kruesi and 20th Ward Alderman Arenda Troutman today officially opened the new CTA Green Line station house on Garfield Boulevard.
The new station house is located on the north side of Garfield Boulevard and features a new escalator and elevators to make the station accessible to customers with disabilities. Other upgrades at the Garfield Station include improved lighting, audio-visual signage, a new Customer Assistant kiosk, improved communications and public address system and a new platform and canopy.
Garfield Boulevard is one of 26 CTA rail stations recently improved by the CTA to make them more attractive, safe and convenient for customers.
?The rehabilitation of the historic Garfield Boulevard station will further enhance our Green Line service especially to the West Woodlawn, East Englewood, Washington Park and Hyde Park communities. We have already renovated two stations on the Green Line at Indiana Avenue and at Lake/Pulaski and earlier this summer, the CTA opened a brand new station on Central Park Drive and Lake Street near the Garfield Park Conservatory," said CTA Chairman Valerie B. Jarrett. ?These improvements demonstrate our commitment to provide our customers with the best possible service."
?The Garfield Boulevard station is the latest effort as we continue to rebuild our infrastructure and make upgrades to enhance our service," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. "These improvements are designed to help us continue providing service that is affordable and reliable, as well as on time, clean, safe and friendly.
The station is an easy transfer point for local residents as well as visitors who want to board #55 Garfield buses to the Museum of Science and Industry, DuSable Museum, University of Chicago, Oriental Institute and Washington Park.
?Accessible, affordable transportation is one of the crucial elements enhancing the burgeoning renaissance of this community," said 20th Ward Alderman Arenda Troutman. ?This station will be a focal point for additional new development, a magnet for more employment opportunities and new housing and recreational options for our neighborhood."
The Green Line was shut down in January, 1994 so it could be completely rebuilt and reopened for service in 1996. Ridership on the entire Green Line dropped to a low of 8,455,963 in 1993 before the renovation began and has climbed back 6.6% to 9,011,036 last year. Ridership at the Garfield Station dropped to 227,118 in 1993 and rose 1.5% to 230,414 last year. As of the end of this August, 168,807 customers have used the Garfield Station this year.
Many other improvements are also underway at the CTA. Construction on the CTA's largest capital improvement project ever began last month with the reconstruction of the Cermak (Douglas) Branch of the Blue Line. In addition to construction, the CTA is improving its fleet with the purchase of 469 low-floor, air conditioned Nova buses. About 300 are currently in service and the remainder should be delivered in 2002. The Authority has also overhauled 475 buses and retrofitted them with air conditioning. Hundreds of rail cars have also been refurbished and had their air conditioning systems upgraded.
?We would also like to thank Mayor Richard M. Daley, Governor George Ryan, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and the entire Illinois Congressional delegation for their continued support of public transit and the CTA in particular. Their support and assistance in securing some of the funding necessary to make improvements to our system demonstrate their commitment to helping the CTA to achieve its mission of delivering quality, affordable transit services that link people, jobs and communities," said Kruesi.
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