CTA

Cleaning Crews to Turn Up the Heat for Summer ‘Refresh & Renew’ Work Across the Transit System

June 3, 2024

More than a dozen stations have already received improvements this year as part of the ongoing station revitalization program

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced the rail stations that will receive repairs and improvements in summer 2024 as part of its ongoing, cyclical station improvement program Refresh & Renew. 

“Already this year, work at more than a dozen rail stations across the system has been completed as part of the spring session of Refresh & Renew,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “Our crews worked at an aggressive pace to make improvements across the system, and I’m looking forward to the launching of our summer cleaning and seeing that progress continue.” 

In 2024, crews will be performing an estimated $6.5 million in repairs and maintenance. Through Labor Day weekend, crews will focus on 14 rail stations across seven lines, as well as improvements at six bus turnarounds. The stations receiving improvements during the Refresh & Renew fall program will be announced at a later date. Refresh & Renew work will conclude in November.

The following CTA stations are slated to be refreshed and renewed this summer:

  • Red Line: 87th
  • Blue Line: Oak Park, Western (Congress)
  • Green Line: Clinton
  • Brown Line: Southport, Paulina, Sedgwick
  • Orange Line: Pulaski*
  • Pink Line: Kostner, Cicero, Clinton, Kedzie
  • Purple Line: Davis
  • Loop Elevated: Clark/Lake (SOIC)
  • Bus Turnarounds: Cicero/Penascola, Diversey/Neva, 87th/Racine, Grand/Streeter (Navy Pier), 47th/Lake Park

*Work at the Pulaski Orange Line station has already commenced  and is slated to be completed in early June.

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Some of the more comprehensive improvements made as part of this program include concrete repairs, removal of outdated fixtures and equipment, repairs to utility and plumbing lines and more.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 over the winter. This 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.

For more information on the Refresh & Renew project, visit: transitchicago.com/refresh-renew.

 

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