02/26/2007
The Chicago Transit Authority will hold a Brown Line community meeting to discuss the details of the upcoming construction at the Paulina, Southport, Wellington and Diversey stations. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 1 from 6 ? 8 p.m. at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Olson Auditorium, 836 W. Wellington Avenue. The facility is accessible to people with disabilities.
The meeting will provide residents and business owners with details of work planned at their neighborhood stations and an opportunity to meet representatives of the construction company.
The purpose of the Brown Line project is to increase capacity and thereby improve service. Although the CTA has added service and extended hours on the Brown line in recent years, capacity is still not sufficient to meet customer demand. During rush hour customers often cannot squeeze into a crowded train and must wait, sometimes for several trains.
As a solution, platforms will be lengthened to accommodate eight-car trains instead of the six-car trains currently in use, allowing for more customers to board. In addition to increasing capacity, Brown Line stations will be made accessible to people with disabilities as part of CTA's ongoing commitment to making its system accessible to all customers.
Other improvements such as wider stairways, additional entrances and exits and more turnstiles will ease congestion during busy hours. Upgrades to traction power equipment and the signal system are also included in the project.
Information on the Brown Line capacity expansion project can be found on the CTA's web site at www.transitchicago.com or www.ctabrownline.com.
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