Newly Renovated Addison Brown Line Station Reopens December 3

Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman was joined by 47th Ward Alderman Eugene Schulter, 11th District State Representative John Fritchey and 6th District State Senator John Cullerton to open the newly renovated Addison station on the Brown Line. Following 12 months of construction work to lengthen platforms, install elevators and build a new stationhouse, the station opened for service this morning with the arrival of the first Brown Line train

?Within the last month we have completed construction on three Brown Line stations ? Addison, Montrose and Sedgwick. These stations, along with the five stations completed earlier in the project, demonstrate the sweeping improvements that can be made with capital funding for public transit," said CTA President Ron Huberman. ?Increasing the capacity on the third busiest rail line in the system will make a real impact on people who ride the Brown Line every day."

With two new elevators, one for each platform, Addison is now the 80th accessible station out of CTA's 144 rail stations. The station also features an accessible turnstile, tactile platform edging, gap fillers, TTY telephones and Braille signs.

Also new to the station are two auxiliary exits, one serving the northbound platform and one serving the southbound platform. Other upgrades include wider stairways, additional turnstiles, a new platform canopy, customer assistant call buttons, an information kiosk, heaters, benches, brighter lighting, windbreaks and improved station and directional signs.

Addison station also features original artwork reflecting hand-written box score symbols describing the May 14, 1969 game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres. The Cubs won this game, in which treasured Chicago sports icon Ernie Banks figured prominently, with a score of 3 to 2. Samples of game announcer and retired Cub Ron Santo's own writing were used to illustrate the game featured in the artwork.

The work is affixed outside the stationhouse and was created by artist Gregory Gomez. To foster a sense of ownership and identity within each station and the surrounding community, the CTA has partnered with the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs to install public art at all 18 stations included in the Brown Line capacity expansion project. The art is included in the overall project budget.

Irving Park is the next Brown Line station scheduled to undergo renovation and will close today for up to 12 months. While the Irving Park station is closed, customers may board the Brown Line at the adjacent, newly renovated Montrose or Addison stations. The Brown Line Damen stop temporarily closed for renovations on November 26.

When the Damen and Irving Park stations reopen they will both be newly accessible to customers.

Work has been completed at eight stations: Kimball, Kedzie, Rockwell, Francisco, Western, Sedgwick, Montrose and Addison. Work continues at all other stations. As the project continues to move forward, CTA remains committed to staying on budget and on schedule. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2009.