View yesterday's Streetsblog photos of the four new Red Line stations here.
At a time when the global, national, and often local, headlines are full of depressing news, this morning's joyous celebration of four new ADA-compliant and attractive Red Line stations was a much-needed mood elevator.That was appropriate, since these rehabbed rail stops include their first-ever elevators and escalators.
Several speakers at the ribbon cutting pointed out what a feel-good moment this was during trying times. They noted that this project, which empowers people with disabilities and upgrades car-free transportation for all of us, is proof that – despite lots of recent evidence to the contrary – government can actually improve people's lives.
I won't go into details about the station project, part of the $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization Phase One project, since Streetsblog Chicago provided more info and published dozens of photos yesterday, when the stations opened. But, in a nutshell, the century-plus-old stops also got wider platforms, weather canopies, and lots of cool, neighborhood-inspired artwork.
Still, there was an ominous undercurrent to the proceedings. There were constant reminders that Chicagoland's transit system is facing a $771 million budget gap next year, with some 40 percent service reduction and 3,000 layoffs projected. If state legislators don't take bold action this summer to avert the fiscal cliff, our city could go the way of Philadelphia, whose SEPTA public transportation system recently announced massive schedule cuts.
It goes without saying that we shouldn't have cheesesteak-style transit funding in an Italian beef-level region. Or, since today's festivities took place at Argyle Station, the gateway to Uptown's vibrant "Asia on Argyle" strip, maybe I should be talking about bánh mì, the district's ubiquitous and beloved Vietnamese sandwiches?
But, in addition to appealing food options, it was easy to spot transit activists at this morning's gathering, which drew perhaps a hundred celebrants, including dozens of contractors in safety gear. Several members of the advocacy group Neighbors of Edgewater and Uptown, which is also voicing support for equitable, transit-friendly upzoning on nearby Broadway. They were identifiable via signs saying things like, "Hey Springfield, fund transit!" and the Cubs-ish, "You must get the 'W' so we can take the 'L'!"
"If our local elected want to take credit for building the stations, they need to take responsibility for the impending fiscal cliff," said NOEU member Noah Ayoub. "The 40 percent service cuts. The fact is, I depend on the CTA, a million or more people depend on the system to get to work. It's the lifeblood of this city's economy, and frankly the economy of the entire state."
Argyle Station is located in the 48th Ward, and former local alder Harry Osterman was in office when the RPM project was funded by the feds in 2017. Before the speeches, he echoed Ayoub's. "RPM is an example of city, state, and federal government all working together as one... So I'm hopeful that the leaders are going to come together and understand the value of transit. How they pay for it is always the challenging part. But today is a great example of how important it is."
CTA board director Michelle Lee, who uses a mobility device, kicked off the presentation, highlighting how making the stations ADA compliant has special importance for her as a disability rights advocate. "Let's be honest," she said. "There's a lot going on is this world. Not all of it is good, but we have to celebrate the good things. We have to lean in, and today is a good day."
"Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr are now fully accessible," Lee added. "Accessibility is deeply personal for me. The CTA is my go-to for getting around, and I usually take the bus. But that's going to change, 'cause now we got more stations, y'all. These new stations open up a whole new part of the city." She noted that it is particularly fitting that these stations opened during Disability Pride Month, and mentioned that 42 of the CTA's 146 train stops are still not ADA accessible. "We've still got a long ways to go."
Next, the CTA's Acting President Nora Leerhsen said the original Argyle stop was built in 1921, when the Field Museum opened, and Warren G. Harding was U.S. president. The elevated tracks that serve it were first erected in 1908, when the Cubs first won the World Series.
Leerhsen also emphasized the importance of full accessibility. "For the first time ever in the history of this neighborhood, these stations can now be accessed smoothly by all, she said. "A true achievement in what is right, and what is just." She added that in March the agency broke ground on a project to make the Austin Green Line stop wheelchair-friendly. And later this year the reconstructed, ADA-accessible Racine stop on the Blue Line's Forest Park Branch will reopen.
As you'd expect, the many politicians who spoke talked at length about how wonderful it is that this project came to fruition, and they're not wrong. But let's focus on what elected officials said about the fiscal cliff.
Mayor Brandon Johnson: "I want to thank you all, as neighbors, for your continuous advocacy. Our work is not done. We need a transportation system that is fully funded. [Applause and cheers from attendees.] This is truly the manifestation of investment. Investing in our people is a worthwhile investment. And so [thanks to] all of you as neighbors who continue to come together, to work with the General Assembly to ensure that we have a fully funded system, so that we can be a true model for the rest of the world."
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley: "You know, I see our friends [Neighbors of Edgewater and Uptown] holding up these signs. [Attendees cheer.] They raise a good point. We got these things built, and we have to fund transit on an everyday basis, and that's going to be tough. But access to reliable, convenient transportation changes lives."
State Sen. Mike Simmons: "We must be sober about the state of our public transit systems. I as a state senator am calling on my colleagues to come back to Springfield and have a special session so that we can fully fund transit. We need a special session today, not next month, and not in a [fall] veto session. We can get this done everybody. If we can make this happen, we can fully fund our transit systems. And not only can we have a modern station like we have here today... but we can have bus rapid transit running on our busy corridors, to better serve our small businesses, and our kiddos, and those of us who are trying to build community. And we can have more dedicated bus lanes, even on DuSable Lake Shore Drive."
State Rep. Hoan Huynh: "We want to make sure we get back to Springfield and make sure we address this fiscal cliff. So thank you to all the folks here as well with the signs. [Applause and cheers.]
Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth (48th): "I also want to shout out to advocates. One of the signs says, you built the stations, now fund the trains. That is so true... [RPM funding] is the the kind of collaboration that is needed more than ever, and I want to thank the Illinois congressional delegation, the city and state for that continued hard work, because there is so much left to do, including fully funding our public transit system across the state of Illinois. [Applause applauds and cheers.]"
Ald. Angela Clay (46th): "[The success of RPM is going to give us an opportunity to] fully fund our transit system. [Applause and cheers.] It would be a shame for us to invest billions of dollars into this infrastructure and for them not to serve the people. It will be a travesty if we do not work together as communities, local, state, federal officials to make sure we our putting our money where our mouth and our transit is."
After the ribbon cutting, Streetsblog did full interviews about the transit fiscal cliff issue with Sen. Simmons and Rep. Huynh, which we'll run in the near future. In the meantime, if you've had a chance to check out the new stations, please feel free to let us know what you think in the commentsd section.
View yesterday's Streetsblog photos of the four new Red Line stations here.
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