The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is set to begin a major renovation of the Austin Green Line station, including the addition of an elevator and other improvements to make the station fully accessible to those who use mobility devices as part of CTA’s All Stations Accessibility Program (ASAP).
The Chicago Transit Board approved the awarding of a contract not to exceed $15.3 million to John Burns Construction Company, LLC, following a competitive procurement process. Funding for the critical infrastructure project was sourced through the federal government’s Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. STP funds provided $20.3 million in funding and Rebuild Illinois provided $5.3 million to this project for a total budget of $25.6 million.
“The CTA has made it a priority to collaborate with the disability community to pursue a vision of 100 percent accessibility for all customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “Awarding this contract for the Austin Green Line, we are able to take another step forward to realize the goal of making all stations 100 percent accessible while also seeking opportunities to invest in the Austin community on our city’s West Side.
The original street level station opened in 1899 and has not been upgraded since it was rebuilt in 1962. The work at the Austin Green Line station will include fully reconstructing the main stationhouse at 351 N. Austin Blvd., which upon completion, will feature a new elevator and escalator that connects the station house to the platform above, in addition to a new ADA accessible ramp, new stairs and a platform extension.
Details regarding the timeline of project work, including start and completion dates, will be announced at a later date.
Under the leadership of CTA President Carter, the ASAP Strategic Plan was released in 2018, which serves as a blueprint for making all rail stations fully accessible by 2038. Currently 103 of CTA’s 145 rail stations (70 percent) are ADA accessible, with 14 stations currently funded and in various stages of planning and design or under construction.
In addition to modernizing non-accessible stations, the ASAP Strategic Plan also outlines plans for upgrading and/or replacing elevators throughout the system in phases. So far, CTA has secured $36 million in funding for elevator replacement and/or modernization efforts. CTA is currently completing an inventory of these elevator conditions to be able to put construction packages together for future project work.
