Busy northwest Chicago station receives track, amenity and accessibility upgrades, among other improvements as part of historic Your New Blue program
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. today announced the completion of work to modernize the Jefferson Park Blue Line Transit Center and transform the nearly 50-year-old facility into a 21st-century transit gateway. This northwest side public transportation hub provides valuable connections to the CTA Blue Line, 12 CTA and Pace bus routes, as well as the Metra’s commuter rail UP-NW line.
“Today’s announcement represents the latest accomplishment in the transformative modernization of the O’Hare branch of the Blue Line,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “This completed project provides a much-needed refresh to the overall station environment and improved accessibility at one of the CTA’s busiest bus and rail facilities.”
This $25 million project has resulted in a more modern terminal that is safer, brighter, cleaner, more comfortable and easier-to-navigate for those who use mobility devices, while visually enhancing the streetscape for the surrounding community. The accessibility improvements made to the bus terminal area are another step in the push toward 100 percent accessibility across CTA, a goal outlined in President Carter’s All Stations Accessibility Program.
“This station is a vital transit link for the northwest side and we are pleased to provide a much-improved transit experience for our customers,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter. “With a growing population and increased tourist traffic throughout Chicago, the CTA is pleased to add modern amenities and enhancements that will make Jefferson Park a model for what a modern rail and bus terminal can be.”
The project also includes such bus and rail upgrades as:
- Replacement of the bus terminal, making it ADA compliant;
- New bus and rail station canopies for added coverage during inclement weather;
- Improved signage throughout the bus and rail facilities;
- New LED lighting and added security cameras;
- Repairs and refinishing of all station and platform surfaces, plus exterior painting;
- Custom windbreaks featuring new public art.
To further improve the aesthetics of the terminal and contribute to the identity of the Jefferson Park downtown community, CTA commissioned conceptual artist Jamie Pawlus of Indianapolis, Indiana with creating new artwork for the facility. The Center of the Universe is inspired by Polish Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus’ astronomical model in which the Earth and planets revolve around the Sun at the center of the solar system. The glass panels of the large bus terminal windbreak depict the Sun with colorful space rays that surround riders to create a comfort zone as they wait for transport on the next part of their journey. The second windbreak, when viewed in the distance from the Sun, is a cosmic connection within the transit station space
The Jefferson Park renovation follows a number of completed Your New Blue(YNB) projects on the O’Hare branch, including the previous rehabilitation of nine of 14 stations and track improvements that increased service reliability for customers.
YNB is part of the $8 billion in transit investments announced or completed by CTA over the past decade.
In 2013, CTA announced Your New Blue, the most ambitious service improvement project on the Blue Line since it was extended to O’Hare Airport in 1984. The program will benefit the more than 80,000 customers who each weekday use stations along the branch. One of the fastest-growing segments on CTA’s rail system, station entries along the O’Hare Blue Line branch have consistently topped more than 26 million annually for each of the last five years.
More project information can be found at transitchicago.com/yournewblue.
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