Sponsored by:
Ick! Some CTA spots not so hot
"Going Public" riders have been talking trash about some grimy CTA stations. One rider complained about dirty walls at two Blue Line stops while another sniffed about handrails that stain at two Loop stations. The CTA says all 144 rail stations are cleaned daily, but "GP" has the dirt on a few filthy spots.
Brick magnet for dirt
Carrie Slater of Logan Square wrote to "GP" about the brick walls at the Logan Square and Belmont stations on the Blue Line.
"Those brown brick walls ... are not as they appear. They are actually some very cool vintage white subway tiles that are extremely dirty," wrote Slater, 28. "It seems that just pressure washing the walls could make a huge difference in the appearance of the stations. I would much rather see the white tiles than brown."
Power-washing subway walls is part of the regular deep-cleaning process, but this work would require trains to operate on a single track through that area, according to the CTA.
"With the Dearborn subway project currently under way, scheduling single-track work will not be possible until the beginning of 2010," CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor said in an e-mail.
Wash your handrails
Carol Kolnicki of Oak Forest complained to "GP" about the handrails at the LaSalle/Van Buren and Madison/Wabash stations in the Loop.
"I have to literally scrub my hands when I get to a public restroom. Yet I see CTA employees leaning about," wrote Kolnicki, 38. "I say, 'If you can lean, you can clean.'"
The railings at these stations have been cleaned, the CTA said. But these two Loop stations "are two of the oldest stations, and many of the handrails are scheduled to be replaced pending available funds due to the condition of the handrails, constant exposure to weather and other environmental factors," Taylor said in an e-mail.
Do the math
Census data released last week shed light on how Chicagoans get to work. About one in four Chicago workers took public transportation to work from 2006 to 2008, while about 62 percent of workers rode in a car to work, according to the results of the American Community Survey of households in Chicago and nationwide.
The remainder of workers walked to their job (5.6 percent), worked from home (3.8 percent) or got to work by other means including a taxi or a bike (2.5 percent), the survey showed.
The survey found about 36 percent of workers between the ages of 20 and 24 take public transportation to work, while about 26 percent of workers between the ages of 25 and 44 ride public transit to their job.
The average travel time for Chicago workers? About 34 minutes. The average travel time for Chicago workers who took public transportation? About 45 minutes.
Carrie Slater of Logan Square wrote to "GP" about the brick walls at the Logan Square and Belmont stations on the Blue Line.
"Those brown brick walls ... are not as they appear. They are actually some very cool vintage white subway tiles that are extremely dirty," wrote Slater, 28. "It seems that just pressure washing the walls could make a huge difference in the appearance of the stations. I would much rather see the white tiles than brown."
Power-washing subway walls is part of the regular deep-cleaning process, but this work would require trains to operate on a single track through that area, according to the CTA.
"With the Dearborn subway project currently under way, scheduling single-track work will not be possible until the beginning of 2010," CTA spokeswoman Wanda Taylor said in an e-mail.
Wash your handrails
Carol Kolnicki of Oak Forest complained to "GP" about the handrails at the LaSalle/Van Buren and Madison/Wabash stations in the Loop.
"I have to literally scrub my hands when I get to a public restroom. Yet I see CTA employees leaning about," wrote Kolnicki, 38. "I say, 'If you can lean, you can clean.'"
The railings at these stations have been cleaned, the CTA said. But these two Loop stations "are two of the oldest stations, and many of the handrails are scheduled to be replaced pending available funds due to the condition of the handrails, constant exposure to weather and other environmental factors," Taylor said in an e-mail.
Do the math
Census data released last week shed light on how Chicagoans get to work. About one in four Chicago workers took public transportation to work from 2006 to 2008, while about 62 percent of workers rode in a car to work, according to the results of the American Community Survey of households in Chicago and nationwide.
The remainder of workers walked to their job (5.6 percent), worked from home (3.8 percent) or got to work by other means including a taxi or a bike (2.5 percent), the survey showed.
The survey found about 36 percent of workers between the ages of 20 and 24 take public transportation to work, while about 26 percent of workers between the ages of 25 and 44 ride public transit to their job.
The average travel time for Chicago workers? About 34 minutes. The average travel time for Chicago workers who took public transportation? About 45 minutes.
Share this entry
Recommended for you
Our Bloggerati
Featured on RedEye
3 Comments
Destiny2Cute said:
TheRealTerrell
Joanie said:
I'm so glad someone brought some attention to the greasy handrails. I will go pretty far out of my way to not touch them, but everytime I have to I hope with all my heart and soul that it won't feel like someone just rubbed a basket of KFC drumsticks all over them. My hopes are usually crushed shortly thereafter.
theloosh said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's quite unlikely that the tiles at Logan Square are actually white, and they certainly aren't "vintage." That subway station was built in 1970. So, everything in it is pretty much unchanged from then since it is (relatively, in the CTA) new. The benches and the floor concrete are brown, so the tile walls probably are as well. There is, no doubt, of course, that they are dirty, but most likely not that dirty.
Leave a Comment?
What your comment will look like:
said: