In DNC, Chicago’s Embattled Transit System Faces a High-Profile Test
Some riders fear the Democratic National Convention will strain the city’s trains and buses, but transit leaders see an opportunity to show off new services and stations.
The L’s Green Line has been one focus of new investments by the CTA as the agency prepares for a surge of riders — and attention — during the DNC.
Photographer: Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
On a scorching July afternoon, construction hummed and cranes rose up to meet the gleaming, lime-colored Green Line stop at Damen Avenue on Chicago’s Near West Side. The chartreuse branding of the newest Chicago Transit Authority L stop isn’t a Brat-themed nod to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but there is a connection: The Chicago Department of Transportation raced to finish the infill station ahead of this year’s Democratic National Convention, which will be held a few blocks away at the United Center.
The $80 million project, which opened on Aug. 5, is one piece of the city’s plan for ferrying attendees around during the event. The new station fills the more than 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) gap between the existing Ashland and California Green Line stations. The CTA’s Blue Line, which runs from O’Hare International Airport, is also getting upgrades, while the region’s commuter rail, Metra, will run hourly shuttles from the airport to downtown. Pace, the region’s suburban bus system, will provide paratransit and wheelchair-accessible buses for convention-goers.