Four CTA stations reopen with accessibility improvements as part of Red and Purple Line Modernization. Who do these…

On July 20, CTA opened rebuilt stations at Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr, nearing completion of the $2.1 billion Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One Project, which broke ground in 2019. RPM is a capital project whose funding is separate from the regional transit system’s recent operating budget shortfall. Learn more about capital vs. operating funding.

RPM has rebuilt Red Line stations that were more than a century old into new, fully accessible and modern stations with elevators and escalators. The project has also included full reconstruction of the Red and Purple Line Express track structure and the installation of a new signal system that combined will provide smoother, quieter, and more reliable rides for CTA customers.

Station amenities include elevators and escalators at main stationhouse entrances; wider platforms; large translucent overhead canopies for increased protection from inclement weather; and platform benches.

The new elevated track structure and signal system work includes new track, support structures, bridges, and viaducts built along the 1.3-mile Lawrence to Bryn Mawr corridor, replacing century-old, deteriorated structures. The new track bridge’s design provides improved sightlines for pedestrians and vehicles at cross streets under new viaducts with the elimination of columns in the middle of the street. The new elevated structure is constructed higher to meet modern clearance standards, while the new signal system provides more reliable train service and replaces a more than 60-year-old system.

Who will see the benefits?

The Red Line is CTA’s busiest rail line, providing nearly 40 million rides in 2024. While these upgrades benefit all riders across the line, the population within a half mile of these four new stations is also large and diverse, comprising more than 60,000 people and nearly 10,000 jobs, 66% of which are essential.

About one-fifth of residents live at or below the poverty line
Half of the total population is non-white or of Hispanic/Latino origin
14% are living with a disability
15% are 65 or older, and 12% are 17 or younger
42% of these households are car free, 48% have only one car, and 32% of workers take public transit to work

The area within a half mile of these four reconstructed transit stations is home to 39 public housing buildings, 2 hospitals, 15 nursing homes, 13 pharmacies, 21 childcare facilities and K-12 schools, 2 colleges or universities, and 17 SNAP supermarkets and grocers. Transit is the backbone of this corridor and these improvements will significantly improve rider experience for them and for riders along the Red and Purple lines.

RPM Next Phases

As RPM Phase One continues construction, CTA is moving ahead on the multi-year planning process to initiate the next phase of the RPM program. The RPM Next Phases Planning Study is the first step of the planning process that will set goals and objectives, engage the public, identify potential projects, and evaluate alternatives and phasing.

The RPM Next Phases Planning Study focuses on three segments of the north Red Line and the Purple Line Evanston branch:

Addison to Sheridan
Thorndale to Howard
Evanston Branch (Howard to Linden)