Spring cleaning is officially coming to the CTA. On Tuesday, Mayor Brandon Johnson kicked off the Chicago Transit Authority’s spring construction season, the annual stretch when crews fan out across stations and bus facilities to tidy up the system and tackle the everyday annoyances riders actually notice: dingy lighting, worn signs, dirty platforms and scuffed walls.
The mayor’s brief appearance, essentially the ceremonial green light for this year’s work, was caught on camera and covered by local TV, according to CBS News Chicago.
What Refresh & Renew Does
Refresh & Renew is CTA’s recurring facilities program, launched in 2019 to keep stations in a state of good repair with targeted cleaning, painting, lighting upgrades and small capital fixes. In 2025 the agency invested roughly $6.5 million in work at 44 bus turnarounds and rail stations, including more than 1,680 gallons of paint, over 5,000 lightbulbs and about 1,200 feet of tactile platform edging, according to CTA.
The goal is not massive overhauls, but steady, visible improvements that make aging stations feel a little less rough around the edges for daily riders.
What’s Coming In 2026
Under CTA’s 2026 budget, Refresh & Renew is set to lean more into customer-facing upgrades. In addition to the usual repairs and deep cleaning, riders can expect touches like landscaping, child friendly benches and new station art.
“This budget builds upon the tremendous progress we’ve made over the past year,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said, as outlined by CTA.
The agency’s five year capital plan also keeps larger projects moving, including start-of-work plans for the Red Line Extension that are expected to reshape longer term construction patterns on parts of the system.
Rider Tips
Most Refresh & Renew work is cosmetic or focused on targeted repairs, and CTA typically schedules crews overnight or on weekends to keep commute times from getting wrecked.
Riders should watch for posted signs at stations and system alerts, and build in a little extra time during the spring work period. CTA and local outlets are expected to share location specific details as crews begin work at individual sites.
