On the CTA Green Line, the elevator at the Cicero and Lake station was promised to reopen on June 27, 2025. Today, months later, it is still closed. Riders who rely on this elevator, seniors, people with disabilities, parents with strollers, are once again left stranded by a transit system that keeps failing to deliver on its commitments.
This is more than just a construction delay. It is yet another example of how the CTA treats accessibility as an afterthought instead of a priority. A functioning elevator is not a luxury; it is a lifeline for thousands of riders who cannot simply “take the stairs.”
A Pattern of Delays and Excuses
The Cicero station elevator is not an isolated case. Across Cook County, CTA projects run behind schedule, updates are scarce, and communication with the public is minimal. Meanwhile, leadership insists that service is improving while everyday riders see the opposite.
Accessibility Is Non-Negotiable
When the CTA misses deadlines on basic accessibility, it is effectively shutting people out of the system. That is unacceptable in 2025. If we truly believe in public transit as a backbone of equity and opportunity, then every station must be fully accessible, and kept that way.
Time for Change
This failure at Cicero station proves again why transit reform is not just a talking point but a necessity. Riders deserve:
Transparency: clear timelines and public accountability when projects fall behind.
Priority on Accessibility: no more treating elevators and ADA compliance as optional.
Competent Management: leadership that fixes problems instead of making excuses.
Until then, the CTA remains what riders already know it is: a system in disrepair, built on promises that too often go unfulfilled.
