Teresa Derby has dreaded her CTA commute from her Wicker Park home to her research job in Streeterville for the past two months while the CTA shut down the Damen Blue Line stop in Wicker Park for repairs.
A few times Derby took the No. 56-Milwaukee Avenue bus downtown but found it to be "kind of a nightmare." More often, she got up early to take the No. 72-North Avenue bus to the Red Line. She said the alternate routes added 15 minutes to her commute time, which was extra annoying in the cold weather.
Derby returned to the Damen Blue Line stop Monday morning, happy to have the station back open-even though she had the day off of work and was taking the Blue Line to O'Hare International Airport instead.
She said she appreciated the improvements the CTA made to the station, especially to the stairs to the platform.
"The stairs, they look really nice and it looks like I'm not going to fall through the cracks," said Derby, 26.
The CTA reopened the Damen Blue Line stop in Wicker Park Monday morning to much fanfare from commuters who said they liked the upgrades to the stop and nearby businesses that offered riders free food and drinks in the hopes of luring back foot traffic they have missed since the CTA closed the station Oct. 20.
Commuters returned to a station Monday morning that had more turnstiles, better lights, new floors and more room in the station entryway as part of the $13.6 million project.
Colleen Jemmi, 26, typically takes the Blue Line from the Damen stop to the Clark/Lake stop in the Loop for her advertising job. She said the platforms seemed more sturdy.
"I didn't notice much but it looks a lot nicer," said Jemmi, of Wicker Park. "It doesn't look like the changes are that drastic."
One change the CTA did not make to the station was adding an elevator or escalator because of space constraints, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said. The renovation to the Damen station, which first opened in 1895, was part of a $492 million upgrade of Blue Line track and stations on the North Side.
About 7,000 riders typically enter the Damen station on an average weekday, placing it in the top 25 percent of stations with the highest weekday ridership, according to CTA data.
Nearby businesses said they saw a decline in business during the closure and are offering deals this week to lure back commuters.
City Soles, an Italian shoe store, is giving 20 percent off full-price merchandise to anyone showing a Ventra card from now until Dec. 31. La Colombe, a coffee shop, said it will offer free drip coffee through Sunday.
Stan's Donuts is giving away one free glazed donut and a free 12-ounce coffee Monday and Tuesday to anyone who shows a Ventra card.
Stan's Donuts general manager Daniel Labriola said business was down 10 to 15 percent during the station closure.
"Unfortunately, the closing of the stop did impact us negatively," Labriola said.
Even the CTA was giving out free hot cocoa to riders outside the station.
"We just want to welcome people back," CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. CTA president Forrest Claypool and Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley (D) were greeting riders at the station for about 20 minutes Monday morning.
Now that renovations at the Damen stop and the California Blue Line stop in Logan Square are done, the next phase of the Blue Line program will focus on improving the Addison, Irving Park, Montrose, Harlem and Cumberland stops starting next year.