CTA – Clinton [Blue]

Puts you right in the middle of downtown, which is a busy area no matter the time of day. Nothing to complain about, as if you feel a little lost upon leaving the station and it happens to be raining, you’re covered by the bridge, so that good hair day is a guarantee ;)

Finally elevators are working!!!
After 10pm its pretty suspect. but i think all stops are.

~ Clinton Clamber ~
If you are at all out of shape or handicapped and happen to use the Clinton Street Blue Line Station, then you’re probably already dead as a result and consequently won’t be reading this review. My condolences go out to your families. To the families, you can go ahead and serve the CTA over at 567 West Lake Street. To the CTA, that’s creative license and satire. Deal.
For the rest of you who use the Clinton Street Blue Line Station, congratulations, you’re alive and probably in great shape.
Why are they alive and probably in great shape?
Because users of the Clinton Street Blue Line Station have to clamber up ninety (90) steps from the catacombs up to the surface of the street. Think about that for a second. That’s got to measure out to about four stories. I don’t know how people aren’t dropping like flies on the stairs, in the station and on Clinton Street itself with that much of a climb.
See, the CTA is apparently working on the escalators such that one is totally inaccessible while the other one is accessible but doesn’t operate. Also, take note that both escalators are single file only. What results whether both are operating or not is a complete cluster truck at rush hour. When you only have one escalator that’s accessible and it’s not operating, why, you’ve got quite a hazardous situation. And the escalators are slated to not be operating from April to late July. Until then, there’s no way for you to get to street level other than climbing up 90 steps. I don’t know exactly what the CTA is doing as to the escalators, but with the way the West Loop has exploded with businesses and residences, one would hope that they install double wide escalators that, you know, actually work at least half of the time. But how could you expect that based on what the CTA has done to «improve» this station in the lead-​up to the escalator work?
The work the CTA did to «improve» the station some months ago consisted of a bit of union conducted elective cosmetic surgery: throwing a new layer of paint over the already existing 20 layers of paint applied since 1950 and installing some additional lighting. You’ll not want to look anywhere past the surface, which will be spattered with additional graffiti. Based on this band-​aid treatment to pretty up the station, I’m really looking forward to what they do with the escalators.
Until then, I’m looking forward to many workouts, staying in great shape, hoping to not drop myself and hoping not to witness anyone else dropping due to that steep climb. Knock wood.
Two stars.

heeby jeeby dirty

The Clinton Blue Line stop is the gateway to the Loop if you’re traveling from the west or the last stop before the subway ascends to expressway level if you have already spent five minutes under Dearborn Street. Clinton and its sister LaSalle are not the prettiest things to look at, but I have not seen anyone fall off the platform and the train shows up there 24 hours a day to ride for the same price as half a gallon of gas. It does not have the beauty and musical selection that Jackson has and it does not seem important in the way that Clark and Lake does, but I like it anyway.
Here’s a couple of tips to remember. Clinton is the deepest station in the CTA’s subway system (somewhere between the fourth and fifth levels of hell) and this makes for a long escalator ride. Unfortunately this escalator is narrow and cannot accommodate the normal two lanes of traffic which allows for standing on the right; this means no standing at all! If you have a heavy bag, are nursing a belly ache, or are otherwise enfeebled, the right thing to do is to wait for the others to get on before you board for your thirty minute ride to the surface level. Note that it is sometimes bright up there.
Also, this street and therefore station is not named after Bill Clinton, which should seem obvious since the station opened in 1951. The honor instead is all for Dewitt Clinton who built the Erie Canal. I’m not sure what this has to do with the street or subway station, but there is a sign telling you all about it while you are waiting for your train. I wonder if a partisan put that there to be sure that no one would confuse the station as being named after the 42^nd president. I don’t know of a sign telling us who Damen was or what Division divides.