CTA agrees to reopen five rest rooms

The CTA has agreed to reopen five public rest rooms in anapparent truce with Ald. Robert Shaw (9th).

Shaw protested in June that public transit riders were"inconvenienced" because the CTA had closed all 63 of its public restrooms.

CTA Executive Director Robert E. Paaswell, who was unavailablefor comment Thursday, had told members of the City Council'sCommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs that the facilities wereclosed because of the high costs of security and vandalism.

"This is a victory for the people who have flooded my officewith calls asking me to help get the CTA to reopen these rest rooms,"Shaw said.

Shaw sponsored a similar resolution to force service stations inChicago to either maintain full-time rest room facilities or face theloss of their business licenses.

The five rest rooms to be opened, Shaw said, are located at 95thand the Dan Ryan, Randolph and Wabash, the O'Hare stop, the Loyolastop on the north line and the 63rd and Englewood L station on thesouth line.