This weekend, I used the Grand Avenue station on the CTA Red Line. As part of the ongoing renovations, CTA has installed a bike ramp stair from the ground level to the mezzanine (see the attached photo).
The ramp is slippery. To test this statement, I poured a large bottle of water on the ramp. That provoked a strange look from a nearby police officer. Luckily the officer couldn't think of any charge with which to cite me. My experiment showed that the ramp is slippery with a little water, and may be more so in rain or snow.
There is only a ramp from the ground level to mezzanine. It is not clear if riders are expected to use the still-to-be-installed elevator to the train level, or use the stairs without a bike ramp.
The CTA also installed a new large security door that is clearly marked as for use by strollers and bicycles. Thanks CTA. On a side note, check out the similar security door at the new (Apple) North/Clybourn station on the Red Line.
What are your thoughts? Are these station changes helpful? What more would you like to see?