CTA arrests and upgrades

Chicago police arrested two men after finding two guns on a Loop CTA train, while the Chicago Transit Authority began a 2026 station upgrade program across 42 locations. (fox32chicago.com) (transitchicago.com) The arrests stemmed from an April 19 train check at the Clark/Lake station by the Chicago Police Department’s Public Transportation Section Tactical Team, according to police. Officers said they recovered a loaded “ghost gun” from Shane Doty, 25, and a second handgun from 18-year-old Dashawn McGee. (chicagopolice.org) (fox32chicago.com) Police said Doty was a convicted felon recently released on parole and that he resisted arrest after officers spotted a bulge in his sweatshirt pocket. McGee was charged with unlawful use of a weapon for carrying a gun on public transit, police and FOX 32 reported. (chicagopolice.org) (fox32chicago.com) A ghost gun is a firearm assembled from parts without the serial number that police use to trace most commercial weapons. Chicago police said the recovery came during a transit enforcement sweep inside the Loop, the busiest part of the rail system. (fox32chicago.com) (chicagopolice.org) Two days later, Mayor Brandon Johnson and CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen launched the agency’s 2026 “Refresh & Renew” season at the 51st Street Green Line station. CTA said the $6.5 million program will cover 28 rail stations and 14 bus turnarounds this year. (wlsam.com) (transitchicago.com) CTA said the work can include power washing, painting, lighting upgrades, escalator repairs, plumbing and utility work, new signage, landscaping, and platform amenity improvements. The 2026 list includes stations on the Red, Blue, Green, Brown, Orange, Pink, Purple, and Yellow lines. (transitchicago.com) (cbsnews.com) CTA created Refresh & Renew in 2019 as a recurring maintenance program aimed at keeping stations in good repair between larger capital projects. CBS Chicago reported the agency says the work is meant to improve safety, security, and the look of the system. (cbsnews.com) (transitchicago.com) Mayor Johnson said this year’s construction season also includes jobs for returning citizens, and CTA described the station work as part of a push for more “welcoming spaces” across the system. The arrests and the maintenance rollout landed in the same week, putting policing and visible upkeep side by side on Chicago transit. (transitchicago.com) (wlsam.com)