Chilly CTA Riders Might Have To Wait For Heaters To Turn On, But Press The Button Anyway
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Despite temperatures dropping into the 30s for each of the past four nights, CTA officials don't plan on turning on heaters at train stations for another couple weeks, meaning commuters could face some very chilly commutes until November.
The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning overnight for the Chicago area, as temperatures headed to the low 30s.
The wind chill was in the upper 20s early Tuesday, the third time in the past four days it has felt that cold to start the day, but those chilly conditions haven't been enough for the CTA to turn on heat lamps at its rail stations.
The CTA normally doesn't start turning on those heaters until Nov. 1, but officials said commuters can try the heat lamp buttons on train platforms anyway, because the heaters are being tested for the colder months ahead, so some might be on temporarily.
Some riders already have started dressing up in winter gear, even though it's not yet Halloween.
John Erlanger was bundled up head to toe at the Belmont 'L' station in Lakeview early Tuesday.
"Right now, it feels really good. It really does. In fact, I'll probably walk home," he said.
Paulette Pressey was already wearing long johns as she waited for her train Tuesday morning.
"I work outside, and I work for the city of Chicago, and this is Chicago, so you have to expect anything," she said. "I just dress for the weather. It's better to have too much on than not enough."
With temperatures expected to reach near 60 by Tuesday afternoon, Pressey and Erlanger might be carrying those extra layers home.
