Chicago Cleans up for the DNC

Those attending the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago this week may not notice, but the city is more polished.

City and state cleanup crews worked overtime to prepare the city for the national spotlight, news agencies reported. Even street sweepers were reported more than a mile west of the United Center—the event’s primary location. On the city’s west side, where most events are held, streets and sanitation workers trimmed trees, cleaned sidewalks, and removed graffiti from areas.

Chicago’s train lines and airports also appear neater as thousands of delegates, volunteers, and media travel through the city. For the weeks leading up to the DNC, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) workers have been cleaning train cars along with cleaning, painting, and updating train stations.

Additionally, numerous Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) crews have been seen cutting grass, picking up garbage, and removing graffiti on the Kennedy Expressway and the Eisenhower Expressway, routes commonly used by visitors traveling from O’Hare.

While the full cost of the cleanup has not been disclosed, similar efforts for the 1996 DNC amounted to tens of millions of dollars.