Posted April 29, 12:00 p.m.

Hear those birds chirping?

See that grass growing?

OK, unless you're super observant, you may not see the grass growing, but other signs of spring are here.

It's also time for a painful process called spring cleaning, but take heart.

The CTA, too, is getting in on that action with its own renewed cleaning efforts, and riders will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

Sprucing spree at Wilson
This particular Red Line station appears to be a CTA stepchild, according to riders who have regularly written to "Going Public" lamenting the station's leaky roof, dingy lighting, propensity toward puddling and otherwise crumbly appearance. It must be especially painful for Wilson-ites who pass through the beautiful new Brown Line stations on their way downtown. But don't give up the good fight, Wilson-ites. The CTA already has undertaken steps toward fixing up your sketchy-looking stop by rebuilding the stairs and replacing lighting in the stairwell at the entrances on Wilson Street, according to agency spokeswoman Sheila Gregory. The agency also repaired the ceiling and roof of the station house and replaced entrance doors at the main entrance on Broadway, Gregory said. There's even a plan for the puddling, with a new drainage system being installed under the stairwell, Gregory said.

Efforts will only intensify as the weather warms, Gregory said, and crews will be working to refurbish benches and replace the canopy as well as plaster on the mezzanine floor, and repair the street-level entrance. But don't expect a transit Taj Mahal, as Wilson is an older station, and there is only so much the CTA can do to improve its aesthetics.

Pigeon-proofing
A caller to "Going Public" didn't leave a name, but he did leave a lengthy, impassioned voice mail decrying the Jefferson Park bus terminal and bus turnaround area, which he described as disgusting hubs for pigeons.

The CTA, too, seems perturbed by the strong pigeon presence at Jefferson Park. Last year, the agency added more anti-pigeon spikes at the stop for a total of 1,750 linear feet of roosting deterrent, Gregory said. Unfortunately, a recent inspection showed the pigeons are persistent, and there might be a rider-related reason."Customers are discouraged from having food or drink, and from feeding the birds around CTA property, which only exacerbates the situation," Gregory said, adding that there are signs to that effect in the area, which will be increased in number as well as translated into multiple languages.

As for that nasty turnaround, things will be turned around, according to Gregory, who said the CTA will power wash it more regularly as the weather warms and add more garbage cans to the area.

Sweeping change
So maybe you don't patronize Wilson or aren't feeling pigeonholed at Jefferson. Don't worry, there is a CTA cleanup initiative that applies to all riders coming this spring and summer. In addition to ongoing efforts to make the CTA sparkle, riders can expect to see the results of more frequent deep cleans, the public transit version of detailing. Starting next month, all stations—as well as "L" cars and buses—will be deep cleaned more frequently.