A map of the south branch of the Red Line. These nine stations are scheduled to be closed from May 2013 to October 2013.

The Chicago Transit Authority says its spring 2013 closure of nine Red Line stations – from Cermak/Chinatown to 95th/Dan Ryan – will create hundreds of jobs for construction workers and bus drivers.

But what it’s not talking about is the impact this five-month project will have on the workers who earn their livings near the subway line, at various kiosks, restaurants and local businesses. For more, visit our Chicago Muckrakers blog.

[Photos by Brent Lewis]