 On January 29, 1979, the CTA closed 14 stations during rush-hour service, including Sox–35th, due to equipment shortages caused by the Chicago Blizzard of 1979.After an outcry from riders and several African-American politicians, Sox–35th and three other stations reopened the following day.The remaining stations reopened later in the week after the Urban Mass Transportation Administration warned the CTA that the closings may have been a civil rights violation.