CTA Announces Next Steps to Advance Red Line Extension Project

Red Ahead program Map © CTAThe Chicago Transit Authority recently announced a series of upcoming events that will advance the Red Line Extension Project, a plan to extend Red Line rail service to 130th Street from 95th Street including building four new rail stations that will provide rail access to the Far South Side.

The Red Line Extension Project is a key part of Mayor Emanuel and CTA’s “Red Ahead” investment in its busiest rail line. Other projects improving the Red Line on the South Side include the $425 million reconstruction of the Red Line South in 2013 and the ongoing $280 million construction of a new 95th Street Terminal, which will be completed in 2018. The project is expected to create 29,000 new direct, indirect and induced jobs.

CTA President, Dorval R. Carter, Jr, said:

“We are pleased to make progress on this transformational Red Line project, which will expand transit for the Far South Side and create faster access to jobs, education and opportunity.”

“As we move forward in the comprehensive federally required planning process for this project, we continue to make significant investment in the South Side that include the new 95th Terminal, improved Red and Green Line service and expanded bus service on multiple routes to better serve our customers.”

The CTA two years ago narrowed the potential Red Line Extension Project alternatives to one “preferred alternative” with two possible options – one east and one west of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks on the South Side — and announced $5 million of funding to continue planning work for the project.

The CTA announced the following developments related to the Red Line Extension Project:

  • The CTA will publish a comprehensive Draft Environmental Impact Study (EIS), a requirement for obtaining federal funding for this historic project, on October 6, 2016. The Draft EIS is an extensive document that details the potential benefits and impacts of both proposed options for the project.
  • The CTA will accept formal comments from the public as part of the federal Draft EIS between October 6 and November 30 (more than 45 days), encouraging feedback from the community about any aspect of the project. The feedback will be used to assist the CTA in future planning decisions, including selecting one of the two alignment options for the project.
  • The CTA will also hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at a location to be determined, inviting the public to learn more about the project, including asking questions and providing comments to CTA staff.
  • The CTA will also begin to notify property owners whose property may be necessary to acquire for the project. The CTA is not yet acquiring properties for the Red Line Extension Project because it has not yet selected a final alignment, nor has it secured federal funding for the project.

The RLE project is Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CTA President Dorval Carter’s plan to extend the Red Line from the existing 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street. The 5.3-mile extension would include four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street, each of which would include bus and parking facilities. The current estimated cost of the project is $2.3 billion.

For the original article and further information, please visit CTA.

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