28 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

CTA Red Line Extension Project

 

CTA Connections

DEC 10, 2022

 

Watch this video to learn about the importance of the Red Line Extension (RLE) Project for Chicago’s Far South Side and the region. We are #RLEReady!

 

Plus, CTA now has a Facebook page devoted to the RLE Project: https://www.Facebook.com/CTARedExt! This page is a new resource for you to learn more about the project and engage with the RLE project team. The RLE Facebook page is available to everyone, anytime, whether or not you have a Facebook account.

 

Find more information about the Red Line Extension Project at https://www.transitchicago.com/redext/

[KevinKorell]

Chicago, IL Sun-Times, 12/13/22:

 

 

   City Council must vote to keep Red Line extension plan on track  

 

 

The City Council can do an immeasurable civic good on Wednesday by giving the green signal to a plan to help fund the long-awaited 5.6-mile extension of the CTA Red Line.

 

Update

[KevinKorell]

Railway, Track, and Structures,  5/17/23:

 

 

 CTA IDs Three Red Line Project Bidders    

 

 

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has selected three prequalified teams to submit proposals for the $3.6 billion Red Line project to extend rapid transit service 5.6 miles to Chicago’s Far South Side.

 

 

Whole story

[KevinKorell]

Courthouse News Service,  9/8/23:

 

 

   Feds pledge $2 billion for Chicago commuter train expansion project  

 

 

The federal government plans to devote $2 billion for an extension of Chicago's Red Line commuter train, numerous state and city officials announced Friday. The money represents about half the total cost of the project, which would extend the Red Line some 5.6 miles south of its current last stop on Chicago's South Side and add four new commuter stations.

 

Here is the latest.   And it's not commuter rail but rather heavy rail transit.

[CNJRoss]

CTA news release

 

CTA Red Line Extension in Line For $1.973 Billion in Federal Funding

 

September 8, 2023

 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the historic Red Line Extension Project has advanced into the next phase of the federal “New Starts” program, a major milestone in applying for project funding

 

In a significant and consequential development related to extending the Red Line on the Far South Side from 95th to 130th, the federal government today announced the Red Line Extension (RLE) project is in line for $1.973 billion in critical grant funding needed to build the project. The grant would be the largest transit infrastructure grant awarded to CTA in the agency’s history.

 

"Reversing decades of disinvestment starts with providing accessible transportation for all residents of this city," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “Today’s announcement serves as an important milestone for this project as we move to enhance capillary connections to create a more connected and accessible Chicago. We will continue to work with stakeholders, the state, and federal government to ensure this project is moving full steam ahead.”

 

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) notified CTA that the $3.6 billion RLE Project, which will extend the Red Line 5.6 miles to Chicago’s Far South Side, has advanced into the next phase of the federal “New Starts” program – an important step to moving the project closer to groundbreaking. CTA can now begin the “Engineering” phase of the project, which includes further design and engineering needed to build the project and identifies the federal grant dollars CTA can receive for the project once the engineering phase is completed and approved by FTA. 

 

“Today is a great day for the South Side of Chicago,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “The Far South Side has been promised for 50 years that the Red Line would be extended to the city’s southern border, and today we can say that promise is significantly closer to being met. This project brings a wealth of job and training opportunities, and it enhances the quality of life for residents who will be able to access jobs and education more easily than ever before.”

 

The Engineering phase of the project is expected to continue into 2024 and anticipates a funding award by the end of 2024 subject to federal review and approvals. The remaining project funding will come from a $950 million Transit TIF approved by Chicago City Council last year and other sources.

 

“Public transit plays a vital role in the lives of millions of Chicagoans. For many, it is the best and only option to get to work, go to school, and visit family.” said Congressman Mike Quigley. “As lead Democrat on the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m proud to have helped bring these federal dollars back home to support the Red Line Extension project. This project is a major step in building a more equitable transit system for our city, ensuring the benefits of public transit can be utilized by communities that have historically lacked access. I look forward to continuing to work with FTA, CTA, and the Illinois congressional delegation to move this project forward.”

 

“Improving our infrastructure means better connecting Chicagoans to jobs, education, commerce, and opportunity.  The Red Line Extension project will be transformative for South Side communities—providing an economic boost for a long-neglected area of the City and surrounding suburbs, producing an estimated 25,000 jobs in the coming years, while generating nearly $2 billion in pay to workers on the project, and more than $5 billion in total business output,” said Senator Dick Durbin.  “I will continue to work alongside Senator Duckworth and state leaders to secure the resources needed to keep the Red Line Extension project on track.”

 

“No matter their zip code, Chicagoans deserve easier access to public transit to get to school, get to work and to more easily move throughout the city,” Senator Tammy Duckworth said. “The long-awaited extension of the Red Line to 130th Street will provide much-needed transit access for thousands of South Side residents, provide a vital economic boost to surrounding neighborhoods and create good-paying jobs. I’ll keep working to help ensure this project gets the support it needs from the federal level, and we do all that we can to help improve transit development and access for all Chicagoans.”

 

“Today I celebrate with the Chicago Transit Authority and the rest of Chicago on the advancement of the Red Line Extension to 130th Street,” said Rep. Danny K. Davis. (IL-07) “This Extension will greatly improve transit access and boost economic development on the South Side, making life easier for Chicagoans.  I am proud to work with my colleagues in Congress to support this project that will serve approximately 100,000 people and generate billions of dollars in pay for workers and business productivity.”

 

"Expanding transit access to the South Side of Chicago is essential to making Chicagoland the best place to live, work, and raise a family," said Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02). "For communities that too often feel forgotten, this extension demonstrates that our leaders will not allow my district to be left behind. This extension will accelerate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen our neighborhoods. I look forward to continuing to work closely with my colleagues in Congress and leaders here in Illinois to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to thrive."

 

“I am pleased to learn that the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line extension project to 130th Street is moving forward after a half-century of delays,” said Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01). “Not only will the Red Line extension create new jobs, but it will also add four new stations on the Far South Side that will directly impact my constituents, who rely on our city’s robust, 24-hour transit system to travel to work, school, and function in their day-to-day lives. The Red Line extension project is great for our city and the people of Chicago.”

 

“The Red Line Extension Project is critical to righting the wrongs of the past in my community,” said 9th Ward Ald. Anthony Beale. “Our residents deserve to be better connected to the rest of the city by not only transit but through jobs, training, and investment in their community. Today’s announcement is a positive step for the Far South Side.”

 

“The CTA’s Red Line Extension Project will help to address decades of disinvestment on the Far South Side,” said Andrea Reed, Executive Director of the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce. “I am pleased that this project is moving forward and is slated to receive federal support, and I encourage CTA to continue to ensure that this project commits to creating job and training opportunities and other quality of life improvements for residents in our community.”

 

“CHA is proud to be a key partner working to bring transit equity to Altgeld Gardens and the broader Riverdale neighborhood by realizing the proposed Red Line extension, which will increase economic mobility and lead to transformational economic development in the community,” said Tracey Scott, CEO, Chicago Housing Authority.

 

This announcement follows a sustained advocacy effort from the Chicagoland Congressional Delegation, including a letter led by U.S. Senators Durbin and Duckworth that included U.S. Reps. Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Jesús "Chuy" García (D-IL-04), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08) urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to make a robust federal investment in the Red Line Extension Project.

 

Red Line Extension Project Overview

 

The RLE project will:

• Build a 5.6-mile extension of the Red Line starting at 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street.
• Include four new accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street, each of which would include bus, bike, pedestrian and parking facilities.
• Build a new rail yard and related rail facilities to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system.

The Red Line Extension Project will provide a new, more direct connection to the Red Line – this means an easier trip and less time commuting. Once the extension opens, it is expected to provide up to 30 minutes time savings to riders traveling from the future 130th Station.

 

Project benefits for surrounding communities:

• An award-winning RLE Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) Plan in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD). The Plan is a proactive effort to guide the future development of the long-disinvested communities located near the RLE project area, and it reflects the vision of those who currently reside and conduct business in these communities.
• Is expected to bring more than 25,000 jobs to Cook County in future years.
• Includes opportunities for workforce training and jobs and participation in the project by small Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)-certified small businesses.
• CTA supports DBEs through efforts including the Building Small Business program and partnerships with its construction contractors.

Preliminary project renderings can be found here. For more information about the Red Line Extension Project, visit transitchicago.com/rle.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Metro Magazine, 9/14/23

 

CTA Issues RFP to Build New Red Line Extension Track Structure, Stations

 

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced it is taking the next step in the Red Line Extension Project (RLE).

 

 

The CTA is moving to the next stage in its selection of a contractor to design and build the $3.6 billion rail line extension. The agency has issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) to three contracting teams pre-selected by CTA earlier this year that demonstrated the ability to design and build the Red Line Extension in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process begun last year.

 

 

Continue here.  

[CNJRoss]

CTA news release

 

CTA Issues a Request for Proposals (RFP) to Build New Red Line Extension Track Structure and Four Stations

 

September 14, 2023

 

Agency expects to award contract in 2024 for contractor to design and build the project that will extend the Red Line 5.6 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street, including four new, fully accessible stations and park-and-ride facilities

 

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is taking the next major step in the transformational Red Line Extension Project (RLE), the largest capital construction project in the agency’s history. The design and construction of the RLE will provide long-awaited and much-needed connection to jobs, education, commerce, and opportunity on the Far South Side, while also serving as a catalyst for economic development that benefits the entire City of Chicago.

 

The CTA is moving to the next stage in its selection of a contractor to design and build the $3.6 billion rail line extension. Today, the agency announced that it has issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) to three contracting teams pre-selected by CTA earlier this year that demonstrated the ability to design and build the Red Line Extension in a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process begun last year.

 

The Red Line Extension Project includes:

• A 5.6 mile heavy rail extension from the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal to 130th Street;
• Four new, fully-accessible rail stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street;
• Multimodal connections at stations to include bus, bike, pedestrian, and park & ride facilities; plus
• A new railyard and maintenance shop near 120th Street that will contribute to improved reliability and service across the entire Red Line, which will be delivered under a separate project contract.  

 

“Today we moved yet another step closer to providing residents of the Far South Side with access to rail service by moving to phase two of the procurement process. In this phase, we issue the RFP to the qualified firms -- one of which will ultimately build the Red Line Extension,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “This follows the recent great news of a nearly $2 billion pledge from the federal government to fund the project. The Red Line Extension Project represents equity for the underserved South Side community, giving them a rail line that extends to the city limits.”

 

CTA’s release of the RFP to the three pre-selected contracting teams – FH Paschen, Ragnar Benson, Milhouse and BOWA Joint Venture; Kiewit Infrastructure; and Walsh VINCI Transit Community Partners – follows the agency’s issuance of a Draft RFP to the same group earlier this year. Feedback from the teams during the Draft RFP process guided the creation of the RFP, which will improve the contractors’ ability to bid on the project and for CTA to hire the best contracting team for the RLE project.

 

The contracting teams’ proposals will be considered on a variety of criteria, including experience, price, workforce programs, inclusion of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)-certified firms and other minority owned firms in the project, and other factors. CTA expects major construction of this project to begin in 2025 pending federal approvals, and anticipates beginning pre-construction work in 2024 that will include property demolition and advanced utility relocation work.

 

The RLE project is expected to create 6,200 direct construction jobs. CTA has hosted numerous outreach events to encourage participation by DBE-certified and other minority businesses that wish to participate in the project to meet the DBE goals that will be assessed. Additionally, the project RFP will include a section that requires proposers to describe their plans to reach out to the DBE community and their strategies to meet or exceed the workforce goals that will be established for the project.

 

For more information on this project, visit transitchicago.com/rle.

 

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[KevinKorell]

Chicago, IL Sun-Times,  9/25/23:

 

 

    As Red Line extension advances, a cheaper way hides in plain sight    

 

 

A couple weeks ago, there was an event in town that politicians treated as a celebration. It may, instead, have been a mistake compounded for taxpayers.

 

 

Story

[KevinKorell]

Chicago, IL Sun-Times Letter to the Editor, 9/30/23, in reaction to previous story above:

 

 

   Criticism of Red Line extension is off-base  

 

 

A recent Sun-Times column about the CTA’s planned Red Line extension misses many crucial points while making claims that sound reasonable on the surface but don’t hold water under realistic expectations (“As Red Line extension advances, a cheaper way hides in plain sight”).

 

Letter