The Chicago Transit Authority is moving forward with several projects along the city’s Red and Blue lines, including a new $75 million investment in an ongoing plan to extend the southern branch of the Red Line more than 5 miles.
Red Line Extension
On Sunday, Chicago's public transit system announced that the CTA Board has approved an amendment to its 2016–2020 capital improvement plan which allocates millions of dollars in additional funding toward the Red Line Extension project. The $2.3 billion plan will extend the Red Line from 95th Street to 130th Street and also calls for the construction of four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street.
“The Red Line Extension project is a transformational project to expand transit to Chicago’s southern border and create faster access to jobs, education and opportunity,” CTA President Dorval Carter said in a statement. The funds will be used for preliminary engineering and analysis necessary to complete a final environmental impact statement and finish project alignment. The CTA added that the engineering work will also allow the agency to apply for more than $1 billion in federal funding.
Blue Line Modernization
The CTA also announced today that it has completed renovation work on five rail stations along the Blue Line’s O’Hare branch. Upgrades to the Addison, Irving Park, Montrose, Harlem and Cumberland stations are part of the $492 million “Your New Blue” modernization project, which will rehab 14 Blue Line stations in all and includes completed track improvements between the Damen and Logan Square stops.
"There are now new tracks, signals and power between the Loop and the northwest side—all of which will make the ride smooth, safe and speedy," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
The modernized stations include a variety of new infrastructure and upgrades.
Cumberland: Upgrades to the station house and platforms, including new lighting and painting; replacement of station house curtain walls; new lighting and painting on platforms, walkways and at station houses; and improvements to platform, platform canopies and walkways.
Harlem: Repairs to station house curtain walls, rehabilitation of platform furniture, new lighting and painting, and improvements to platform, platform canopies floors and walkways.
Montrose/Irving Park: Renovated platform furniture, new lighting, improvements to platform and platform canopies, repainted station houses and platforms, and replaced walkway railings.
Addison: Extended station house and new enclosed stairway, a new elevator, platform improvements and platform canopies for enhanced weather protection, refurbished platform furniture, repainted station and platform and new lighting.
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