CTA Awarded $1.25 Million in Federal Funding to Continue Improvements to Red & Purple Line
Modernizations to Red and Purple Lines will bolster Chicago’s ability to meet growing demand for transit
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today announced that the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will receive $1.25 million in funding through the Federal Transit Authority (FTA)’s Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Planning Program. This funding was made available through the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), a transportation bill passed by Congress in 2012. The grant will be used for ongoing improvements to the Red and Purple Lines.
“Under the leadership of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, modernizations to the Red and Purple Line are helping the Chicago Transit Authority double the capacity of its most used rail lines. This federal grant will help continue that work, and ensure that the CTA’s aging infrastructure can keep pace with growing demand for its services,” Durbin. “But additional funding won’t be available for any of our nation’s priority infrastructure projects if Congress doesn’t approve a long-term transportation bill like the bipartisan reauthorization passed by the Senate this summer. While public transit agencies like the CTA are working hard to improve their services, Congress must also do its part and provide the necessary resources to upgrade public transportation systems and infrastructure.”
“I thank Senator Durbin in his lead efforts to secure this funding for the Chicago Transit Authority,” said Emanuel. “From day one of my Administration we have invested in our public transportation system to create jobs, and revitalize neighborhoods and commercial corridors across Chicago. Investing in transit-oriented development is about communities working smarter, not harder, by focusing on expanding access to transit, attracting new amenities to neighborhoods and fostering economic growth across the city.”
“Chicago’s future depends on the ability of government to meet the demands of its residents – from public safety and park space, to housing and transportation,” said Quigley. “As Illinois’ only member on the House Appropriations Committee, I’m working hard to bring back federal dollars that are invested in Chicago. This grant awarded to the CTA to help fund the Red and Purple Line Modernization Project will help ensure our public transit system can handle the growing number of riders and is accessible to everyone.”
“Thousands of my constituents take the Red and Purple lines every day to get to and from work, school, and other places in Chicago and Evanston. This grant will support continued improvements on those more than century-old lines, enhancing the speed, safety, and comfort of the L. Chicago was deeply deserving of this grant, and I look forward to our city’s continued enhancement of public transit,” said Schakowsky.
CTA received an additional $35 million in funding for the Red and Purple Line improvement project last August through the FTA's new Core Capacity Program. The Core Capacity Program is competitive grant program created by Durbin as a member of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) Conference Committee. CTA became the first transit system accepted into the Core Capacity Program in November 2013.