Durbin, Jackson, Rush and Emanuel Announce Chicago's 95th Street Station to Receive $20 Million Investment Through the TIGER Grant Program Terminal
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Mayor Emanuel announced today that Chicago's CTA has secured $20 million in critical funding which will allow the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project to proceed. The intermodal project will reduce pedestrian and bus congestion, reduce travel times, improve accessibility, and create jobs on the South Side of the city.
“Today’s funding through the federal TIGER grant program is great news for residents of Chicago's South Side who rely on the 95th Street Terminal to get to work and travel throughout the city,” said Senator Durbin. “Upgrades to this critical transportation link will improve safety, reduce congestion and create good paying jobs. To date, Illinois has received more than $225 million in federal funding through the TIGER grant program which has been essential to maintaining safe, efficient transportation systems that connect workers with jobs and spur economic development.”
“This is a huge win for the City of Chicago and will provide massive opportunity to the people of the city's south side,” said Mayor Emanuel. “The improvements to the 95th street station will allow people to move about the city more freely and safely, while creating jobs and economic opportunity. In conjunction with the other improvements we are conducting to public transportation on the south side, this marks a significant step forward for the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city.”
“This demonstrates why federal resources must continue to play a significant role in rebuilding our nation's infrastructure,” said Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. “Federal aid makes this worthy project possible.”
“I am very pleased that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Chicago Transit Authority $20 million to provide for the expansion of the 95th Street Red Line station,” said Congressman Bobby Rush. “The 95th Street station is the CTA’s fourth busiest rail station and is also a major bus terminal serving the greater number of bus routes of any rail station on the CTA system. I will continue to work with the agency on transit services that improve the quality of life for my constituents. I also look forward to working with CTA to ensure that the economic impact of this 95th Street station expansion is realized through transit oriented and retail development in the area, and through contracts and jobs for those I represent.”
The 95th Street Terminal provides critical transportation to the South Side of Chicago and is one of the key hubs in the entire transit system. It is one of the busiest stations in the entire CTA system. The 95th street station alone serves 20,000 daily passengers, along with 13 CTA bus routes, 5 Pace Suburban bus routes, 10 Greyhound and Indian trail intercity buses, and paratransit ADA service.
Senator Durbin and Mayor Emanuel led the charge to apply for this funding, specifically for the crucial upgrades on the 95th Street Terminal on the South Side of the city. It was there that the two/three leaders felt the value to the city would be greatest from this funding, as this station is in need of improvement and has a profound economic impact on the city.
The CTA submitted a proposal for a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for the project, and was awarded $20 million. The total estimated cost of the project is $140 million. The $20 million in federal funding will be supplemented by CTA funds.
This is the second TIGER grant that the City of Chicago has been awarded since Mayor Emanuel has taken office.
The CTA is the second largest transit agency in the nation, serving 1.6 million riders per weekday.
This announcement comes on the heels of several recent announcements by the CTA, including the complete repair of the southern part of the red line, which will take place in early 2013, and the total overhaul of the entire city bus fleet, which over the next two years will allow for new purchases or complete rehabilitations of more than 1500 buses. The focus on the south red line is crucial. The Red Line is the busiest rail line in the CTA's system and serves a large population that is reliant on the train for transport to and from work, and around the city.