Final EIS/ROD issued for CTA’s Red Line Extension project
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), published the combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Red Line Extension (RLE) project that will extend CTA’s Red Line 5.6 miles south.
The RLE project is described as “one of the most critical and transformative investments for Chicago’s Far South Side communities.” The extended rail line would move the Red Line’s southern terminus from 95th Street to 130th Street and it would be constructed as an elevated and ground level project. It will save up to 30 minutes travel time between the city’s far south side and downtown, which CTA says will open the far southern communities to more opportunities for jobs and economic development.
The project is one of three major components in CTA’s larger Red Ahead Program, which is designed to maintain, modernize and expand the Red Line – the city’s most traveled rail line.
“Completing the Final EIS and receiving a Record of Decision for the Red Line Extension Project is a major step forward,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “CTA is committed to advancing this transformational investment that not only brings benefits for the Far Southside, but the entire CTA transit system, which serves the city of Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs. Equity is at the foundation of this project and investment in the Red Line Extension supports a stronger Chicago for all.”
The communities of Chicago’s far south side have been historically underserved with 24 percent living below the poverty level. CTA estimates the RLE project would deliver a 46 percent increase in newly accessible jobs within an hour commute of the RLE Project Area.
What the Final EIS/ROD means for the project
With the publication of the Final EIS/ROD, the formal environmental review for the project is complete and allows the project to advance to the next steps of the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program as a New Starts project.
The RLE project entered the project development phase of the CIG program in December 2020. According to information in the RLE project document on FTA’s website, CTA anticipates entering New Starts Engineering in the fall of 2022, receiving a Full Funding Grant Agreement by the end of 2023 and entering revenue service in mid-2029.
More information about the Final EIS/ROD is available through CTA’s RLE project page on its website.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
