Groundbreaking has officially been held for the long-awaited extension of the CTA Red Line across the Far South Side. Set to connect multiple communities to the rest of the system, the ceremony comes after a high-profile legal battle with the current federal administration over the withholding of funds that had already been approved for the project.
Map of Red Line Extension via CTA
The extension will span from the existing terminus at 95th Street in Roseland down to 130th Street near Altgeld Gardens. The 5.6-mile-long route will use a mix of existing and newly built tracks. With a cost of roughly $1 billion per mile, the project is expensive, but remains in line with other major transit expansions such as those in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Rendering of Red Line Extension by Walsh-VINCI
Plans call for four new stations at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue/116th Street, and the new terminus at 130th Street. Trains will run on elevated tracks through 119th Street before transitioning to at-grade tracks for the remainder of the route. The stations will follow design themes similar to the newly opened stations on the North Side, featuring simple structures with red accents.
Project context for the Red Line Extension via CTA
Design and engineering efforts for the extension are being led by a joint venture composed of the firms behind the North Side RPM project, known as Walsh-VINCI Transit Partners. We previously covered their selection in 2024. The project will also include the construction of a new train yard and maintenance facility near 120th Street, close to Metra’s existing operations.
Rendering of Red Line Extension by Walsh-VINCI
According to Block Club, local residents will be able to engage with the project through a new community office at 401 West 111th Street in Roseland. The extension is fully funded and is expected to begin construction this year, with an anticipated completion in 2030. As the project progresses, the city is also exploring new development opportunities near the future stations.
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Massive waste of money. Coordination with Metra could have provided much better service at a fraction of the cost.
White folk dont have the this is not our business gene. Its just not possible. We have trains to evanston oak park forest park skokie yet your here complaining about trains to the city limits. Its sick
You place public transit where it’ll do the most good, get the most bang for the buck.
What about the downtown circulatory trolley that would have connected (and obviated the need for cars) between McCormick place, all the train stations downtown, the shopping districts and Navy Pier?
Or the Crosstown el connecting O’Hare with Midway?
Or connecting the end of the Brown Line to the Blue Line and thus O’hare?
Or the trolley system down Ashland Ave that would connect the entire length of the city to a terminus that receives 76k visits a day – Malcolm X, UofI and a slew of hospitals?
It’s a train to nowhere and it’ll do diddly to increase productivity.
Indeed, we’ve got to start electing leaders who prioritize effectiveness of the system instead of ideology. This area deserves better transit, but this far out it really should be BRT and better use of Metra.
Effectiveness should be measured with metrics like most cars taken off the streets, increasing CTA ridership, and increased revenue collected by the city.
Honestly, if we could simply allow CTA busses to use the McCormick Busway, that’ll greatly help out with your first point, while really requiring the construction of any infrastructure.
Regional connections matters. Anticipating and leveraging growth where vast amounts of land exist will be a win for Chicago. The South region is changing and industries and institutions is moving into position. The population will grow as people populated near jobs and seek healthy environments to grow families. Already linked development options are being explored to direct private investments to planned infrastructure and land swaps. The challenge is before the people and all levels of government be make the Redline Extension a National Model for New Urbanism. Watch Us Win!
While I certainly hope your positive outcome happens, it’s still very speculative which is the kind of action that’s put the city in poor financial condition.
The key is to make the city more livable and usable by everyone, and the profits will follow.
This sized spending should be subject to a vote by the people who pay for it. As is said so well above, this is a waste on so many levels.
All look at all you racist people complaining.I bet if this was being built in ya’ll community ya’ll would be saying such a great idea.
Look all the crying ya’ll doing in these comments
Colossal waste of resources, the only reason this project exists is to appease people who think that there is some sort of “injustice” in the way the L system is distributed.
There is vacant land around so many L stops on the south and west sides, so we already have clear evidence that there is little demand for housing in these areas.
Love this, I love even more all the obvious racists who are upset at any money being spent on the south/west side. Sorry ppl, tax dollars being spent in the city and finally connecting southern neighborhoods is exactly what’s needed. Money is always prioritized for white/wealthy areas. Happy tax dollars being spent for long term investment.
People who suggest enhancing Metra Service as the solution to transport in this part of the city simply do not realize how large Rosemont is. Overlay a map of Rosemont on the entire north side of the city see the size. Suggesting someone who lives in the center of rosemont would just walk to a Metra station would be equivilant to telling someone who lives near the Kimball Brown line station to simply walk to the blue line if the brown line didn’t exist.
Does it cost too much? Yes. But is it needed? is this area a transit desert? Yes.
That being said, I would myself prefer to see some of the money going into a re-extension of the green line to serve the University and Jackson Park.
Do you mean Roseland?
Yes I do. Thanks for catching me
The comments from residents who dont live on the south side show everything they need too. Its a mental illness amongst white folks. You cant just be quiet or realize when you out of your depth. Its fascinating. You coulda juat built it the first time in the 70s and you didnt. Now we know why. Racist weirdos