Preparation and construction design work for the 5.5-mile Red Line Extension to 130th Street is now underway; groundbreaking for the transformational project set for 2026
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) today announced it will hold four community meetings in September to give residents on the Far South Side the chance to envision what their Red Line station area will look like, including what features it will have that benefit customers and neighbors.
CTA earlier this year revealed updated designs for the new Red Line stations at 103rd, 111th, Michigan (near 116th) and 130th as the agency prepares to break ground for the 5.5-mile Extension and stations in 2026. As part of the ongoing project design work for stations and new track by contracting team Walsh VINCI Design-Build Team, CTA will hold interactive sessions with residents in RLE communities including Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights and Riverdale to ask: What would you like your station plaza area to look like?
“CTA stations serve as critical access points to rail service, and they are centerpieces in the neighborhoods they serve,” said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen. “These stations belong to the communities they serve and the people who live there—it is vital that they be at the center of the conversation about how these areas serve riders in the future.”
The new Red Line stations will be accessible to customers with disabilities, including elevators and escalators at elevated stations, and will include bus, bike, and pedestrian parking facilities.
Community members at the upcoming meetings will be asked to provide insight on features for the exterior of the stations, including landscaping, seating and plaza paving to provide a pleasing and welcoming environment.
For residents whose future stations are 103rd, 111th and/or Michigan*.
1st meeting
Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – noon, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Imani Village, 901 E. 95th St., Chicago
2nd meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – noon, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center,
1250 W. 119th St., Chicago
3rd meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – noon, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 211 E 115th St., Chicago
*The same information for all three stations will be provided at every meeting.
For residents whose future station is 130th:
Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. – noon, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Location: Altgeld Gardens Community Youth Center, 951 E. 132nd Place, Chicago
You can register in advance for any of the meetings here.
The presentations and presentation boards from the meetings will be posted online at transitchicago.com/RLE and individuals unable to attend the meetings will have the opportunity to provide feedback to CTA by emailing [email protected] or leaving their feedback in a voicemail at (312) 772-2272.
Red Line Extension Project Overview
The RLE project will:
- Build a 5.5-mile extension of the Red Line from the 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street.
- Include four new accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue (near 116th), and 130th Street, each of which will include bus, bike, pedestrian parking facilities.
- Build a new rail yard and related rail facilities to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system.
The Red Line Extension Project will provide a new, more direct connection to the Red Line – this means an easier trip and less time commuting. Once the extension opens, it is expected to provide up to 30 minutes time savings to riders traveling from the future 130th Station.
Project benefits for surrounding communities:
- An award-winning RLE Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) Plan in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) that will guide the future development of the long-disinvested communities located near the RLE project area.
- Estimated construction jobs to be created: More than 12,000
- Estimated indirect jobs to be created: 59,800
- Estimated 25,000 additional jobs to become available with the access to transit for community served
- Opportunities for workforce training, apprenticeships and careers with partners Chicago Women in Trades, HIRE 360 and Metropolitan Family Services.
- Participation in the project by small Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)-certified small businesses.
- CTA supports DBEs through efforts including the Building Small Business program and partnerships with its construction contractors.
The new extension and stations are expected to be completed and in service in 2030. For more information about the Red Line Extension Project, visit transitchicago.com/rle and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
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