Frequently asked questions

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is proposing to extend the Red Line from the existing terminal at 95th/Dan Ryan to 130th Street, subject to the availability of funding. The 5.6-mile extension would include four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street. Multimodal connections at each station would include bus, bike, pedestrian, and park & ride facilities. This project is one part of the Red Ahead Program to extend and enhance the entire Red Line.

The RLE Project is one part of the Red Ahead Program, which is a comprehensive initiative for maintaining, modernizing, and expanding Chicago’s most-traveled rail line. The Red Ahead Program consists of separate projects that are mutually beneficial; an improvement in one area of the Red Line benefits the entire Red Line.

The RLE Project would travel through areas of the Roseland, Washington Heights, West Pullman and Riverdale community areas. RLE stations would be located in these communities:

• 103rd Street station: Roseland and Washington Heights
• 111th Street station: Roseland
• Michigan Avenue station: West Pullman
• 130th Street station: Riverdale

The RLE Project would also serve residents and businesses in a wider area, including the five surrounding community areas in the City of Chicago — Beverly, Morgan Park, Pullman, Hegewisch and South Deering — as well as the Village of Calumet Park.

The RLE Project would expand rapid transit to Chicago’s southern border and create increased access to jobs, education, and opportunities for residents on the Far South Side. Specifically, the RLE Project supports:

• Equity by providing affordable rapid transit to historically underserved communities and improving mobility for transit-dependent residents and people with disabilities
• Connectivity and access to the entire city via the CTA network
• Economic opportunity through connections to jobs, educational opportunities, housing and other services, as well as economic development on the City's Far South Side
• Frequent rail service will reduce commute times
• Sustainable transportation that helps contribute to improved air quality, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and saves energy

The CTA anticipates a total project ridership of approximately 38,000 rides each weekday. By the year 2037, the CTA expects that to grow to approximately 44,000 rides each weekday.

In partnership with Pace Suburban Bus, the CTA has initiated the South Halsted Bus Corridor Enhancement Project, which would improve transit along approximately 11 miles of South Halsted Street, from the Pace Harvey Transportation Center to 79th Street. The corridor also includes segments of 79th and 95th Streets that provide connections to the CTA 79^th Street and 95^th/Dan Ryan Red Line stations.

Pace has identified South Halsted Street from the CTA Red Line 95th/Dan Ryan station to the Pace Harvey Transportation Center as a priority corridor for the implementation of Pulse rapid transit service. Transit improvements developed in this study will complement the Red Line Extension Project.

Click here to learn more about this project.

The RLE Project would foster economic development in the project area, as new stations could serve as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization, spur the development of transit-supportive communities, and help reverse decades of disinvestment in local business districts.

Increased transit access would further support the local economy by attracting customers and visitors from outside the project area to local businesses, landmarks and cultural centers, bolstering community investment.

The RLE Project would result in a 46% increase in newly accessible jobs within an hour commute of the RLE Project area. These economic benefits could improve the quality of life in historically underinvested and disproportionately low-income and minority communities on the Far South Side. 24% of residents in the RLE Project area live below the poverty level, compared to a Chicago average of 18%, and the majority of whom are African American.

The CTA estimates that a trip on board the Red Line from 130th Street to 95th/Dan Ryan station will take approximately 12 minutes. Total travel time from 130th to the Loop with the Red Line Extension is estimated to be approximately 40 minutes, which is a time saving of up to 30 minutes as compared to the current bus to rail trip that requires a transfer. Total travel time takes into consideration vehicle running time, wait time, and transfer time.

The RLE Project would function seamlessly with the 95th/Dan Ryan station to provide improved transit service throughout Chicago’s Far South Side. More information about the 95th/Dan Ryan station is available here.

The 95th/Dan Ryan station is a critical piece of the CTA’s Red Line. It connects Far South Side communities to job centers throughout the region and serves as a transit gateway for the South Side and the suburbs. By expanding the Red Line beyond the 95th/Dan Ryan station and building four new stations on the Far South Side, the CTA seeks to improve rapid transit rail service to isolated areas and provide viable linkages between affordable housing, jobs, services, and educational opportunities, thereby enhancing livability and neighborhood vitality. Riders of existing CTA bus routes that serve the Far South Side, many of which currently connect to the Red Line at the 95th/Dan Ryan station, would have the opportunity to board at one of the new RLE stations, which would provide up to 30 minutes of time savings per trip from 130th at Altgeld Gardens to the Loop.

The operating hours for the RLE Project are anticipated to be the same as for the current Red Line, which operates 24 hours, every day of the year.

Existing bus routes may be adjusted to complement the new high-capacity transit service as a part of the overall service plan being developed for the RLE Project. Depending on the specific route of the service, the number of routes feeding into the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal may be reduced as more efficient connections are made to new stations south of 95th Street. This would also reduce congestion in and around this facility.

RLE stations would be accessible by bicycle using existing on-street bike lanes on 103rd, 111th, 115th, and State streets. In addition, there may be opportunities in the future to connect stations to proposed bike lanes and off-street paths. Station areas would be designed to accommodate future bicycle parking and bike share stations and would not hinder future development of bike facilities.

The RLE Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) Plan analyzes multimodal access to proposed stations and provides recommendations for each station area.

Yes, the CTA is coordinating with Metra on the RLE Project. Metra is a participating agency in the environmental review process for the project.

There is potential for connection of the proposed Red Line Extension to the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) South Shore Commuter Rail Line near 130th Street. Currently, the NICTD South Shore commuter service does not have a 130th Street station, and at this time they do not have future plans to include a 130th Street station. The CTA proposed in 2020 and evaluated in the Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA), the RLE 130th Street station relocation to south of 130th Street within the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood. Transfer to NICTD South Shore services would be possible through a bus connection between the RLE station and the NICTD station.

A connection between RLE and Metra Electric District at Kensington/115th Street station would be possible along 115th Street. The distance between the RLE Michigan Avenue station and Metra Electric District Kensington/115th Street station is about half mile and transfer would be possible using bus or pedestrian connections.  While bus operating plans would be further defined as this project progresses, bus connections to this station along 115th Street and wayfinding would be provided to address connectivity between services.

The RLE Project would not preclude future regional commuter rail connections with NICTD (if ever implemented in the future) and the Metra Electric District.

The RLE Project is moving forward and the CTA has recently made significant recent progress, including taking the steps necessary to make the project eligible for federal funding, which is a multi-year and multi-step process. In December 2020, the CTA entered the Project Development phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Starts program. This is a necessary step to pursue federal funding for the project under this program. During the Project Development phase, the CTA will have two years to complete preliminary engineering and the final Environmental Impact Statement. Once the Project Development phase is complete, the CTA will have a more precise understanding of the overall timeline of receiving federal New Starts funding.

The CTA directed $310 million in its Capital Improvement Program (2022-2025) towards the RLE Project to fund engineering and design activities. This is in addition to the $75 million that is currently being used for environmental review and preliminary engineering work. These funds are part of the local match for the federal New Starts grant program. These financial investments demonstrate the CTA’s commitment to the RLE Project, to the community, and to the FTA, the federal agency to which the CTA will apply for a portion of project funding.

In 2016, the Illinois General Assembly approved a new financial tool known as Transit Tax Increment Financing or “Transit TIF.” Transit TIF is an economic development tool to support investment in large-scale, long-term transit projects. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is seeking a Transit TIF designation for the Red Line Extension Project. The Transit TIF is needed in order for CTA to secure as much as $2 billion in federal funds for the much-needed rail extension south of 95th/Dan Ryan. Visit the RLE Transit TIF page to learn more.

With the RLE Project’s acceptance into the Project Development phase of the FTA New Starts grant program in December 2020, the CTA now estimates the start of construction in 2025, and RLE service beginning in 2029. The anticipated construction date is dependent upon a number of factors, including federal funding approvals, further engineering and design, completion of environmental review, and procurement of construction contracts. As the project progresses, and additional information is available, the CTA will update the timeline as needed and share this information with stakeholders and the public. The CTA is committed to actively moving this project forward in order to bring much-needed rapid transit rail service to Far South Side residents and communities.

Engineering survey teams are in the project area intermittently to perform field work and data collection.

The CTA is planning to build the RLE as one project.

Based on previously conducted project planning and engineering work, the CTA selected a Preferred Alignment in 2018. The Preferred Alignment is a combination of the previously presented Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) East and West options.

The Preferred Alignment would run south along I-94 from the 95th/Dan Ryan station, then curve west along the north side of I-57 (within the I-57 right-of-way) on an elevated structure for nearly a ½ mile until reaching and crossing over to the west side of the UPRR corridor in the vicinity of Eggleston Avenue. The alignment would turn south to follow the UPRR corridor on the elevated structure along the west side of the UPRR to 107th Place. At 107th Place the elevated structure would cross over to the east side of the UPRR corridor.  The Preferred Alignment would continue along the east side of the UPRR corridor south and southeast to near 119th Street.  South of this point, the Preferred Alignment would descend to at-grade while continuing southeast. The alignment would continue south, going under 130th Street to the terminus (end) of the RLE Project south of 130th Street. 

The Preferred Alignment captures the benefits, minimizes the impacts of either option and incorporates the public and agency feedback received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Preferred Alignment would have fewer impacts than either the East or West options. It would affect fewer residences than the East Option, and fewer businesses and jobs than the West Option. Noise and vibration impacts would not be greater than those anticipated under either the East or West Option. The Preferred Alignment is evaluated in the Final EIS.

No. These alternatives were considered early in the environmental review process as potential alternatives. These alternatives have been eliminated based on additional technical analysis and public input received. In August 2014, the CTA announced that the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Alternative is the NEPA Preferred Alternative. The CTA prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which analyzed the benefits and impacts of locating the line either to the east or west of the UPRR tracks. Based on public input and further planning and engineering conducted, the UPRR Preferred Alignment was selected in 2018. The Preferred Alignment is a combination of the previously presented East and West options.

CTA news release (8/10/2014)

No. The CTA had previously considered an option that would have used the existing UPRR right-of-way for the elevated CTA track structure. This option was added in 2012 in response to the Chicago Department of Transportation feasibility study looking at moving UPRR freight operations out of the existing UPRR corridor before the RLE Project. The Right-of-Way Option would only be feasible if the separate project were implemented before implementation of the RLE Project. Coordination between local agencies and the railroads indicted that relocation of UPRR freight operations from this corridor presents considerable challenges; therefore, this option is no longer feasible.

The RLE would operate on an elevated structure from approximately 95th Street to near 119th Street, where it would transition to ground level and continue at ground level until its terminus near 130th Street. The 103rd Street, 111th Street and Michigan Avenue stations would be elevated, and the 130th Street station would be at ground level. The RLE will be grade-separated, meaning that it will not intersect or conflict with existing roadways.

Yes, all public facilities, including stations, platforms, and trains, associated with the RLE Project would be fully ADA accessible. The CTA is committed to ensuring that all riders can access and benefit from its public transit services. Improvements made under the guidance of the ADA will provide access to transit services for people who may have difficulty navigating stairs or require specific audio and/or visual cues.

To learn more about CTA's accessibility initiatives, services, and features, please visit: https://www.transitchicago.com/accessibility/

Yes, CTA Park & Ride facilities are planned at each of the four RLE stations. Using travel demand modeling, the CTA has developed estimates of the parking demand needed along the Preferred Alignment. The CTA is currently conducting additional analysis and review of parking needs near stations and as part of the ongoing project development and engineering studies. The CTA is including parking at all RLE stations for those that choose to drive to stations.

RLE parking facilities would be owned by the CTA. The CTA is investigating opportunities for joint use of the parking facility so that non-CTA riders, such as customers of nearby commercial establishments, can park there as well.

Per Chicago Municipal Code Chapter 9-64-090 Residential Parking Permits, residential parking zones are introduced by Aldermen and established by City Council. To be eligible, the proposed parking zone must meet certain requirements including demonstration of need as determined by a parking study, among other things. The CTA is coordinating with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) on issues related to parking availability.

Safety and security measures will be consistent with that of the entire CTA system. Potential safety and security measures under consideration include open design, lighting, surveillance cameras and/or security patrols, convex mirrors, emergency push buttons, fencing, and landscaping.

A number of steps have been taken to improve your safety and security while on the CTA. To learn more about these steps, please visit: transitchicago.com/security.

The CTA is analyzing traffic impacts as a result of the project and coordinating with roadway agencies (e.g. CDOT). The RLE Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) Plan includes recommendations to improve multimodal connections to the stations and surrounding areas. The RLE TSD Plan seeks to mitigate traffic impacts by promoting mixed-use development near high-quality transit to help reduce car dependency. This decrease in car dependency could provide a reduction in traffic, leading to less congestion. In addition, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) includes traffic analysis completed for the Preferred Alignment. 

The CTA studied potential noise and vibration impacts during the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). As part of the Final EIS, the CTA completed detailed noise and vibration analyses. The CTA’s railcars are lighter and carry less weight than the freight cars that travel along the existing Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Elevated track structures transmit less vibration through the ground than ground level tracks, and it was determined that there would be no impacts from vibration.

The CTA is taking steps in the design process to reduce noise. These steps include:

• Installing noise barriers, which absorb and reduce noise from the tracks by 10 decibels.
• Using a closed-deck structure, which limits transmission of noise beneath the tracks.
• Using continuous welded rail, which has fewer joints and means a smoother and quieter ride.

Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 is a federal law that requires consideration of publicly owned parks/ recreational areas that are accessible to the general public, publicly owned wildlife/ waterfowl refuges, and publicly or privately owned historic sites of federal, state, or local significance in developing transportation projects. CTA conducted a Section 4(f) evaluation as part of the project’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

The RLE Project would impact 4.5 acres of Fernwood Parkway between 99th Street and 103rd Street. Mitigation measures were developed in coordination with the Chicago Park District and a total of 4.5 acres of new replacement pocket parks will be created within the Washington Heights community, along the Major Taylor Trail, or additional areas based on future coordination with the Chicago Park District.

Construction of the 130th Street station would close Old 130th Street and eliminate a connection to the access road into the Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve from Old 130th Street. In coordination with the Forest Preserves of Cook County, CTA will provide funding for ecological restoration and habitat enhancement, various Beaubien Woods improvements including the transfer of approximately seven acres of land to Beaubien Woods, and new wayfinding and informational signage.

During project construction, there would be temporary and minor construction activities within Wendell Smith Park. CTA will coordinate to fully restore Wendell Smith Park to the condition that existed prior to the project.

Yes, the CTA would need to purchase private property to construct the RLE Project. For more information and additional FAQs related to displacements, please see Property Acquisition and Relocation. Residents and property owners whose properties will be needed for the project have already been contacted by the CTA.

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is a federal law that requires evaluation of potential environmental impacts associated with federal projects and actions. The NEPA process provides a decision-making framework to consider the purpose and need for a proposed action, potential design solutions, and relative benefits of a proposed project. As part of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requirements, projects that receive New Starts funding must comply with NEPA and related environmental laws.

Under NEPA, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or Draft EIS, must be prepared to evaluate potential impacts to the natural environment and community. A Draft EIS describes the potential environmental benefits and impacts of a proposed project, and identifies measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts. The Draft EIS is available for review here.

In 2020 a Supplemental Environmental Assessment, or Supplemental EA, was determined to be required for the RLE project to disclose design refinements to the project’s Preferred Alignment. The Supplemental EA evaluates three project changes that have occurred since the publication of the Draft EIS in 2016. The project changes are:

• 130th Street station relocation
• 120th Street yard and shop refinement
• 107th Place cross-over

The Supplemental EA is available for review here.

A Final Environmental Impact Statement, or Final EIS, addresses substantive comments received on the Draft EIS and the Supplemental EA. It includes further analysis where needed and describes proposed measures to mitigate any adverse impacts. In the case of the RLE Project, the Final EIS incorporates the findings of the Supplemental EA for project changes since publication of the Draft EIS. The Final EIS is combined with the Record of Decision (ROD), which presents the Federal Transit Administration’s decision regarding the project, describes the alternatives considered, and summarizes the mitigation measures that will be incorporated into the project. The Final EIS is available for review here.

The RLE TSD Plan incorporates the community’s vision for future development in the RLE corridor. It identifies methods and resources to enable mixed-use development and enhance economic vitality, multimodal connectivity and the pedestrian environment.

Information collected during the RLE TSD Plan helps the CTA secure funding for RLE through the federal New Starts program. More specifically, the plan provides information for the land use and economic development criteria requirements of the FTA Capital Investment Grants program.

The RLE TSD Plan utilizes an equitable TOD (eTOD) planning approach. eTOD planning seeks to promote development without displacement and realize community-focused benefits such as affordable housing, local economic development, and environmental sustainability. It can be a driver for more vibrant, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods that put people of color and lower- and moderate-income residents at the center. A vital part of this plan is its community engagement and ownership process that incorporates the vision of residents and stakeholders from the surrounding neighborhoods throughout the development of the plan.

Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) encompasses a broader and more comprehensive approach than Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) by developing a vision for the whole project area. RLE will have benefits that extend beyond the half-mile radius around stations that is typically used for TOD planning. TSD planning also integrates transit planning with local land use planning and describes the type of development that may be supported by transit and that, in turn, may support transit.

Outreach activities were completed throughout the development of the RLE TSD Plan. This included public meetings to collect feedback on transit-supportive development vision and goals as well as conceptual plans for future development for each RLE station area. Although the TSD outreach has concluded, the RLE Project team wants to continue to engage with community. Community members can ask questions or share feedback by utilizing the RLE engagement website. To view past meeting materials, visit the RLE TSD Plan page. 

The RLE TSD Plan helps to guide development by laying out a development strategy that City agencies can follow. Through coordination with the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development, the plan will also develop criteria based on the community’s vision and development concepts that the City can take into consideration for land disposition and distribution of incentive programs. The CTA also intends to submit the RLE TSD Plan for adoption by the City, which would empower it as an effective guide especially for City owned land, which is abundant in RLE station areas. Ultimately, new developments will still need to go through a dedicated design and evaluation process, and the community will have the opportunity to voice their desires and concerns at that time to ensure the final development becomes a positive asset for the community.

One component of the RLE TSD Plan is the identification and analysis of potential funding mechanisms to encourage private development near RLE stations and in the wider project area. The CTA will investigate the sale of publicly held land for development, as well as existing public subsidy and incentive programs. Funding for future development may come through a wide variety of sources and incentives, such as local, state, and federal tax programs; Tax Increment Financing (TIF); as well as grants, loans, incentives, economic development programs, and private equity.

The intent of the RLE TSD Plan is to guide and encourage future development in the RLE Project area by having a plan that embodies the vision of the community in place. The CTA is not responsible for managing or overseeing future development, but is providing a plan that includes strategies to help leverage the transit investment made by the CTA, through federal and local funding sources, to promote private mixed-use development and enhance economic vitality, multimodal connectivity and the pedestrian environment.

There is no strict timeline for these developments. Some developments may happen in advance of the Red Line Extension on available land with the right financing, developer interest, and market demand. Other developments may not happen until the rail line and stations are built. The RLE TSD Plan will identify sites that have the most potential to develop first and act as catalysts for future development.

The RLE TSD Plan utilizes an equitable Transit Oriented Development (eTOD) planning approach. The eTOD approach seeks to promote development without the displacement of existing residents and achieve community-focused benefits, such as affordable housing, local economic development and environmental sustainability. eTOD can be a driver for more vibrant, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods without displacing current residents.

The Plan incorporates policies to preserve existing housing stock and build new affordable housing, while stimulating economic development and encouraging new construction on vacant lots. The CTA is working closely with the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing, the Department of Planning and Development, and the Cook County Land Bank Authority to identify the best policies and programs to support existing residents within the RLE community. A list of existing programs to support homeowners and renters can be found on the Department of Housing website at chicago.gov/city/en/depts/doh.html

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the RLE Project was completed with the issuance of the combined Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) in August 2022. The CTA is now completing Preliminary Engineering. Construction and operation of the RLE Project is dependent on funding availability and federal approvals.

As a part of the RLE Project, the CTA is seeking to address barriers to sustainable employment for residents within the project area and people from economically disadvantaged zip codes. The CTA is establishing partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, and trade organizations to promote workforce opportunities on the project and in the broader construction industry.

Please visit the CTA's Workforce Opportunities, Workforce Initiatives, or the Second Chance Program page to see what opportunities are available now. 

Potential contractors, suppliers, and others interested in Red Line Extension procurement opportunities are encouraged to review CTA’s Buying Plan and CTA’s Procurement Portal. For additional questions regarding Red Line Extension procurement opportunities, please submit them to: RedExtension@transitchicago.com.