CTA Red Line extension pulls nearly $2B in federal funding

The federal government plans to allocate nearly $2 billion to extend the CTA Red Line over about 5 and a half miles south of 95th Street. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor Pritzker were joined by other local leaders discuss plans for the upcoming extension to 130th Street.

The $1.973 billion grant would be the largest transit infrastructure grant awarded to CTA in the agency’s history. 

"Reversing decades of disinvestment starts with providing accessible transportation for all residents of this city," said Mayor Johnson. 

The Red Line Extension project's (RLE) estimated cost is $3.6 billion. 

The project just advanced to the next phase in the process – the engineering phase. 

The engineering phase of the project is expected to continue into 2024 and anticipates a funding award by the end of 2024 subject to federal review and approvals. 

The remaining project funding will come from a $950 million Transit TIF approved by Chicago City Council last year and other sources.