Improvements Coming To The Red And Purple Line North Of Belmont, With New Funding Approved For CTA

From The Office Of Alderman Harry Osterman

January 9, 2017

Dear Neighbor:

This morning was an historic one for the 48th Ward and the City of Chicago.

I was joined by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CTA President Dorval Carter, US Senator Dick Durbin, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Congressman Mike Quigley, and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers to announce a $1.1 billion grant funding agreement that will allow the CTA to move forward with the first phase of the Red and Purple Modernization Program (RPM) — a plan to rebuild the century-old rail lines north of Belmont and improve CTA rail service for decades to come.

This project — which includes new stations and new embankments at Bryn Mawr, Berwyn, Argyle, and Lawrence — is a decade in the making, and will be the biggest infrastructure project the 48th Ward and the CTA have seen. When I took office in 2011, one of the first actions I took was to dedicate $10 million from the Bryn Mawr/Broadway TIF to the redevelopment of the Bryn Mawr Red Line station. The full funding grant agreement with the FTA is the final step in securing the funding needed for the $2.1 billion first phase of the RPM project. The Transit TIF that recently passed through City Council unanimously will help the city provide the matching funds that were critical in landing this grant.

The RPM project is an important and necessary development in our community. Each weekday over 22,000 residents use these and the other stations in our ward to access the Red Line. The embankment and viaducts that make up this section of the Red Line are 100 years old, significantly deteriorated, and difficult to maintain. Additionally, none of these stations are currently ADA accessible and they will need to be fully reconstructed to accommodate this, making one of the great assets in our community accessible to more of our residents.

My office will work closely with the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce and Uptown United to ensure our local businesses surrounding the stations are supported leading up to, during, and after the construction. Construction work is expected to begin in late 2018, and will create upward of 6,000 jobs.

I would like to thank President Obama, Mayor Emanuel, Senator Durbin, and Congresswoman Schakowsky for their support in helping Chicago secure the funding for this essential project, which will be one of the largest modernization projects in CTA history. RPM will reduce crowding, allow for faster and more frequent service, increase station accessibility, and will be a significant development in keeping our community moving forward.

I will keep you posted on further developments with RPM.

Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Harry Osterman
Alderman, 48th Ward