In the spring of 2012,
Chicago Transit Authority
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is the operator of mass transit in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and some of its surrounding suburbs, including the trains of the Chicago 'L' and CTA bus service. In , the system had a ridership of , o ...
started a station and track rehabilitation program dubbed "Red Ahead",
beginning on the North Side Main Line, which is called the "Red North" project. The program monitors the full route of the
Red Line, which does not include the stations of
Loyola,
Bryn Mawr,
Sheridan
Sheridan may refer to:
People
Surname
*Sheridan (surname)
*Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), U.S. Army general after whom the Sheridan tank is named
*Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), Irish playwright (''The Rivals''), poet and politician
...
, or
Wilson
Wilson may refer to:
People
* Wilson (name)
** List of people with given name Wilson
** List of people with surname Wilson
* Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender
* Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...
. Stations between Wilson through
Fullerton, and the
State Street subway
The State Street subway is an underground section of the Chicago "L" system in The Loop which serves as the center of the Red Line. It is long and has a boarding average of 53,601 passengers every weekday as of February 2013. It owes its name t ...
, are also not included. In May 2012, the CTA started to work on the
North Side Main Line
The North Side Main Line is a branch of the Chicago "L" system that is used by Red Line (CTA), Red, Purple Line (CTA), Purple, and Brown Line (CTA), Brown Line trains. As of 2012, it is the network's busiest rail branch, serving an average of 123, ...
stations which includes
Jarvis,
Morse
Morse may refer to:
People
* Morse (surname)
* Morse Goodman (1917-1993), Anglican Bishop of Calgary, Canada
* Morse Robb (1902–1992), Canadian inventor and entrepreneur
Geography Antarctica
* Cape Morse, Wilkes Land
* Mount Morse, Churchi ...
,
Granville,
Thorndale,
Berwyn,
Argyle, and
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
. The stations are listed in order, starting at Granville, then Morse, Thorndale, Argyle, Berwyn, Lawrence, and finally Jarvis. This project started in June 2012 and completed in December 2012. This project is also part of the Red Ahead's "Red & Purple Modernization" project.
Extension proposals (2006–2016)
, proposals have been underway to extend the Red Line south from 95th Street. The CTA developed nine different proposed routes, one of which includes routing the Red Line down the median of the Bishop Ford Freeway and another in the median of Interstate 57. During an alternatives analysis meeting on April 11, 2007, CTA narrowed further study down to five possible routes, two for
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
and three for
heavy rail (rapid) transit. The two bus routes would travel south from the 95th/Dan Ryan terminal either down
Halsted Street
Halsted Street is a major north-south street in the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois.
Location
In Chicago's grid system, Halsted Street marks 800 West, west of State Street, from Grace Street (3800 N) in Lakeview south to the city limits at t ...
or
Michigan Avenue, while the heavy rail routes left for consideration were the Halsted and Michigan corridors (either underground or elevated) as well as the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
corridor (elevated or trench), which would traverse southeastward toward the
South Shore Line
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in ...
. In October 2008, the CTA commissioned a $150,000-study of an extension due south to 130th/Stony Island in the
community area of
Riverdale.
Extension finalization
In January 2018, the CTA finalized the route plan. The extension consists of elevated tracks from 95th Street to 119th Street, meaning that the
103rd,
111th, and
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
stations would be elevated. The
130th station
130th is a proposed rapid transit station for the Red Line as part of the Red Line Extension. The station is planned to open in 2029, if the CTA can get the funding for the $3.6 billion project. The station would be constructed in Chicago ...
would be at-grade, making it the Red Line's only at-grade station. In August 2022, the Red Line Extension advanced to the Federal Funding Phase. In December 2022, City Council approved the creation of a district that will send nearly $1 billion in tax revenue over the next few decades to extend the Red Line south of 95th Street, a major step toward completing the project after a half-century of false starts. President Biden’s proposed 2024 budget includes $350 million in federal funding for the Red Line Extension project.
Alternatives
In December 2008, at the Screen 2 presentation of the federally mandated Alternatives Analysis Study, the possible corridors and modes of transit were furthered narrowed down to either Halsted Street (Bus Rapid Transit or elevated Heavy Rail Transit) and the Union Pacific Railroad corridor (elevated Heavy Rail Transit).
In December 2009, the CTA identified the Locally Preferred Alternative as the Union Pacific corridor.
A map and description of the route are found here
Multiple Environmental Impact Studies will be carried out, and will determine exact alignments and design.
The alignment consists of a new elevated rail line between 95th/Dan Ryan and a new terminal station at 130th Street, paralleling the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
and the
South Shore Line
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend International Airport in ...
through the Far South Side neighborhoods of
Roseland,
Washington Heights,
West Pullman
West Pullman is a neighborhood located on the far south side of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago. The Neighborhood of West Pullman was largely inhabited by workers of the Pullman Train Compa ...
, and
Riverdale. In addition to the terminal station at 130th, three new stations would be built at 103rd, 111th, and Michigan, and a new yard and shop would be built at 120th Street. Basic engineering, along with an environmental impact statement, are currently underway.
Red Line South Reconstruction Project
On May 19, 2013, at 2 a.m., the
Dan Ryan branch
The Dan Ryan branch is a long section of the Chicago "L" system located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, as part of its Red Line service and is normally through-routed downtown towards the ...
closed as part of the Red Line South Reconstruction project, which cost $425 million. Track conditions were causing Red Line riders to experience longer travel times, crowded trains and unreliable service. The tracks had extensive repairs which were able to be completed over a five-month period with full closure, as opposed to a four year schedule if construction was limited to weekends only. This project improved commute time, faster rides, and the overall passenger experience. As part of the project, the
Garfield
''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as ''Garfield'', it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, his human ...
,
63rd, and
87th stations were renovated and equipped with an elevator, making all Dan Ryan branch stations into ADA (
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
) compliance. The newly reconstructed Dan Ryan branch and the nine stations reopened on October 20, 2013 at 4 a.m.
Red & Purple Modernization Project
This project will completely rebuild the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn, and Bryn Mawr stations and the construction of a new Red-Purple Bypass, construction on the project began on October 2, 2019 and will be completed in 2025. Funding for this $2.1 billion project was secured in January 2017. Construction of the Lawrence through Bryn Mawr modernization began on May 16, 2021.
Red North station interim improvements
In November 2011, the CTA announced the Red North project as part of the Red Line Capital Investment.
The cost of the project was $86 million with a $57.4 million contract granted to contractor Kiewit Infrastructure. The project included the renovation of seven stations:
Granville,
Morse
Morse may refer to:
People
* Morse (surname)
* Morse Goodman (1917-1993), Anglican Bishop of Calgary, Canada
* Morse Robb (1902–1992), Canadian inventor and entrepreneur
Geography Antarctica
* Cape Morse, Wilkes Land
* Mount Morse, Churchi ...
,
Thorndale,
Argyle,
Berwyn,
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
, and
Jarvis. The project started on June 1, 2012 at Granville and finished its renovation on December 13, 2012 at Jarvis. The project also included the elimination of slow zones in which trains were forced to travel at reduced speeds due to sub-optimal track conditions.
References
{{Chicago L
Chicago Transit Authority