Advocates are relieved Elon Musk's proposal to build a new subterranean connection to O'Hare is dead, but still disappointed at the wasted brainpower and public funding devoted to the idea.
Fran Spielman reports on Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's take on "Elon Musk’s plan to build a 'Tesla-in-a-tunnel' high-speed transit system between downtown and O’Hare Airport."
Mayor Lightfoot clearly has a different opinion of the project than her predecessor, Rahm Emanual. The idea that the project wouldn't require funding from the city: "a fantasy," according to Mayor Lightfoot. Lightfoot also referenced the opinion of former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation Ray LaHood, who has called project a "pipe dream."
The harsh words were prompted by growing concern over the fate of an empty transit station, constructed by the city and bond financed by federal grant money. The city is concerned the feds could seek reimbursement of the grants because the station isn't being used for public transit, according to Spielman.
A separate article focuses on the Elon Musk/O'Hare proposal, seeking to reassure "people who care about creating a more efficient and equitable transit system for actual Chicagoans" that the project is likely dead.
FULL STORY: CTA could be forced to repay federal money used in Block 37 project super-station project
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research