Update: Chicago Red Line Extension TIF Approved

The long-anticipated project that will bring the Chicago Transit Authority rail system into transit deserts on the Southside of Chicago is making substantial progress.

2 minute read

December 14, 2022, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


CTA Red Line

Sorbis / Shutterstock

[A December 14 article by Fran Spielman updates this story with the news that the TIF was approved by the city of Chicago.]

“A decadeslong plan to extend the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line south to 130th Street passed out of the City Council’s finance committee Monday with only one alderperson rejecting the plan, which will go before the full City Council this week,” reports Claudia Morell for WBEZ.

The project will be financed in part by tax increment financing (TIF), contributing $950 million toward the total price tag of $3.6 billion. The City Council needs to approve the TIF by the end of the year to tap into federal money for the project, according to Morrell. Some alderman are concerned that the state isn’t contributing to the project. Some local residents expressed concern about how the project would affect their property tax bill, according to the article.

“The 5.6-mile extension would add four new stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street. The rail line would be elevated from 95th Street, where it runs along the highway, and will connect areas such as the Roseland medical center and commercial corridor,” explains of the project.

As noted by Planetizen in September when the project cleared environmental review, the Red Line is expected to be a game changer for neighborhoods long underserved by public transit.

More from Planetizen on the Red Line extension:

Monday, December 12, 2022 in WBEZ

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