Red Line Extension To 130th Street Calls For 4 New Stations

CHICAGO, IL - Plans for a CTA Red Line extension moved forward Friday when the Chicago Transit Authority and Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans for a preferred alignment. The recommendation released includes plans to add four new stops in the extension that would move the southernmost point on the city's major North-South rail line from 95th Street to 130th Street.

New stops will be added at 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue and 130th Street if this plan is adopted. Emanuel touts this plan as a fay to provide residents of the Far South Side with greater access to affordable housing, jobs, services and educational opportunities.

“Today we are taking a major step towards extending the Red Line to 130th Street and delivering the jobs and economic opportunities that go with it,” Emanuel said. “By extending the Red Line south we are strengthening Chicagoans’ connections to each other, to opportunity and to the world.”

The extension would begin at 95th and run along the west side of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks from I-57 south to approximately 109th Street, then cross the Union Pacific tracks and run along the east side of the tracks until crossing the Metra tracks near 119th Street and continue south to 130th.

The southernmost stop would be near Lake Calumet in the city's Riverdale neighborhood. This extension plan means the Red Line could eventually serve residents of nearby southeast suburbs such as Dolton, Riverdale and Dixmoor. In all, that's a 5.3-mile extension that Emanuel says is expected to create about 6,200 jobs.

“We are happy to introduce our preferred alignment for the Red Line Extension, a transformational project that will expand rail service to Chicago’s southernmost communities and create better access to jobs, education and opportunities,” CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. said. “We made this selection based on feedback from the community, and look forward to moving forward on this project.”

An open house is planned for Feb. 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy gymnasium, 250 East 111th St. to present the alignment to the community. Federal funds will be sought by the CTA to help pay for it.

Photo rendering of proposed 103rd Street Station, via City of Chicago