The Chicago Transit Board, the governing board for the CTA, has unanimously approved two intergovernmental agreements that have implications for the West Side and western suburbs.
The board, at its July 8 meeting, approved an agreement with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to allocate $18 million toward the design phase of the long-awaited improvements of the section of the Blue Line that serves North Lawndale, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, Austin, Oak Park and Forest Park. IDOT is currently in the process of applying for federal funding to help cover the costs of the actual construction. Once completed, the improvements are expected to significantly speed up service, which has been plagued with delays due to track conditions.
The board also approved an agreement with the City of Chicago to improve the bus turnaround at the southeast corner of Division Street and Austin Boulevard. The goal is to make the facility safer and more hospitable for passengers and bus drivers alike. Construction is expected to begin this fall.
Blue Line’s Forest Park branch is the section of the line that runs either in the median or alongside Eisenhower Expressway. CTA and IDOT have been working on improving the tracks and the stations as part of the broader Eisenhower Expressway rehab. So far, they have completed work on the section between UIC-Halsted and Illinois Medical District stations. Now, they are trying to tackle a portion between IMD station and the Forest Park terminal.
That part of the line has been notorious for “slow zones,” sections where CTA has the ‘L’ trains slow down due to deteriorating track conditions. According to the transit agency, “more than 84% [of the branch] is under a slow zone.”
During the July 8 meeting, CTA acting president Nora Leerhsen acknowledged that “it is a place where we lost riders because of slow zones.” She added that, as a Green Line rider, she could attest to some riders who would normally take the Blue Line taking that line instead.
CTA budgeted $28.2 million for the design phase. The latest agreement directs $18 million in federal funding IDOT secured on CTA’s behalf toward the project. CTA will cover the rest using the combination of state and federal sources. The design work is expected to begin this fall, but CTA spokesperson Maddie Kilgannon indicated that there is no firm deadline for when it might be completed.
The design phase would pave the way for the first complete track replacement since the Forest Park branch opened in 1958, as well as drainage systems and power upgrades.
On the longer run, CTA is planning to make Western, Pulaski, Cicero, Austin, Oak Park and Harlem stations fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The project does not include any funding towards restoring the Central Blue Line ‘L’ station and the rehabbing the Cicero station’s Lavergne Avenue entrance – an unfunded mandate included in last fall’s NITA Act transit funding bill.
In a recent interview with this newspaper, Camille Lilly (D-78th), a major supporter of the two projects, didn’t rule out some state funding – but she indicated that those discussions likely won’t happen until the new transit boards are sworn in and the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (a rebranded Regional Transportation Authority) will assume more authority over infrastructure projects this fall.
In the statement to the media, Leerhsen and Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi hailed the agreement as a major milestone.
“This agreement is a testament to what strong partnerships can accomplish,” Leerhsen said. “Thanks to IDOT securing federal funding on CTA’s behalf, we can all look forward to this project moving ahead.”
“We look forward to this next step in modernizing the Blue Line and improving the overall I-290 corridor,” Biagi said. “Reaching this stage has required tremendous teamwork and will ultimately make the corridor more accessible, safe and reliable for everyone who relies on it.”
The Austin/Division bus turnaround is a spot where, as the name suggests, CTA bus route 70/Division turns around and heads back east. Riders can transfer to CTA route 91/Austin. Work will include replacing the existing canopy used to shelter passengers, repairing concrete, sidewalks and curbs, upgrading the windbreak and gutters, and renovating the employee restroom.
The funding for the project will come from Austin Commercial TIF, the district that spans most of the portion of Central Avenue between Ferdinand Street and North Avenue, as well as most of the Austin sections of Chicago Avenue, Division Street and North Avenue commercial corridors. It is currently scheduled to expire in 2031.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city will use the funds to reimburse the CTA for up to $1.066 million in construction expenses.
The CTA Board approved the agreement without discussion. In the press release following the meeting, Leerhsen touted the project as “an investment into our employees and our riders.”
“The planned repairs and renovations will enhance accessibility, comfort and the overall rider experience while ensuring this neighborhood transit hub continues to serve the community for years to come,” she said.
