CTA to host public meetings on proposed line extension

The Chicago Transit Authority is inviting the public to meetings to provide input on the proposed Red, Orange and Yellow Line Extensions.  Attendees will have an opportunity to provide comments on the proposed alternatives, the purpose and need for the project, the potential effects and mitigation measures to be considered in the Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

CTA and the Federal Transit
Administration have initiated the federal environmental process pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act and are preparing an EIS for the project. The
EIS will evaluate at least three alternatives:  a No Build Alternative, a Transportation System Management Alternative
and the Locally Preferred Alternative adopted by the Chicago Transit Board that
extends the Red Line to the vicinity of 130th Street.

The proposed Orange Line
would be from Midway Airport to Cicero Avenue near 76th Street.

The Locally Preferred
Alternative adopted by the Chicago Transit Board would extend the Yellow Line
to Old Orchard Road.

The EIS will build upon the
Alternatives Analysis process that led to the adoption of a Locally Preferred
Alternative.

The Federal Transit
Administration’s New Starts program requires transit project proposals to
proceed through a process of planning, design and construction. The FTA process
consists of five formal steps: 
Alternatives Analysis (AA), Environmental Impact Statement, Preliminary
Engineering, Final Design and Construction.

In another story, rail
service between the CTA Blue Line’s Clark/Lake and UIC-Halsted stations will be
temporarily suspended from 10 p.m. Friday, September 18 until 4 a.m. Monday,
September 21, as work to replace track in the south end of the Dearborn subway
continues. Bus shuttles will operate as a substitute for rail service.

Crews are replacing
deteriorated wooden half ties with concrete half ties, running rail and contact
(third) rail to remove emerging slow zones and help prevent the creation of new
slow zones.