Chicago: U.S. Senate Panel Backs $100M for Red, Purple Line Revamp

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IL: U.S. Senate Panel Backs $100M for Red, Purple Line Revamp

Mary Wisniewski On Apr 22, 2016
Source: McClatchy


April 21--The U.S. Senate appropriations committee on Thursday passed a bill that includes $100 million for modernization of the CTA Red and Purple lines.

The appropriation toward the multibillion-dollar plan to update the rail lines north of Belmont Avenue next goes to the Senate floor, where it is backed by both Illinois senators, Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Dick Durbin. Both sit on the transportation, housing and urban development subcommittee that approved the appropriation earlier this week.

The project is a multiphase program to completely rebuild and add passenger capacity to the northern section of the Red Line, as well as the Purple Line north of Belmont. Much of the infrastructure of this section of the CTA is nearly 100 years old.

The first phase of the project is expected to cost about $2.1 billion, which includes carrying the Brown Line tracks over the Clark Street junction north of Belmont, and the reconstruction of four Red Line stations and all elevated structures between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr avenues.

The funds would come through the Federal Transit Administration's Core Capacity grants, which total $332 million, according to a statement from Kirk's office. The grants pay for capital investments that will increase capacity by at least 10 percent. .......(more)

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12198029/us-senate-panel-backs-100-million-for-red-purple-line-revamp