The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) welcomed about 75 residents and businesses from the Far South Side to the Red Line Extension (RLE) Fall Community Meet & Greet Event. The event was held at the site of the future Michigan Red Line Station on E. 116^th Street and S. Michigan Ave.

CTA and RLE contractor Walsh-VINCI Transit Community Partners welcomed RLE Supporters at the event.

The contractor displayed a 43-ton, 10-foot-long concrete bridge segment to showcase what the new extension would look like for the community. The segment was manufactured for the CTA’s separate Red and Purple Phase One Project now underway on the North Side.

““The Red Line Extension Project is coming to the Far South Side of Chicago and we are excited to share with the community what they have to look forward to,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “As a native South Sider, I am proud to deliver on CTA’s promise of new affordable, convenient and reliable Red Line service, as well as creating a wealth of job and training opportunities to residents.”

Attendees were provided with information about career and training opportunities with CTA and the RLE Project. Th project is expected to create an estimated 12,512 RLE construction jobs and 59,800 jobs indirectly because of the project.

CTA predicts an estimated 25,000 additional jobs will become available upon project completion.

New track and station construction is expected to begin in late 2025 and be completed in 2030. CTA and Walsh-VINCI will hold community meeting sin early 2025 to talk about how the project will be designed and built and answer questions.

Red Line Extension Project Overview

The RLE Project is a 5.5 mile extension of the Red Line starting at 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street and includes four new stations near 103rd Streeet, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street. Each station is expected to include bus, bike, pedestrian and parking facilities.

The project will also build a new rail yard and related facilities near 120^th Street to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system. 

The RLE will provide a new direct connection to the Red Line once opened. It is expected to provide up to 30 minutes of time savings to riders traveling from the future 130th Station to the loop.

The project will also generate economic benefits for the Far South Side via small business and workforce/career opportunities with RLE and CTA as well as new economic development in the project area.