09-27-04
Contact: Melissa Sabatine
Telephone: (202) 366-4043
Chicago loop riders using the Blue Line will see faster commutes while Brown Line riders will have more room on trains and in stations thanks to a new $38.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced today.
“Today we put hope on track for thousands of residents who are looking for the best way to ride the expanding economy,” Secretary Mineta said.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will use a grant for almost $35 million to modernize the Douglas Branch of the Blue line. The grant will finance track upgrades to the line so trains can safely operate at faster speeds. Once completed, the average commuting time along the line is expected to shrink from 45 minutes to less than 25 minutes, providing significant time travel savings for riders. The investment also will fund upgrades to bring all eleven Douglas Branch stations into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. The Douglas Branch of the Blue Line serves as the primary transit link between Cicero and Chicago’s medical and central business districts. Today’s grant is the seventh installment in what will ultimately be a $320.1 million federal commitment for this project.
The Transit Authority also will use a $4 million grant to revamp stations along Ravenswood branch of the Brown Line. The work will include lengthening platforms to handle longer eight-car trains. Once the station upgrades are completed, the Brown Line will be able to handle 33 percent more riders per day. This is the fourth installment on what ultimately will be a $245,520,000 million federal commitment.
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