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FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL (SAFETEA-LU) AUTHORIZED NEW START PROJECTS

Transit Expansion Projects Currently in the Planning Process by Service Boards
An initial set of federally authorized projects that expand the region’s transit system are moving forward.
These 11 projects are beginning the required federal New Starts process in order to be eligible for federal
funding.

  • CTA Circle Line: New rapid transit service that provides improved connections to existing CTA and Metra lines connecting nearly all of the city’s major employment and special event destinations. The Circle Line project is designed to provide convenient shortcuts for CTA and Metra customers making crosstown trips, while also improving access to neighborhoods on the periphery of Chicago’s central area.
  • CTA Red Line Extension: Rapid transit extension from current Red Line south terminus at 95th Street to vicinity of 130th Street will streamline bus-to-rail connections for 13 CTA bus routes and 6 Pace routes, and would connect with the South Shore commuter rail line.
  • CTA Orange Line Extension: Rapid transit extension from current Orange Line south terminus at Midway Airport to the vicinity of Ford City Shopping Center will complete the original Orange Line plan to provide improved access to downtown from the far Southwest Side and from the central city to the strong employment corridor along South Cicero Avenue.
  • CTA Yellow Line Extension: Rapid transit extension from current Yellow Line north terminus at Dempster Street to the vicinity of Old Orchard Road, a major retail and commercial concentration, will strengthen the reverse-commute flow along both the Yellow and Red Lines, and make better use of CTA’s existing service capacity.
  • CTA Ogden/Carroll Street Transitway: New transit service from the vicinity of Navy Pier to the west loop commuter and passenger rail terminals and extending to the west.
  • Metra Suburban Transit Access Route (STAR) Line: Proposed Suburban Transit Access Route, or STAR Line would be the first of its kind suburb-to-suburb commuter line extending from Joliet to O'Hare International Airport. The STAR Line will connect a larger suburban community.
  • Metra SouthEast Service: This new line provides commuting opportunities for a fast growing, underserved corridor of the south suburbs. Connecting residents of the south suburbs to downtown employment is very important as population growth in this area has consistently outpaced job growth. The line will spur economic growth in the corridor and provide opportunities for reverse commuting.
  • Metra Union Pacific - Northwest Line Extension and Service Improvements: Track and signal improvements and two new rail yards in Johnsburg and Woodstock are proposed to provide more train capacity and consolidation of maintenance operations. These improvements will give Metra more flexibility allowing more express and reverse commute trains in eastern McHenry and northwest Cook counties.
  • Metra Union Pacific -West Line Service Improvements: Significant infrastructure and service upgrades are proposed to enhance the line's capacity, speed and improve reliability by minimizing commuter/freight conflicts. Adding a third track east of Elmhurst will allow establishing new express and reverse-commute service for the counties of Cook, DuPage and Kane.
  • Metra BNSF Line Extension: The proposed extension would offer the opportunity to extend service on Metra’s busiest rail line from the current terminus in Aurora to Oswego. This extension would bring service closer to riders’ residences and service communities in fast-growing Kane and Kendall Counties.
  • Pace Cermak Road Bus Rapid Transit: New BRT regional service, including exclusive bus lanes, new vehicles, and BRT stations along Cermak Road
  • Pace Golf Road Bus Rapid Transit: New BRT regional service, including exclusive bus lanes, new vehicles, and BRT stations along Golf Road.

BEYOND FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION BILL (SAFETEA-LU) AUTHORIZED NEW START PROJECTS

Transit Expansion Projects Proposed by Service Boards
Beyond the initial set of projects in the Federal Transportation Bill (SAFETEA-LU) Authorization which are currently under study for federal funding, the Service Boards have proposed other expansion projects. These projects will be considered in the future and will require additional study and authorization in future transit legislation.

  • CTA Airport Express Service: This proposal is for limited stop service on the CTA’s Blue and Orange lines between O’Hare and Midway airports and the Chicago central area. The proposal includes a new downtown terminal providing air passengers with boarding passes and baggage checkin. This project would be developed with a private partner.
  • CTA Sub-Regional Transit Improvements: CTA is continuing its program of sub-regional service reviews that will result in new routes and options that enhance service to traffic generators resulting in improved travel times and better transit connections. Sub-Regional Bus and Rail Service Improvements will be recommend for:
  • Central Area:
  • Far South: far South Side and South-Suburban areas
  • Southwest: far Southwest Side and Southwest-Suburban areas
  • Northwest: Northwest Side and Northwest-Suburban areas
  • Update completed Sub-Regional service reviews: Continue to build on success of the North and South Lakeshore Corridors, Far North Side and North Suburban Area as well as the West Side and West Suburban Area.
  • Metra Suburban Transit Access Route (STAR Line) - East Segment: This proposed commuter rail service is a future phase of the STAR Line and forms the southern east-west segment connecting with the STAR Line in Joliet using the EJ&E railroad right-of-way from Joliet in Will County to Lynwood in Southern Cook County.
  • Metra Suburban Transit Access Route (STAR Line) - Western O’Hare Access: This proposed commuter rail service is a future phase of the STAR Line. The service would utilize Elgin-O’Hare and IL53 highway rights-of-way to provide new transit service for southern Lake County and northwest Cook County to O’Hare Airport.
  • Metra Electric District Extension: A commuter rail extension to the proposed South Suburban Airport in Peotone.
  • Metra Milwaukee District North Extension and Service Improvements: A commuter rail extension is proposed from Rondout to Wadsworth. Track and signal improvements will allow for increased express and reverse commute service.
  • Metra Milwaukee District West Extension and Service Improvements: An extension of the MDW line is proposed from existing Elgin/Big Timber terminus to Huntley in McHenry County. Track and signal improvements will allow for increased express and reverse commute service.
  • Metra SouthWest Service Extension and Service Improvements: The proposed Service improvements include upgrades to the infrastructure, full service levels (weekday and weekend), and an extension from the current terminus in Manhattan to the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Improvements also include a new connection to the RID line at 75th Street in order to reroute the SouthWest Service into LaSalle Street Station.
  • Metra Union Pacific North Line Improvements: Additional track and signal improvements are proposed to allow for increased express and reverse commute services.
  • Metra BNSF Improvements: Additional track and signal improvements are proposed to allow for increased express and reverse commute services.
  • Metra Rock Island District Service Improvements: Service improvements include upgrading tracks, bridges, and signals to enhance service levels on the Rock Island District allowing additional express and reverse services. A third track is also proposed between Gresham Junction and the LaSalle Street station to accommodate routing SouthEast Service and SouthWest Service into LaSalle Street Station.
  • Metra North Central Line Improvements: The proposed service improvements include upgrades to the infrastructure to allow full service levels (weekday and weekend) along the line.
  • Metra Heritage Corridor Service Improvements: Future plans include upgrading the infrastructure, signals and rail-to-rail grade crossings on the Heritage Corridor. The improvements will provide for more frequent peak and off-peak service on the Heritage Corridor line.
  • PARTNER (Pace Arterial Rapid Transit Network for the Region): Regional arterial corridors with existing service will be upgraded with transit signal priority, stations and transfer facilities and increased frequencies as part of their route structure. Corridors include:
  • Harlem Avenue: Tinley Park to Glenview
  • 159th Street: Joliet-Orland Park to Hammond, Indiana
  • Halsted Street: 95th CTA to Chicago Heights
  • North Avenue: Oak Park to DuPage County
  • Cicero Avenue: Midway CTA to Matteson
  • Dempster Street: Evanston to O’Hare airport
  • Milwaukee Avenue: Jefferson Park to CTA to Gurnee
  • Touhy Avenue: Howard CTA to Elk Grove Village
  • Mannheim/LaGrange Road: O’Hare airport to Orland Park
  • 95th Street: 95th CTA to Palos Park
  • Route 59: Joliet to Lake County
  • Randall Road: Aurora to Crystal Lake
  • US Highway 30: Joliet to Lynwood
  • Roosevelt Road: Kane County to Forest Park

Transit Expansion Projects Proposed by Others
Project proposals that have not been captured under previous categories are presented here for inclusion in the region’s transit network. The community-generated transit project proposals will be evaluated using an evaluation tool created by the RTA. Community-generated transit project proposals that receive a positive evaluation will be further refined by the appropriate Service Board through their detailed review and planning process for inclusion in their future plans and programs.

DuPage County

  • J-Line High-speed Corridor: Using express bus or bus rapid transit, connect Naperville and Aurora in the south to the I-88 Corridor, Oak Brook, O’Hare International Airport and the Woodfield/ Schaumburg area.
  • West O’Hare Transportation Center: A multi-modal transportation hub providing western access to O’Hare by combining all transportation modes in one location (for example: the STAR Line, “J” Line BRT bus service, CTA Blue Line, the Elgin-O’Hare and West O’Hare By-Pass Expressways, and intercity rail service).
  • Connector Routes: 13 connector bus routes east-west or north-south travel throughout the county, connecting to Metra services and other key transit centers in the region (e.g., Bolingbrook, Forest Park)
  • Circulators: Series of circulator services (fixed route, flexible route or dial-a-ride) in local communities to facilitate shorter intra-community trips as well as to offer connections to the other transit services.
  • Transit Hubs: Network of 30 transit centers ranging from simple park-n-rides to larger intermodal centers.

Kane County

  • Milwaukee District West Line Extension: Extension from Huntley to Marengo,
  • BNSF line Extension: Extension from Aurora to Sugar Grove.
  • Park-n-Rides: Potential park-and-ride associated with new Metra Stations
  • Transit Hubs: Hubs and centers are identified for Hampshire, Montgomery, South Elgin, St. Charles and Sugar Grove.
  • Bus Rapid Transit: BRT service along Kirk Road, Illinois 25, Interstates 90 and 88.

Lake County

  • EJ&E service: Proposed commuter rail service to the north-east.
  • Transit Hubs: Creation of Transit Hubs and transit enhancements at Rondout, Prairie Crossing, and South Mundelein-Vernon Hills.

McHenry County

  • Community and Local Service: Expanding local, flexible and demand-responsive transit service.
  • Transportation Hubs: Creating regional and community transportation centers.
  • Line-Haul Bus Routes: Longer line-haul bus routes, either on arterial routes or high-speed roads.

Will County

  • High-speed Rail: Proposed connection between Chicago and St. Louis with a potential stop at the proposed South Suburban Airport.

City of Chicago

  • Mid-City Transitway: 21-mile circumferential corridor from the Jefferson Park station on the CTA Blue Line south to Midway Airport on the Union Pacific and Belt Railway right-of-way and then southeast and east along the Belt Railway right-of-way to the 87th Street station on the CTA Red Line. Alternative services and alignments being evaluated including bus rapid transit, light rail, heavy rail and priority for commercial goods movement.
  • Chicago Transit Hub: Multimodal facility bringing CTA’s Blue Line, Metra and Amtrak services together under Clinton Street with a terminus for the Central Area BRT network.
  • Central Area Bus Rapid Transit system: Creation of priority transit service on existing roads, or by creating dedicated right-of-way, with improved boarding and exiting facilities from the West Loop Transportation Center to destinations east (McCormick Place, the Museum Campus, North Michigan Avenue) with concept routes like the Lower Wacker Drive Express Bus, Carroll Avenue Transitway and East-West Transitway.
 
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