>> Plans to extend the CTA red line to the far South side of Chicago are finally on track.

The Red Line Extension Project broke ground last month after years of planning and months of federal funding, uncertainty, the project would add over 5 and a half miles of tracks and 4 new stations planned stations would be at 100 and 3rd Street, 100 11th Street, Michigan Avenue at 115 100 and 30th Street.

Joining us, our Tony Xia Marshall Bct vice president of the Red Line Extension Project.

Get on your AB vice president of planning at the far South Community Development Corporation and chair of the CTA Citizens Advisory Board and Alderman Anthony Beale whose 9th Ward includes 2 of the future Red Line stations.

Thanks to all of you for joining Congrats on on on getting this far.

But sure it has been a long Tony Xia, let's start with you.

How long has it been in the works?

So this started with CTA over 20 years ago, we started our planning and development in 2006.

>> But even it predates that because in 2004, actually the community rallied around and did a referendum to even get to make this even possible.

So this project has been in the works for nearly 60 years.

So we're super excited to be at this place today.

Yeah.

Tell us about that community referendum in 2004 and how it got us to this point because of the community and also legislative support.

They were able to get enough signatures in order to get in on the books for the CTA to take notice and also be able to start to plan for that work.

So in 2006, that's when we started planning forward.

We started our nepo, which is National Environmental Protection Agency.

And we also started coordination with the federal government in order to start this process.

And then there's been some concerns over federal funding over the last few years.

Remind us what's been going on there.

So if you remember in January of 2025, we've gotten executed full funding grant agreement, longtime common.

We finally got it.

Super excited about that.

And then later in the year there was a federal pause on that funding.

But just recently when it was actually lifted, so the money is back flowing and that's how we were able to have a great and fantastic groundbreaking, right?

That federal pause was because of the Trump administration's concerns about some of the contracting.

But recently a judge has said, no, you got to give the money.

Absolutely.

Policies yes.

Yeah.

And then there's the timeline for completing the What does that look like?

So because we just did break ground, you'll see them digging some infrastructure there.

You also see some cases and foundation work because basically we're building from the ground up.

>> And from there, you'll see the case ons and the structures then we'll have track systems allow buses along the way.

Then you'll see the stations that will start up in about 27 28.

And then we will go into testing commission in 2030 and that's when we'll open of revenue service in new tracks.

A new stations 2034, short years.

but it's all new new construction.

Yeah.

Yeah.

There's a lot to because I knew you were at this the groundbreaking ceremony.

We're looking at a little bit of it now.

What was it like finally being there for that is amazing.

Absolutely beautiful.

The energy just everyone in the community come in out.

>> So much of our community leaders have just, you know, you know, elected officials, just everyone in that overjoyed by having this momentous occasion being celebrated.

We're so excited.

>> And Bill, what is this extension mean for residents in your ward?

>> Well, when you look at everything that we've done over the last 25 years, you know, we've been fighting for the red line extension, even when I was chairman of Transportation Committee Transportation, Meet Me Alderman Austin at the time and also aldermen Brookens approach Mayor Daley and asked him to put this on the federal agenda and it was it was because of those actions, you know, working with the community you know, the mayor, Mayor Daley, for field, his father's promise put to the far South his father is the one.

It actually made the promise 50 years ago that we would extend the red line extension.

So we approached him and say, look, your father promise us this.

And so we need because of the pressure that the community put on and the pressure that we put on him.

He is the one that basically put it on the forefront of the federal agenda for the city of Chicago.

And so it's finally getting done and this means your residents will have access to.

>> There's that's at well, access to get to those jobs downtown to be able to get from the far south side of the city Chicago to downtown in 30 minutes is you know, nothing short of amazing because we've been locked down.

It would take You know, sometimes I want to have 2 hours to get from 138 street just to get downtown.

And, you know, time is money.

And so that to be able to get on a train, get downtown in 30 minutes.

>> You know, that's that's more time spend with our family more time weakens, you know, go to dinner and do different things that really of families take for granted, other you know, being on public transportation.

It's always going to have a huge impact.

And then all the dollars that come along with it to actually have 4 stops on South side is going to bring more transit oriented development.

We're going to bring some more stores and shops to its around a lot of these stations.

And if it's going to have a ripple effect, you know, we can talk about what's happening in Rosen.

Well, you can see what's happening in a row the largest infrastructure project the CTA has ever.

>> Undertaking.

>> can tell you know, there's you know, as we just heard from the aldermen is the ability to get downtown.

Forget the jobs that are downtown more easily.

But what can CTA connectivity bring to the neighborhood?

There's we're so excited for south CDC in partnership with other local organizations, including Chicago neighborhood Initiatives were.

>> You know, pushing development at 100 15th in Michigan, which is we lovingly call one 15, Michigan, which is adjacent to the station there.

And at that particular site, we are looking to bring grocery.

We're looking to bring its multi family housing development where looking to bring other types of retail.

So we expect that at that station along with other stations, there will be variety of different shops and restaurants other kinds of places that residents can pop into and then also attract people from other areas of the city to come and visit the farce outside in ways that they had before How has the CTA involved community members in the project?

>> So we started week actually created I pack, which is the project Advisory Council.

We started with them back in 2019.

>> We have key players like Charles Johnson, Andrea Reed and Deborah Trusts.

And it's a about a group of 20 people that live breathe a whole neighborhood, the community, and they're able to bring back information from the community make sure that we are aligned to make sure that we are providing with the community really wants out there.

All bill, for for anyone who visits your ward for the first time because they will have this access via the red line.

>> What can they expect and what do you want them to know?

>> Well, first of all, you know, what I expect for them to see a different 9th Ward, a different roles full in the community which they already see right now.

When you drive down the Bishop Ford Expressway, you can see board is already being transformed before our eyes.

And so now they've been asking, what are we doing on the west side of of Pullman will now you'll see, you know, we're working with roles in the hospital medical district.

This is going to help that this is going to help us bring more resources and more jobs and opportunity into the area as well.

And so we've already invested over 2 billion dollars, a public-private investment and created over 2000 jobs.

You know, it's far as what you see today and having a red line extension ring in 5.7 billion additional dollars.

And, you know, the term thousands and thousands of more jobs, we need some place all those workers to eat, have large bring their families and then don't.

Let's not forget we have pool a national monument.

We have historic fights that people can come and see.

We just broke ground on a hotel for where we make into a new boutique We have another hotel breaking ground this summer.

So we have a lot of great things going to happen in the far South Side is on the move.

And if you haven't seen it, you need to pay attention because it's the fastest growing African-American ward in the city Chicago.

>> It's an issue the anticipated This project have risen from 3.6 billion in 2024 to 5.7 billion.

What is driving that?

>> So if you remember, we had an unprecedented effort here during what the COVID heard about endemic.

Right.

So in 2020, that's when pandemic hit.

So back then when it was 3.6 billion that predates the whole pandemic episode that we all went through.

So after that, everything increase from labor to material to equipment.

And so we had to adjust with those numbers.

Even today we're still living off of, you know, what happened during that pandemic.

Okay.

Could Tanya, most of this project covers Roseland as we've discussed.

It also extends to all gardens wise.

That connection important, deeply important >> out Guild has been a community as Adam and Bill mention, that has been very much disconnected from the rest of the city its entire existence times of transit access.

And so >> being able to really make sure that this community, you not only is feels like they're fully embraced, connected to the rest of the CDU.

Chicago.

It's important to make sure that they have access essentially to the rest of the world through the Chicagoans have the benefit of being able to connect to anywhere in the world.

We can get to hear.

We can get some and so now the residents about gardens will be able to do this.

I'm all right.

That's where we're going to.

I think that's a