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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Chicago Transit Authority is proposing a
35.3-mile extension of the Red Line from the existing 95th
4Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The proposed extension would include 4 new
6stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and
7130th Street; each new station would include bus and parking
8facilities; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Following the Red Line Extension Project open
10house meeting during the summer of 2011, the agency began work
11on a technical analysis of the project and a Draft
12Environmental Impact Statement on behalf of the Federal Transit
13Administration, which serves as the federal lead agency for the
14project; and
 
15    WHEREAS, The Red Line Extension Project would reduce travel
16times to jobs for far South Side and South Suburban residents
17and improve the performance of the existing Red Line 95th
18Street Station terminal; the project would also support current
19and future economic development initiatives; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The Red Line Extension Project is needed for many
21reasons, including the lack of Park and Ride and passenger drop

 

 

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1off and poor pedestrian facilities, which limit access to the
2existing 95th Street terminal of the Red Line; lengthy delays
3experienced by customers who access the existing terminal
4facility by bus, caused by the poor performance of surrounding
5arterial intersections, insufficient space for bus loading and
6unloading, and insufficient space for bus layovers; congested
7bus and passenger conditions at the existing terminal station
8and bus facility, which result in safety issues and diminish
9the attractiveness of transit as an alternative to other travel
10modes; the adverse impact of narrow arterial streets and
11frequent at-grade freight rail crossings on roadway
12performance in the study area; and the nature of transit
13dependence of minority and low-income populations in the study
14area; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Discussion of a Red Line Extension has been going
16on since Mayor Richard J. Daley proposed it and many other
17infrastructure improvement plans for the Chicago area in April
18of 1967; planners and community groups have discussed the
19necessity and benefits of the extension in the intervening
20years, but have received no tangible information as to its
21construction; and
 
22    WHEREAS, In 2007, the Regional Equity Subcommittee of the
23Illinois House of Representatives' Mass Transit Committee held
24a comprehensive subject matter hearing on transportation

 

 

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1equity in the south suburbs of Chicago; the hearing shone a
2light on the Red Line Extension and other transportation
3projects and issues where, seemingly, resources were spent in
4areas other than the south side and southern suburbs; and
 
5    WHEREAS, It has been the policy and priority of many
6General Assembly members in the affected areas to call into
7question the Chicago Transit Authority's commitment to this
8long overdue project and have not seen any funding allocated to
9the Red Line extension in the Chicago Transit Authority's 2014
10budget; many elected officials and members of the community
11have shown patience, but now want financial, planning, and
12programmatic commitments from the Chicago Transit Authority to
13make the Red Line Extension a top priority; and
 
14    WHEREAS, While Chicago Transit Authority officials say the
15extension is a top priority, the agency has not established a
16timeline for building the 5.3 miles of new track or any of the
17proposed 4 new stations; and
 
18    WHEREAS, By making firm financial commitments and setting
19specific dates, the Chicago Transit Authority would see
20increased credibility in the project area and would provide
21hope and confidence to taxpayers on the South Side and in the
22south suburbs that the Chicago Transit Authority is indeed
23concerned about all of the citizens in its service area;

 

 

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1therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
3NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4we urge the Chicago Transit Authority to prioritize and
5expedite the planning and construction of the Red Line
6Extension Project in order to provide far South Side and South
7Suburban residents with the transportation and economic
8development benefits expected from the completion of this
9project; and be it further
 
10    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
11delivered to the Chicago Transit Authority.