CTA To Get $120M In Federal Funds For Blue Line Renovation
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The renovation of the O'Hare branch of the CTA Blue Line has received a big boost from the federal government, which has provided a $120 million federal grant for the project.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx were set to announce the federal funding for the four-year, $492 million Your New Blue project on Thursday.
The modernization project will overhaul a 12-mile stretch of the Blue Line, between Grand and O'Hare.
An estimated $25 million will go toward rebuilding the Jefferson Park station, which will get new canopies, lighting, escalators, stairs, and a bus drop area.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed using $5 million in tax increment financing to pay for Jefferson Park station project.
CTA officials have said the project should allow trains to travel faster on the Blue Line, making for shorter commutes from the airport to downtown.