04/27/2026
From CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen:
On Friday, CTA held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Red Line Extension project. It’s a moment that has been a long time coming — nearly 60 years in the making.
Standing at the site of the future Michigan Avenue Red Line Station on Chicago's Far South Side, surrounded by community members, elected officials, and the workers who will build this extension with their own hands, the weight of the moment was clear. This is not just a construction project. This is a promise — one that was made to the residents of Roseland, Pullman, Washington Heights, and neighboring communities decades ago — finally being kept.
The Red Line Extension will bring rail service to the Far South Side of Chicago for the very first time, stretching 5.5 miles from 95th Street to 130th Street and adding four new, fully accessible stations. For hundreds of thousands of residents, that means a direct connection to jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunity that has simply not been available to them in the way it has been to other parts of this city.
Friday's event was full of energy, people and love for this community. But underneath all of that, I felt something deeper — a profound sense of connection between so many people. The people who have waited. The advocates who never stopped pushing. The riders who have always deserved better—and will now see this goal realized.
Thank you to every federal, state, and city partner who made this possible. And I offer my strongest, most heartfelt thanks to the communities who trusted us. To everyone who will one day board a train at 103rd, 111th, Michigan, or 130th — we cannot wait to serve you.
