RTA Secures Funding for Village of Rosemont Transit Study

April 8, 2014

The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board of Directors has approved funding for a transit study to improve access to Rosemont’s CTA Blue Line station and assess the potential for transit-oriented development on adjacent land.

The $250,000 Rosemont study is one of three studies recently approved totaling $370,000. The Rosemont study funding is comprised of $200,000 in federal dollars and $50,000 from the RTA. The other two communities benefiting from the grants are the City of Geneva and the Village of Melrose Park. All three projects are made possible by the RTA Community Planning program that secures funding and provides planning assistance to benefit communities in RTA region.

“We are proud to partner with the transportation providers and the Village of Rosemont in this study, and help to provide improvements and add value to the area for residents and commuters while encouraging local development,” said Leanne Redden, Acting RTA Executive Director. “This project is just one of ten Community Planning projects we are working on this year that will make it easier and more convenient for residents to use public transit and reduce their dependence on driving.”

The Rosemont Blue Line station is one of the region’s top intermodal transfer points for reverse commuters serving approximately 6,000 commuters a day. It also serves as a critical access point to Rosemont’s offices, hotels and convention and entertainment centers.

“In the three decades since the Rosemont Blue Line stop was built, we have had unbelievable growth,” said Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens. “The Rosemont stop is now a linchpin for commuters, businesses and economic activity well beyond the village borders. We know how important transit is to our continued growth and we are already working with Pace to expand service significantly. We're glad the RTA is making this stop a priority in its future planning."

Because the station was constructed in 1983, transit officials are looking to renovate and make improvements to the site. The transit planning study looks at current land uses and parking at the Rosemont Blue Line station, and comes up with strategies to better meet the needs of transit users while strengthening connections to local development. The study will also build upon improvements underway for Pace express bus service as part of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) Rebuilding and Widening Project. The RTA helped secure the funding for this project and will help manage the grant and assist in the implementation of the study recommendations.

To date, the RTA has leveraged federal, state, local and its own dollars to fund 223 public transit-related projects totaling more than $134 million throughout the region. For more information on the RTA Community Planning program, please visit www.rtachicago.com/cp.