With equity at the forefront, CTA, Metra, and Pace open new facilities, prioritize upgrades in south and west…

This year, CTA and Pace have opened or advanced various new facilities in south and west communities throughout the region, and Metra has prioritized upgrades to the Metra Electric Line, exemplifying the Service Boards’ commitment to equity in their capital investments.

Greater Grand Crossing: CTA’s 63rd Street Non-Revenue Rail Vehicle Maintenance Facility

CTA opened this new 70,000-square-foot maintenance facility on August 13 for servicing more than 125 pieces of power and way equipment and other rail-mounted non-revenue vehicles that help to maintain the right of way, remove snow, and inspect tracks. While these vehicles do not carry passengers, they are critical to the maintenance of L tracks and the smooth functioning of trains. The Lower 63rd Yard also has existing CTA Green Line warehouse and repair shop facilities that will remain.

This facility replaces a nearby shop that was built in the 1890s and condemned and demolished in 2009. After that demolition, maintenance and repair activities were moved to a shop in Skokie that also maintains L trains. This has led to inefficiencies and capacity issues, and the opening of the 63rd Street shop frees up space in Skokie for smoother operations throughout the system.

This project was meant to be part of CTA’s 2009 Capital Plan, but state level cuts to transit funding at the time delayed the project by 10 years. Governor JB Pritzker signed Rebuild Illinois in 2019, providing more funding from the State for our transit system’s capital needs and allowing this facility to come to fruition. The total project cost was $65 million, and the investment comes to a South Side community area where the median income is about $27,000. Economic and community benefits of the project include a system upgrade to an adjacent stormwater retention system, public art installations, upgraded street lighting, and public way beautification, landscaping, and other amenities.

West Garfield Park: CTA’s Control and Training Center

Another CTA facility is in early stages of development in West Garfield Park: a new three-story, 150,000-square-foot training and control center for bus and train operators, representing more than $100 million of investment in Chicago’s West Side. The project has been issued a design build contract, and design is expected to be completed by the end of the year with construction set to begin in 2025. RTA and CTA will share updates as that project progresses.

Markham: Pace’s South Campus Project

In July, a ribbon cutting was held for Pace’s new facility in Markham. The agency’s latest investment in the south suburbs marks a significant milestone in modernizing operations, bolstering Pace’s south suburban workforce, and enhancing their central Safety and Training, including the introduction of a bus operator training course. This is a two-part project, with the second building—a vehicle acceptance center that includes a training course—due to be complete next year. The facility will be compatible with electric buses.

The $40 million Markham campus project was made possible by Rebuild Illinois and additional state funds, as well as the Federal Transit Administration, RTA, and Pace capital funds. The facility has spurred economic development through job creation and will improve access to employment by supporting Pace service throughout the south suburbs.

Metra Electric Line: Redeveloped stations, improved substations

Over the next decade, Metra is investing more than $800 million in its Metra Electric Line, which runs between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and south suburban University Park. Stations at 79th Street/Chatham, 103rd Street/Rosemoor, 147th Street/Sibley, and Homewood are currently being upgraded as part of a multiyear, multimillion-dollar plan, notably ensuring that the stations are ADA accessible. The 147th Street/Sibley Station will open in the coming weeks, 79th Street/Chatham by the end of the year, and 103rd Street/Rosemoor in the spring. Other stations planned for rehabilitation include tehe South Water Street entrance to Millennium, Van Buren Street, 59th/60th Street/University of Chicago, 87th Street/Woodruff, 95th Street/Chicago State University, 111th Street/Pullman, the Harvey Transportation Center (a joint project with Pace), Olympia Fields, and University Park.

Metra is also improving substations that power the Metra Electric Line, which will boost reliability and capacity. The Matteson Substation has been identified as a high-priority location with construction in progress, and other locations identified under this project include Jackson Substation and Homewood Substation, which are in design. The total budget for this project is more than $40 million.

The Service Boards continue to deliver new facilities throughout the region that benefit both the system’s riders as well as the diverse workforce in the communities in which they are located.