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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The Chicago Transit Authority is proposing a | ||||||
3 | 5.3-mile extension of the Red Line from the existing 95th | ||||||
4 | Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street; and
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5 | WHEREAS, The proposed extension would include 4 new | ||||||
6 | stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and | ||||||
7 | 130th Street; each new station would include bus and parking | ||||||
8 | facilities; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Following the Red Line Extension Project open | ||||||
10 | house meeting during the summer of 2011, the agency began work | ||||||
11 | on a technical analysis of the project and a Draft | ||||||
12 | Environmental Impact Statement on behalf of the Federal Transit | ||||||
13 | Administration, which serves as the federal lead agency for the | ||||||
14 | project; and
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15 | WHEREAS, The Red Line Extension Project would reduce travel | ||||||
16 | times to jobs for far South Side and South Suburban residents | ||||||
17 | and improve the performance of the existing Red Line 95th | ||||||
18 | Street Station terminal; the project would also support current | ||||||
19 | and future economic development initiatives; and
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20 | WHEREAS, The Red Line Extension Project is needed for many | ||||||
21 | reasons, including the lack of Park and Ride and passenger drop |
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1 | off and poor pedestrian facilities, which limit access to the | ||||||
2 | existing 95th Street terminal of the Red Line; lengthy delays | ||||||
3 | experienced by customers who access the existing terminal | ||||||
4 | facility by bus, caused by the poor performance of surrounding | ||||||
5 | arterial intersections, insufficient space for bus loading and | ||||||
6 | unloading, and insufficient space for bus layovers; congested | ||||||
7 | bus and passenger conditions at the existing terminal station | ||||||
8 | and bus facility, which result in safety issues and diminish | ||||||
9 | the attractiveness of transit as an alternative to other travel | ||||||
10 | modes; the adverse impact of narrow arterial streets and | ||||||
11 | frequent at-grade freight rail crossings on roadway | ||||||
12 | performance in the study area; and the nature of transit | ||||||
13 | dependence of minority and low-income populations in the study | ||||||
14 | area; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Discussion of a Red Line Extension has been going | ||||||
16 | on since Mayor Richard J. Daley proposed it and many other | ||||||
17 | infrastructure improvement plans for the Chicago area in April | ||||||
18 | of 1967; planners and community groups have discussed the | ||||||
19 | necessity and benefits of the extension in the intervening | ||||||
20 | years, but have received no tangible information as to its | ||||||
21 | construction; and | ||||||
22 | WHEREAS, In 2007, the Regional Equity Subcommittee of the | ||||||
23 | Illinois House of Representatives' Mass Transit Committee held | ||||||
24 | a comprehensive subject matter hearing on transportation |
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1 | equity in the south suburbs of Chicago; the hearing shone a | ||||||
2 | light on the Red Line Extension and other transportation | ||||||
3 | projects and issues where, seemingly, resources were spent in | ||||||
4 | areas other than the south side and southern suburbs; and | ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, It has been the policy and priority of many | ||||||
6 | General Assembly members in the affected areas to call into | ||||||
7 | question the Chicago Transit Authority's commitment to this | ||||||
8 | long overdue project and have not seen any funding allocated to | ||||||
9 | the Red Line extension in the Chicago Transit Authority's 2014 | ||||||
10 | budget; many elected officials and members of the community | ||||||
11 | have shown patience, but now want financial, planning, and | ||||||
12 | programmatic commitments from the Chicago Transit Authority to | ||||||
13 | make the Red Line Extension a top priority; and | ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, While Chicago Transit Authority officials say the | ||||||
15 | extension is a top priority, the agency has not established a | ||||||
16 | timeline for building the 5.3 miles of new track or any of the | ||||||
17 | proposed 4 new stations; and
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18 | WHEREAS, By making firm financial commitments and setting | ||||||
19 | specific dates, the Chicago Transit Authority would see | ||||||
20 | increased credibility in the project area and would provide | ||||||
21 | hope and confidence to taxpayers on the South Side and in the | ||||||
22 | south suburbs that the Chicago Transit Authority is indeed | ||||||
23 | concerned about all of the citizens in its service area; |
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1 | therefore, be it | ||||||
2 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
3 | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
4 | we urge the Chicago Transit Authority to prioritize and | ||||||
5 | expedite the planning and construction of the Red Line | ||||||
6 | Extension Project in order to provide far South Side and South | ||||||
7 | Suburban residents with the transportation and economic | ||||||
8 | development benefits expected from the completion of this | ||||||
9 | project; and be it further
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10 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
11 | delivered to the Chicago Transit Authority.
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