Skip to Content
Streetsblog Chicago home
Log In
Chicago

Eyes on the Street: The Red Line Without Tracks

1:39 PM CDT on July 15, 2013

Red Line South Reconstruction

Friday will mark two months since the Chicago Transit Authority began overhauling and upgrading the Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line. The reconstruction is quite visible: A little more than one month into the project, all of the tracks had been removed, and work on the stations was plain to see.

The CTA reported last week that ridership on the shuttles and extended service of local routes indicates that about 90 percent of Red Line riders continue to take CTA, while 9.8 percent are using other means of travel or not making trips. The CTA estimates that almost half of the Red Line passengers switched to the Green Line, 5 percent switched to the Orange Line, and the rest use local routes and shuttles.

Mayor Emanuel and the CTA say the project is on schedule to wrap up by late October. When it's finished, the CTA expects ridership to bounce back and exceed previous levels, with reconstruction shaving up to 20 minutes off the roundtrip from 95th to Roosevelt.

The Garfield Green Line station is much busier now

After the jump, more photos of the reconstruction in progress.

Red Line South Reconstruction Work
Mayor, President, Chairman visit Red Line South Project Site @ 6 weeks

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Chicago

During board meeting, CTAction cites service problems, South Siders push for youth employment as part of Red Line Extension

CTA service reliability issues and likely funding for the long-awaited Red Line Extension were major topics of discussion at the latest CTA board meeting.

September 30, 2023

Bicycle-friendly politicians showed up in force for Bike Lane Uprising’s packed 6th anniversary fundraiser

Lawmakers Kelly Cassidy, Andre Vasquez, and Kam Buckner, plus BLU founder Christina Whitehouse, thanked the advocates present for their efforts to make cycling safer.

September 29, 2023

CTA blues: Musician and ex-bus driver Toronzo Cannon, shares his views on the agency’s labor challenges

Like many CTA workers, difficulties in the early days of COVID influenced Cannon's decision to retire. He says the transit unions need to do more to support their members.

September 28, 2023
See all posts