CHICAGO – The Chicago area’s congressional delegation delivered for commuter rail agency Metra in 2022, helping secure $204.1 million in competitive federal grants for Metra projects – the most by far in Metra’s history. The amount includes the largest discretionary grant Metra ever received – $117 million for the next phase of the Union Pacific North Line bridge replacement program.
“Metra had a phenomenal year when it came to winning competitive grants, and we credit our hard-working and supremely effective Illinois congressional delegation for that success,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski.
The grants were in addition to the usual federal capital funds that are allocated to public transportation agencies by preset formulas. In 2022, Metra received $247.8 million in federal formula funds, which can be spent on a wide variety of capital needs. The additional grants, which were awarded through a competitive process and must be spent on a specific project, include:
— $117 million to help fund the replacement of bridges over 11 streets along the UP North Line between Fullerton and Addison. In nominal dollars, it is the largest grant Metra has ever received.
— $37.6 million to renovate and make ADA accessible the 59th-60th St./University of Chicago Station on the Metra Electric Line.
— $29 million to renovate and make ADA accessible the 95th St./Chicago State University Station, an application filed with the assistance of Cook County.
— $20 million secured by bus service Pace in partnership with Metra to renovate and expand the Harvey Station and adjoining Pace Harvey Transportation Center.
— $500,000 to help plan Metra’s service rebound.
Securing discretionary grants helps Metra do more with its federal formula funding. Metra also receives capital funding from state and local sources.
In addition to the federal grants, Metra also received a $400,000 grant from Cook County to help pay for the engineering/design of a renovation of the Rogers Park Station on the UP North Line. Cook County also assisted Metra in the development of the successful application for funds for the 95th St./Chicago State University Station.
UP North bridges are in really, really bad shape.
Many, built between 1890-1920 when the railroads were elevating throughout Chicago, are being held together by temporary structures or closed completely at street level.
Should have been done some 30 years ago honestly, but better now than never.
Good luck to METRA. The article discusses what METRA will do but doesn’t begin to say what METRA needs to do. Count the number of stations on METRA Electric, that’s the number that either have been totally rebuilt or need to be totally rebuilt. I’m not even talking about wheelchair access. Even without that need, even if ADA didn’t exist, every one of the stations was a start-over.
Similar needs are found on the inner reaches of other lines notably UP West and UP North. The last paragraph of the article tells it all. $400,000 for part of the engineering costs for one station.