Chicago Politics

CTA Accessibility Program Green Line Austin Groundbreaking 3.31.25

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the CTA All Stations Accessibility Program Green Line Austin Groundbreaking.

Transcript

2:03 Thank you very much. I am Congressman Danny Davis, and I want to thank all of the other participants for letting me go first because I'm trying to catch a plane to get to Washington. But I am delighted to be here with the Honorable Mayor, Chairman of the Transit Authority, the new acting president, Senator Don Herman, everybody else that's here to just welcome this development.

2:33 I live two blocks from here, which means that when I get ready to ride the Chicago Transit Authority trains, all I've got to do is zip down, and here I am. This is a tremendous development because it restores and redevelops a serious commitment to public transportation in Chicago. And I must tell you, it's not political, but this money was generated during the Biden administration, and that's when we created it.

3:12 So thank you all very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. It's a pleasure. And I'm off to the airport. Good morning. Thank you, Congressman Davis, for all the work you've done. It's wonderful to be here this morning as we celebrate the start of the accessibility improvements at the Austin Green Line Station.

3:44 As the chairman of the Chicago Transit Board, I'm truly inspired by the dedication of everyone involved in making our system more inclusive and accessible. From the hard work of securing funding and designing these projects, to the incredible skill and effort of the teams on the ground, we're making real progress here. Today's a milestone that kicks off an exciting year for CTA. We're on track to deliver up to six, six newly accessible rail stations over the next year.

4:21 It's a privilege to have two of my board members here, Reverend Michael Eadie and Michelle Lee, who you'll hear from shortly. But we're inspired that this is something that's very important to the Board of Directors. This includes the four stations being completely rebuilt as part of the Red and Purple Modernization Phase 1 project, the ongoing construction of the Racine Blue Line Station as part of the Forest Park Rebuild Program, and the anticipated reopening of the main station house here at Austin Green Line Station next spring.

5:00 We still have a ways to go, but this is a fantastic start to 2025, and we're eager to share more accessibility updates with you in the coming months, as we continue to advance our vision of making the entire, the entire rail system accessible to those with disabilities by the year 2038. And at this time, I would like to introduce CTA's Acting President, Nora Lears.

5:39 Thank you, Chairman. It is an honor and privilege to speak here today and to be joined by Mayor Brandon Johnson, esteemed elected officials and community leaders who care deeply about the Chicago Transit Authority. It has taken a great deal of support from people who believe in public transit to make this day a reality, including United States Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, who unfortunately could not be here today, but who are tremendous supporters of CTA's accessibility efforts.

6:11 I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge a few others here in attendance that have helped us get to this point today. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, Gia Biagi, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation, Commissioner Rachel Arfa, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Chicago Transit Board Director Michael Eady Erin Allemann, Executive Director, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning

6:45 Karen Tamley, President and CEO, Access Living When the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990, only about 10% of CTA rail stations were accessible. That meant the promise of public transit, the access to opportunity and connection, was inaccessible to a large portion of our region. We have made remarkable progress over the past three decades. In fact, our entire bus system is now accessible, as is nearly three-quarters of our rail system.

7:19 And in 2018, the Chicago Transit Authority announced its All-Stations Accessibility Program, or ASAP, a first-of-its-kind blueprint that outlines how CTA will make its 42 remaining inaccessible rail stations vertically accessible within a 20-year period. ASAP is the guiding light that has led us here today. funding for the new 25.6 million austin green line station comes from the federal highway

7:51 administration's surface transportation program along with governor pritzker's rebuild illinois capital program this is an innovative approach to utilizing funds traditionally spent on roads to invest and modernize our transit system so we remain a competitive and reliable alternative to driving. We are appreciative of this funding and will continue to look for more opportunities to utilize this type of flexible funding for transit. Breaking ground on this critical station reconstruction project is a significant

8:25 step towards delivering on our promise of providing accessible and equitable public transportation for all. Today marks the start of a milestone year for ASAP as we prepare to open six newly accessible stations within the next year as work is completed on the phase one of the red-purple modernization program. As the chairman mentioned, later in the year we will open the newly reconstructed racing blue line station on the Forest Park branch and by this time next year the main station house here at Austin Green will be open and

9:00 accessible for welcoming all riders. These accessibility projects have been years in the making and we are eager to keep this momentum going. Our agency has a solid plan in place but we still need reliable funding to realize our vision to make our rail system fully accessible to those with disabilities by 2038. We are working aggressively towards our goal of making our entire rail system accessible, and look forward to continued partnerships on the local, state, and federal

9:32 level to make that plan a reality. And at this time, it is my pleasure to introduce Mayor Brandon Johnson. Thank you so much for that introduction. Thank you, Nora, for your leadership in serving in this transitional period for our public transportation system as CTA President and Chairman. Thank you for your leadership, all of the elected leaders that are here this morning. State Representative Yolanda Morris has arrived, too, as well.

10:03 Can we give her a round of applause for your leadership as well? The entry point into the greatest freaking city in the world is through the Austin neighborhood. I'm very proud to not just represent the city as a whole, but to be an Austinite. One day I'll be so powerful that I can give a speech. I can just run off like Congressman Davis does to save the world. I'm grateful for him. He's a true public servant as well. I understand that our alderman had an emergency, but his staff is here.

10:37 So even in his absence, his staff is here. So can we just acknowledge and give a round of applause to the Alderman of the 29th Ward, Chris Collier Park. You know, Chicago is a city that is great because of the vibrancy and the diversity of our residents. But unfortunately, too many of our residents face unnecessary barriers that have made it difficult for them to have access to vital services, and particularly our public transportation system.

11:08 accessibility should not be seen as a luxury in fact it should be a part of the fundamental rights that secures our humanity and to ensure that people of Chicago have access to opportunities resources and services and resources and services that they can depend on we must work towards a transit system that serves everyone regardless of their mobility needs this project represents our shared commitment to equity and particularly for the West Side, which has historically been underserved.

11:40 In fact, the Green Line is one of the most impressive lines in America because it touches both the West and South Sides. These improvements that are being made are meaningful. They're going to make the difference in people's daily lives. And it won't just be for residents with disabilities. It will be for our visitors with disabilities, our senior citizens, including those who acquire disabilities as they age. And now that I'm 49 years old, I'm becoming especially more sensitive to some of those things that you're not able to do at 49 that I could do at 48.

12:15 But people who do become disabled as a result of other unfortunate aspects, like gun violence, community violence, and so much more. Today's announcement is speaking to the not just diversity of our city, but our commitment to increase accessibility to everyone. As we work to expand the opportunity in each of our neighborhoods, including on the west side of Chicago, this station is truly a hub, not just for our community, but for our entire city.

12:46 And through this station, we increase access for people with disabilities to our beautiful neighborhood of Austin, again, and to access jobs, access to our schools, access to our city's cultural gems. It is another stellar example of how we increase access and remove a barrier. It becomes more accessible and available to not only, again, to the city's disability community, but to everyone. And when this station was first built, it was not accessible. And through the dedication and collaboration and advocacy and even protest by our city's disability community,

13:20 which are now part of Chicago's history, our CTA is now more accessible. In closing, when this transformative investment is completed, this station will be accessible and we'll have a brand-new elevator and a ramp. I just want to be very clear about what we're getting, a brand-new elevator and a ramp, y'all. So this project truly represents our shared commitment to equity, and again, especially on the best side of town, the west side.

13:51 Today's groundbreaking is symbolic of our investment in making Chicago an accessible place for everyone. Today matters. Because it's not just a symbol, but it is really a reflection of my administration's commitment to accessibility. Public transportation and our fight to make sure that the threats against our disability community and civil rights, make no mistake that the city of Chicago will never waver when it comes to our commitment to people who have been placed on the margins. And so Chicago's disability community, please know that my entire administration is here with you and for you.

14:27 I do want to give a special shout out to Senator Duckworth, who could not be here today, but she has been a true champion for public transportation, but particularly making sure that our public accommodations are accessible. And I'm proud to partner with her. And then, of course, her ASAP Act has been instrumental in securing federal funding for accessibility projects. So we thank our senator, but we also thank the entire community for you all's commitment to collaborating on such an important investment.

14:59 And so with that, as we continue to build a better, stronger, much safer Chicago, I'm grateful to have partners at every single level of city government. And so please help me welcome one of our board of directors, members of the CTA, Board Director Member Lee. I need to adjust my wheelchair. The wheelchair goes up. Hopefully you can see me okay.

15:41 Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Thank you so much for being here. It's such a pleasure for me to be here as part of this exciting day. And I wish it was a little warmer, right? But it's spring in Chicago and spring means new beginnings. And this is truly a new beginning for the Green Line, this nation for this year. It's super exciting. And I just want to share a little bit that I'm so proud to be here today and being part of the leadership team at the TTA that really, truly recognizes that accessibility and prioritizes

16:17 accessibility as a right. We all deserve to go where we want to go and go where we need to go, and I couldn't take the green line here today, right? I had to take alternative means of transportation, but soon that will not be the case, and accessibility doesn't just benefit people like me in my community but remember a time when you were struggling with a stroller or luggage up a flight of stairs you'd also want to ramp or an elevator at that point in time right so accessibility is

16:47 really an investment in our communities it's an investment in our city and it's really it's really an investment in opening doors to jobs to resources and to really life and all this city has to offer and I'm not going to talk a long time because I know we're all really cold but I will say I want to keep making these projects like a reality and that's not going to be possible without funding so I encourage everyone here today is listening contact your officials your

17:22 state and local officials that you want accessible transit and accessible transportation is important to you. So please, let's get ready to break some ground, wear the shovels y'all, but thank you, very excited to be here.

19:06 OK, we'll see you next time. BELL RINGS BELL RINGS BELL RINGS BELL RINGS BELL RINGS BELL RINGS BELL RINGS

19:52 I want some audience applause as well, I'm Chris. I'm a politician, cheer me on! Good morning my friend, how are you? How are we doing? Good, very good.

20:23 I did not. How are you doing? Yeah. Oh, good morning. In my mind, I am. In my mind, I am. Sorry. What are you doing now or we're taking the report? Alright, let's begin. Alright, let's see you in the morning. I'm up here. I'm up here. I'm up here. I'm up here. I'm up here.

20:56 So...

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