CTA sues Trump administration over frozen funding for Red Line Extension project
The Chicago Transit Authority is suing the federal government over $2.1 billion in funding for the Red Line Extension and Red & Purple Line Modernization project paused by President Trump.
The Trump administration announce it was withholding the funding in October, claiming that it was "put on hold to ensure funding is not flowing via race-based contracting."
The $2.1 billion was greenlit by the Biden Administration in January 2025, at the end of his presidency and before Trump took office.
CTA filed the suit in federal court of the Northern District of Illinois, naming the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration and demanding immediate restoration of funding. The suit alleges USDOT and FTA have not adhered to their own statutory and regulatory requirements regarding funding suspensions.
The Trump administration has also threatened to pull an additional $50 million in federal funding for CTA over safety and security issues.
The Red Line Extension project would extend the L 5.6 miles further south to 130th street, adding four new stations: 03rd Street and 111th Street near Eggleston Avenue, Michigan Avenue near 116th Street, and 130th Street.
The CTA will also build a new rail yard and related facilities near 120th Street.
The project is estimated to cost $5.7 billion total. The city said it's committed to moving forward on the project despite uncertainty over the funding promised by the federal government.
