The proposed $5.7 billion Red Line Extension, a 5.5-mile project connecting the current 95th Street terminal to Far South Side’s Altgeld Gardens housing project, has drawn significant scrutiny in recent weeks.
Recent articles from the Chicago Tribune and Crain’s have raised concerns about the project’s hefty price tag, with one Crain’s editorial describing it as potentially one of the “costliest boondoggles City planners have dreamed up since the parking meter fiasco.”
Despite this criticism, transit advocate Nik Hunder firmly supports the initiative, cautioning against its cancellation.
“This is a project that has been promised for at least half a century,” Hunder stated in a Streetsblog interview following the release of the opinion pieces.
He emphasized that the project has faced postponements since the 1970s and abandoning it now would be unjust to the affected communities.
Moreover, Hunder pointed out that numerous houses in the Far South Side have already been purchased through eminent domain, followed by demolition in anticipation of the rail line construction.
Citing the potential repercussions on homeowners, he warned that if they had to give up their homes in vain, it would be a grave unfairness.
In a compelling twist, the ongoing excitement around
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