CTA Red Line Extension could finally happen

The CTA says construction is finally about to start on the Red Line Extension (RLE), but there's still a long way to go.

Why it matters: Extending the Red Line past 95th Street to 130th Street would mean four new stations and could shave 30 minutes off South Siders' commute to downtown.

• Plus, it could attract development to the South Side, the CTA says.

Between the lines: Residents have been promised the extension since the first Mayor Daley, only to be disappointed for decades as funding didn't come through and other, mostly North Side, CTA projects were prioritized.

The latest: CTA is hosting a series of public meetings beginning tonight to lay out how advance construction , including demolition, would affect the area.

• That work is scheduled to begin this summer before the expansion work gets underway late next year, with an expected completion date of 2029.

Reality check: If the current administration can move forward with the $3.6 billion project, it would be a huge win for Mayor Brandon Johnson and beleaguered CTA head Dorval Carter , but it relies on federal money for a good chunk of the funding.

State of play: Carter says the RLE is a top priority for the president, WTTW reports , and a CTA spokesperson says it expects to receive $350 million in funding by year-end.

Yes, but: Congress has yet to approve that spending .

Other funding would come from a tax increment financing district, the state and the CTA's capital improvement plan.

What they're saying: "Many of my members, especially in the wintertime, have to leave before church is over, because transportation is hindering. I feel sorry for people that have to leave, gotta leave before dark, especially in the wintertime so that Red Line would help," Rev. Ellis Mack of Now Faith Church in Roseland says in a CTA video about the project.

The intrigue: Corliss High School students who are drone-licensed operators will document the construction with aerial footage this summer.

What's next: The first meeting is 6pm Tuesday at Pullman Community Center; attendees can register in advance here .

• Other meetings are scheduled for 6pm on June 25 at RLE Community Office and 6pm on June 26 at the library's Altgeld Gardens branch.