DOT freezes $2.1B in Chicago public transport funding

The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it is freezing $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago’s Red Line Extension and other projects due to the government shutdown.

Advocates have pushed for the Red Line Extension for decades, and the Biden administration had committed $1.97 billion earlier this year. It aimed at making the city accessible to Black neighborhoods.

DOT informed the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) that the projects are under administrative review “to ensure no additional federal dollars go towards discriminatory, illegal, and wasteful contracting practices.”

The freeze follows Trump administration decisions to block $18 billion for New York infrastructure projects, citing similar reasons.