CTA launches workforce initiative at Altgeld-Murray Center for Red Line Extension Project

As preparation work begins in the RLE footprint, CTA will hold free workforce event at Altgeld-Murray Community Youth Center for anyone interested in careers in construction 

In the next steps of the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) road to breaking ground on the $3.6 billion Red Line Extension (RLE) project in 2025, CTA Diversity Programs will host the first of a series of quarterly workforce events in the project footprint on Thursday, January 25, at Altgeld-Murray Community Youth Center.  

This workforce event will be held near the future site of the 130^th Street Red Line station to encourage local community members to get directly involved in this transformational project happening in their neighborhoods.  

The first workforce event of the year on Chicago’s Far South Side will provide career seekers with training resources and job opportunities related to current and upcoming CTA projects including: the Red Line Extension (RLE), Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One, All Stations Accessible Program (ASAP), Harlem Bus Yard, Des Plaines Yard, Forest Park Blue Line Racine Station ADA improvements, and more.  

During this workforce outreach event, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with CTA staff, workforce partners, contractors, building trade union representatives, and more, from organizations including:  

• Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership  
• HIRE360 
• Metropolitan Family Services 
• Chicago Women in Trades 
• Revolution Workshop 

“Starting the year by hosting members of Chicago’s Far South Side community at one of our outreach events is a direct example of the CTA’s commitment to expanding our workforce and meeting people who want to work with us where they are,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. “We look forward to bringing interested career-seekers onto our team of dedicated union and non-union construction professionals.” 

The workforce outreach event at Altgeld-Murray Community Youth Center is the latest opportunity in CTA’s Diversity Programs and Workforce Initiatives team’s commitment to increasing the participation of underrepresented communities in the labor force, and creating opportunities in the communities in which it serves.  

Thursday, January 25, 2024 

4 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

Altgeld-Murray Community Youth Center 

951 E 132^nd Pl., Chicago, Illinois 60827 

The event is free to attend and open to the publ

Throughout 2024, the CTA will host three additional quarterly workforce events and two pre-apprentice events to connect career-seekers with resources and opportunities in the construction industry.  These events are intended to inform career-seekers of opportunities leading up to the start of project work and throughout the projects’ progression.   

Red Line Extension Project Overview 

The RLE project will: 

• Build a 5.6-mile extension of the Red Line starting at 95th Street Terminal to the vicinity of 130th Street. 
• Include four new accessible stations near 103rd Street, 111th Street, Michigan Avenue, and 130th Street, each of which would include bus, bike, pedestrian and parking facilities. 
• Build a new rail yard and related rail facilities to improve operational efficiency for the entire Red Line and CTA system. 
• The Red Line Extension Project will provide a new, more direct connection to the Red Line – this means an easier trip and less time commuting. Once the extension opens, it is expected to provide up to 20 minutes of time savings to riders traveling from the future 130th Station. 

Project benefits for surrounding communities: 

• An award-winning RLE Transit-Supportive Development (TSD) Plan in partnership with Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD). The Plan is a proactive effort to guide the future development of the long-disinvested communities located near the RLE project area, and it reflects the vision of those who currently reside and conduct business in these communities. 
• The Red Line Extension Is expected to bring more than 25,000 jobs to Cook County in future years. 
• Includes opportunities for workforce training and jobs and participation in the project by small Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)-certified small businesses. 
• CTA supports DBEs through efforts including the Building Small Business program and partnerships with its construction contractors. 

For more information about the Red Line Extension (RLE) Project, visit transitchicago.com/rle.