South Side community activists say they collected about 900 signatures today during an hourlong petition drive to get federal funding to extend the CTA Red Line.
Nearly two dozen volunteers blanketed the area around the 95th Street Red Line stop to ask for support for the Red Line extension to 130th Street, said community organizer John Paul Jones of the Developing Communities Project, which aims to improve the quality of life for residents in the Roseland area.
The project was approved by the CTA board in August 2009, and Mayor Emanuel made it a priority of his campaign. Emanuel said he would push Washington and Springfield for funding of the extension, which is projected to cost $1.4 billion.
"We want to make sure we keep ratcheting up public support," Jones said. "We recognize that we got to keep it center stage."
Jones said the signatures will be delivered to Congress, President Obama, City Hall and the CTA. Jones said there were three other petition drives this past spring.
In addition, Jones' group is hosting an information session about the Red Line extension tonight at 6:30 in Chicago State University's Cordell Reed Student Union. Other topics that will be discussed include the proposed high-speed rail line to St. Louis and the proposed Peotone airport.
