With the , Oak Forest is now $2 million closer to a new and improved Metra station.
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced last week that it awarded the City of Oak Forest $1.3 million to build a new Metra train station at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue. The city said it will need $3.4 million to complete the project. Administrators will apply for additional grants for the remaining funds.
“We are extremely grateful for the widespread support we have received for this project,” said Community Development Director Adam Dotson. “Several legislators and regional organizations have been working diligently on our behalf.”
As part of its grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the city included letters of support from Illinois State Senator Maggie Crotty, Congressman Bobby Rush, Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, Metra, the Regional Transportation Authority, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, and the Illinois Department of Transportation, according to a press release from the city.
Once the new station is complete, commuters will enjoy a warming shelter, bike parking and lockers, bathrooms, indoor/outdoor seated waiting areas, and a geothermal heating system.
The city’s Metra station runs between Joliet and downtown Chicago and serves approximately 1,600 weekday commuters.
