Community Corner
Oak Forest Metra Station to Benefit from $1.3 Million Grant
The U.S. Department of Transportation will dole out the funds to the Illinois Department of Transportation, for improvements to the 50-year-old station at 159th and Cicero Avenue.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced Saturday that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the Illinois Department of Transportation a $1.3 million grant for the modernization of the Oak Forest Metra Rail Station.
“Today’s funding for the [Oak] Forest Metra Station will increase the appeal of public transit as an affordable, reliable, environmentally friendly alternative to car travel,” said Durbin. “Bringing these changes to the station will spur economic development in [Oak] Forest and surrounding communities.”
Metra’s Oak Forest Station, located on two highways, Route 50 (Cicero Ave.) and Route 6 (159th St.), is the second busiest Rock Island District Line stop. Nearly 1,500 commuters use the station every day, and 23 weekday commuter trains pass through on the way to Chicago. The current Metra Station, which Metra has identified as a priority to update, was first built 50 years ago and is outdated in regards to ADA accessibility and modern safety measures.
-- From a press release issued by Sen. Durbin's office.
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