USDOT puts $2.1 billion of taxpayer funds for CTA under review

By Greg Bishop | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – More than $2 billion in federal taxpayer infrastructure funding granted by the Biden administration for Chicago Transit Authority projects is under review by the Trump administration.

The Biden administration announced the funding in December, weeks before the Trump administration took office. Friday morning, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced an interim final rule barring race- and sex-based contracting requirements from federal grants. The department highlighted $2.1 billion in funding at stake for two CTA projects.

“To continue implementation of this rule, USDOT today sent letters to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to inform them that two projects — the CTA Red Line Extension and the CTA Red and Purple Modernization Program – are also under administrative review to determine whether any unconstitutional practices are occurring,” a statement from DOT said. “The remaining federal funding for both projects total $2.1 billion.”

The statement further said Illinois is known to “promote race- and sex-based contracting and other racial preferences as a public policy.”

“Together, these critical reviews are intended to ensure no additional federal dollars go towards discriminatory, illegal, and wasteful contracting practices,” the statement said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson reacted after an unrelated event midday Friday.

“This is another example of how deranged this president is and how fixated he is on removing opportunities away from Black and brown and working class communities,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the city just opened new stations on the north side.

“But for the south side of Chicago he is saying that our communities get nothing,” Johnson said. “And so, you know, I’m going to fight it and I’m going to make sure that those dollars remain in our communities.”

The DOT statement said the “American people don’t care what race or gender construction workers, pipefitters, or electricians are. They just want these massive projects finally built quickly and efficiently.”

The move comes amid a partial federal government shutdown, and also a looming fiscal cliff for Illinois mass transit with estimates ranging from deficits of $200 million to $770 million.