Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Public-private rail improvement project}}

The '''Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program''' (CREATE) is a $3.2 billion project to improve the efficiency of the rail network in the [[Chicago]] area by building, amongst other things, [[Overpass|flyover]]s to separate rail traffic on conflicting lines. While the need is fairly clear, finance for the project is stalled in the [[United States Congress]].

[[File:CREATE program rail project status.pdf|alt=Map of the Chicagoland area with many CREATE projects complete, in progress, or not yet started map|thumb|CREATE project status as of 2022]]

The '''Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program''' is a $4.6 billion program to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of freight, commuter and intercity passenger rail and to reduce highway delay in the [[Chicago]] region. The Program consists of 70 projects, which includes constructing [[grade separation]]s, [[Overpass|flyover]]s and other rail projects to ease both rail and roadway congestion. The status of each of the 70 projects varies, with many having been completed, others in design or construction and some not yet started. Costs for the projects are covered by public and private funding from the Program's partners: the [[United States Department of Transportation]], the [[Illinois Department of Transportation]], [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]], the [[Chicago|City of Chicago]], and public and private railroads (represented by the [[Association of American Railroads]]).

== ProblemsHistory ==

The tracks and junctions in the Chicago area have grown with little coordination between the railroads and the city since the first railroads arrived in the 1830s. There are a large number of at-grade crossings, sometimes not located a train length apart which is a problem as train lengths have grown. Some flyovers exist but do not always have sufficient clearance for tall or [[Double-stack rail transport|double-stack]] trains. Some connections that would create short cuts for traffic are missing. There are also many [[level crossing|highway crossings at grade]]s.

The CREATE Program was formally announced on June 16, 2003. It began as a task force convened by the federal [[Surface Transportation Board]] in the early 2000s in recognition of the growing urgency of the Chicago region's rail capacity needs. That task force included representatives from the railroad industry, the State of Illinois and the City of Chicago.

The congestion in the Chicago area is predicted to lead to severe disruption by the late 2010s without the completion of the CREATE program.<ref name="progressive">{{cite web|url=http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article/More-projects-more-funding-still-on-CREATEs-slate-UPs-Payette-says--25000|title=More projects, more funding still on CREATE's slate, UP's Payette says|publisher=Progressive Railroading|date=8 November 2010|accessdate=9 November 2010}}</ref>

Today, the CREATE Program is a unique collaboration whose members include railroads and municipal leaders working together to increase the efficiency of Chicago's unique rail network. Six of the seven Class 1 railroads operating in North America serve Chicago; each of those six is a CREATE partner alongside the State of Illinois, City of Chicago, and Cook County.

The CREATE Program is supported by public and private funding and enjoys widespread support from community, civic and elected leaders. Its work and operations are governed by a Joint Statement of Understandings that the partners developed, approved and regularly affirm.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History|url=https://www.createprogram.org/about-create/history/|access-date=2021-07-07|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Purpose ==

Chicago is considered the railroad hub of North America. The region dominates the U.S. rail market in both market share and total volume, handling 47% of the nation's intermodal rail containers and 28% of rail cars, carrying a total of $641 billion worth of goods each year.<ref>Annual carloads and value; 2017 Surface Transportation Board confidential waybill sample</ref> Twenty-seven percent of all jobs in Cook County are freight-dependent industries that produce 56% of the county's economic output.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 2018|title=Connecting Cook County Freight Plan|url=https://www.cookcountyil.gov/file/8306/download?token=x8gOHe0d|url-status=live|page=5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423190912/https://www.cookcountyil.gov/file/8306/download?token=x8gOHe0d |archive-date=2020-04-23 }}</ref>

The Chicago region's rail infrastructure was largely configured to serve transportation needs and demands at the time it was originally built more than a century ago. By the 1990s, many decades of modernization and consolidation within the freight and passenger railroad industries had drastically changed the operational demands being placed on this network. Train lengths, routing patterns, capacity needs, rail-highway grade crossing conflicts and control technologies had all evolved over the years, but the region's rail infrastructure had not been sufficiently modernized to accommodate the new demands. This resulted in serious delays, which had cascading effects across the nation's rail network. Oftentimes, shared control of rail facilities within the Chicago region had created institutional challenges to implementing needed modernization. Under direction from the Surface Transportation Board and various elected officials and following several years of cooperative study and analysis by public agencies and private railroads, the CREATE Program was initiated in 2003 to identify, prioritize and address these infrastructure modernization needs. The closely related Chicago Transportation Coordination Office was also established at that time to address rail operations coordination needs in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Council|first=Metropolitan Planning|title=CREATE: Past, Present, and Future|url=https://www.metroplanning.org/news/article/3324|access-date=2021-07-06|website=Metropolitan Planning Council|archive-date=2023-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202225914/https://www.metroplanning.org/news/3324/CREATE-Past-Present-and-Future|url-status=live}}</ref>

Because delays in the Chicago region's rail network can have impacts nationwide, the benefits to the CREATE Program also extend nationwide. A 2015 study showed that the economic benefits of full implementation of the CREATE Program are $31.5 billion.<ref>CREATE Economic Benefits Study conducted by Cambridge Systematics, 2015</ref>

== Projects ==

[[File:CREATE Program Status Chart.png|alt=Graph showing projects divided into status (complete, under construction, in design, not started)|thumb|Project status as of 2022]]

The program is composed of a total of 71 separate projects, of which 46 are eliminating rail junctions and the remainder are eliminating grade crossings.<ref name="progressive"/> As of November 2017, a total of 29 had been fully completed, 5 were under construction, four are in final design, and another 13 are in the preliminary design and environmental review process.<ref>{{cite web|title=IDOT INFRA application 75CIP-B9|url=http://miprc.org/Portals/7/pdfs/IDOT_INFRA%20application_75CIP-B9__FINAL.PDF?ver=2017-11-07-105353-080|accessdate=28 November 2017}}</ref>

The program currently comprises 70 separate projects.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CREATE Projects|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185202/https://www.createprogram.org/projects/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of April 2025, a total of 35 had been fully completed, six were under construction, seven were in final design and another eight were in the preliminary design and environmental review process. The remaining 14 were awaiting identification of funding to enter preliminary design and environmental review.<ref>{{Cite web |last=CREATE |title=CREATE Program - Overall Project Status Summary |url=https://www.createprogram.org/wp-content/uploads/status_map.pdf}}</ref>

===Major projects===

==== 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project ====

====Englewood Junction====

[[File:Aerial view of Forest Hills Flyover construction (1), October 2024.JPG|thumb|right|Forest Hill Flyover under construction in 2024]]

Due to a $140 million project under construction as of May 2012,<ref name="blamechicago">[http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/freight-train-late-blame-chicago-634786/ Train Late? Blame Chicago], John Schwartz, New York Times, May 7, 2012</ref> a junction in [[Englewood, Chicago]] will get a flyover for [[Metra]] trackage above a [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] route, eliminating a grade-level crossing.<ref name="trn"/> 138 trains a day operate through the junction, which is the cause of the majority of delays in the Midwest for [[Amtrak]] trains.<ref name="trn"/> Planned since 2002, the project was originally to begin construction in late 2010, with a completion date in 2012.<ref name="trn">{{cite web|title=Englewood flyover work to begin this year|url=http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2010/03/Englewood%20flyover%20work%20to%20begin%20this%20year.aspx|publisher=Trains Magazine|accessdate=11 November 2010|date=5 March 2010}}</ref> On 22 June 2011, it was announced that the state of Illinois, Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and the Federal Railway Administration had signed a final agreement for financing the project. The federal government is paying 95% of the cost,

The 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project (75th St. CIP) is the largest project in the CREATE Program.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CREATE 75th|url=https://www.75thcip.org/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=www.75thcip.org}}</ref> The project is located in the Chicago neighborhoods of [[Ashburn, Chicago|Ashburn]], [[Englewood, Chicago|Englewood]], [[Auburn Gresham, Chicago|Auburn Gresham]] and [[Chatham, Chicago|West Chatham]] along two passenger and four freight rail lines. It will eliminate the most congested rail chokepoint in the Chicago region, [[Belt Junction]], where 30 [[Metra]] and 90 freight trains per day cross each other's paths. It is broken out into four projects:

<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-construction-to-begin-on-englewood-flyover-rail-bridges-20110622,0,5864858.story |title=Construction to begin on Englewood Flyover rail bridges |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=22 June 2011 |accessdate=24 June 2011 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5zfZqtw5d?url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-construction-to-begin-on-englewood-flyover-rail-bridges-20110622%2C0%2C5864858.story |archivedate=24 June 2011 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>

and it opened in October 2014.

<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-metra-englewood-flyover-20141023-story.html Metra Flyover] Chicago Tribune, 2014 Oct 23</ref>

* Forest Hill Flyover (CREATE project P3)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Forest Hill Flyover (75th Street Corridor Improvement Project)|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/forest-hill-flyover-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US}}</ref>

====75th Street Corridor====

** This project consists of a new CSX north–south rail flyover structure to eliminate conflicts between north–south and east–west train movements at Forest Hill Junction (75th Street and Western Avenue). Final design (Phase II) began in 2019 and is expected to last through 2021. Construction (Phase III) began at the end of 2020 and will continue through 2024.

On daily basis, 80 Metra and freight trains cross paths along the [[Belt Railway of Chicago]] on Chicago's South Side near 75th Street.<ref name=streetcorridorgrant>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-biz-create-grant-20180605-story.html|title=State gets $132 million federal grant to reduce South Side railroad delays|last=Wisniewski|first=Mary|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=June 5, 2018|accessdate=December 11, 2018}}</ref> The project is budgeted at $474 million,<ref name=streetcorridorgrant /> began construction in October 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in 2025.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://chicagocrusader.com/preckwinkle-partners-mark-75th-street-rail-corridor-improvement-project/|title=Preckwinkle, Partners Mark 75th Street Rail Corridor Improvement Project|newspaper=The Chicago Crusader|date=October 1, 2018|accessdate=December 11, 2018}}</ref> As a part of this project, Metra plans to reroute [[SouthWest Service]] commuter trains from [[Union Station (Chicago)|Chicago Union Station]] to [[LaSalle Street Station]], in order for high-speed passenger trains to operate into Union Station.<ref name="progressive"/>

* 71st Street Grade Separation (CREATE project GS19)<ref>{{Cite web|title=71st Street Grade Separation (75th Street Corridor Improvement Project)|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/71st-st-grade-separation-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190709/https://www.createprogram.org/projects/71st-st-grade-separation-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|url-status=live}}</ref>

** This project consists of a road-rail grade separation of 71st Street and the CSX railroad tracks near Bell Avenue. Final design (Phase II) work began in 2019. Construction (Phase III) began in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rail News - CREATE partners break ground on Forest Hill Flyover, 71st Street grade separation projects. For Railroad Career Professionals |url=https://www.progressiverailroading.com/mow/news/CREATE-partners-break-ground-on-Forest-Hill-Flyover-71st-Street-grade-separation-projects--67848 |access-date=2023-01-08 |website=Progressive Railroading |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108213338/https://www.progressiverailroading.com/mow/news/CREATE-partners-break-ground-on-Forest-Hill-Flyover-71st-Street-grade-separation-projects--67848 |url-status=live }}</ref>

* {{anchor|Rock Island Connection}} Rock Island Connection (CREATE project P2)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rock Island Connection (75th Street Corridor Improvement Project)|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/rock-island-connection-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709190111/https://www.createprogram.org/projects/rock-island-connection-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|url-status=live}}</ref>

** This project will build a flyover structure to connect the Metra SouthWest Service (SWS) mainline tracks to the Metra Rock Island Line. Final design (Phase II) work began in 2020 and is expected to continue until 2022. CREATE Program partners are seeking construction (Phase III) funding for this project. The improvements will allow Metra to route all SWS trains to the [[LaSalle Street Station]] rather than [[Chicago Union Station|Union Station]], which will free up valuable capacity at Union Station for increased service on other passenger and/or commuter rail lines there.

* 80th Street Junction and Belt Junction Replacements (CREATE project EW2)<ref>{{Cite web|title=80th Street Junction Replacements (75th Street Corridor Improvement Project)|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/80th-st-junction-replacements-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184527/https://www.createprogram.org/projects/80th-st-junction-replacements-75th-street-corridor-improvement-project/|url-status=live}}</ref>

** This project will reconfigure the east–west tracks at Forest Hill Junction (near 75th Street and Western Avenue), add and realign tracks to remove the bottleneck at Belt Junction (near 75th Street and Loomis Avenue), realign track and signal systems between Belt Junction and the [[Dan Ryan Expressway|Dan Ryan (Interstate 94) Expressway]], reconstruct 80th Street Junction (near 80th Street and Wallace Street), relocate Union Pacific tracks to a currently unused [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] alignment and add [[positive train control]] (PTC) along this stretch of tracks. EW2 also includes a new Metra mainline track and improvements to several existing railroad viaducts over city streets. Final design (Phase II) work began in 2020 and is expected to continue until 2022. CREATE Program partners are seeking construction (Phase III) funding for this project.

===Other=Englewood projectsFlyover====

*Construction of additional [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] mainline trackage near Proviso Yard<ref name="progressive2">{{cite web | url=http://progressiverailroading.com/news/article/CREATE-partners-apply-TIGER-funds-to-five-projects--25402 | title=CREATE partners apply TIGER funds to five projects | accessdate=8 January 2010 | date=6 January 2011 | publisher=Progressive Railroading}}</ref>

*Signaling and grade-separation improvements to the [[Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad]]<ref name="progressive2"/>

*General improvements to roadways near railroad overpasses<ref name="progressive2"/>

*Additional trackage, improved signaling and grade separations on [[CSX]] trackage in [[Alsip, Illinois|Alsip]]<ref>{{cite web|title=CREATE project completed in southern Chicago suburb |url=http://www.progressiverailroading.com/mow/article/CREATE-project-completed-in-southern-Chicago-suburb--28767 |publisher=Progressive Railroading |accessdate=11 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/636ZbSVdR?url=http://www.progressiverailroading.com/mow/article/CREATE-project-completed-in-southern-Chicago-suburb--28767 |archivedate=11 November 2011 |date=8 November 2011 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>

The Englewood Flyover (CREATE project P1), completed July 2016, eliminated conflict between 78 Metra Rock Island trains and approximately 60 freight and [[Amtrak]] trains that previously crossed at grade through the Englewood interlocking daily.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Englewood Flyover|url=https://www.createprogram.org/projects/englewood-flyover/|access-date=2021-07-06|website=CREATE Program|language=en-US}}</ref> The $140 million project relieved a significant source of delay for Amtrak trains from Michigan and points east, as well as for NS freight trains. By eliminating many of these delays, the project reduced locomotive engine idling, resulting in reduced emissions and improved air quality. P1's completion was needed before two adjacent CREATE projects could progress, as they would add additional trains to the lines at the Englewood Flyover ___location. Without the Englewood Flyover in place first, implementation of these other projects would have greatly increased delays at the Englewood interlocking.

==Funding==

CREATE is a [[public-private partnership]] estimated to cost around [[US dollar|$]]3 billion, up from an initial predicted cost of $1 billion.<ref name="progressive"/> $230 million is to be supplied by railroads that are part of the program, with the remainder coming from governments at federal, state and local levels.<ref name="progressive"/> In July 2010, a $100 million [[Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery|TIGER]] grant from the federal government was finalized.<ref name="progressive2"/> As of late 2010, a total of around $320 million had been committed to the project, with an additional $133 million to be provided from the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]].<ref name="progressive"/> In 2018, CREATE received a $132 million grant from the [[United States Department of Transportation]]'s (USDOT) Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rtands.com/track-maintenance/on-track-maintenance/infra-grants-148m-to-create-and-ohio-rail-projects/|title=INFRA grants: $148M to CREATE and Ohio rail projects|last=Wanek-Libman|first=Mischa|publisher=Railway Track and Structures|date=June 6, 2018|accessdate=December 11, 2018}}</ref> Other sources of funding included grants from the [[Illinois Department of Transportation]] (IDOT), the [[Association of American Railroads]] (AAR), Cook County, Metra, the City of Chicago, and Amtrak.<ref name=streetcorridorgrant />

== See alsoFunding ==

The CREATE Program is a [[Public–private partnership|public-private partnership]] currently estimated to cost $4.6 billion to fully implement. Funding commitments come from the Program's partners and include a mix of public and private funds. The Program has received $1.6 billion from a variety of public and private commitments so far. An estimated $3 billion is needed to complete the full Program of projects. From 1998 to 2018, the private railroads invested $6.9 billion in the Chicago Terminal beyond CREATE Program investments. Currently, these railroads invest about $450 million per year in the Chicago Terminal beyond CREATE investments.<ref>[https://3g3gvj4frs8o1sqqfs1qioxo-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/CREATE_Overview.pdf Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program Presentation]. Slide 40.</ref>

* [[Brighton Park crossing]] - one of the Chicago projects

==External links==

* [http://www.createprogram.org CREATE official website]

== References ==

{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==

*{{Official [website|http://www.createprogram.org CREATE official website]/}}

*[https://www.facebook.com/CREATEProgramChicago Facebook page]

*[https://twitter.com/CREATE_Chicago Twitter page]

[[Category:Transportation in Chicago]]