administration says it's freezing 2 billion dollars in previously promised money for the Red Line extension.

>> Over so-called race-based contracting, the long-awaited extension would add stops at 100rd, 100 11th Michigan Avenue near 100 16th and 100 30th.

The CTA was guaranteed funding for the project in the final days of the Biden administration with groundbreaking expected early next year.

Now the funding pause as lawmakers and advocates angry calling the move illegal and unjustified.

Joining us to discuss more are Andrea Reed, president of the Greater Roseland Chamber of Commerce joining us via zoom Turner, clinical professor in urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign as well as John Paul Jones of the Red Line Extension TIF Coalition.

We also invited the CTA to join us, but they declined.

But we thank all of you for being here this evening.

It read.

I'd like to start with you, please.

Enough.

Far South Siders have been waiting on the red line extension for decades.

What kind of reaction did you get other folks have when you heard about this so-called funding because it was devastating.

One we have again, as you stated, we've been waiting for the Red line extension since well for decades 50 to him.

But I personally the first project that I had when I became executive director for the Green Rules and Chamber was the Red Line Extension project.

through the years I've I've learned a lot about.

>> Why this is so important to the community more than just it's not just about transportation.

It's about quality of life.

And I want to get into some of that as well.

Later on that.

Now, John Paul Jones, that the Trump administration is justifying this as part of broader Anti Dei effort.

>> But we should say under previous rules, transit agencies couldn't get major federal grants for things like this.

>> Without accounting for businesses owned by people of color owned by women.

Does this move feel like a something of a bait and switch?

>> Certainly it is.

The There's some debate for 6 or much in Chicago about how we're going to do.

But this the we do with diversity and equity, you included we with process in 2024, we develop a real strategy about equity and infrastructure.

he killed quite involved with Now we have to read.

We visit strategies that looks cent.

Now allowing those committees and took her we believe we time to figure how best to communicate this to the public.

And it's going to be a challenge.

But we have meet the test that we do certainly that federal to support project.

>> You know, Lou Turner, there have been a lot of studies about the economic cost of segregation.

How could the red line extension help alleviate some of that help create more opportunities for folks?

>> What are from Planning Council that the study or across the second, a colleague of mine here, University Illinois was part of that study.

But I it's it's such a geyser journalist.

Art, give us leads to follow Red Line extension was part of the 2005 transportation bill signed by George W Bush and work in the Aurora, Illinois.

So this is Republican money.

That's being clawed back by Republican administration.

So you might want to check with the secretary of transportation George W Bush administration.

Republicans, and that's how they feel about bill legislation that another Republican administration, we might even call regime is actually clawing back from the community.

Second thing I would point to is you know, we've got funding from the regional Transportation authority and a guy who was who is kind of senior and he was retiring.

And pulled me aside and told back when was that was maybe 2006.

He says you've studied yourself enough, make make regional study.

So we built in a regional component design into the work that developing communities project, which is the community organization that spirit that wasn't the CTA.

It was that it was a poor community organization.

The south side of Chicago, developing communities project and keep this one on the low because this will really break the money.

It was started by Barack Obama.

but this guy took me aside and says Liscense making a regional study.

So we built original component.

So the south suburbs will stand to lose a lot, too.

money for Red Line extension, not just the predominantly black and brown communities on the far South side Chicago.

>> Yeah, there's that there's a broader base of folks who would benefit from this.

I mean, you know, to that point, though, and re read, the far South side often called a transportation desert.

What kind of challenges do folks face, especially for a significant population of older residents of people with disabilities of lower income folks?

Well, as I stated, it's a quality of life issue.

The people don't have access to transportation, especially when you look at past 95th Street.

It all the way kill, which is at the the end of the >> of our area, which don't these people have to get to jobs.

They have to get to goods and services and there's one bus that will take from to 95th Street.

And I used always joke and we say that the great how could get you the 95th street faster than the and get help for you.

If you miss that bus, that's the best of the best.

Your job.

You know, those are those are things will cause people to possibly lose their some of the things I've heard is that the employees look at ZIP codes.

And if they know that there's a transportation issue, that's that's a job opportunity lost.

You know, John Paul Jones, starting run short on time, but >> the administration has a much less pro transit policy than ones in the past.

If you're telling someone who doesn't use transit, why this project is valuable.

What would you tell them?

>> really about the quality of life is really about people's access to work.

We do want satisfy the public need public transit, but the same time even get to work, they need income.

We have to build a case that review.

Is going make an avid jogger just at the same time, there's hope any opportunity we can get to jobs weakening spurring economic development time to come early.

And so we want encourage and we want to maximize the regional.

We're told we have locally as well with a CD in and even the state and even Cook County to help us make the case more investment in a park.

So region and I think we had momentum and I think we just keep that momentum going.

So excited about.

And we believe that there's assured me up.

is alive.

>> And under Reid, we've got to just about 20 seconds left, but the mayor's pledged to use every tool.

The city's depose Governor Pritzker says he'll defend the state's rights to promise federal investments.

Are you hopeful we'll see a lawsuit.

Should this freeze continue?

I hope that there is some push some enforcement.

>> It needs to be in it.

You know, 1, 1, very important point.

I think is for us to consider.

We talk about jobs.

The red line extension.

Itself will create a lot of jobs, not just jobs but careers.

become a card carrying member of the Union wants to line is done the 20 year in this union.

Now you can work anywhere, right?

So changes to total trajectory of our community help us to get on on the right.

a lot of possible opportunities.

And I know a lot of folks will be keeping their eye on where