>> Local leaders are scrambling to figure out how a second Trump presidency could affect Chicago and Illinois mass deportations and massive cuts in federal spending are top of mind for many.

But there's another key area how residents get around day in and day out in particular, on public transit.

Our Nic Bloomberg has been looking into this and joins us now with more.

Nic Brandis, let's start with the big ticket item that's on a lot of people's minds.

>> That is, of course, the Red line extension that is set to finally bring the CTA rail line all the way to the South.

Far south side of the Chicago passed its current and point at 95th Street.

Now that's a 5.6 mile addition.

It's relying on 1.9 billion dollars billion with a B in federal funding.

The hope is construction will start next year sometime right now the CTA and their federal counterparts are hurrying to get the final approvals done and and agreement in place before President Biden leaves office in January.

Cta officials say they're in the final phases of locking down the grant money and they're confident it will happen.

Its an interesting coincidence.

Final approval for federal funding of that massive red purple modernization program that's going on on the north side right now that came through as it happens at the very end of the Obama administration.

Despite Trump taking office, there have not been any problems with the promised federal money coming through on schedule.

So transit officials are pretty confident that will be the case here.

Despite big promises to slash government spending.

Could some of those big cuts affect future transit projects?

Well, it's certainly possible during the last Trump administration, there was a push for the U.S. Transportation Department to get rid of the infrastructure grant program that funds things like the Red Line extension like the red purple overhaul.

Now a former Transportation Department official wrote in the transit section of the controversial project 2025 document.

But the grants are, quote, another example of Washington's tendency to fund the transit expansion rather than maintaining or improving current facilities because Americans have demonstrated a strong preference for alternative means of transportation rather than throwing good money after bad by continuing federal subsidies for transit expansion.

There should be a focus on reducing costs that make transit on economical.

While Trump tried to distance himself from project 2025 during the campaign, he's now appointed numerous people who contributed to it to government post.

But brand even with opposition to the grant program from some conservatives.

It's had bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for the kinds of reasons you can imagine.

It creates jobs and improves local infrastructure in lawmakers, districts, their home states.

There's also some money available through the bipartisan infrastructure law, though that's only through 2026.

So besides funding, what else the transit leaders concerned about even a funding doesn't go away entirely.

The administration could make some quiet changes that end up having a big impact, for example, altering eligibility requirements for certain programs without much fanfare, leaving important jobs unfilled and gumming up the works that way making choices based on political calculations.

There's also the question of diversity programs which the CTA has made a centerpiece of its big infrastructure projects.

There's a federal effort to help more women and people of color benefit from big money, transportation contracts.

It's currently being challenged in court and it's the exact kind of program that Trump administration is highly unlikely to fight for.

If the program goes away, that will put the onus on state and local governments to step up.

A lot of questions about the future.

Of course.

It's not written yet.

We'll be watching.

We'll be watching.

Nick number, thanks so much.

Thank you.

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