The City of Oak Forest has received a $1 million grant from the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) for the construction of a new Metra train station at 159th Street and Cicero Avenue. The city plans to break ground for the train station in spring 2012.
"We are extremely grateful for the widespread support we have received for this project," said Community Development Director Adam Dotson. "Several legislators and regional organizations have been working diligently on our behalf."
As part of its grant application to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the city included letters of support from Illinois State Senator Maggie Crotty, Congressman Bobby Rush, Cook County Commissioner Joan Patricia Murphy, Metra, the Regional Transportation Authority, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, and the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The new train station will have significant architectural details and elongated canopies with prominent columns and integrated landscaping. It will include a warming shelter, bike parking and lockers, bathroom facilities, indoor/outdoor seated waiting areas, and a geothermal heating system – one of many environmentally friendly features.
The city's Metra station runs between Joliet and downtown Chicago and serves approximately 1,600 weekday commuters.