In a Capitol Hill fight that hits home for anyone who has ever eyed a broken station elevator, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dave McCormick on Wednesday rolled out bipartisan legislation to renew the All Stations Accessibility Program, the federal grant stream that pays for elevators, ramps and other fixes that make older rail stops usable for people with disabilities. The program is set to expire on September 30, leaving dozens of Chicago-area projects stuck between planning and construction and raising questions about whether long-promised upgrades will actually be finished.
In a press release, Duckworth said, "Everyone benefits from more ramps, elevators and accessibility upgrades," and urged Congress to extend ASAP so cities can finish projects already in the pipeline, according to PublicNow. Her office said the measure, introduced with McCormick, is designed as a bipartisan move to keep accessibility retrofit funding flowing instead of letting it dry up at the end of the fiscal year.
What the Bill Would Do
A companion measure in the House, led by Reps. Jesús "Chuy" García and Brian Fitzpatrick, would authorize roughly $350 million a year for ASAP beginning in 2027, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Supporters argue that predictable, year-over-year authorization would let transit agencies map out multi-year elevator and platform projects instead of scrambling for one-off competitive awards, which can throw design, environmental review and construction schedules into chaos.
Federal Funding So Far
ASAP was created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was allocated about $1.75 billion through 2026, according to Mass Transit, while the Federal Transit Administration has announced roughly $686 million in available competitive grants for FY2026. Early ASAP awards have already backed dozens of projects across the country, but the demand for accessibility upgrades has far outpaced the available pot of money.
Chicago Riders Still Waiting
In the Chicago region, that funding gap shows up on the platform. Metropolitan reports and local coverage note that Metra operates 244 stations and still has dozens that are not fully accessible, while the Chicago Transit Authority has made progress but has not finished the job. The Chicago Tribune cites agency figures listing 35 Metra stations as inaccessible and seven as partially accessible, and reports that the CTA counts about 109 of its roughly 146 rail stations as accessible. The Tribune also names local stops without full accommodations, including Halsted Street, Hubbard Woods and River Forest. Some Chicago projects are already moving with ASAP dollars in hand, including more than $66 million to Metra for accessibility upgrades at the 95th Street/Chicago State University and 59th/60th Street/University of Chicago stations.
Why Upgrades Take So Long
Transit officials say this is not as simple as bolting on a new lift. Older stations may need multiple elevators, reconfigured entrances or completely rebuilt platforms that have to be squeezed into already dense downtown footprints. The CTA's planning and budget documents, including its FY2024 budget book, note that elevator replacements, platform rebuilds and systemwide wayfinding improvements usually require multi year commitments for design, environmental review and construction. That timeline is a big reason agencies say reliable federal funding is critical if they want to keep work moving instead of pausing projects midstream.
Timing and What's Next
With ASAP scheduled to lapse on September 30, Congress has a narrow window to act before the program's authority runs out. Duckworth's office said the senators will push for bipartisan passage, either as a standalone reauthorization or folded into next year's surface transportation bill, to avoid a funding gap that could slow or halt accessibility work already underway, according to PublicNow.
For Chicago-area riders, this is not an abstract policy fight. People who rely on elevators still plan their trips around equipment that can be unreliable, and transit agencies warn that a lapse in ASAP funding would leave major station accessibility projects incomplete or significantly delayed. Over the next two months, advocates and transit officials will be watching Capitol Hill closely to see whether the bipartisan momentum behind ASAP is strong enough to keep the program alive.
