Chicago Transit Authority Selects New Capital Improvement Program Manager

The Chicago Transit Board today selected Chicago Transit Partners to oversee the Chicago Transit Authority's ongoing capital improvement plan, following a competitive proposal process. The company will help manage the CTA's ongoing expansion and reconstruction plan that is bringing 100-year-old facilities to a state of good repair and providing CTA customers with new, state-of-the-art amenities and service. Chicago Transit Partners will replace URS Corporation, the CTA's Capital Improvement Program Manager (CIPM) for the past four and a half years.

As CIPM, Chicago Transit Partners will coordinate CTA's numerous construction projects monitoring the scope and development of projects, construction and design schedules and budgets. CTA's $5.1 billion five-year capital improvement plan includes construction projects such as the ongoing Dan Ryan Red Line rehabilitation project, the Brown Line capacity expansion project, and renovation of the Howard station on the Red Line.

?With an ambitious capital plan of $697 million in 2005 alone, successful coordination is key to bringing in projects on time and on budget," said CTA President Frank Kruesi. ?An effective program manager also works closely with CTA staff to minimize the amount of inconvenience to CTA customers."

The use of an outside program manager is an effective and cost efficient industry strategy for saving time and money and ensuring quality. With multiple projects at different stages of development, the CTA is able to maximize the resources of the CIPM, adjusting the size of the workforce or the nature of the expertise as needed.

Continued capital investment in the CTA's infrastructure ensures progress in bringing the system to a state of good repair. Lack of capital investment would jeopardize the vital components that make public transportation safe, reliable and convenient.

?We are grateful to the region's U.S. Congressional delegation, which has been very successful in securing capital funds to continue investment in CTA's infrastructure," said Chicago Transit Board Chairman Carole Brown. "CTA's use of professional program management services provides the necessary checks and balances for running multiple construction projects on such a large scale."

Chicago Transit Partners is a joint venture of three separate companies specializing in construction, engineering and design management. They are DMJM+Harris, Inc. and Consoer, Townsend Envirodyne Engineers, Inc., both of Chicago, and Kenny Construction Company of Wheeling, Illinois. The contract surpasses the CTA's Disadvantage Business Enterprise (DBE) 35 percent goal by using minority subcontractors for 35.9 percent of the contract work.

The contract is capped at $60.5 million for up to five years and is contingent upon the availability of capital funding for CTA's capital improvement program.