A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Transportation to restore more than $3 billion in funding to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for the Red Line extension and other projects. The funds had been frozen since October while the government investigated the CTA's contracting practices for race- and sex-based discrimination. The CTA argued that the freeze would halt the planned extension and the nearly completed Red Purple Line Modernization program. The judge's decision is seen as a significant victory for both the CATA and the community.