Chicagoland transit authorities, including Metra commuter rail and the Chicago Transit Authority, will avoid falling off the fiscal cliff in 2026 after the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation to provide $1.5 billion in funding without creating new taxes.
The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees Metra, CTA, and Pace bus services, faced a $770 million deficit primarily due to the end of federal funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, the state general assembly hesitated to allocate funds to fill the gap, and if they hadn’t, “doomsday” cuts were planned for all three agencies. In the case of Metra, it would have had to cut service by 40 percent, halving its 91-train schedule on the BNSF Line and completely suspending service on Metra Electric’s Blue Island Branch.
Mass Transit reports that the bill passed last week, called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act, will primarily be funded by redirecting sales tax revenue from motor fuel purchases to transit operations. It also creates an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transit Innovation, Integration, and Reform, which will focus on improving connectivity across the entire public transit system.
Gov. JB Pritzker has indicated that he will sign the legislation. Chicago RTA praised the bill’s passage.
“The passage of SB2111 is a landmark moment for public transit in Illinois. This bill provides the stable funding and governance reforms needed to protect transit service for the millions who ride CTA, Metra, and Pace, and the thousands of frontline workers who keep our region moving,” Chicago RTA officials wrote in a statement. “Riders want transit that is safe, reliable and frequent. This transformational investment of more than $1 billion in new operating funding lays the groundwork to improve service, shorten travel times and enhance rider experience across the region. The bill also changes the region’s transit governance, transitioning the RTA to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) and creating new requirements to coordinate service, plan strategically and better support riders.”
As a result of the new funding, Metra and CTA will not have to implement planned fare increases.
—Justin Franz
