CTA budget crisis eased by $74M from Metra, Pace
CHICAGO – The Chicago Transit Authority avoided immediate service cuts and fare hikes Thursday after regional transportation officials approved a plan to shift suburban transit funds to help cover the city agency’s budget shortfall.
What we know:
The Regional Transportation Authority board, which oversees the CTA, Metra and Pace, voted unanimously to transfer about $74 million from Metra and Pace to the CTA.
Officials said the move will not affect suburban service and will buy the CTA another year before a looming budget crisis.
Disability advocates criticized the plan, saying transit agencies are balancing their budgets at the expense of programs that serve vulnerable riders.
RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden warned the region’s transit systems are “hanging on by a thread.”
“None of these are easy decisions and it’s really just trying to look at the available monies that are available, the legal obligations of the services that the three operators are required to provide and balancing all of that out. And they’re all very difficult decisions,” Redden said.
The measure passed with little controversy, partly because Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers have signaled support for a potential $1.5 billion state bailout to keep trains and buses running.
Officials expect the $74 million transfer to be reimbursed once that funding materializes.
What’s next:
Lawmakers could take up a broader transit funding package during the legislative veto session in October.
A proposal to raise taxes on rideshare and food delivery services, which stalled earlier this year, is expected to be revised.