‘Silos’ and ‘steamrollers’: Rival plans to save Metra, Pace and the CTA go under the microscope

Two separate reform proposals for public transit got an airing Tuesday during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing that produced pointed questions.

Senate Bill 5 would abolish the CTA, Metra, Pace and RTA boards and create a superagency, the Metropolitan Mobility Authority, offering universal fares and seamless travel.

The rival Senate Bill 1938, backed by labor unions, would empower the RTA to manage fares, capital projects and planning, and also deliver unified fares and more frequent service.

“We need to improve what we’re doing, not actively destroy what we have,” said Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter.

“When you concentrate power into a few people, you take away constituents’ ability to access government, that’s why we have representative government … it promotes more democracy,” he added.

In support of the MMA, Center for Neighborhood Technology Vice President of Government Affairs Jacky Grimshaw countered “we need a new integrated and united structure so we can deliver transit focused on user experience. To deliver a seamless rider experience and stop thinking transit services are limited to city or suburban geographies.”

MMA advocates argue there’s too many boards that stay in “silos” running transit.

With “47 appointees to four separate transit agencies, often riders don’t know who’s in charge,” Metropolitan Planning Council senior director Audrey Wennink said.

“The MMA proposes creating a single, regional board to oversee a vibrant reimagined transit system.”

MMA would have three directors appointed by the governor, five by Chicago’s mayor, five by the Cook County Board president, and five by the chairs of the DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will boards.

“The suburbs will get steamrollered in that process,” Republican state Sen. Don DeWitte of St. Charles said.

“I think the last thing anybody in the suburbs needs is the city of Chicago or Cook County collectively deciding what residents of Kane County or DuPage County or Will or McHenry counties are going to be paying for Metra fares.”

State Sen. Laura Murphy sees issues in a Bill 1938 provision allowing the RTA to withhold money from agencies if their budgets don’t meet certain criteria.

“When you withhold money from the service boards, it’s going to have an impact on the ridership,” the Des Plaines Democrat said.

The Civic Federation supports consolidation, citing a consultants’ report finding a merger could save $200 million to $250 million a year.

But Republican state Sen. Seth Lewis of Bartlett asked, “Do you have a line item analysis of that? Or is it somewhat theoretical?”

“An estimate like that is going to be theoretical because it’s based on assumptions,” the federation’s Research Director Annie McGowan responded.

The figure is based on assumptions that 5% of efficiencies could be made in the RTA’s total budget of $4 billion, she added.

“Five percent is magically available?” Lewis queried.

The debate comes as transit in the region faces a $771 million budget hole in 2026 when federal COVID-19 aid dries up.

Both sides seek about $1.5 billion more in funding for transit annually, but lawmakers are tackling governance first.

Committee Chair Sen. Ram Villivalam said a second hearing will be scheduled.

Testimony Tuesday “all points back to the status quo is not acceptable,” said Villivalam, a Democrat from Chicago. “Clearly, we are not receiving the service that everyone desires.”