‘Stand up for our hometowns’: Suburban mayors slam transit proposal
A coalition of 25 suburban mayors is beseeching lawmakers to think twice before approving a transit rescue plan they say is seriously flawed.
“We are asking you … to stand up for our hometowns and your constituents in northeastern Illinois,” reads a letter spearheaded by Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig and signed by leaders across Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
The Suburban Mayors Coalition for Fair Transit criticizes new taxes proposed in a bill approved by the state Senate to avert a $771 million shortfall facing Metra, Pace and the CTA in 2026.
A $1.50 delivery fee on online orders, excluding groceries and medications, dubbed the “pizza tax” is “regressive, (and) disproportionately burdens low- to moderate-income families,” officials said.
Mayors also panned expanding a real estate transfer tax from Chicago to the suburbs, and allowing the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority to acquire or develop land near train stations for projects such as condos with retail space.
That concept would strip away power over zoning and parking from municipalities and give it to an nonelected board, they argued.
But — the delivery fee would generate $1.1 billion that would transform transit in the region and help avert a 40% cut to train and bus service next year, state Sen. Ram Villivalam said Wednesday at an Active Transportation Alliance forum.
He noted Colorado and Minnesota have delivery taxes, and their data shows the majority of orders are above $100.
“We’re always going to have folks that try to pick apart any type of funding source, whether it’s (on) the state of Illinois level, city of Chicago, Cook County, the collars and so much more,” Villivalam said.
But the regional transit system that serves more than 1 million riders daily “will come to a screeching halt” in 2026 if no one compromises, he warned.
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority would replace the Regional Transportation Authority with strengthened powers over Metra, Pace and the CTA.
Of NITA’s 20 members, five would be appointed by the governor, five by the Cook County Board president and five by Chicago’s mayor. The remaining five would be chosen by the chairs of the DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties’ boards combined.
Some directors must be gleaned from the Metra, Pace and CTA boards, serving double duty and providing expertise, proponents said.
Another provision in the bill would require a vote of 15 directors to approve decisions. Opponents say that gives the city and Cook County panelists carte blanche to act without collar county input.
The suburban mayors support a 80% majority, or 16 directors, to pass major policies.
Villivalam said he listened to all voices and made concessions to address suburban concerns. But he questions the soundness of allowing “75% of the board to be vetoed by one subgroup” on issues like safety.
“If one subregion says, ‘we don’t want a (transit) police force’ … even though 75% of the board agrees, that would mean we’re not addressing what is likely the No. 1 issue we’ve heard from riders,” he said.
Municipalities signing on to the letter include: Addison, Batavia, Cary, Elk Grove Village, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Itasca, Libertyville, Schaumburg, Waukegan and Wheaton.
Meanwhile, labor unions, environmental groups, and transit advocates rallied near Union Station Thursday demanding the General Assembly convene a special session this summer to fix the crisis and prevent layoffs in September.
Gridlock alert
Prepare for fun St. Charles. IDOT crews will be resurfacing Route 64 between Kautz Road and 13th Avenue starting Tuesday. That means daily, on-and-off lane closures. Drivers should allow extra time for trips until work wraps up in November.
One more thing
O’Hare International Airport was so popular last week, it broke a record, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration.
On June 22, TSA officers screened nearly 114,000 passengers, the most ever at the second-busiest airport in the nation.
The phenomenon wasn’t restricted to Chicago. National records for travelers streaming through security were set that day, with 3.1 million passengers at checkpoints.
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