‘A transformational bill:’ Transit measure gets a victory lap but questions remain on cost, local control
State lawmakers and advocates who supported a transit reform and rescue package during the October veto session touted the legislation Tuesday at the Geneva Metra station.
“It’s about creating a single, coordinated authority,” Democratic state Rep. Mary Beth Canty of Arlington Heights said. “We are breaking down the barriers between Metra, Pace and the CTA.
“Riders will finally be able to move through the system with one card, one schedule and one reliable network,” she said.
The measure, which still requires Gov. JB Pritzker’s approval, created a new Northern Illinois Transportation Authority to replace the Regional Transit Authority. NITA has greater authority over budgets, fares and planning for Metra, Pace and the CTA.
Democratic State Rep. Matt Hanson of Montgomery said the “transformational bill” will expand paratransit services and “allow for things like getting from Naperville to O’Hare on one train. This gives us the possibility of getting from O’Hare to Fulton Market to McCormick Place … things that the funding wasn’t there for.”
Transit agencies had faced massive budget shortfalls, related to COVID-19, starting in 2026 that would have resulted in 40% cuts in trains and buses. However, the legislation will add about $1.5 billion more in revenues by raising the RTA sales tax and shifting revenues and interest from the state Road Fund.
That financing was controversial as was deal-making in the bill that hiked tolls by 45 cents for cars and 30% for trucks in 2027 for the Illinois tollway. A majority of Republicans voted against the measure.
Meanwhile, numerous suburban leaders argued the makeup of the NITA board was tilted to Chicago and Cook’s advantage at the expense of the Collar Counties.
Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns said fully funding transit would keep the Chicago region a “powerhouse and the engine” for the nation.
“The energy driven individually and collectively by people moving around the region is unmatched anywhere in the United States,” he noted.
Addressing the future board directors of NITA, Burns said: “On behalf of all mayors throughout northeast Illinois, I implore you to please, unceasingly engage mayors throughout the region. We always have been and we always will be the singular, most indispensable partner in helping cultivate and create a responsive and regional transportation system.”
The legislation also encourages housing and retail around transit, and removes minimum parking requirements for new developments within a half-mile of train stations.
That’s a controversial move for some suburbs who’ve argued it takes control away from local governments who require a certain number of spaces per condo unit, for example.
Developer Drew Mitchell of Holladay Properties said the bill “doesn’t just save our transit system. It unlocks the economic potential of every single Metra station in northern Illinois.” He described parking as “a hidden tax,” which drives up costs.
The change “allows us to deliver affordable housing,” Mitchell said. “It says to developers, ‘stop building for outdated, arbitrary mandates.’ It tells the government, ‘hey, let the market decide.”
Hanover Park Mayor and Metra Director Rod Craig said some provisions of the bill that impact downtown areas may work for Chicago, but “I believe that doesn’t necessarily work for the suburban component.”
Tweaks to the legislation could come in 2026, Craig noted. “There’s a lot of issues that are out there that are still not being addressed appropriately.”