Transit advocates outline what’s happening with reforms to Metra, Pace, CTA

A trailer bill tweaking some parts of the state’s transit rescue bill could surface when the General Assembly reconvenes, legislative leaders said Wednesday at a City Club Chicago forum.

Other takeaways on the seismic and complicated legislation Wednesday included anticipated funding formula changes for Metra, Pace and the CTA, a systemwide office for riders with disabilities, and transit ambassadors sooner rather than later.

Legislation that dissolves the Regional Transportation Authority and creates a new Northern Illinois Transit Authority with $1.5 billion in new revenues goes into effect June 1.

A panel of experts including Senate Transportation Chair Ram Villivalam, state Rep. Eva-Dina Degado and Deputy Gov. Bria Scudder were asked what could be done “right now” to expedite reforms.

Stakeholders already are working to implement changes, Scudder said, noting one piece of “low-hanging fruit,” could be transit ambassadors. The new law requires transit ambassadors to guide and assist riders.

A survey of Los Angeles passengers showed “60% of people who participated felt more safe when saw (transit ambassadors) engaging on the system,” she said.

Villivalam told the audience “we’re going to be working on a trailer bill.”

He later noted, “as with every piece of legislation and law, we will meet with constituents and stakeholders to discuss any enhancements as well as technical edits that should be considered.”

RTA Chair Kirk Dillard told the Daily Herald that minor changes to the bill are to be expected.

“And ideas will pop up perhaps during the transition period,” he said. “I do not expect any major policy changes, just cleaning up the language. Major legislation in Illinois traditionally always needs a follow-up trailer bill.”

Delgado said a crucial change was that “the statutory (transit) funding formula was eliminated.” As a major advocate of reforms, “I thought it was important that that funding formula be flexible and change with demand across the region. ”

“And we put in place these qualitative metrics and service standards so that funding goes to where the riders are but also, it creates opportunities to expand that ridership in places where maybe the riders aren’t — but they need to be, connecting different parts of the region.”

Previously, the RTA has used a standardized formula to allocate revenues.

Delgado also noted the measure creates an office dedicated to services for people with disabilities. “There has never been coordination across all three agencies on that particular topic.”