NITA launch poised to bring Chicagoland transit into a new era: better for riders, better for our economy

June 25, 2026 / News & Events

Transit in the Chicago region has not always been well coordinated. Riders want cohesive scheduling and efficient operations, so they can get where they need to go quickly and safely. Residents are now one step closer to a new future that will make riding transit—CTA, Metra, and Pace—a better experience. The landmark Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, took effect in June, reforming transit governance and increase operations funding. With this new structure and funding, the work begins to create one easy-to-use transit system that can better meet our region’s economic needs and improve the quality of life for residents.

NITA, which replaces the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), comes at a critical time. The spiking cost of owning and using a car is making clear what families and employers across Chicago and the suburbs have known for a long time: the current state of getting around—from home to job, from job to school, or to a doctor’s office—isn’t just expensive and often inconvenient. It’s just too hard on top of every other challenge of managing daily life in our region these days.

The policy challenge that NITA must address is clear: People want and deserve to get more places much more conveniently using transit. Employers, real estate developers and investors want to meet the unrealized market demand for more walkable and better-connected communities, more jobs, and greater economic growth and vibrancy. Chicagoans have always wanted smoother travel to and from concerts, sporting events, and museums. Easy transitions from home to work to dining and entertainment. Quick day trips for shopping and recreation. Clearly communicated connections and transfers. And so, the prospect of a regional, fully integrated system managed as one network, one timetable, and one ticket is incredibly exciting.

Some early priorities of the newly formed NITA agency will be to deliver a universal fare across Metra, CTA, and Pace, a fully integrated regional service plan, a process for prioritizing capital projects, a new office of Disability Planning, and improved public safety. NITA’s new law enforcement task force, led by the Cook County Sheriff, has already begun its work. In the short term, the task force will focus on better managing existing safety resources and police forces. Riders will also see a greater police presence on transit this year, as a result of an additional $60 million for security passed by the RTA last month. In the months to come, the task force will begin planning and enacting long-term recommendations, including a transit ambassador program of service agents to provide directions and increased safety presence on platforms and trains.

We must begin this process with clear expectations. NITA is not merely RTA with more money. It will be a new regional agency with new leadership and a new culture. It will lead service planning, project selection, and funding allocation for transit in the six-county region and oversee CTA, Metra, and Pace operations. Engagement and transparency with the public will be key, as will a regional viewpoint. If everyone operates in good faith and puts aside factions for the sake of what we all know can work, we will get a transit system that goes where residents, businesses and investors need it to go.

As a strong advocate for the bill over multiple years, the Metropolitan Planning Council is optimistic that if implemented well, NITA will deliver transit that attracts workers, boosts tourism, grows the economy, and sets our region up for future growth. MPC’s new report, Riding into the Future: A Regional Vision for the Implementation of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, provides more details on what to expect.

MPC is excited about NITA and believes it will play a pivotal role in advancing transit in Chicagoland and beyond. We recently hosted a national transit convening to explore the future of transit in metro centers and believe NITA can be a model for reform. Our region deserves complete transit experience, like that found in other world-class regions across the globe. Connections make us stronger. Let’s collaborate and show the world what can happen when our region and our transit agencies embrace transformation and put the rider first.