MPC Senior Director Warns of Looming Transit Funding Crisis

October 24, 2025 / News

MPC Senior Director Audrey Wennink (at right) attends a transit worker rally on October 23, 2025 calling on state lawmakers to fund the region’s transit system. Photo credit: Nathan Cordero

MPC Senior Director Audrey Wennink has long been advocating to fix and fund Chicagoland transit. In the spring of 2025, state legislatures failed to pass a bill intended to reform the regional transit system, leaving CTA, Metra and Pace facing a significant budget shortfall. Wennink is calling for Springfield to pass legislation to fix the transit fiscal cliff during the fall veto session, which ends October 30, 2025, warning that failure to do so could result in workforce and service reductions by next summer.

Recent articles in Block Club Chicago and Evanston Now include comments from Wennink and other transit advocates on the issue. Read the full articles at the links below.

CTA purple line train arrives at a Chicago station

Transit Leaders Plead For Lawmakers To Fill $200 Million Shortfall As CTA, Metra Cuts Loom

By Manny Ramos | Block Club Chicago Photo credit: Colin Boyle

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Transit workers press conference in Chicago

Transit workers rally for funding bill

By Matthew Eadie | Evanston Now Photo credit: Matthew Eadie

Read the full article