Transit Reform and Funding

June 12, 2025 / Blogs

Determined to keep the train on the tracks

As the clock struck midnight on May 31, 2025, a pivotal moment was reached in the effort to reform and properly fund our region’s transit system. While a bill (HB 3438) to reform and fund the transit system successfully passed the Senate at 11:45 p.m., that left no opportunity for the House to debate it and vote. Therefore, the region’s $770 million transit funding gap—and promises for an improved system—are left unresolved for now.

This puts our transit agencies in a difficult position. They must start planning for service cuts that will severely impact riders across the region. Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) ran its own analysis to estimate the magnitude of service cuts that would be needed to reach the 40% reduction agencies may have to implement. See the maps and our methodology behind these estimates here.

At the same time, there is much reason for optimism. Even though the bill didn’t make it through the House, one thing is clear: there is widespread recognition that governance reform is necessary, and lawmakers largely agree on the scale of investment needed ($1.5 billion) to create the robust, equitable, and sustainable transit system our region and its residents deserve.

There are a lot of policies to like in the bill passed by the Senate. MPC compiled a comprehensive summary here. Following are a few highlights:

Creation of a new regional transit agency called the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) to deliver integrated service by leading on regionwide:
• Capital planning;
• Service planning;
• Large capital construction projects; and
• Integrated fares and fare policy

Retention of Metra, CTA and Pace as operating divisions to do what they do best – deliver service;

Development of region-wide service standards to define where, when, what type and how frequent service should be based on analysis of regional data;

Establishment of authority to conduct transit-supportive development by NITA and creation of a database of available public land near transit;

Improved prioritization of transit on roadways managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation (DOT) via a study of current policy barriers, and appointment of a Transit Coordination Oversight Officer to oversee implementation of reforms;

Establishment of an Office of Transit Safety and Experience that will oversee comprehensive safety reforms such as Transit Ambassadors;

Funding far exceeding the operations gap, with sources that will raise money and encourage more sustainable transportation.

We’re grateful, and we’re not done

MPC extends our sincere thanks to the 32 senators who supported the bill, and especially to Senator Ram Villivalam, Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, and Representative Kam Buckner for their leadership and vision. We are also grateful to Governor Pritzker and his team for helping work across the chambers to get this far.

We were so proud to be part of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) with more than 200 organizations statewide working for a more sustainable, safe and affordable transportation system. The momentum created by this coalition, working alongside impressive legislative champions, is a powerful reflection of what’s possible when we are working to improve the lives of Illinois residents.

MPC will continue to collaborate with the ICJC coalition to advocate for preserving the critical reforms passed in the Senate and for renewed efforts in the House, hopefully during a possible special session. We stand at the ready to help finish the job.