With $771 million budget gap for transit looming, suburban officials and activists still waiting on reform

Chicago Tribune

7 hours ago

As May 31 this year came and went and Illinois lawmakers passed a roughly $55 billion state spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, a $771 million budget shortfall that Chicago area transit agencies have warned will result in major service cuts on the CTA, Metra and Pace was left unsolved.
But, as regional transit agencies sound the alarm and lawmakers decide whether they'll return to Springfield over the summer to pass transit legislation that will allow them to sidestep the fiscal cliff, some suburban elected officials and transit activists are continuing their calls for more suburban influence in regional transit decisions and more accessible and robust public transportation in areas with far fewer bus routes and train stations than the city of Chicago.
Here's what's happened, what Kane County officials and some area transit activists are hoping for and where things stand now.
For over a year, transit agencies have been warning of a looming budget shortfall as COVID-19 pandemic money starts to run out. The Regional Transportation Authority has outlined possible cuts and service reductions that could hit the area's three transit agencies — the CTA, Metra and Pace Suburban Bus — and the RTA, the body that oversees them, as early as next year if the $771 million gap in funding is not filled, according to past reporting.
Failure to fill the budget hole could result in cuts to some of the CTA's train lines, and the elimination of as many as 74 of its 127 bus routes, according to the RTA. Metra train frequency could be reduced and Pace could reduce the frequency of buses and cut weekend service entirely. Paratransit, too, could see service reductions on weekends.
Meanwhile, tackling the budget shortfall has brought with it discussion in Springfield about how transit is overseen and how to fund it, with state Sen. Ram Villivalam, D-Chicago, for example, championing legislation that would consolidate the region's transit agencies. The transit agencies pushed back on the original plan's lack of a funding solution, while suburban groups and officials argued consolidation would limit the suburbs' input on transit matters. Supporters backed it on the grounds that it could save money and help coordinate services better.
In late May, just days before the spring legislative session was set to adjourn, Illinois lawmakers filed a bill in the House that would not consolidate the region's transit agencies, but would rename the RTA the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, establish a new law enforcement task force, change the model of board governance overseeing the agencies and charge the new board with setting a single payment system and coordinating transit schedules across the region, according to past reporting.
A transit bill introduced in the Senate the same day offered some funding proposals to address the gap: an up to 50-cent toll increase, a 10% tax on ride-sharing services and a real estate transfer tax. It also included limitations on the collar counties' ability to use the RTA sales tax money they receive for certain public safety and transportation costs. A Senate proposal filed on May 31 suggested a $1.50 retail delivery fee to generate additional revenue.
Soon after, representatives from the collar counties criticized the proposals, according to past reporting, pointing to a loss of tax revenue for suburban counties, less oversight power for the suburbs and the impact of a toll increase on suburban commuters.
Ultimately, legislators left Springfield without passing legislation that would fill the transit budget gap, per past reporting, with House Democrats saying they wanted to sort out the board oversight issue before coming to an agreement on a funding proposal.
In Kane County, the failure to pass the Senate funding proposal was met with some optimism from local officials seeking greater suburban influence over the transit agencies. At a county board meeting on June 4, Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog reiterated interest in greater oversight for the collar counties on the region's transit agencies.
'That was our big fight, and we were able to, altogether, with our senators … postpone this for another day, and a much more thoughtful, I hope, less rushed conversation,' Pierog said.
According to the bill introduced in the House, the new Northern Illinois Transit Authority governance structure would have included five representatives from the city of Chicago appointed by the mayor, five representatives appointed by the governor, five by the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and five representatives from the collar counties — one appointed by each of the chairs of the county boards in Kane, Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Will.
The current RTA governance model includes 16 directors, five of which come from the collar counties, along with a chairman who needs at least two votes from the collar county representatives, according to RTA spokesperson Tina Fassett Smith.
Just before the state's spending plan was passed, elected officials from Kane County and its local municipalities gathered for a press conference to raise their concerns about the fiscal cliff and revenue suggestions.
Elgin Mayor David Kaptain said the county is seeking equal representation in transit matters.
'We're not the end of the (Metra) line,' Kaptain said at the news conference. 'We're the beginning of the (Metra) line.'
Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns referred to the funding mechanism proposed by state legislators as 'statutory pickpocketing.'
And Kane County State's Attorney Jamie Mosser and Sheriff Ron Hain noted the possible impact of losing RTA sales tax revenue, which the county currently uses to fund some public safety costs. Currently, the RTA collects a 0.75% sales tax in the collar counties, including Kane, of which one-third is distributed back to each county and can be used for transportation and public safety, said Fassett Smith. The rest of the money generated goes to the RTA, and is allocated to the service boards, she noted.
According to data from the RTA and numbers provided by Kane County Finance Director Kathleen Hopkinson, Kane County received just over $26 million in RTA sales tax funding for fiscal year 2024. Of that, almost $20 million went toward transportation funding, while the rest went to public safety and judicial safety funds, according to the figures from Hopkinson.
Pierog said the county's main concerns are the governance model overhaul and the possible loss of RTA sales tax money. The county board did not take a position on the possible revenue proposals, like the toll increase and package delivery fee, she said.
On the legislative side, too, state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat who represents portions of Aurora, North Aurora and Batavia, said reforming the governance structure is a key House priority before getting to questions of revenue, and that holding off on voting on the transit legislation gives them more time to talk with their constituents about the proposals.
Thew Elliot, 64, said he's never held a driver's license. Having lived in Aurora the past seven years, he said he's able to walk to Wesley United Methodist Church, where he works as director of liturgy and music. But navigating the area for his regular errands without a car is difficult, he said, so much so that he often travels to Chicago to do them.
'I go to a neighborhood where I can go to a Michaels, go to a (Jewel-Osco), go to a drug store, get something to eat, all on foot,' he said. 'That's impossible for me to do in Aurora. It would take me seven hours. … It's just the density and what you can do on foot once you're there (in Chicago) is much better.'
Elliot is involved with the activist community in Aurora, and has previously coordinated a warming center at the church he works at. He noted his concerns that cuts to transit services might more significantly affect non-rush hour transit services, often used by those working nontraditional jobs, including homeless individuals.
He has also attended a transit reform listening session hosted by political advocacy group The People's Lobby, which, when it came to addressing the transit situation in the Chicago area, supported consolidation of the region's transit organizations and funding proposals meant to prevent cuts and expand transit access.
The People's Lobby started holding listening sessions about transit in Chicago, said its director of membership and advocacy Miguel Molina-Ventura, and then began hosting events in the suburbs.
Molly Merchant, 22, of Wheaton got involved with The People's Lobby through local campaign work, and has worked for the organization on facilitating turnout for environmental justice and public transit-related events, an issue she has a personal stake in.
Merchant and her roommate bought a car last year, she said, but it was wrecked in an accident just a few months later. She's saving up again for a new one, but said getting around is a lot more difficult for the time being.
'I had to rely on, like, rides from friends just to get to classes, and I had to ask my aunts to drive me to the grocery store because I didn't have a car anymore and I couldn't afford Ubers,' Merchant said.
Groups like The People's Lobby say they want an expansion of the public transit system currently offered in the suburbs. But doing so would be expensive, Pierog noted, since it would be a newer system than Chicago and would therefore require more infrastructure to be built. And it would be a learning curve for Kane County residents, she said, to get accustomed to taking mass transit rather than using a car to get around.
In addition to its Metra stations, Kane County currently has fixed bus route service provided by Pace, as well as on-demand service in some areas, the Pace Vanpool ridesharing service and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated paratransit, per the agency's website.
But a lack of robust public transit further reinforces access issues, Rep. Hernandez said, when individuals in the area don't use the transit available.
'Instead of trying to find other ways to reach people (when there's a route with low ridership), I feel like they just do the quick way of, 'Let me just remove this route out of the picture,' unfortunately, leaving people without that transportation and leaving people to rely more on their cars. … I'm hoping that with (new transit legislation), it could help fix that, and it could make people go back to public transportation.'
Funding for future projects also remains uncertain.
For example, a Metra station in Oswego has been a priority for the community for nearly three decades, according to Village Administrator Dan Di Santo. Most recently, he said, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, directed some funds toward an environmental assessment for a possible BNSF line extension into Kendall County. The community is also considering whether the Metra train could run on the Illinois Railway line instead, which wouldn't require laying additional tracks.
The BNSF Metra commuter line — which runs between Chicago's Union Station and Aurora — sees the highest ridership of all the area Metra lines. According to data from the RTA, the BNSF line provided over 650,000 rides in April 2025. Comparatively, the Union Pacific West Line, which goes into Geneva with a last stop in Elburn, saw 345,794 rides in April.
But, ridership is still down significantly since before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the BNSF line, for example, typically gave over 1 million rides in any given month.
Kendall County is not deemed a collar county, meaning it doesn't currently have a say in the transit agencies' decisions. But Di Santo said, despite the current state budget concerns, his community is prepared to ride out the fiscal uncertainty when it comes to transit.
'We're in it for the long game,' Di Santo said. 'When we did our last study, it was during COVID. … They said, 'Is there even going to be commuter rail service?' … And now it's a fiscal cliff.'
Both Metra and Pace have stated they'll be operating as though the budget gap will not be filled — for now at least.
Per a memo from the RTA in March, budget scenarios, including service reductions and fare increases, are to be developed by the service boards — the CTA, Metra and Pace — from July through September. Public notice of cuts to existing service would be announced between September and October, and initial layoff notices could also begin during that time frame. The service boards are to present their budgets to the RTA board in November for adoption of a 2026 regional transit operating budget and 2026-2030 capital program in December.
Per the RTA's proposed timeline, schedule changes and cuts could begin in 2026.
Metra spokesperson Michael Gillis said it can only use known sources of revenue as it begins the 2026 budget process, but is 'hopeful' that Springfield will identify new funding solutions. He said Metra has not identified what exactly service reductions would look like, and said the agency could not yet provide details on how Kane County might be impacted.
Pace, too, is beginning its budget process 'based on the funding currently available,' according to spokesperson Maggie Daly Skogsbakken, 'with hope and determination that additional support will be secured later this year.'