With mass transit funding deal still up in the air in Springfield, CTA, Metra and Pace begin planning for possible cuts

CBS News

2 days ago

CTA, Metra, and Pace officials are preparing "doomsday budgets" after Illinois state lawmakers didn't address the Chicago area mass transit system's massive budget shortfall during the spring legislative session.
With federal COVID-19 funding expiring at the end of the year, the transit agencies are facing a $770 million dollar shortfall in 2026. Without new funding from the state, the agencies have warned of service cuts of up to 40%.
The Illinois Senate passed legislation that would impose a $1.50 tax on deliveries like Amazon, Grubhub, and Uber Eats, a 10% tax on rideshare trips, and add a new tax to charge electric vehicles to fund mass transit, but the Illinois House didn't take it up before adjourning their spring session.
Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) said that's due to how late in the last day of session the Senate passed the bill, but he said there's time to get a deal done this year.
"CTA, Metra, Pace – they approve their budgets at the end of the year in December. They have not a July fiscal date like we do here in the state, but they have a January fiscal date. We've spent the last year or so talking about structural changes and governance reforms, and we've got that part right. And so, now, we can spend the next couple of weeks and months figuring out how we deal with the revenue piece. So when we come back to Springfield, whenever that may be, we'll be ready to go," Buckner said.
While lawmakers could return to Springfield this summer or during their fall veto session to address mass transit funding, any laws passed after the end of May will need a three-fifths majority in both chambers to take effect before June 2026, making it more of a challenge to get the necessary votes to approve any potential deal.