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Illinois legislature adopts People Over Parking Act to right-size parking requirements in transit-served areas
At about 4:22 AM this morning the Illinois Senate concurred with the Illinois House on bill SB 2111, approving a revenues and reform package that will avert the Chicagoland transit fiscal cliff, structurally close budget gaps for the foreseeable future, and provide additional funding for the state's 63 transit agencies. Among the reforms are establishing a new oversight authority that will centralize service planning and fare-setting in Chicagoland and assigning powers to build transit-supportive development, among other major and unique policy changes.
October 31, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Friday, October 31
• "Illinois celebrates a historic win for public transit" (Active Trans)
October 31, 2025
Taking a (sleepy) victory lap with House Majority Leader Delgado, an architect of the $1.5B transit bill that passed in the Halloween wee hours
"If I get home before daylightI just might get some sleep tonight"
October 31, 2025
Hit-and-run sedan driver struck and killed Maximiliano Lemus Jr., 72, in Little Village
Sadly, on Friday afternoon, the driver of a sedan fatally struck Maximiliano Lemus Jr., 72, in Little Village and fled the scene.
October 31, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Thursday, October 30
• More coverage of Pritzker playing Sir Thomas Bringdown III re: the House transit bill (Trib, Evanston Roundable, WTTW, WGN, CBS, NBC, Bloomberg)
October 30, 2025
In the early hours of Halloween, Illinois General Assembly passed $1.5B transit bill that’s anything but horrific. Pritzker will likely sign it.
Update Friday 10/31/25, 9:00 AM: It was scary when the Illinois General Assembly floor debate over transit legislation entered the Halloween witching hours. But thankfully it looks like we've avoided a "Nightmare on Second Street" (the roadway where the state capitol is located). Here are some features of the new legislation that passed with $1.5 billion for public transportation, raised without statewide taxes, which I gleaned from a report by Capitol News Illinois and a summary by Capitol Fax.
October 29, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Wednesday, October 29
• Illinois Policy is back on their... ridiculousness, demanding upgrades to transit that are already in bill, while rejecting new revenue sources to fund them
October 29, 2025
What’s more regressive: Modest driving surcharges to help fund transit, or forced car ownership?
By Ellen Steinke
October 28, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, October 28
• RTA board captain Kirk Dillard: "The real consequences of not funding transit in Illinois" (Tribune)
October 28, 2025
Star:Line Chicago, Capitol Fax (and Streetsblog?) brutally roast Illinois Policy CEO’s clueless op-ed about the transit bill
If you weren't already convinced that the Illinois Policy Institute think tank is an alarmist right-wing organization, just check out the homepage of their blog. The headlines are screaming at you in all caps. And they seem to carefully select the most unflattering screenshots possible of progressive leaders such as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a strategy right out of the Fox News playbook.
October 27, 2025
