All Articles
Top Categories
Rep. Buckner on the transit fiscal cliff: “We need the right mix of revenue and reform to make the system work the way it’s supposed to.”
Right now, the elephant in the room for Chicagoland public transportation planners and advocates is the looming regional transit fiscal cliff as federal COVID-19 funding subsidies run out. According to the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the CTA, Metra, and Pace, the three systems will face a $770 million total shortfall – almost 20 percent of the operating budget – in 2026. The RTA says that if the issue is not addressed by this spring, the result would be higher fares and reduced service, leading to less ridership, aka the dreaded "transit death spiral".
January 31, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Friday, January 31
• RTA: "Regional transit ridership hits post-pandemic high in 2024; 11 percent jump from 2023"
January 31, 2025
Reimagining Chicago’s DuSable Lake Shore Drive is a generational opportunity to reshape the city
McCoy Cantwell was born and raised in Chicago and now live in Los Angeles, where he's pursing a master's degree urban and regional planning at Cal Poly Pomona. He wrote this piece as a class assignment to discuss a current planning issue.
McCoy Cantwell
January 30, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Thursday, January 30
• City officials dispute legality of Trump’s federal grant pause, impact on city budget uncertain (The Daily Line)
January 30, 2025
Old Town row: Ald. Hopkins won’t support proposal for 500 transit-friendly apartments due to NIMBY backlash
Sign a (non-developer-affiliated) letter of support for this project here.
January 29, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Wednesday, January 29
• After SBC posted that CTA doesn't believe Trump's executive order's will impact federal Red Line Extension funding, WTTW takes a look at the issue
January 29, 2025
Travis Duffey: A bike advocate and artist who flipped through life
It's relatively simple to eulogize people who were well-loved, or even just generally liked, and who never really did much out of the ordinary in their lives. Longtime Chicago cycling advocate Arthur Travis Duffey, known as "Flip Bike Travis," was not such a person.
January 28, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, January 28
• Active Transportation Alliance: Let your alder know you support lowering Chicago's default speed limit to 25 mph to save lives
January 28, 2025
High Speed Rail Alliance proposes “Five Essential Fixes” to bring Chicago Union Station into the 21st Century
Earlier this month, The Travel mentioned Chicago Union Station – along with Baltimore's Penn Station – as being one of two American Amtrak stops that needs a revamp. "Much of the [Chicago] station’s infrastructure feels outdated and disconnected," the website noted. "The lower-level concourses, where most passengers navigate, lack the charm and appeal of the main hall... The station’s confusing layout and aging facilities often frustrate travelers."
January 27, 2025
Today’s Headlines for Monday, January 27
• Coverage of hit-and-run crash death of Halyna Hudzan, 66, near Ukrainian Village church her husband led, including quotes from son (Sun-Times)
January 27, 2025