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• City Council passes, with $500K allocated for #PlowTheSidewalks (1/2 of what was requested) thanks to advocacy by Ald. La Spata (1st) (Block Club)

Let's get real: Illinois has a looming public transportation crisis on our hands. Federal COVID-19 subsidy money, which has kept the CTA, Pace, and Metra running despite lower post-pandemic ridership, is projected to run out by 2026. How can we dodge this transit fiscal cliff in Chicagoland, the metro region where roughly three-quarters of Prairie State residents live? Here are some possibilities that have been discussed:

• Block Club: "Amtrak To Boost Midwest Rail Service. A Union Station Makeover Is Next"

This post was written by John Greenfield, and features research by Sharon Hoyer.

At this week's final CTA board meeting of 2024, the directors approved several ordinances. Most notably, the CTA and DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business agreed to launch a pair of pilot programs to help small minority-owned small businesses win contracts with the transit agency.

• Block Club: "Mayor Delays Final Vote On 2025 Budget"

It's December again, which means temperatures are dropping, holiday tunes are in the air, and the Chicago Department of Transportation is hashing out its budget for the next fiscal year.

• "Sterling Bay’s Marcey Street Development Still Stalled After Heated City Council Exchange" (Block Club)

See the City of Evanston's webpage for this project, including Tuesday's meeting presentation and display boards, here.