Cameron Bolton

Recently, Streetsblog Chicago's John Greenfield came across the blog post, "For $5.7 billion, South Side Chicago deserved far more than the Red Line Extension," written by Toronto-based transit advocate August Puranauth. [Puranauth uses they/them pronouns.]

Chicagoland faces a $770 million total public transportation fiscal cliff, which would result in austerity measures – extreme service cuts – in 2026. That is, unless Illinois legislators take decisive action by the end of next month to address the budget gap.

The $5.7 billion Red Line Extension is moving closer to becoming a reality, more than half a century after it was first promised to Far South Siders. The CTA is holding three "Meet the Contractor" sessions this month to provide updates and answer questions about the project.

Whizz, billed as the largest e-bike rental and subscription platform in the U.S., recently announced it will expand into Chicago with a partnership with DoorDash. Whizz launched in New York City in 2022 and was built specifically for delivery workers. The impetus for the platform was seeing how many gig workers, especially immigrants, face barriers to accessing low-cost, two-wheeled vehicles. Whizz itself was founded by immigrants, so they understood how hard it can be to start over in a new country.

Want to urge state legislators to properly fund Chicago-area transit during their spring 2025 session, so as to prevent drastic service cuts in 2026? The Active Transportation Alliance recommends going to the webpage "Support the Clean and Equitable Transportation Act!" to send letters to your state reps.

The Active Transportation Alliance recently hosted one of its monthly Advocacy Connect online lunchtime talks. This time the focus was on the CTA's Frequent Bus Network plan, several State transit- and biking-related bills, and the campaign for a 25 mph speed limit.

Last Monday, St. Patrick's Day, it appeared there may be a bit of good luck for Chicagoland straphangers.

The Metra commuter rail system is considering renaming lines to make the system easier to understand for new and occasional riders. To get feedback on the idea from customers, the agency is conducting an online survey and scheduled three public meetings at downtown terminals this week. On Tuesday, an open house was held at Chicago Union Station, on Wednesday, it was at Ogilvie Transportation Center, and today they're at Millennium Station and La Salle Street Station from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. All Metra routes

Representatives of Kane and McHenry counties argued that if MMA board decisions didn't require a supermajority vote, their districts would be disempowered.

Recently the Regional Transportation Authority, the agency that oversees the CTA, Metra, and Pace, released a Transit-Friendly Communities Guide to encourage development that's accessible to public transportation. Earlier this week, the RTA held a webinar about the guide for municipal officials, urban planning professionals, and the public. It included success stories of creating equitable transit-oriented developments, and tips on how to use best practices from the handbook to foster ETOD in other communities.