Cameron Bolton

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.

As previously reported by the Daily Herald's Marni Pike, it's come to light that Metra hired a team of outside lawyers to conduct an internal investigation of its Police Department that cost almost $1.57 million. The investigation took place due to anonymous complaints made to the commuter railroad about "disparate treatment" of employees at the force. According to a follow-up article by the Chicago Tribune's Sarah Freishtat, these allegations included "workplace sexual relationships, harassment of female officers, racism, special treatment of some officers and inconsistency in police policies."

There was also discussion of ATA volunteering opportunities for National Bike Month and the Week Without Driving.

Podgers discussed the history of BSC, and the things the grassroots group has accomplished that he's most proud of.

According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the region's metro planning organization, northeastern Illinois has recently seen an uptick in traffic crash deaths. They've joined forced with the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways (DoTh) and the Chicago Department of Transportation on the Cook County Safety Action Plan. That's part of Safe Travel for All, a region-wide effort to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities on local roads. They're hosting community meetings to spread the word about new initiatives, hear about residents' experiences with traffic hazards.

Executive Director Leanne Redden's comments were made during a recent Transit Is the Answer Coalition discussion of strategies to avoid the fiscal cliff.

Sometimes right now it feels like Chicagoland residents are on a runaway train (or a scene from the 1994 city bus thriller Speed?) hurtling towards our region's looming transit fiscal cliff. Federal COVID-era public transportation subsidies for the CTA, Metra, and Pace, overseen by the Regional Transit Authority, are projected to run out in 2026. That would leave the systems with a total budget gap that would be the better part of a billion dollars.

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".