Great Cities Institute

Some Streetsblog readers scoffed at a recent proposal for free CTA service. But making transit free, or at least cheaper for low-income Chicagoans, could have major societal benefits.

In the wake of the recent Metra patronage scandal, the Regional Transit Authority has come under intense scrutiny. Many journalists, elected officials and policy experts have argued that the current system of separate boards for the CTA, Metra and Pace, overseen by the RTA, lends itself to interagency competition and corruption that gets in the way of improving the area’s transportation network. However, given the complex nature of politics in Illinois, overhauling the system is a daunting task.