Nora Leerhsen
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At CTA board meeting, an update on bus lane cams, and commiseration over Trump’s blockade of RLE grant: “This is not normal.”
Today's monthly CTA board meeting took place as Illinois lawmakers are getting ready to return to Springfield for the fall veto session, scheduled for October 14-16 and October 28-30. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they will finally pass a transit funding/reform bill, permanently saving our region from previously projected 40 percent service cuts and 3,000 layoffs.
October 8, 2025
During budget town hall at Malcolm X College, officials promise to save the CTA by any means necessary
The CTA held the last of its 2025 budget town halls yesterday, allowing more members of the community to voice their concerns and opinions about the looming $771 million regional transit fiscal cliff. The event took place at Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. While officials acknoewledged the budget crisis, it was a "good news and bad news"-style meeting.
September 26, 2025
Dorval Carter Jr. broke the CTA. Nora Leerhsen’s on track to fix it – if we fund her work.
By Ellen Steinke
August 19, 2025
At Council hearing, transit advocates weighed in on the fiscal cliff, and acting CTA prez Leerhsen impressed them with her vision for the system
Yesterday there was an eventful meeting of City Council's Committee on Transportation and the Public Way. The committee passed a resolution by Ald. Bill Conway (34th) pushing the CTA to increase its enforcement of no smoking rules by coordinating with law enforcement and releasing ticketing numbers. The measure will go before the full Council for a final vote.
July 31, 2025
Living, working, and talking transit: The agency launches its new podcast “Moving Experiences: Stories of the CTA”
Chicago Transit Authority has joined the podcast fray.
May 13, 2025
Advocates asked mayor, CTA board to delay hiring new prez. Johnson reportedly had already chosen one. Special meeting ended without vote
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
May 9, 2025
Transit agencies, expert clap back at Tribune editorial calling the looming budget crisis a “so-called fiscal cliff”
Read the Tribune editorial here.
May 2, 2025
At CTA board meeting, talk of funding doomsday scenario, bus lane enforcement contract, new concessions / newsletter / podcast
As Streetsblog readers are well aware, the CTA, Metra, and Pace currently face a combined $770 million budget gap next year as federal COVID-era subsidies run out, but ridership is currently still only around 65 percent of 2019 levels.
March 14, 2025
At CTA board meeting, interim president says she’ll tackle quality-of-ride issues, discussion of pilot to detect people and objects on tracks
At yesterday's CTA board meeting, new acting transit agency president Nora Leerhsen discussed issues she will prioritize in order to improve conditions on trains and increase ridership. These include addressing the problem of smoking on trains, and helping unhoused people who spend the night on the Red and Blue lines get access to shelters.
February 13, 2025
