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At RTA board meeting, Executive Director Redden discussed lessons from Asia, the move to NITA, and improving bike-ped access to transit
As far as I'm concerned, today's presentation by Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Leanne Redden at the agency's monthly board meeting was this week's second biggest news story about an Australia native. The biggest headline was country musician and Nicole Kidman ex-husband Keith Urban's puzzling performance of Chappell Roan's LGBTQ anthem "Pink Pony Club" for Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago compound.
November 20, 2025
At RTA meeting, ex-mayor of “Groundhog Day” movie setting Woodstock, IL says voting structure casts shadow on transit reform bill
As we approach the the end of October, things are getting eerie. I'm not talking about spectral Halloween decorations. (Sorry, I wound up squeezing two different holiday references into this post.) Rather, I'm referring to the haunting possibility that state legislators may go home from their fall veto session, wrapping up Tuesday through Thursday of next week, without passing a transit reform and funding bill. That could result in service cuts and layoffs, which would indeed be frightful.
October 23, 2025
The Northern Illinois Transit Authority is a good idea
A solid compromise on a challenging problem.
September 17, 2025
At today’s RTA board meeting, the directors voted to fund 2025 Paratransit shortfall, but attendees protested changes to RAP and TAP
Pace’s Taxi Access Program and Rideshare Access Program will see fare increases and be capped at 30 rides per month.
August 21, 2025
RTA’s Travel Information Action Plan is an effort to help create seamless regional transit by making CTA, Metra, and Pace info consistent
The Regional Transportation Authority held its latest installment of its four-part webinar series Transportation Tuesday info session yesterday, which discussed the RTA Travel Information Action Plan 2025. Back in February of 2024 the agency hired a consultant team led by HNTB Corporation to conduct a review and assessment of all information provided to riders. The plan was published in May 2025 and includes a three-year roadmap for improving how transit information is communicated throughout the region.
August 7, 2025
What’s going on? Politicians, agencies, experts, and advocates weigh in on the transit funding cliffhanger
If you're a frequent Streetsblog Chicago, when it comes to the current public transportation fiscal crisis, this ain't your first bus rodeo. Otherwise, here's our coverage of the issue since last Saturday, May 31, aka "The Night Transit Funding Didn't Go Down In Springfield":
June 5, 2025
About last night: Chicagoland transit funding hits roadblock after House non-vote. RTA says 2026 budgets must reflect $771M deficit.
Good morning Streetsblog Chicago readers. I hope that as you read this, you've got a cup of strong coffee, or whatever your favorite morning beverage is, while we face the sobering outcome of Saturday's late-night Illinois General Assembly session.
June 1, 2025
Life on the edge: Where Chicagoland transit funding stands as the spring legislative session winds down and the fiscal cliff looms
In a blog post last Thursday, the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the three local transit agencies, once again sounded the alarm that a $771 million total fiscal transit cliff is approaching next year if action is not taken now.
May 12, 2025
Transit advocates Rep. Buckner and Nik Hunder: It’s not just a “so-called” fiscal cliff. But Trib had a point that governance changes are needed.
I'm confident that the generally car-centric folks on the Chicago Tribune editorial board deserved the spanking I gave them on Friday for their rather arrogant editorial about our region's looming $770 million total transit budget gap. "Chicago’s transit agencies want you to panic," the headline stated. "They don’t explain the whole truth."
May 5, 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