Recent Streetsblog CHICAGO posts about RTA

RTA is helping Cicero and Riverside update zoning to encourage walkability and TOD

By John Greenfield | Sep 15, 2020 | No Comments

The work is being done through the RTA’s Community Planning program, which offers technical assistance and funding to local municipalities and intergovernmental organizations.

A Metra train viewed from the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line platform. Photo: Jonathan Lee

Uncharted territory: RTA leaders discuss how Chicago transit will survive COVID-19

By Igor Studenkov | May 21, 2020 | No Comments

How with the CTA, Pace, and Metra transport more people to work when the state reopens, while maintaining social distance, with a lot less money? That remains to be seen.

A young transit funding supporter at today's press conference. Photo: RTA

Transit Officials, Mayors, Business Leaders Urge State to Provide Steady Capital Funding

By Igor Studenkov | Apr 25, 2019 | 1 Comment

Transit leaders hope to convince Springfield legislators to allocate $2-3 billion a year over the next decade.

Some of Metra's coaches were built in 1953. Photo: railsr4me/Flickr

Chicagoland Transit Agencies are Asking for the Capital Funding They Deserve

By Igor Studenkov | Aug 21, 2018 | 7 Comments

The Regional Transportation Authority and the three transit agencies operating under its umbrella – Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace Suburban Bus – are making a forceful case for substantially more capital funding than they are currently getting. The federal and state funding for public transit has been declining over the last 10 years, not […]

A Metra board meeting in 2014. Photo: Sun-Times

Why the Regional Transit Boards Skew White and Male, and Why That Matters

By John Greenfield | Aug 8, 2018 | 27 Comments

The board members' decisions may not always reflect the needs of commuters.

CTA president Dorval Carter announced the fare hikes this afternoon at the CTA headquarters, flanked by a chart that shows that most other major U.S. transit systems currently have higher fares. Photo: CTA

CTA’s Proposed Budget Includes 25-Cent Fare Hike, No Cuts to Service Hours, Frequency

By John Greenfield | Nov 22, 2017 | 13 Comments

The 2018 budget raises the fare for bus rides from $2 to $2.25, and the price of ‘L’ trips from $2.25 to $2.50.

The time it takes for everyone to get on the bus can sometimes take up 20 percent of the bus's travel time. Photo: Anne Evans

Upgrades to These Six Bus Routes Would Improve Transit Citywide

By Steven Vance | Nov 17, 2017 | 16 Comments

The Active Transportation Alliance proposed infrastructure upgrades for six specific routes across Chicago.

Chicago Transit Needs an Upgrade: 5 Universal Features of European City Transit

By Steven Vance | Jan 23, 2017 | 34 Comments

This isn't a wish list. These are five standard features of most bus networks in Europe.

Is $2 Billion Red Line Extension Best Way to Provide Transit in Far South Side?

By Steven Vance | Oct 6, 2016 | 14 Comments

The Chicago Transit Authority released a major study today, the next step in the developing project to extend the Red Line southward from the 95th Street terminal to 130th Street in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood. The Environmental Impact Study is required by the federal government before the CTA can ask for funding from the U.S. […]

RTA: Pace and Metra Operate Efficiently But Collect Little Rider Revenue

By Steven Vance | Mar 21, 2016 | 8 Comments

The Regional Transportation Authority’s newest report, issued last week, compares the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace, to their respective peers around the country. The report found that the CTA is efficient, relative to rapid transit systems in Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C. The RTA also compared Metra, using 2014 performance figures, […]

RTA Report: CTA Runs an Efficient Transit System Compared to Peer Agencies

By Steven Vance | Mar 18, 2016 | 4 Comments

This week, rapid transit headaches in Washington, D.C. and the Bay Area highlighted the need for better maintenance of U.S. public transportation infrastructure. However, a new report from Chicagoland’s Regional Transportation Authority suggests that the CTA is in a little better shape than its peers. On Wednesday, the D.C. Metro system was completely shut down for 24 […]

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