SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State legislators have proposed a plan to merge Chicago’s three transit agencies and their parent organization into a single entity, and provide $1.5 billion in additional funding for the new organization, WTTW-TV reports.
The 621-page HB 5829, introduced by state Rep. Evan-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) would create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority, replacing commuter rail organization Metra, the rapid-transit Chicago Transit Authority, bus organization Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority; creates an office of transit-oriented development; and seeks to have the state enact zero-emission vehicle requirements “identical in substance” to California’s, among other provisions. A brief companion bill, HB 5828, provides the $1.5 billion in funding.
“I imagine a time where riders will enjoy a seamless experience where they can easily jump on a bus or a train, feel safe, feel comfortable, pay one universal fare and arrive at their destination on time,” Delgado told WTTW.
State Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago), a supporter of the bill and head of the state Senate’s Transportation Committee, told the station there is a need to not only address a projected $730 million funding shortfall in 2026 but to for “reimagining public transit. We need both integrated management and increased funding.”
The new agency would be overseen by a board with three directors chosen five directors chosen by Chicago’s mayor, five chosen by the president of the Cook County Board; three selected by the governor; one each by the chief executives of the five “collar” counties that are part of the current RTA (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will), and one chosen by the other directors. Six non-voting directors would include representatives of labor unions, people with disabilities, and the business community.
The suburban Daily Herald reports that structure drew immediate criticism from state Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles), minority spokesman on the Transportation Committee. DeWitte said, “I believe one of the reasons we are here … is because of years of mismanagement and fiscal instability have put the CTA in such dire straits that I don’t believe they can survive without a continued revenue subsidy coming from the suburbs. And I believe this whole process is an attempt to garner more control over that revenue stream.”
The Daily Herald also quoted the CTA as saying in a statement that “to attribute the region’s challenges to anything other than a funding shortage is to perpetuate a narrative that will — at best — serve as a distraction to the funding crisis we face.”
RTA, Pace, and Metra officials said they were reviewing the legislation and welcomed discussions on the plan, but Pace and RTA representatives also emphasized the need for more funding.
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