CHICAGO — Metra will restore service to pre-pandemic levels while avoiding fare increases as part of its proposed 2022 proposed operating budget. The agency’s board of directors has also approved a $263 million budget for capital projects.
The 2022 operating plan also includes a new $6 day pass that would be valued for unlimited rides within a three-zone area for a full day. This would be in addition to the current $10 day pass, good for unlimited use in all 11 zones.
The budget proposal assumes Metra will begin the year with about 25% of pre-pandemic ridership, and grow to about 35% of the pre-COVID figure by the end of the year. It projects $146.4 million from fares and system-generated revenues; $458.8 in sales tax revenue, and $202 million in federal COVID relief funding; it seeks an additional $92.8 million in COVID funding from the Regional Transportation Authority.
“After nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a great deal of uncertainty about how and when things will return to normal,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a press release. “We feel the most responsible approach is to be cautious with our assumptions about the growth in ridership while at the same time ramping up our service” to be prepared for the return of riders.
Hearings on the budget are scheduled for Nov. 3-4, with a virtual hearing Nov. 3 between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Details are available here.
The capital budget includes $42.8 million for rolling stock, primarily for rehabilitation and upgrades of existing equipment; $46.2 million for bridges, track, and structures; $50.6 million for signal, electrical, and communications; $59.4 million for stations, primarily for rehabilitation and replacement work; and $30.5 million for support activities.
