Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Today’s must-read
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Today’s must-read

Tuesday, Jun 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Talia Soglin and Jeremy Gorner at the Chicago Tribune

For months, Chicagoland’s transit agencies have sounded an alarm: If lawmakers don’t plug a looming $771 million budget gap, they warned, residents will experience drastic service cuts on the CTA, Metra and Pace next year.

Over the weekend, Illinois lawmakers adjourned their spring legislative session without passing legislation that would avert the fiscal cliff.

The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees CTA, Metra and Pace, has warned that it will have to start planning for dramatic cuts to transit service. […]

Here’s what Chicagoans need to know about the future of transit service in the metro area.

What follows is a sober, calm, fact-based story about what’s about to happen. It’s most definitely worth a full read.

       

20 Comments »
  1. - Chicagonk - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:36 am:

    CTA, Metra, and Pace should cut service asap and start layoffs - This head in the sand approach by lawmakers will only be solved when residents get upset.


  2. - low level - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:39 am:

    All those service cuts are bound to have a negative impact on the economy.


  3. - Tammy - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:51 am:

    == sober, calm, fact-based story ==

    Thankfully, we get that a lot from Jeremy Gorner.

    Hard to build support for the tax measures when the threats of cuts are kinda vague. When the service boards actually name the specific elimination of routes, legislators will feel more heat to act.

    And some of the costs are gonna have to be covered by increases at the fare box, which the transit activists and their allied legislators have resisted so far.


  4. - SAW - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:51 am:

    As someone who relies on public transit, the way this played out is incredibly frustrating. The service cuts will be devastating for Chicago. I really hope to see a special session called ASAP.


  5. - Brandon - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:56 am:

    It did come with a fare increase. That was one of the revenue generators, estimated at about 50 million total.

    All these different groups complaining about taxes to fund this seem to not be able to see past tomorrow. Not funding our transit here would result in higher costs to EVERYONE down the line. Not funding our transit system is not an option. In the end they will get it done. It may not be the 1.5 billion needed to make things even better, but I have zero doubts we will in the worst case, fund it enough to avoid any cuts.


  6. - Garfield Ridge Guy - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 9:57 am:

    ==This head in the sand approach by lawmakers will only be solved when residents get upset.==

    This has already happened. People are already upset. The drawback to having one-party rule, with the other party not particularly interested in trying to present an alternative, is that there’s no incentive to provide good services. My recommendation is to just discontinue the CTA, refund every dollar to citizens pro rata, and then try again in ten years if people want it.


  7. - SwSider - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 10:10 am:

    The spiking of the football the last few days (and aggressive comments) from the gov has given me no confidence this gets resolved.

    Genuinely worried that about the future of the city — and because the state IS the city, I’m worried about the state.


  8. - Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 10:13 am:

    The lack of leadership from the Mayor’s Office is very disappointing. It is a major problem for the City. I guess I do not have much leverage though since my opinion of MBJ cannot fall any lower.


  9. - Southside Sam - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 10:15 am:

    The Transit Agencies managed themselves into this crisis and fully expected Springfield to bail them out.
    Springfield isn’t biting.


  10. - Chicagonk - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 10:22 am:

    @ThreeDimensional - You can’t blame the mayor for Springfield not passing a bill.


  11. - City Zen - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 10:27 am:

    ==Not funding our transit system is not an option.==

    We’ve never not funded it. It just hasn’t been prioritized.


  12. - Bus Token - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 11:14 am:

    Promoting a stable public transportation system has been a political football for more than a century. Calls for financial bail outs are commonplace.

    Last week, I spent some time with a former Illinois resident who used the CTA trains to commute to and from O’Hare Airport. He was upset to see that the train cars have been co-opted by homeless persons who are living on the trains.


  13. - Amalia - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 11:40 am:

    should be a combination of fare increases, new revenue source/s, and cuts. a simple look at the L system near bus lines on the Northside, and two lines very close together on the Southside show that cuts can be made. do not let the need for money stop a look at how the CTA is managed.


  14. - It's always Sunny in Illinois - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 12:15 pm:

    Service cuts throughout the Chicago metro area would be drastic if the legislature doesn’t take further action, transit agencies have warned.

    Read the article……lot of …could……maybe…..we don’t exactly know where the cuts will be….from the same organizations that managed the combined transit systems into this mess……no sympathy or appetite to help buy them out of their problems with my tax dollars.


  15. - Routine Commenter - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 1:31 pm:

    The Fiscal cliff in the RTA region is $771M
    The downstate transportation fiscal need is $80M. The revenue package generated $1.6B.

    Looks like there is approximately $750M to transform the system without ANY boundaries on where that money is spent, and Brandon Johnson currently in charge


  16. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 1:32 pm:

    ====without ANY boundaries on where that money is spent===

    Where did you come up with that conclusion?


  17. - Routine Commenter - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 1:38 pm:

    All the $ goes to GRF


  18. - 40,000 ft - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 3:15 pm:

    Does anyone know where the audits are for the CTA and RTA?

    I looked on the Auditor General’s website and the last audits posted were in 2005. They were very brief, almost rubber-stampish.


  19. - Just a Citizen - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 4:09 pm:

    There needs to be a complete review of the transit system. There are definitely inefficiencies and waste that could be found. And I agree with 40,000 ft, where are the audits. Throwing more money at a failing system doesn’t fix the problem but only keeps it going until more money is needed.


  20. - Phineas - Tuesday, Jun 3, 25 @ 5:27 pm:

    https://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/6/CTA_Financial_Statements_2023.pdf

    https://assets.metra.com/s3fs-public/2024-12/Metra-Financial-Statements-Year-Ended-December-31-2023.pdf?VersionId=OXeaOBn8WI1bqaJ6WaGCUahbXl04f2sr

    Not that hard to find.


TrackBack URI

Anonymous commenters, uncivil comments, rumor-mongering, disinformation and profanity of any kind will be deleted.

(required)

(required)



* Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
* Cook County delays tax sales on past-due homes as Pappas pushes for foreclosure reform
* It’s almost a law
* Many thanks to Sen. Stadelman, Rep. Didech
* Same general topic, different approaches
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller