* Seems a bit late. From the Suburban Mayors Coalition for Fair Transit via the Illinois Municipal League…

Honorable Members of the Illinois General Assembly:

Over the past 18 months, members of both chambers have dedicated considerable time to evaluating our region’s transit system and exploring ways to improve service for the more than one million daily riders who rely on Metra, Pace, and the CTA. Many of these riders are among our most vulnerable residents, who have no alternative means of transportation. We appreciate your commitment to addressing the looming fiscal cliff facing public transit. However, the legislative proposals introduced thus far raise significant concerns for municipalities and the residents we represent.

We respectfully share the following concerns:

Real Estate Transfer Tax

The proposed $3 per $1,000 real estate transfer tax would apply to transactions in suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties while excluding the City of Chicago. This new tax would add to the growing barriers to affordable housing in our communities. Furthermore, it would derail parallel legislative efforts that aspire to improve housing access across the state.

Retail Delivery Fee

A statewide $1.50 delivery fee on all motor vehicle deliveries of goods subject to sales tax would affect every household, regardless of income or proximity to transit. This fee is regressive, disproportionately burdens low to moderate income families, and lacks a clear connection between those paying and those benefiting from the transit system.

Development Authority

The proposed authority for the new regional transit entity to acquire, develop, or redevelop property within a ½-mile of transit stations or ⅛-mile of bus stops raises serious concerns about local control and private property rights. Even with the inclusion of local zoning requirements, granting such powers to an unelected regional board would allow development across broad swaths of suburban communities potentially overriding local planning efforts. This also includes concerns about the regional board exerting authority over local parking requirements. These decisions should remain under municipal governments.

Board Composition and Voting

The proposed structure of the NITA Board lacks the necessary safeguards to ensure balanced regional representation. We urge you to consider models like the CMAP Board, which requires a 4/5 majority vote to pass all major decisions. Without similar protections, there is a real risk of disenfranchising any one subregion and discouraging collaboration.

Board Membership

The restrictions on who may be Directors on the NITA Board and service boards preclude local elected officials who may be the most knowledgeable people on transportation needs of their constituents. Local elected officials have been some of the most reliable and knowledgeable members of our region’s boards for decades. There is a reason so many members of boards like CMAP, the service boards, and ISTHA have been elected officials or former elected officials, they know the regional challenges of funding and operating complex systems.

Service Standards and Funding Distribution

The proposed performance metrics and service propensity measures may disadvantage Metra and Pace in favor of CTA, potentially skewing future funding and service priorities. Considering the legislation proposes only fifteen votes of the NITA Board to approve these criteria, the suburbs and collar counties could face significant hurdles in receiving sufficient funding to providing transit to their residents. Greater clarity and assurances regarding service equity and long-term funding parity are essential before finalizing this legislation.

We are asking you, our legislators, to stand up for our hometowns and your constituents in northeastern Illinois and across the state. We urge you to pass legislation that would provide for a more efficient and regionally balanced approach to public transit. We further hope this new legislation will align new revenue sources with access to transit service, ensures meaningful representation for all subregions, and preserves local authority over land use, parking and development.

Transit reform should focus on improving service, expanding access and financial sustainability, not on development powers at the expense of municipal autonomy or creating new burdens on residents with little connection to the transit system.

We respectfully ask to be included in ongoing discussions to better collaborate on a path forward that supports fair, reliable, and equitable public transit for all northeastern Illinois.

Thank you for your service and for your attention to this critical issue.

Sincerely,
The undersigned Mayors and Village Presidents:

Rodney Craig, Village of Hanover Park
Leon Rockingham, Jr., City of North Chicago
John Noak, Village of Romeoville
Nancy Rotering, City of Highland Park
William McLeod, Village of Hoffman Estates
Frank Saverino, Village of Carol Stream
Craig Johnson, Village of Elk Grove Village
Jeffery Schielke, City of Batavia
Tom Dailly, Village of Schaumburg
Philip Suess, City of Wheaton
Gary Grasso, Village of Burr Ridge
Frank Trilla, Village of Willowbrook
Paul Hoefert, Village of Mount Prospect
Eleanor Sweet McDonnell, Village of North Barrington
Donna Johnson, Village of Libertyville
Tom Hundley, Village of Addison
David Kaptain, City of Elgin
Rick Reinbold, Village of Richton Park
Mark Kownick, Village of Cary Larry Herman, Village of Oak Brook
Rick Mack, Village of Ringwood
David Pileski, Village of Roselle
Joseph Marchese, City of Darien
Sam Cunningham, City of Waukegan

* From a spokesperson for Reps. Eva-Dina Delgado and Kam Buckner…

Years of discussions and more than a year of formal negotiation have generated valuable feedback, and that has brought us to the point where we are close to a better path forward for our transit agencies. While some discussions continue, those discussions need to be focused on constructive feedback and solutions.

* From Senate President Don Harmon’s spokesperson John Patterson…

We welcome the feedback and look forward to their input and ideas on how to resolve this looming crisis.

Your translation of the responses?

* Meanwhile, Sen. Ram Villivalam talked to Governing Magazine about the immediate future…

Governing: Are there sticking points in the reform conversation. If so, what are they?

Villivalam: The reforms that have been presented in House Bill 3438 are largely agreed to by all of the stakeholders and I think represent what our residents and taxpayers want to see in terms of having a safe, reliable, accessible and integrated public transit system. The Senate has passed a package of reforms and funding with a transformational investment of $1.5 billion. We believe the package of reforms has really achieved a consensus of stakeholders and residents that have been involved in this process.

Governing: You’re waiting for the House to vote on that.

Villivalam: If there’s a better funding plan that achieves $1.5 billion in investment, we’re happy to work with folks on that. Our position, though, is that we passed a bill, and short of there being a better funding plan, we’d like to see our bill passed and sent to the governor.

In other words, the governance and related reforms are basically locked down. Some revenues are still up in the air.

…Adding… Press release…

Labor, Environmental, and Transit Advocates call on legislators to return to Springfield, address $770 million transit fiscal cliff

With pink slips scheduled for September and planned cuts to transit service, advocates and workers rally, urge state lawmakers to prevent a catastrophe

WHAT: The Illinois General Assembly adjourned on May 31 without addressing the state’s $770 million transit fiscal cliff. With pink slips scheduled for September and the RTA’s instruction for the CTA, Metra, and Pace to plan for service cuts, transit riders and workers are urging the General Assembly to avert a catastrophe by returning to Springfield for a special summer session.

After months of negotiations, legislation passed the Senate on May 31, but was not available to be called in the House. The bill included long-awaited reform measures agreed upon by labor, environment, and transit advocates and a new, dedicated revenue stream for transit.

As a result of Springfield’s inaction, the RTA estimates that nearly 3,000 transit workers could lose their jobs, including 2,000 CTA workers. The service boards have indicated that staffing cuts will result in a 40% reduction to service, leaving Chicago with a transit network smaller than Madison, WI.

By law, the 2026 CTA, Metra, and Pace budgets must only include the funding they will receive for the next year when the budgeting process begins in July 2025. As such, even though the General Assembly is scheduled to return in October for a fall veto session, the agencies must still plan as if they are not receiving the funding to address the fiscal cliff. All four agencies have indicated that, even if a revenue solution were proposed, the collected revenue from October through December would not be enough to plug the budget hole.

WHO:

State Senator Ram Villivalam
State Senator Graciela Guzmán
Tiffany Rebb, CTA Bus Operator
Orlando Rojas, Metra Conductor
Ann Marie Moore, Flight Attendant, Transit Rider
Evan Urchell, The People’s Lobby, Transit Rider
Jose Manuel Almanaza, Equiticity, Transit Advocate

WHEN: Thursday, June 26, 2025

12:00 PM

WHERE: 238 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL (Between Union Station & Chicago River under the overhang)