* Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) yesterday…

Dear Members of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Board:

Today marks the beginning of an important new chapter for public transit in northeastern Illinois.

The historic legislation creating NITA was about more than solving a funding crisis. It created an opportunity to finally build a truly regional transit system-one that connects communities, agencies, and people across Chicagoland.

As you begin this work, I encourage you to act boldly. Build the connections necessary to deliver a world-class transit system for Chicagoland.

That means looking beyond individual agencies and jurisdictions to create a system that works as one: coordinated service, seamless transfers, integrated fares, thoughtful capital investments, and connections that make it easier for people to get where they need to go.

But above all, keep the rider at the center of every decision.

The success of NITA should ultimately be measured by the experience of the people who use transit. Are trains and buses reliable? Are connections convenient? Is the system safe, accessible, affordable, and easy to navigate? Does it connect people to jobs, schools, health care, and opportunity?

The legislation gave you the tools to build something better. Now it is up to this Board to turn that vision into reality.

* Just one of countless examples of how the system is in dire need of improvement…