To gather feedback and build support for improving transit service with new, expanded funding and governance reforms, the RTA hosted a half-day Transforming Transit Summit at the Chicago Cultural Center on April 15 in partnership with CTA, Metra, and Pace. The event also provided a forum to soft-launch the RTA's Save Transit Now campaign, which empowers Illinois residents to send letters to legislators urging funding and reform for the transit system as it faces down an unprecedented fiscal cliff.

Opening speakers: The time to act is now

The program opened with remarks from Sen. Ram Villivalam, Chair of the Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, who emphasized after years of discussing the fiscal cliff with riders, advocates, and stakeholders, the time is now to solve the funding and governance issues facing the regional transit system. 

An opening conversation between WTTW’s Nick Blumberg and RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden emphasized the urgency of the moment. The two discussed background on the fiscal cliff, including that COVID-19 did not cause transit’s funding crisis, but exacerbated it, as the system has been chronically underfunded for decades.

Peer agency panel: How other regions are approaching their fiscal cliffs

A panel discussion featuring Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) CEO Randy Clarke (Washington, D.C.) and Metropolitan Transportation Commission Executive Director Andrew Fremier (San Fransico Bay Area), moderated by RTA Senior Deputy Executive Director, Planning and Capital Programming, Maulik Vaishnav, explored how each agency is confronting their fiscal cliffs and planning to deliver more frequent service, integrated fares, and strategic capital investment. The panel discussed their unique governance structures and emphasized that there is no one correct way to run a regional transit system, as priorities, histories, and contexts differ from place to place. For example, WMATA’s board consists of representatives from D.C., neighboring states, and the federal government, and MTC oversees nearly 30 transit operators. What is consistent across the board is good service requires adequate funding.

WMATA's Clarke shared his customer-focused strategy that recently resulted in $460 million in additional operating funding, including grounding the agency in excellent service delivery. MTC’s Fremier said MTC's joint development (transit agencies generating revenue from developing land they own) strategy has been in progress for decades, and MTC is finally seeing real benefits. The panel also discussed fare integration and offering a seamless rider experience. Given that the San Francisco Bay Area is served by nearly 30 transit operators, Fremier said they are always working to simplify the rider experience and coordinate fares with tools like the Clipper card.

Local panel: The future of the Chicago region’s transit system

Following a break, a panel featuring RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden, CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen, Metra CEO Jim Derwinski, and Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger explored the future of the Chicago region’s transit system. A key theme of the discussion was that funding enables frequency, which is key to coordination among the three operating agencies. With $1.5 billion in operations investment, CTA could offer 6-minute headways on rail and 8-minute headways on bus routes. This would be transformative for riders and could encourage a steep increase in transit use. Similarly, more funding could result in expansion of Pace Pulse lines, which have been incredibly successful in growing ridership, as well as Pace on-demand service in more suburban and rural areas of the region. Additional funding could also allow Metra to run more regular, frequent service, making it a better option for spontaneous trips and improving access for all riders.

One other example of recent coordination efforts is the RTA and Cook County Access Pilot Program, launched in 2023, which offers reduced fares to low-income Metra riders and which would be expanded to CTA and Pace with additional funding. Other fare programs and products include free fare cards for survivors of domestic violence, the monthly Regional Connect Pass for CTA, Metra, and Pace, and the Regional Day Pass for access to the entire regional transit system.

Small group interactive sessions on the future of the transit system

The summit culminated in small group interactive sessions on the future of the regional transit system. For one hour, participants joined self-selected breakout tables to learn more and provide feedback on several key topics for the future of the region’s transit service. These topics included revenue options and reforms, the rider experience, service innovation and coordination, capital needs for transit priority and further service upgrades, and transit-oriented development (TOD) and joint development.

At the revenue and reform breakout, attendees voiced support for fully funding the transit system and explored options like expanding the sales tax to services, increasing the RTA sales tax, and instituting a road use charge. In general, attendees were concerned with limiting regressive taxes, and agency staff emphasized that no one funding stream will fill the $771 million annual budget gap.

The service innovation and coordination breakout focused on ways to ensure different transportation agencies and programs coalesce for a seamless rider experience, including CTA, Metra, Pace, and CDOT/Divvy. Attendees and agency staff discussed last-mile challenges, wayfinding signage, and the importance of advocating for better service and coordination.

At the TOD and joint development breakout, agency staff shared that the RTA plans to evaluate the potential and set goals for a Joint Development program, such as additional transit revenue, expanding affordable housing, climate and sustainability goals, and other community-specific goals.

Other conversations centered on making the rider experience more seamless, affordable, and convenient and how capital investment supports—and is necessary to achieve—these improved operations.

Closing remarks: RTA Board Chair Kirk Dillard

The event concluded with remarks from RTA Board Chair Kirk Dillard, who emphasized that funding and reform must come now to maintain the positive momentum the system has maintained, illustrated by double-digit ridership growth each of the past three years.

“With more funding and authority given to the RTA, we can focus on a more seamless and integrated service, which is something we all espouse in this room—we all agree we need to move this system forward for our riders,” Dillard said. “I want to end with this note: As much as we all agree that funding must come with reform—and I have been for reform from day one—I ask all of us, everybody gathered here today, to keep in mind that the crisis before us is very real. If we don’t have a resolution on funding by the time the legislature wraps up in about six weeks from now, we’re going to face a very stark future.”

Alternatively, as laid out in RTA’s vision document Transforming Transit, $1.5 billion in additional investment in transit operations could cut rider wait times in half, fund a transit ambassador program, and enable other improvements to service and the rider experience.

Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition

The RTA is working with policy makers at all levels of government to develop sustainable funding solutions and improve the system for all riders. Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition to help bring about the legislative changes needed to support transit at this pivotal moment.