RTA board OKs budgets for Chicago area transit systems in final act before being dissolved

The Regional Transportation Authority on Thursday approved the 2026 budgets for the CTA, Metra and Pace, keeping fares the same in one of its last big acts before the newly signed transit law eliminates the body.

RTA board members drew a sigh of relief at their meeting, commending the law signed Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritker for addressing chronic state underfunding of transit by pumping in an additional $1.5 billion a year.

The law also replaces the RTA next year with a more powerful Northern Illinois Transportation Authority board, which will have a more direct hand in controlling service, construction projects, fares and security.

Some board members said the incoming NITA board must prioritize the public's top concerns about transit: crime and safety, rising construction costs and expediting major projects.

"Safety is our paramount concern right now. Now that our bill is passed, it's all about safety," RTA Chairman Kirk Dillard said.

The CTA is under growing scrutiny over its handling of safety on its buses and trains. The Trump administration recently threatened to withhold federal funding if the CTA didn't outline a safety plan.

Under the new transit law, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart must create a task force to create a security plan that spans the CTA, Metra and Pace. Dillard said Dart has already begun discussions with stakeholders about how that task force may look, even though the law doesn't go into effect until June 1.

Currently, each transit agency is in charge of its own security. CTA employs private security guards and has a transit detail of officers from the Chicago Police Department. Metra has its own police force.

The incoming NITA board must also consider its increased power over construction projects that are currently controlled by individual transit agencies, said board member Tom Kotarac.

Kotarac said NITA should check if it can expedite some of the more important projects, such as the CTA’s $444-million overhaul of the State/Lake elevated station that won't be ready until 2029.

"Three years is a really long time for a project," Kotarac said. "I think now, with NITA coming on board, we don't have to take that as, you know, 'It must be.' What are some of the things that might have to happen to deliver that project quicker?"

Dillard said he's been peppered with questions about why the State/Lake station is taking three years to construct. The Chicago Department of Transportation, which is leading the project, won't publicly say why.

Dillard said there's a host of reasons for the length of the State/Lake project, including the adjacent hotels and construction hours being limited to the daytime. There's also the national problem of rising construction costs and bottlenecks in the manufacturing supply and construction workforce, he said.

When the law takes effect June 1, the RTA board will continue to operate with its current members. But a new board of 20 members must be picked after Sept. 1. Many of those members will serve dual roles on boards of the CTA, Metra or Pace.