Public transit across the Chicagoland region could suffer massive cuts without additional funding.
Chicago’s Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is calling on state and local leaders to fund a $1.5 billion plan to keep the Chicago Transit Agency (CTA) operating without massive service cuts, reports Sri Taylor in Bloomberg CityLab.
Without additional funding, the agency faces a $770 million budget gap that would translate into up to a 40 percent reduction in service and layoffs of train and bus operators.
“The proposed reforms also call for the RTA to be responsible for decisions on fare levels, service quality and capital investment. Illinois law currently does not empower the authority to institute changes and improvements throughout the year,” Taylor adds. The RTA says giving it more authority would enable it to coordinate improvements at the regional level.
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