Despite dire warnings from transit officials, the Illinois General Assembly ended its legislative session without a solution.
The Illinois state legislature ended its session without closing a massive, looming budget gap for the Regional Transportation Authority of Northern Illinois, the oversight and financing authority for Chicago-area transit agencies.
As Dan Zukowski explains in Smart Cities Dive, the three agencies say they will be forced to make service cuts of up to 40 percent and eliminate almost 3,000 jobs without new funding. “Service on at least four CTA rail lines could be suspended on all or a portion of their routes with train frequencies across the network cut by 10% to 25%. As many as 74 of its 127 bus routes could be eliminated. Metra commuter rail service would be cut by 40% and all weekend service on the suburban Pace bus network could be eliminated, the RTA said.”
The state legislature could take up transit funding again in the fall, but the agencies must start planning for cuts “because they legally cannot plan service based on funding they aren’t certain to have,” according to a source from Better Streets Chicago. Transit officials warn that the cuts will impact the most transit-dependent Chicagoans and could, in some cases, double commute times.
FULL STORY: Chicago area public transit faces up to 40% service cuts
Chicago Transit Releases 2024 Budget
The agency projects modest ridership growth while aiming to make long-term investments in bus and rail improvements.
Chicago Transit Agencies on Brink of Major Crisis
Without additional funding, regional transit agencies will be forced to cut services by 40 percent.
Chicago Transit Leaders Call for $1.5B Funding Package
Public transit across the Chicagoland region could suffer massive cuts without additional funding.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
California Set to Increase Electric Truck Chargers by 25%
The California Transportation Commission approved funding for an additional 500 charging ports for electric trucks along some of the state’s busiest freight corridors.
21 Climate Resilience Projects Cancelled by the EPA
The federal government has pulled funding for at least 21 projects related to farming, food systems, and environmental justice to comply with one of Trump’s early executive orders.
Trump Executive Order on Homelessness Calls for Forced Institutionalization
The order seeks to remove legal precedents and consent decrees that prevent cities from moving unhoused people from the street to treatment centers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Yukon Government
Caltrans
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Norman, Oklahoma
City of Portland
City of Laramie