As Fiscal Cliff For RTA Looms, Senate Convenes Series Of Hearings
CHICAGO — As the public transit systems across the Chicago area face a $730 million fiscal cliff in less than 18 months, the transportation committee of the Illinois Senate has been holding a series of subject matter hearings.
Sen. Ram Villivalam, whose 8th Illinois Senate District includes the Forest Glen, North Park and West Ridge neighborhoods in Chicago's 29th Ward as well as the Cook County suburbs of Park Ridge, Morton Grove, Niles, Lincolnwood and Skokie, has chaired the hearings.
During the spring’s legislative session, Villivalam introduced legislation alongside State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, another Chicago Democrat, that would consolidate the Regional Transit Authority, or RTA — composed of the Chicago Transit Authority, Pace and Metra — into the Metropolitan Mobility Authority, or MMA.
Villivalam convened the first hearing July 9 in Chicago, with a focus on the state of transit and how it supports the larger economy.
It included testimony from RTA Chairperson Kirk Dillard, CTA President Dorval Carter, Metra CEO and Executive Director Jim Derwinski and Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger.
A second hearing, held July 24 in Palos Hills, focused on the accessibility and equitability of public transit. It featured testimony from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
“As transit riders express their concerns of continued delays and lack of service, it is imperative to have these conversations to see how we can ensure that public transit works for all," Villivalam said in a statement following the hearing.
“I am grateful for the continued robust conversations about the state of public transit within Illinois, particularly about its accessibility and equity for riders,” Villivalam added.
Transit agencies faced a sharp decline in ridership coupled with a subsequent increase in costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
And even though some numbers have approached their pre-pandemic levels, there are ongoing issues with "ghost trains" and unreliable service.
By 2026, the RTA could face a budget deficit of nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars. And there have been calls to spend up to $1.1 billion to address the shortfall (the so-called "fiscal cliff") and ensure the sustainability of the transit system.
Without additional funding, the RTA may not be able to maintain current levels of service, costs to consumers or accessibility for transit users across the six-county metropolitan region.
On Aug. 9, a third subject hearing was held in Naperville, with a focus on how transit supports community quality of life.
Wednesday's committee hearing took place at Elgin Community College.
In addition to Carter, Derwinski and Metzger, its panel also included RTA Executive Director LeAnne Redden, the chairs of Kane and McHenry counties, the presidents of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and the McHenry County and Metro West councils of government, the mayor of Batavia and others.
"As the Senate Transportation Committee continues to discuss proposed changes to the operational and governing structure of Illinois' regional transit system, at this hearing we heard from elected officials and other stakeholders from Kane and McHenry Counties," said Sen. Don DeWitte, a St. Charles Republican and the minority spokesperson for the committee.
"Thousands of daily commuters and weekend travelers from these counties rely on Metra, Pace, and the Chicago Transit Authority, and current proposals could affect many aspects of riders' public transit experience, including access, cost, and representation on the governing board," De Witte said.
The next hearing, planned for Sept. 18 somewhere in Lake County or the northwest Cook County suburbs, is expected to drill down into the relationship between mass transit and climate change.
As Fiscal Cliff For RTA Looms, Senate Convenes Series Of Hearings originally appeared on the Skokie Patch
