This weekend, Illinois legislators failed to pass reform or funding for Chicagoland public transit. Our critical transit infrastructure is a key part of what makes Chicago great, but it has too-long been hamstrung by fragmentation, inequitable coverage, party politics, farebox funding, and Springfield’s inattention. Optimistic transit activists saw the approaching fiscal cliff as an opportunity for both funding and reform. We are disappointed to see that the Illinois General Assembly (ILGA) has elected to drive off the cliff full-speed with neither.
A flawed bill was passed by the Illinois Senate at the last minute. This “Northern Illinois Transit Authority” (NITA) bill would have renamed and empowered the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), established unified fares, established both a transit police force and transit ambassador program, and filled the fiscal gap partially through a $1.50 tax on food and package deliveries. The House never voted on the NITA bill.
NITA does not provide for the systemic overhaul needed to fix Illinois transit for good. Nor is policing and incarceration the key to safety. Nor is a delivery tax the progressive funding mechanism Illinois needs (this session, congressional moderates rejected progressive funding solutions like a digital advertisement tax). However, the alternative – transit service cuts and layoffs – is disastrous for the working class.
Shame on the ILGA for failing to prioritize working-class transportation needs, progressive funding, and our shared planet.