RTA set to vote on plan to delay CTA service cuts with $74 million transfer from Metra and Pace
Devastating cuts to Chicago's mass transit system could be delayed until next summer, as regional transportation officials are set to vote on a plan to prevent CTA service cuts.
The Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors is expected to approve a plan to transfer $74 million from Metra and Pace to the CTA as they await action from state lawmakers to provide more funding.
The CTA, Metra, and Pace face a combined $771 million budget shortfall in the new year, and are prepared to cut service by as much as 40% in 2026 without new funding from the state.
The Illinois Senate approved a plan to impose a $1.50 tax on deliveries like Amazon, Grubhub, and Uber Eats; a 10% tax on rideshare trips; and a new tax to charge electric vehicles to help bail out the mass transit agencies, but the Illinois House did not vote on the measure before adjourning for the summer.
Key Democrats in Springfield have insisted they expect some sort of a funding solution to pass in the fall veto session, but until that happens, transit officials have to make contingency plans.
Of the three agencies, CTA's financial situation is more precarious than Metra and Pace.
Reallocating funds to the CTA will push potential cuts of up to 40% back to mid-2026, giving lawmakers more time to come up with a plan to increase mass transit funding and avert service cuts altogether.