Illinois leaders on track to pass transit funding deal before fiscal cliff
With drastic service cuts looming to CTA, Metra and Pace, Illinois lawmakers said they are on track to get a funding deal done before the RTA hits their fiscal cliff.
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With drastic service cuts looming to CTA, Metra and Pace, Illinois lawmakers said they are on track to get a funding deal done before the RTA hits their fiscal cliff.
Transit advocates are taking to the streets every week to warn riders. They say the cuts are as bad as transit agencies say they are, and they are not empty threats.
Video from CBS Skywatch showed the Pace bus sloping into the culvert next to Butterfield Road.
If new funds do not come in, the agencies are predicting not only a drastic reduction in service, but also the cutting of thousands of jobs.
Chicago's three mass transit agenices have said riders could face 40% service cuts next year without new state funding.
The Regional Transportation Authority, the umbrella agency overseeing CTA, Metra, and Pace, is calling the situation potentially devastating.
Officials warn that without state action, CTA, Metra, and Pace will face cuts.
The crash happened within the past half hour at 79th Street, Stony Island Avenue, and South Chicago Avenue.
The agency said the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace suburban buses will face a $770 million budget deficit and potentially drastic service cuts next year.
Those who need to get around are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
Commuters are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. Tara Molina reports.
Illinois lawmakers want input from the public on a proposal to create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to replace the Regional Transportation Authority, and combine the CTA, Metra, and Pace into one agency.
Illinois lawmakers want input from the public on a proposal to create the Metropolitan Mobility Authority to replace the Regional Transportation Authority, and combine the CTA, Metra, and Pace into one agency.
Acree's nomination had stalled after some aldermen questioned his qualifications, and he struggled to answer questions about the agency's looming budget deficit.
Rev. Ira Acree also was questioned about his lack of expertise in public transit as the City Council Transportation Committee weighed his appointment to the RTA Board.
A unified public transit system, state lawmakers and other stakeholders said Monday, would be more sustainable, reliable and safe.
Passengers who qualify have to show their ADA Paratransit card to the driver when they board.
A crash left five people hospitalized, and a Pace bus flipped onto its side in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
All five of those hospitalized were said to be in fair condition.
Chopper 2 was over an accident in which a Pace bus fell onto its side in the Roseland neighborhood.
It arrived last year, and since then has been used for training and testing.
Anyone who wants to weigh in on the proposed budget can do so at the Waukegan Public Library.
Anyone who wants to weigh in on the proposed budget can do so at the Waukegan Public Library.
Job offers will be made on the same day.
Applicants interested in becoming bus operators can stop by for a brief interview.