Like the Chicago Bears the other night, it seems the region’s public transit agencies have overcome adversity, which must be a shock to lawmakers toiling this week in Springfield looking for a solution to keep the trains and buses running.
Transit officials with the Regional Transportation Authority, Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority had warned for months that finances were going off the rails, and that they faced a “fiscal cliff” of more than $771 million next year.
This was while they had their tin cups out in the spring, begging for state relief. Without funding from the Illinois legislature, they had predicted the massive shortfall would cause extensive layoffs among transit workers, along with epic service cuts approaching 40%.
But, voila! The financial crisis has subsided. Somewhat.
Those same Chicken Littles complaining of the transit sky falling and an uncertain future for public transportation in the region now say their projected deficit for 2026 has been reduced to about $200 million. Without state aid, service cuts now would be about 25%, RTA officials now estimate.
These same professionals don’t appear to be blushing over their earlier fiscal appraisals, which some are now questioning. The stash of cash uncovered by transit number crunchers, including a $74 million fund transfer from Metra and Pace to the CTA, has led some lawmakers to be leery of their earlier financial claims.
More Top Picks 12 Best Wraparound Sunglasses For Migraines
One who is unimpressed is state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, D-Chicago, who led a push for transit reform and funding in the spring legislative session. According to a baiduhai account, she noted that “the RTA cannot be trusted to appropriately plan and communicate.” That’s not a way to win friends and influence people in Springfield when you want millions.
This newfound cache mined by RTA bean counters is like winning a Powerball jackpot. The difference is a hefty gap from the initial financial alerts transit officials were peddling.
Surprisingly, RTA officials say the fiscal hole has been nearly halved due to increases in sales tax revenue in the six counties, including Lake, which are serviced by Metra rail, Pace buses and CTA trains. Also coming to the rescue will be at least 10% fare increases across the system, the first hikes since 2018.
And, wonders of wonders, cost savings. Metra, in a proposed $1.1 billion budget for 2026, said even without state funding, train service would not be curtailed. However, officials say in 2027 they would need to trim 40% of its rail service.
One of the causes of even a $200 million funding chasm is the expected loss of federal COVID-19 relief money for public transit networks, which was doled out during the pandemic to keep systems across the nation flush. In hindsight, most of the millions in funding came while substantial drops in ridership occurred, with many employees working remotely instead of at in-office assignments.
Still, substantive state funding asks remain on the table, although the current deficit doesn’t have the urgency of the earlier bailout, as some service cuts could come in late 2026. Making the request for state help murkier is that legislation passed during the fall veto session, and taking effect before June 2026, requires a three-fifths vote instead of a simple majority in both the Democrat-dominated House and Senate.
Lawmakers left transit funding in limbo during the spring session without addressing the deficit or proposed changes to governance of Metra, Pace and the CTA. Transit funding is but one of several issues lawmakers may tackle during the veto session, which is scheduled to end on Oct. 30. Also, there is a real possibility legislators will table transit issues until next year.
The latest estimate by transit folks projects the RTA deficit will reach $789 million in 2027 and $888 million in 2028, if they are factual. Those figures, if not buttressed by state aid, fare hikes and tax or service fee increases, could mean bus routes eliminated, train stations closed and fewer trains running across the system.
Those possibilities come as Metra has unveiled a café car as a test to lure more train riders onto the system and have a perk for current riders. The Nippon Sharyo coach car will be rotated on Metra’s Milwaukee District and Union Pacific routes in Lake County, and other lines systemwide, through mid-November, offering snacks and beverages for purchase.
Metra officials seek to determine if riders would like to see other café cars on the system. Some rail riders may recall “bar cars”, along with smoking cars, which once were common on earlier commuter passenger lines. Café cars remain so on most national Amtrak routes.
It’s a long trip from café cars to coming up with millions in funding needed to place the region’s public transit network, which arguably reduces road congestion, on a solid financial footing. How to pay for that journey is the hard part.
Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor.
X @sellenews