News Updates

From crisis to commitment: next steps for transit funding

With the Illinois General Assembly reconvening in October, we’re approaching a decisive moment for the future of public transit. The region’s network — connecting 8.6 million residents, communities, and businesses across northeastern Illinois — is confronting a funding cliff that the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) estimates will grow to more than $1 billion by 2029. Temporary fixes have delayed the inevitable, but the message is clear: The current system is not financially sustainable. Lawmakers now face a choice between measures that merely keep the system afloat and a long-term framework that stabilizes funding, strengthens governance, and delivers the modern, seamless system residents expect. 

To inform these deliberations, CMAP analyzed the current outlook for transit funding in northeastern Illinois within the context of the challenges ahead and the goals articulated in the Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART).  

Key takeaways include: 

• People expect more, not less. Residents and leaders want frequent, reliable, affordable transit that connects them to jobs, schools, healthcare, and community life. 
• Act now to secure adequate and sustainable funding. Adequate and sustainable funding is the only path to a stable, modern system that can serve the region for decades to come. 
• Fully fund the system the region wants. Every additional program or requirement adds costs that must be matched with funding to achieve a truly transformative system. 
• Adequate and sustainable revenues are essential. Funding must close the projected $200 million shortfall in 2026 and grow to meet rising costs over time.
• Sales tax modernization is a major opportunity. Updating the sales tax to reflect today’s economy offers one of the most powerful tools to secure long-term transit investment.