Throughout this legislative session, I have been part of the House Working Group on Transit, where I listened carefully as transit agencies such as Metra, Pace, and the RTA presented their budgets, challenges, and successes to legislators. I also paid close attention to the input of constituents like you who reached out to my office, and kept their perspectives in mind as my colleagues and I worked to craft a fair, equitable, and reliable transit solution for all of Illinois.
A key element of our transit plan is its smart, stable funding structure, which includes no new taxes on food delivery, streaming services, or home sales. Instead of proposing a long list of new taxes on everyday goods, we relied on existing state funds and revenue streams dedicated to transportation to address fiscal needs and support long-term improvements. In the RTA/NITA region, transit agencies will increase their regional tax by a quarter of a percent while implementing more than $60 million in new efficiencies. The remainder of the funding will come from a modest toll increase, while still keeping Illinois tolls lower than those in comparable states such as Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio.
The newly created Northern Illinois Transit Agency (NITA), will replace the RTA and operate with new internal and independent auditors to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse, while also preserving suburban seats on advisory boards to ensure suburban voices are represented. It will be required to maintain a reserve fund and will bring uniformity to fares and service planning to better meet the needs of riders. It’s essential to Illinois that we keep public transit, as it generates over $17 billion in annual economic benefits for the state and moves more than 300 million people each year. I’m proud that we were able to fund the transit systems that so many rely on while also making the changes necessary to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively.