RTA Board Approves 2015 Operating Budget Totaling $2.9 Billion for Region’s Transit System

December 17, 2014

Budget approved unanimously after collaborative effort among Service Boards

CHICAGO - The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) Board of Directors today adopted the 2015 operating budgets for the RTA, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace, totaling $2.9 billion.

“We are pleased the board approved this fiscally responsible balanced budget that will ultimately benefit the region’s nine million residents,” said Leanne Redden, RTA executive director. “This budget season saw a new found era of collaboration between the RTA and the Service Boards and I am confident this will continue into 2015 and beyond.”

The $2.9 billion budget approved by the RTA Board will authorize operations expenses of the following amounts: CTA, $1.44 billion; Metra, $753.1 million; Pace, $223.2 million and ADA Paratransit, $172.2 million, and the RTA, $42.2 million.

The RTA Board also adopted today a five-year capital program, from 2015 to 2019, in the amount of $3.8 billion. This includes an estimated $1.3 billion in capital expenditures for 2015.   Capital funding will largely be used for rehabbing rolling stock, station updates, track renewal and other projects aimed at maintaining the existing system. The transit system still needs significantly more funding for further maintenance, enhancement and expansion.

The budget process included a series of public budget hearings and presentations to the six-county boards to share information and gather input on the 2015 transit budget. View copy of the transit system’s 2015 budget.

Press Contact

With three transit systems and more than two million riders a day, there is always something interesting going on at the RTA. Get the latest scoop on everything all in one place. For all media inquiries, please contact Susan Massel, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, at 312-913-3256 or at communications@rtachicago.org.