RTA engages with riders at community events, publishes survey to hear from you on future of transit
September 8, 2022
September 8, 2022
More than a year into development of the next regional transit strategic plan, the RTA is continuing to engage with new audiences about the future of transit in northeastern Illinois, and we want to hear from you.
During the summer and fall, RTA staff are visiting community events in all six counties to hear from riders about why they value transit and what they hope to see in the future. Hearing from transit-dependent communities of color, essential workers, and others who have been most reliant on public transit over the past few years is critical to creating a strategic plan that represents the region. Engaging with communities in this way is new for the RTA and one way that the agency is showing it is Committed to Change, one of the principles of the plan (along with Equity and Stewardship).
At an event in Waukegan, we heard how Metra connects the Lake County suburb to opportunities around the region and in Chicago and about the relationships many riders have with their Pace Suburban Bus drivers who take their children to and from school.
At Shop Roseland, an event highlighting business on the Far South Side, we heard about how issues like safety, cleanliness, and reliability are impacting riders’ perceptions of transit, but also how riding transit is a critical way residents get around.
At Bike the Drive, a recreational bike ride and fundraiser that allows cyclists on Lake Shore Drive, we heard about the connections that are necessary to create a truly multimodal transit system and how to create a system that is affordable and accessible for all.
In upcoming weeks, the RTA will be at the Joliet Latino Music and Food Festival on Saturday, September 17, and the Johnny Appleseed Festival and Craft Show in Crystal Lake on Saturday, September 24. Look for our table to share your thoughts on the future of transit.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Related Articles
With the Chicago area’s transit system facing a $771 million fiscal cliff starting in 2026, RTA released our Transforming Transit vision for sustainable fund...
May 8, 2025Chicago's transit system is facing a fiscal cliff in 2026 that will mean drastic service cuts across CTA, Metra, and Pace. The RTA is advocating for addition...
April 24, 2025Chicago's transit system is facing a fiscal cliff in 2026 that will mean drastic service cuts across CTA, Metra, and Pace. The RTA is advocating for addition...
April 10, 2025Chicago's transit system is facing a fiscal cliff in 2026 that will mean drastic service cuts across CTA, Metra, and Pace. The RTA is advocating for addition...
April 10, 2025Every year, the RTA’s Local Planning department assists local governments throughout northeastern Illinois on projects that strengthen the region’s transit s...
April 8, 2025In the late fall of 2024, RTA’s Community Planning program in partnership with the Urban Land Institute supported two Development Dialogues held in Round Lak...
April 2, 2025