Register now for four-part Transportation Tuesday webinar series

August 19, 2025

The RTA is bringing back Transportation Tuesday, its popular four-part webinar series each Tuesday, September 9-30, from noon to 1:30 p.m. The free, virtual sessions will allow attendees to hear from experts, ask questions, and learn about hot topics in transportation planning as they relate to implementation of the RTA’s regional transit strategic plan, Transit is the Answer. The Transportation Tuesday series will include regional and national leaders along with RTA staff leading discussions about the opportunities, challenges, and resources available to the Chicago region.

Participation is free, but registration is required. Read below for descriptions and registration links to each of the four webinars.

September 9 – Regional Human Services Transportation Plan Update: Public Meeting

The RTA manages the Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program for the Chicago region, distributing federal funding to entities that provide dial-a-ride and other transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities. Projects selected for this funding must be included in a locally developed, coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan (HSTP). This plan is developed and approved through a process that includes the riders it impacts and members of the general public. RTA’s last HSTP plan came in 2021, and it’s time to begin the process of updating it. Join the RTA for this Transportation Tuesday webinar that will also be a public meeting for the HSTP update, and learn more about what the HSTP is, how it is used, and implementation of the previous update. Following a brief presentation, attendees will join breakout groups to participate in engagement activities. Register now.

Robert Morris (moderator) is a Principal Analyst, Local Planning and Program Management for the RTA.

Laura Brown is the Director of Planning Initiatives for lead consultant RLS Associates’ coordination and planning projects as well as the Chief of Business Development.

Jimmy Cardenas is an assistant research scientist in the Transit Mobility Program at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, a subconsultant on the HSTP update.

September 16 – Introduction to Joint Development: What is it and what are the benefits?

In July, the RTA kicked off a two-phase study to determine whether a joint development program is feasible in the Chicago region, and if so, what it will look like and how it will benefit the region long-term. Joint development allows a transit agency to partner with private developers to sell or lease agency-owned land near transit stations for real estate development. Learn more about what joint development is, how it can accomplish a variety of goals, the RTA’s process to explore it, and how other regions across the nation have been using joint development as a tool to drive revenue, ridership, housing equity, and climate action. Register now.

Heather Mullins (moderator) is the Division Manager, Local Planning and Program Management, at the RTA.

John Benton is the Assistant General Manager of Real Estate/TOD at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

Kristen Mitchell is the Director, Transit-Oriented Development, at New Jersey Transit.

Carli Paine is the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Group Manager for Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in San Francisco.

September 23 – What are we hearing from riders? Customer Satisfaction Survey results

RTA conducts a large-scale, in-depth regional customer satisfaction survey (CSS) every three years. The latest effort was completed in early 2025, and results will be shared by RTA planning staff to get a sense for what matters most to riders, how their travel patterns may be shifting, and more. Additionally, since 2021 to capture rapid shifts in pandemic-era travel behavior, the RTA has been conducting a quarterly panel survey to better understand the transit rider experience across the region. RTA planning staff will share Spring 2025 panel survey results and how all of this rider data is newly incorporated into the Chicago Region Transit Dashboard. Service Board staff will weigh in with their own efforts to track rider sentiment. Register now.

Peter Kersten is the Manager, Strategy and Policy, for the RTA.

Amy Hofstra is the Strategic Analyst, Strategic Plan, for the RTA.

Emily Drexler is the Senior Manager, Customer Insights & Strategy, for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).

September 30 – What’s next for the transit fiscal cliff: A conversation between Chicago and Philadelphia

Beginning in 2026, the RTA system is facing a fiscal cliff, growing to 20% of the operating budget in 2027 and 2028. On May 31, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned its spring legislative session without taking final action on transit funding or reform. Since then, the RTA has worked collaboratively with the Service Boards toward the shared goal of delaying any potential service cuts. The Chicago region is not alone; systems across the country faced or are facing similar budget gaps as they spend down COVID-era federal relief funds and grapple with lasting changes in ridership patterns. Join RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden for the most up-to-date information on Chicago’s fiscal cliff and a conversation with a leader from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) on how they’re addressing the problem. Register now.

Leanne Redden (moderator) is the Executive Director of the RTA and Vice Chair of the Board of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

Jody Holton, AICP, is the Chief Planning & Strategy Officer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

Check out two special Transportation Tuesday sessions from earlier in the year on RTA’s new Transit-Friendly Communities Guide (March 4) and Travel Information Action Plan (August 5).