Riders, stakeholders provide feedback on proposed 2026 Operating Budget Amendment during Transit is the Answer…

More than 100 riders, advocates, and other stakeholders met virtually with the RTA on April 29 for the ninth Transit is the Answer Coalition meeting and discussed the transition to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) and the proposed 2026 Operating Budget Amendment.

Late last year, Governor JB Pritzker signed the NITA Act, a historic transit funding and reform package that will change the governance of the regional transit system and provide an estimated $1.2 billion in new annual operating funding. A proposed amendment to the 2026 Operating Budget would allocate some of this funding to key short-term, rider-focused improvements in alignment with the NITA Act. The RTA Board of Directors will vote on the amendment at its May meeting, with Service Boards following in June. Submit public comment through May 8 via web form or by emailing communications@rtachicago.org.

The meeting began with an overview from RTA Principal, Government Affairs, Kyle Whitehead on the transition from RTA to NITA. He reviewed the NITA board structure and transition timeline:

June 1: NITA Act takes effect; NITA replaces RTA
June 1: Board votes on 0.25% regional sales tax increase
September 1: Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) deadline to enter into contract with a transition consultant
September 1: All current RTA, CTA, Metra, and Pace board appointments expire
September 29: All new board appointments (33 total) must be seated
- 17 of 20 members of the NITA Board will also serve on CTA, Metra, or Pace Board
- All state appointees must be confirmed by the Illinois Senate

Then, Peter Kersten, RTA Division Manager, Regional Planning, led attendees through the proposed 2026 Operating Budget Amendment and gathered feedback.

Kersten shared two goals of the Proposed 2026 Operating Budget Amendment:

Fund rider-facing improvements and meet the first deadlines required by the NITA Act. The NITA Act mandates a variety of new initiatives and programs, some of which have approaching deadlines soon after the law’s effective date of June 1, 2026.
Reserve remaining funds so the incoming NITA Board can set longer-term priorities later this year. 2026 is a year of transition for the region’s transit system governance. New transit board members will be seated later this summer or fall and will oversee the 2027 budget process.

He explained that the Approved 2026 Budget passed in December 2025 allocated nearly half of anticipated new transit funding to close existing Service Board budget gaps. Roughly $320 million is expected to be available later this year to be utilized by NITA and the Service Boards. This current proposal invests $132.2 million in near-term priorities that riders and employees can begin seeing this year, while reserving the balance for the future NITA Board to determine.

Throughout the past year, the RTA has analyzed its quarterly customer panel survey to better understand what riders are experiencing and what they want changed and improved. Top priorities among riders have been safety, followed by service improvements, capital improvements, service expansion, and finally seamless and affordable fares. The proposed budget amendment reflects these priorities.

Beginning in January, the RTA convened working groups on five topics with representatives from CTA, Metra, Pace, and the state of Illinois to discuss proposals for additional investments, which then were evaluated and put into this proposal. This collaborative approach stands in contrast to the previous process for budget amendments which relied on ad hoc requests and formulaic funding.

The proposal includes funding public safety and security, service expansion and enhancement, rider information, fare integration and affordability, and land use. Kersten walked the Coalition through each of these categories to explain what exactly would be funded by the proposed amendment and gather feedback from attendees.

$59.6 million: Additional Safety & Security Investments on Transit

An increased human presence on transit vehicles and in stations
- Additional sworn officers from the Chicago Police Department, Metra police force, and Cook County Sheriffs
- More security/response staff including K-9 patrols and Safe Ride Specialists who provide crisis intervention
- More health and human services support
- Early efforts to set up a transit ambassador program
Improved conditions for frontline staff
- Bus shields on all buses as required by the NITA Act
- Body worn cameras for operator safety
Technology upgrades
- Safety software and an incident reporting app
Creation of a regional Law Enforcement Task Force and NITA Office of Transit Safety and Experience

Most attendees indicated these investments will help them feel safer on transit, with 25 saying “agree” or “strongly agree,” nine saying “disagree” or “strongly disagree,” and five saying “not sure.” Some said increased law enforcement presence was welcomed, while others said they’d prefer to see investment in unarmed intervention like transit ambassadors. Others emphasized the need for reporting on whether these investments have been successful at making transit safer. When asked what more they would like to see from NITA in this area long-term, attendees recommended public bathrooms at transit stations, modern fare gates, improved cleanliness, and an increase in social services funding.

$53.6 million: Service expansion and enhancement

Staffing increases to expand service
- CTA will invest in its Frequent Bus Network adding four more routes, as well as route extensions, and increased service hours on up to six routes
- Metra will advance its Rock Island Line regional rail initiative
- Pace will prepare to add more weekend suburban bus service by funding garage staffing at every location
Prioritize service reliability and delivery
- CTA will focus on rail slow zone mitigation, rail car maintenance, Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) expansion, and more. Riders could see reliability improvements on up to 35 routes.
Advance facilities upgrades and cleaning, such as adding mid-line cleaning on the Red and Blue lines.

Most attendees indicated these investments will improve transit frequency and reliability, with 33 saying “agree” or “strongly agree,” three saying “disagree” or “strongly disagree,” and one saying “not sure.” Some expressed support specifically for CTA’s expansion of the Frequent Bus Network and mitigating slow zones on CTA rail. Others called for greater enforcement in bus only lanes and expansion of Pace bus coverage. When asked what more they would like to see from NITA in this area long-term, attendees recommended improved inter-agency service planning, more frequency, and increased evening and weekend service.

$5.4 million: Improved customer information

Upgrades including a full-scale signage modernization pilot at 10 key interagency locations across the collar counties, suburban Cook, and the City of Chicago
Language and accessibility improvements such as multilingual signage in specific locations, improved translation services, and creating a Language Access Plan as required by the NITA Act
Digital information expansion and standardization, including real-time elevator status for all three Service Boards

Most attendees indicated these investments will make transit easier to understand and ride, with 27 saying “agree” or “strongly agree,” none saying “disagree” or “strongly disagree,” and four saying “not sure.” Some expressed the need for signage to include inter-agency schedule information to make transfers easier, as well as a greater emphasis on accessibility for people with disabilities or who speak a language other than English or Spanish. When asked what more they would like to see from NITA in this area long-term, attendees recommended improving wayfinding, availability of schedule information at all train and bus stops, better trip planning tools, and better communication for new or casual riders.

$10 million: Expanded affordability

Expansion of the Access Pilot Program to riders experiencing low incomes on CTA and Pace (currently this pilot is only available for Metra riders)
Merge the RTA and CTA Transit Benefit Programs
Harmonize fare policies for students, free and reduced fares, U-Pass, and other programs as a first step toward full regional fare consolidation
Continue the Regional Day Pass (currently a pilot)

Most attendees indicated these investments will make transit more seamless and affordable, with 25 saying “agree” or “strongly agree,” one saying “disagree,” and five saying “not sure.” Some expressed excitement over the expansion of the Access Pilot Program, and many said fare capping should be a higher priority. When asked what more they would like to see from NITA in this area long-term, attendees recommended reduced fares for large events, integration with bikeshare, and a more streamlined fare policy across CTA, Metra, and Pace set by NITA.

$3.8 million: Land use programs to encourage transit supportive development

Additional funding for Community Planning grants to fast-track the People Over Parking Act implementation, which impacts mandatory minimum parking requirements for certain developments
Additional funding for Access to Transit grants to improve the areas around transit stops and stations
Equitable Transit Oriented Development study for new Green Line station in Englewood

Attendees said these programs have the potential to be transformative, but concerns were raised about the collaboration with local municipalities and other agencies to execute on these ideas.

Next steps

To wrap up the meeting, RTA staff reminded attendees that public comment is open through May 8 on the proposed 2026 Operating Budget Amendment and can be provided via web form or by emailing communications@rtachicago.org.

After considering feedback, the RTA will finalize the proposal with the Service Boards and bring the budget amendment to the May RTA Board meeting for a vote. With a vote of approval from the RTA Board, the Service Boards will then seek approval to incorporate the budget amendment into their budgets. Subject to available funding from the NITA Act, implementation of the new initiatives would begin in the second half of the year, and financial reporting on the amended budget to the RTA Board would begin in July.