Riders and regional officials call for sustainable funding, improved service at RTA’s Suburban Transit Summit

To gather feedback and build support for improving transit service with new, expanded funding, the RTA hosted a half-day Suburban Transit Summit in Arlington Heights on October 24 in partnership with Metra, Pace, and CTA. The event provided a forum to discuss the future of transit service in Chicago's suburbs with a diverse audience of state legislators, transit agency leadership and staff, local officials, the business community, advocates, and riders. Attendees learned about ongoing agency plans to transform suburban transit through network revitalization and new connections, and how these plans are interconnected to maximize their regional benefit.

Opening remarks: Increased funding and governance reform are necessary to maintain a strong region and state

The program opened with remarks from Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes, State Representative Mary Beth Canty, State Senator Don DeWitte, and State Senator Ram Villivalam. All four elected officials touted the importance of public transportation to the region and the urgency of finding a funding solution to the impending fiscal cliff, tied to potential reforms that would improve the rider experience and operating efficiency. They emphasized the need to not just fill the gap to prevent cuts but ultimately increase operating funding levels to expand service.

Opening panel: The future of public transportation in Chicago's suburbs

An opening panel discussion on the future of public transportation in Chicago's suburbs featured RTA Executive Director Leanne Redden, Metra CEO Jim Derwinski, Pace Executive Director Melinda Metzger, and New Jersey Transit Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Brian Wilton. The agency leaders discussed ways they've changed up operations post-pandemic to meet the changing needs of riders, including instituting more flexible scheduling in New Jersey and moving toward regional rail here at Metra.

As conversations in Chicago focus on the allure of consolidation, Wilton said legislators in New Jersey are interested in exploring breaking New Jersey Transit up into smaller agencies, illustrating that while there are countless ways to set a governance structure, adequate funding is key to providing the kind of service that riders deserve.

Mayoral panel: The critical role public transit plays in communities and how it can improve

Following a break, a panel discussion featuring Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker, Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark, Libertyville Mayor Donna Johnson, and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, moderated by Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, explored the critical role public transit plays in their communities and how it can change and improve. All four panelists provided examples of how transit access has been key to their communities' economic recovery or resilience, as well as a boon for public health by encouraging active transportation and lowering emissions. Mayor Johnson talked about how Libertyville's transit access has attracted both young professionals looking for a walkable community and seniors wanting to age in place, leading to more housing in the downtown area. Mayor Booker described how improving transit access can make his community healthier, as Maywood battles high rates of stroke, heart disease, and heart attacks. Mayor Clark celebrated the Harvey Transportation Center currently under development, connecting residents to other communities via both Metra and Pace service. Mayor Van Dusen talked about the unique value of Skokie's connection to the CTA rail system via the Yellow Line and celebrated the recent launch of Pace Pulse on Dempster, connecting North Suburban communities to O'Hare with fast, frequent service. In all, the mayors see fast, frequent, reliable transit options as a way to invigorate their downtowns with residents, visitors, and workers alike.

Breakout sessions on RTA, Metra, Pace, and CTA initiatives

The summit culminated in small group interactive sessions on Metra, Pace, CTA, and RTA initiatives. Across 75 minutes, participants joined self-selected breakout tables to learn more and provide feedback on several key topics for the future of suburban transit service. Each table discussion lasted 20 minutes, and then participants rotated to another topic. Table discussions started with a brief overview of the topic from agency staff before welcoming questions and feedback from participants.

Metra's regional rail vision and systemwide network plan

In Metra's 2023-27 Strategic Plan, My Metra, Our Future, Metra began to lay out its vision to transform to a regional rail service from one that had been almost entirely focused on moving commuters from the suburbs to downtown Chicago. The evolution toward a regional rail service, which would entail more frequent service at regular intervals that enables more suburb-to-suburb travel, has already begun with recent schedule enhancements, but to understand what shape this evolution should take on each line, Metra initiated a Systemwide Network Plan (SNP). The SNP will identify how Metra can better serve changing travel markets with regional rail service, and it will guide Metra capital and operations for the next 20+ years.

Attendees generally praised Metra for this shift to a regional rail model. Feedback included changing schedules based on season, as ridership trends tend to change from one season to the next; adding more frequency; providing late-night and weekend service enhancements; prioritizing service to O'Hare; and improving communications to elected officials and other stakeholders who can then share information with constituents on schedule improvements.

Pace Pulse

As part of Pace's strategic vision plan, Driving Innovation, the agency has committed to expanding its network of arterial bus rapid transit service called Pulse. Pulse provides premium limited-stop bus service to commuters featuring enhanced amenities and streamlined routes in heavily traveled corridors of Chicagoland. In August 2019, Pace launched the Pulse Milwaukee Line, serving thousands of commuters between Niles and Chicago, and the Pulse Dempster Line started in August 2023 bringing fast, frequent service between Evanston and O'Hare Airport. There are three corridors currently in project development including Halsted, 95th Street, and Cermak.

Attendees who participated in this discussion were generally supportive of the expansion of Pace Pulse. One participant suggested Pace should be more experimental in picking corridors for pilot projects rather than relying on ridership statistics. Other feedback included pushing for more promotion of the decreased travel time Pulse provides riders, as well as increased reliability, to encourage greater use of the service. Pace staff emphasized that for Pulse to be successful, roadway agencies and municipalities must make transit a priority and be open to the innovative street design needed to support fast, reliable service.

Pace's ReVision network revitalization plan

ReVision is an opportunity to rethink Pace's entire network of services, building on the principles of accessibility, equity, and productivity defined in the agency's Driving Innovation strategic plan. This project will review and reimagine where and how often Pace routes should run, and what types of transit service are appropriate in different areas of the Chicago region. ReVision will combine comprehensive technical analysis with an ongoing regional conversation about the values and priorities that stakeholders, riders, and the public want the Pace network to reflect.

Attendees expressed excitement at the prospect of reworking Pace's fixed-route service. As an initial step in the planning process, participants were asked to prioritize ridership (increased frequency in areas with high ridership potential) or coverage (less frequent service available in more parts of the region). Most had a hard time choosing, as both options come with pros and cons. Many attendees had feedback on specific Pace routes they regularly ride, which planners said would be taken into consideration further down the planning process.

How CTA moves the suburbs

CTA provides rail and bus service in 35 suburban municipalities, connecting to Metra and Pace routes throughout the region. Summit attendees learned more about how CTA currently serves the suburbs and the agency's plans for future improvements, including a rail vision map with extensions farther into the suburbs.

Participants were interested in learning more about how CTA coordinates with Pace, especially on routes that overlap for both agencies. CTA said they meet with Pace to consult on large planning projects as well as to better coordinate existing service. One attendee said people from the suburbs generally don't know how to ride CTA other than in the Loop, and better communication around fares for CTA and Pace is needed to encourage more suburban ridership.

RTA Transit Friendly Communities Guide, Community Planning, and Access to Transit programs

The RTA's Local Planning team supports local governments, nonprofit organizations, and others in creating more transit-friendly communities through its Transit Friendly Communities Guide, Community Planning program, and Access to Transit program. The Transit Friendly Communities Guide will provide useful tools and standards to help make development and land-use decisions that improve access to transit to ensure that riders and residents of those communities can travel safely and efficiently. The Community Planning program provides funding and technical assistance to local governments to help foster the growth of sustainable, equitable, walkable, and transit-friendly communities. And the Access to Transit program helps communities improve the infrastructure around their transit stations and stops, making connections for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders safer, more accessible, and more attractive.

Attendees, especially those representing suburban municipalities, were interested in learning more about the RTA's local planning programs, with some saying they were not aware they were an available resource. Many discussed the challenges of improving transit access when transit service is still such that cars are almost a necessity for residents.

RTA system's fiscal cliff and governance reform

Chicago's regional transit system is facing a projected operating shortfall of more than $730 million annually-or nearly 20% of the regional operating budget-starting in 2026 because of historic underfunding and lower fare revenues from changing post-pandemic travel patterns. Any new funding must come with reforms that improve the rider experience, and the RTA is advocating for stronger regional authority with more influence and oversight on service, fare policy, and capital project prioritization.

Attendees showed general support for additional investment in transit to address the fiscal cliff, noting that the state should fully fund its mandated free and reduced fare programs. Some participants also expressed that the federal government should support ADA paratransit with operations funding. Local leaders asked for more information on how the region's transit operations are funded, including specific questions on the durability of the RTA Sales Tax, the potential for adding new counties into the RTA region, and the agency's long-term fiscal advocacy plan. Some participants were concerned that the General Assembly would pass a short-term funding solution, and that sustained advocacy will be needed to avoid a future fiscal cliff.

Closing remarks: RTA Board Chair Kirk Dillard

The event concluded with remarks from RTA Board Chair Kirk Dillard, who emphasized the value transit brings to the Chicago region and the urgency of legislators finding a funding solution by spring 2025.

"I leave here today newly inspired by the passion and ideas we've all witnessed that a better future is possible," Dillard said. "I am a true believer that transit is our great equalizer, our greatest engine of economic growth, and the best investment we can make as a region. I believe the greatest days for our transit system and our region are in front of us and you all have only reinforced that belief with the enthusiasm and great ideas you have shared today."

Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition

Lessons learned from the Suburban Transit Summit's panel discussions and breakout sessions will carry forward in the RTA's work in advocating for $1.5 billion in annual systemwide operations funding and governance reform that strengthens the agency's authority on service standards, fare policy, and capital project prioritization. Join the Transit is the Answer Coalition to help bring about the legislative changes needed to support transit at this pivotal moment.

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