Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled a new plan Thursday morning that will give residents some relief from the recent surge in gas prices.
Lightfoot announced the city will distribute $150 prepaid gas cards and $50 transit cards to up to 150,000 residents.
The Mayor said the cards, which will be rewarded in a lottery system, will only be available to those who live within city limits and have paid up on city vehicle stickers. There also will be income limits in order to be eligible.
“By subsidizing the cost of gas and transit, this program will enable participants to save their resources for other critical expenses,” said Lightfoot in the official press release. “Chicago is a city that moves. People have to be able to get to work, school, places of worship, medical offices, grocery stores. The goal of this program is to help make those moves easier.”
The program, known as Chicago Moves, is expected to cost the city about $12.5 million -- $7.5 million for 50,000 prepaid gas cards worth $150, and $5 million for 100,000 transit cards worth $50.
Beginning in May, the city will start distributing the gas cards in five successive monthly waves of 10,000 residents. The cards will be valid for one year and may only be spent on the cost of fuel at gas stations located within Chicago.
The city will also distribute or add value to 100,000 cards for use on public transit; 75,000 will be distributed based on geographic data, prioritizing residents in low-income neighborhoods, and an additional 25,000 transit cards will be distributed citywide.
Residents will have to apply to the Chicago Moves program to receive a card. Applications will open on April 27, 2022.
More information will be made available pending City Council approval.
The average pump price in Illinois is $4.45 a gallon, just over the national average of $4.21, according to AAA. In Cook County, where Chicago is located, the average gas price is $4.68.
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