CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Metra says it is willing to give a close look at a legislative proposal to overhaul the region's transit system. But, the Chicago Transit Authority is pushing back.
Legislation sponsored by a pair of state lawmakers would replace the Regional Transportation Authority with an agency to oversee all bus, rail and paratransit operations in northeastern Illinois. The cost is estimated to be $1.5 billion.
A spokesman for Metra says the rail agency looks forward to reviewing the data behind the consolidation proposal and engaging in meaningful discussions.
The CTA, however, released a statement saying that the agency remains dedicated to addressing the root of the region’s transit challenges: A decades-long lack of sufficient funding.
The Chicago Transit Authority pushes back hard against the proposal to overhaul and unify the northern Illinois transportation system.
Sponsors of the Metropolitan Mobility Authority legislation say it will make the system better and help avoid a fiscal cliff.
The CTA statement says the current funding formula must be corrected to better serve those who are most dependent on public transit services. It argues Chicago gets shortchanged.
To attribute the region’s challenges to anything other than a funding shortage, says the statement, perpetuates a narrative that will, at best, serve as a distraction to the funding crisis we face. At worst, it says such a narrative deepens the disparities for minority and low-income riders.
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