CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Despite a projected $70 million budget hole due largely to reduced ridership during the pandemic, Metra has proposed a budget for next year that for now calls for no service cuts or fare increases.
Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinski said there are no plans to raise fares.
He admits that means there are only three ways the commuter rail service can avoid service cuts next year: if there's a better than expected increase in ridership, the federal government provides more coronavirus-relief aid for mass transit, or Metra finds enough ways to cut expenses.
Derwinski said Metra wants to maintain service levels as long as it can, so it can handle future increases in ridership and expand service as those numbers rise.
"It's kind of hard to sit there and have such a reduced budget, without saying we need some flexibility to increase service at some point in time during this period to try and attract riders back and to try to drive the revenue number up," he said.
Related
He also said Metra didn't want to discourage riders from coming back with talk of possible service cuts before it was absolutely necessary.
Derwinski said unless Metra gets more government coronavirus-relief aid, drastic actions impacting service will likely be required next year and beyond.