CHICAGO – Today during its board meeting, the RTA presented a comparison of how different major urban transit systems are addressing their respective fiscal cliffs. The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released the following statement in response to the board’s discussion:
“The majority of other urban transit systems have done one-time fixes and proposed large fare increases that did not solve their respective operations funding issues. Their crises continue: major service cuts and additional drastic fare increases are on the table, and they are back in their legislatures seeking solutions. Illinois has the opportunity to do things differently. We already stand out in our comprehensive approach to seeking meaningful, lasting solutions that make the case firmly for investment in the transit system our state and our climate deserve. Starting with the Plan of Action for Regional Transit that served as the region’s blueprint for the NITA legislation, the state has held eight Senate subject matter hearings with 35 hours of testimony and the House Transit Working Group has diligently and intentionally worked through desired improvements.
“Illinois state leaders understand the magnitude of the problem, the opportunities to regionalize and enhance our system, and the sustainable $1.5 billion investment needed to get us there. We are eager to work with stakeholders to get legislation across the finish line in 2025.”
info@ilcleanjobs.org