By Sean Carlin
@redlineproject
AI disclosure: Midjourney was used to create the images in this story, data analysis was performed with Julius, audio transcription by Riverside.FM, and Chat-GPT4o assisted with sourcing
Public transportation systems like the CTA, Pace and Metra are the often unsung backbone of the Chicago metro area, moving millions of riders on an annual basis to and from many Chicagoland communities. However, the unfortunate reality is that due to compounding factors like lack of ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic and poor ridership retention post-pandemic, the entirety of Chicago’s public transit system is facing a $730 Million fiscal cliff in 2025, ballooning up to $1.19 billion by 2031. A variety of solutions have been proposed, but the predominant move forward with the most backing has been a proposed merger of all public transit agencies in the Chicago metro area.
The champion of this merger is Illinois State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). In an interview with WTTW News, Villivalam said, “We need a central agency that is going to address safety, reliability (and) accessibility for the entire region — and that is what is lacking right now, … We are talking about a system that we need for the future, and a funding amount for that system that is unprecedented.” The potential funneling of $1.5 billion on the line for Chicago’s public transportation will paint a varying picture of what the next 10 to 20 years will look like for public transportation and infrastructure within the Chicago area.
When also considering the continued future of public transportation in the Chicago metro area, there is a larger consideration about what transit initiatives may be best suited to not only short the fiscal cliff but also continue to benefit the Chicagoland public utilizing these pieces of infrastructure. The CTA already has various infrastructure projects underway, like the Red Line Extension Project and the Forest Park Blue Line Rebuild, but public speculation has increased after the passing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Deal under President Biden.
Dr. P.S. Sriraj of the Urban Transportation Center with the University of Illinois Chicago College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, has a background in assisting research and viability studies for Chicago’s public transit and infrastructure.
When asked for comment about the prospect of how the logistics of the CTA and other transit operators would change with the prospect of a merger between the agencies, Sriraj said, “One of the suggestions is to merge the service boards [of] CTA, Metra, and Pace under an empowered and enlarged RTA by dissolving the existing boards of the individual service boards … and making one large board that is with the RTA, thereby empowering it to make decisions at a systems level.” With the prospect of this merger, utilizing a centralized board would allow for a cut down of bureaucratic issues that can slow the development of the Chicago metro area.
With the public well aware of the various initiatives aimed at the CTA’s rail routes throughout the city of Chicago, there are also initiatives aimed at changing how bus service is offered throughout the Chicago metro area. In a letter to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, CTA president Dorval Carter, and CDOT Commissioner Carney, Ald. Matt Martin requested that the city take the necessary steps to implement a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system along Western Avenue. The backbone of Martin’s request came from a CDOT Western Avenue Corridor Study that recognized the real estate challenges when it comes to implementing a BRT system.
Sriraj added, “You cannot necessarily put bus rapid transit in the middle of a vibrant city arterial, like Ashland or Western Avenue, with the numerous signals. This is what I talked about [with] signal prioritization assuming significance. Unless you have signal prioritization, you cannot run an express bus or a BRT down an arterial system because of the logistics of managing the signal timings.”
BRT proposes new challenges for Chicago where the infrastructure would have to have differing levels of need depending on location. This then begs the question: Are there ways or locations where BRT can be implemented without massive infrastructure overhauls? One speculative idea would be utilizing I-290 or I-90 for a highway BRT system similar to Denver’s Regional Bus system or Flatiron Flyer service.
However, public transportation infrastructure isn’t limited only to buses and trains. Besides Pace and Metra service in the suburbs, there is also a growing need for infrastructure to support the “last leg” of most trips to suburban locations of the Chicago metro area. Sriraj said he believes that bike infrastructure is the first step toward that solution: “You also have bike infrastructure that is definitely needed in the suburban locations. The trend of reverse commute has been ticking up. Those that travel from the city, that live in the city, and have jobs outside the city and going across the grain, they are often finding themselves with no viable option for completing their last mile.”
Bike lanes allow for greater ease of access throughout suburban communities and incentivize tighter-knit communities through networking spaces and lanes for bikers to commute more easily, whereas lane makers and suburban drivers are not used to seeing consistent bike commuters. Pushing for a suburban bike lane network will allow for a more diversified transportation network and allow commuters to embrace new options for transportation.
Said Sriraj: “If you build it, they’ll come.
Unfortunately, building diversified public transportation infrastructure isn’t a simple wave of the hand, especially within the Chicago metro area. Sriraj said, “You have 284 communities in this region and the largest number of communities and governments of any region in the country. How do you customize it for that many communities? That’s a different issue altogether.”
Public involvement in the development of a larger transit network for the Chicago metro area is vital for an equitable solution for all communities involved. Disengagement with the process can often result in significant delays in construction or project management, and one would need to look at California’s High-Speed Rail project to see how that would play out.
So, how do people engage with communities who may be apprehensive about a larger public transportation system? Sriraj offered an idea: “Well, the engagement process is mandated. They need to, any initiative that you have, you need to have a public involvement. Per law, especially when you’re procuring federal dollars for that initiative. At the same time, they also have an obligation to make sure communities are aware of what they are going to be getting in response to their mobility challenges. And it’s a two-way street, so to speak.”