Overview

• The RTA board voted unanimously to reallocate $74 million in 2026 discretionary funds from Metra and Pace to the CTA.
• Officials say the transfer postpones the CTA’s fiscal cliff by two to three months, though the region still faces a roughly $771 million gap next year.
• RTA directors also funded the 2025 ADA paratransit shortfall and approved an action plan that sets a 30‑ride monthly cap for RAP/TAP and raises those fares to $3.25 on October 1, drawing protests from disability advocates.
• The $74 million represents about 1.7% of the regional budget, and expanded online sales tax collections are adding roughly $10–$20 million per month to transit revenues.
• A spring funding-and-reform bill cleared the Illinois Senate but not the House, and a long-term revenue and governance package is expected to be taken up during the October veto session.